While I certainly expected language challenges while abroad, I certainly didn’t anticipate developing a strained relationship with German. My whole experience in university with German classes has been focused on growing my appreciation and interest in German culture, and I always assumed language skills would flow by simply listening to German on a weekly basis. I loved all the content I was learning but was sorely overconfident in my speaking ability.

Whenever I told people I was studying abroad in Japan, the first thing they'd ask me was, "Where? Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto?" or something along those lines, but Nagoya was never mentioned. Of course, I can't blame them—those three cities are quite the stacked list. But Nagoya is a special city on its own, one that has the same activities as the "Big Three" without all the crowds, hassle, or scams. Whether you're looking into studying abroad in Nagoya or just want to travel here on your study abroad elsewhere in Japan, I'd definitely put Japan on your travel list!