ひろしま留学大使 インタビューvol.1　Ghana Rinaldi

Hello, everyone. My name is Ghana Rinaldi. You can call me Ghana. I was born in Indonesia 27 years ago as the oldest child of three siblings. I have been living in Japan since October, 2015. I am majored in Chemical Engineering, and right now I am trying to finish my doctoral study in Hiroshima University. My hobbies and interests include singing, karaoke, music (Maroon 5, OneRepublic, Monkey Majik, etc.), all Marvel Cinematic Universe installments, games (mobile & Nintendo Switch), US TV series, One Piece manga, roller coasters, and all novels authored by Rick Riordan.

Up until now, I have been living in Hiroshima for 2.5 years. During these years, Hiroshima has provided me many comforts and adventures. I have visited various parts of Hiroshima prefecture, including Taishakukyo gorge in the northeastern part of Hiroshima. However, I still think that there are still so many parts of Hiroshima that I would like to explore further. Triggered by those initial thoughts, I was applying for HSAA because I want to give something in return to Hiroshima; one of them by promoting various aspects of it to the world. One of the aspects that I would like to share to the world, specifically people in Indonesia, is the current radiation level in Hiroshima. I found it really bewildering that even until now several friends and acquaintances of mine still have some doubts and think that it is dangerous to visit Hiroshima due to the atomic bombing incident that happened more than 70 years ago. Perhaps I could enlighten them by providing facts regarding the actual current situation in Hiroshima. Moreover, personally I want to meet more and more new people from every part of the world. And, I think it would be more amazing if I could work with them in promoting and exploring Hiroshima together.

The reason why I decided to take my graduate studies in Hiroshima was not related to the prefecture itself. It was more because of the research subject I was interested to. In Department of Chemical Engineering of Hiroshima University, there is a professor named Prof. Kikuo Okuyama who is world-renowned for his research on aerosol-based material synthesis methods. He is still active now as an Emeritus professor. Back when I was looking for a chance to continue my study abroad, I was fortunate enough to be selected by my professor whom I was working for in Indonesia to be a candidate for a scholarship program in Hiroshima University under Okuyama-sensei’s laboratory due to my keen interest in material-related research. And since then, I have been taking my graduate study in Hiroshima University.

So many. For real. Hiroshima has plenty amazing places to visit. For me personally, there are two places in Hiroshima that moved me when I visited them for the first time. My first favorite place is Miyajima Island for the breathtaking view that we could see when we climb to the top of the Mt. Misen and their wonderful firework festival held in summer, while the second one is Sandankyo gorge for its perpetually-flowing emerald water that calms me every time I go there. Onomichi is also worth to visit for having two options for us to enjoy: going up to a small hill to walk through the old temples route, or going for a bicycle ride around several small islands which interconnected with bridges. Ookunoshima in Takehara-shi has beautiful view and plenty of wild rabbits that everyone can play with, which is why it is called a Rabbit Island. Hiroshima-shi itself has the monumental Genbaku dome and the peace memorial museum, both of which must be visited by everyone who is visiting Hiroshima, and there is also the beautiful Shukkeien for anyone who wants to enjoy a traditional Japanese garden. For the Japanese ancient castle lovers, Hiroshima prefecture also has several beautiful castles to visit, two of which are Hiroshima Castle and Fukuyama Castle, the 8th and the 9th tallest castles throughout Japan, respectively. There is also a submarine museum in Kure-shi that allows us to go inside a real non-operating submarine. During winter, there are also several newbie-friendly resorts in Kitahiroshima to play ski and snowboarding with amazing views if we dare enough to reach their summits. For its cuisine, Hiroshima is famous for its okonomiyaki, which in my opinion is better than its counterpart from Osaka. Other than all of those, Hiroshima is also famous for Carps, one of the strongest baseball teams in Japan, and also for Sanfrecce, their soccer team, that recently just found their momentum back to the top of the league.

For anyone who is currently considering studying in Japan, if you do have a chance, I recommend you to take it once it fits your academical and financial terms. Japan is a great country, and I think it is one of the safest countries in the world. Everyone is so polite, and everything is pretty convenient and easily accessible in Japan. However, to be frankly speaking, of course there will be challenges that you will need to overcome living and studying here. Language is the first, culture shock is the second, missing your family and hometown is the third, for example. But, studying abroad wherever it is will always have their own challenges, their own ups and downs, the ebbs and flows that demand us to adapt. And for me personally, actually those challenges are things that opened my eyes to many things. I learned to know, respect, appreciate, and understand various aspects in my life since I started living here, including myself and my family. So, once again, if you have a chance to study here, please do not hesitate to come. Pretty cherry blossom (sakura) trees, wonderful castles, beautiful gardens, amazing firework festivals, and various exciting things to explore are awaiting.