Sophia University/Tokyo International University. My chances?
Sophia University/Tokyo International University. My chances?
So I am applying to Sophia University as a transfer student and I want to know from people who have either attended or are attending the school what my chances of being admitted are. I am a student at Temple University in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. My GPA is 2.9, because I took a math course that i wasn't good at and received a letter grade of D. This is one of my main worries as I've heard people usually get in with a GPA of 3.4 or higher... I also know standardized test scores are important. I have taken the ACT in hig school but only received a score of 20... so I plan to take the SAT. I heard from a representative of Sophia that the average for students who have been accepted was 27 for ACT and 1270 for SAT (600 reading/writing, 670 math). On my practice SAT i received a composite score of 1060 (620 reading/writing, 440 math). I am terrible at math so I am currently studying to the best of my ability and aiming for a 600 in math and 650 reading/writing for a total score of 1250 (although i cannot be sure i can make it that score as the math section is confusing since i haven't taken a proper math course since HS)... I know that the essay is important so i am working very hard to write the best essay I can. I also have 2 professors lined up who I believe can vouch for me being a smart, dedicated and hard-working student despite my drawbacks in grades and test scores (it doesn't make a difference but i am just terrible at test taking, especially math).
From what i wrote above what are my realistic chances at being accepted into Sophia University? I also want to ask if it would be better to apply for the autumn semester rather than the spring since i've heard from others that less international students are accepted in the spring and more in the autumn.
I also want to ask if I have a better chance of getting into Tokyo International University (and yes, I am aware it is located in Kawagoe, not Tokyo). I heard it's not a great university and that it's relatively easy to be accepted but as a transfer student with my current stats do I have a chance there?
I am aiming for Sophia University as it is my dream school and I plan to let them know that i am serious about attending in the essay. So from my peers here on reddit who either have gone or are attending Sophia University or know about it, I want to know what my chances are at this point.
Sorry the question was so long.
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Tohoku (東北) is the region that sits between Tokyo and Hokkaido, and consists of 6+1 prefectures:
Akita Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
Yamagata Prefecture
Niigata Prefecture (honorarily)
Though usually a very quiet area (only about 1.4% of all tourists visited in 2017), many people will come up during August to see this region's main events. After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, these festivals have become key events that support the region both spiritually and economically.
Here are the big festivals that each of the 7 prefectures are known for, listed in starting date order:
August 1-4, Sansa Odori (World's Largest Taiko Drum Parade), Iwate Prefecture
August 1-7, Neputa Matsuri (Nebuta's More Elegant, Quieter Sister Event), Aomori Prefecture
August 2-4, Waraji Matsuri (Huge Traditional Straw Sandals), Fukushima Prefecture
August 2-7, Nebuta Matsuri (Neputa's More Intense, Rowdier Brother Event ), Aomori Prefecture
August 3-6, Kanto Matsuri (Incredible Lantern Balancing Acts), Akita Prefecture
August 5-7, Hanagasa Matsuri (Wonderful Hat and Umbrella Performances), Yamagata Prefecture
August 6-8, Tanabata Matsuri (Colorful Sea of Streamers), Miyagi Prefecture
August 9-11, Niigata Matsuri (Big Variety of Things to Love), Niigata Prefecture
August 31, Omagari Hanabi (Japan's Premiere Fireworks Competition), Akita Prefecture
If you cannot choose, many people consider Tohoku's "Three Great Festivals" to be:
Nebuta Matsuri in Aomori Prefecture
Kanto Matsuri in Akita Prefecture
Tanabata Matsuri in Miyagi Prefecture
(P.S. Links to websites are removed so it doesn't conflict with the spam filter. Sorry about that!)
Sansa Odori, World's Largest Taiko Drum Parade
(Taiko Drum Festival)
August 1-4 (Thur-Sun)
Iwate Prefecture, Morioka City
Iwate's main festival. The world's largest taiko drum parade. "Sansa" is the region's traditional folk dance. Many people living in the region know the dance by heart. There will also be opportunities for people to learn the dance, and join in on the parade.
Free event, no tickets needed
Tokyo -> Morioka
Shinkansen = ¥14,000 - ¥15,000 (2-3 hours one-way)
Bus = ¥5,000 - ¥10,000 (8 hours one-way)
Neputa Matsuri, Nebuta's More Elegant, Quieter Sister Event
(Lantern Float Festival)
August 1-7 (Thur-Wed)
Aomori Prefecture, Hirosaki City
Neputa Matsuri is the more somber and relaxed sister event to Nebuta Matsuri in Aomori. The floats here have two sides: one side that show brutal war images of men in war, and one side that show the women and wives they leave behind.
Free event, but you can buy tickets to reserve close-up seats (¥2,000)
Tokyo -> Hirosaki
Shinkansen + Local Train = ¥17,000 - ¥19,000 (4 hours one-way)
Bus = ¥5,000 - ¥7,000 (9.5 hours, one-way)
Waraji Matsuri, Parading Huge Traditional Straw Sandals
(Straw Sandal Festival)
August 2-4 (Fri-Sun)
Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima City
Fukushima's main festival. Local groups create enormous straw sandals that must fit the feet of kings. This year is the 50th anniversary of the festival, but has 400-year old roots.
Free event, no tickets needed
Tokyo -> Fukushima
Shinkansen = ¥9,000 - ¥10,000 (2 hours one-way)
Bus = ¥4,000 - ¥6,000 (5 hours one-way)
Nebuta Matsuri, Neputa's More Intense, Rowdier Brother Event
(Lantern Float Festival)
August 2-7 (Fri-Wed)
Aomori Prefecture, Aomori City
Aomori's main festival. Nebuta Matsuri is the more intense brother event to Neputa Matsuri in Hirosaki. Tons of massive and beautiful floats that depict war parade around the city center.
Free event, but you can buy tickets to reserve close-up seats (¥3,000 - ¥4,000)
Tokyo -> Aomori
Shinkansen + Local Train = ¥17,000 - ¥18,000 (4 hours one-way)
Bus = ¥4,000 - ¥7,000 (11 hours one-way)
Plane = ¥35,000 - ¥40,000 (1.5 hours one way)
Kanto Matsuri, Incredible Lantern Balancing Acts
(Pole Lantern Festival)
August 3-6 (Sat-Tue)
Akita Prefecture, Akita City
Akita's main festival. Over 200 poles that can go up past 10-meters high with lanterns are balanced on the bodies of performers as they parade through the city.
Free event, but many places and seats are reserved by tickets, might be difficult to find viewing spots (¥2,100 - ¥3,000)
Tokyo -> Akita
Shinkansen = ¥18,000 - ¥21,000 (one-way, 4 hours)
Bus = ¥9,000 - ¥10,000 (one-way, 8 hours)
Plane = ¥30,000 - ¥34,000 (one-way, 1 hour)
Hanagasa Matsuri, Wonderful Hat and Umbrella Performances
(Flower Umbrella Festival)
August 5-7 (Mon-Wed)
Yamagata Prefecture, Yamagata City
Yamagata's main festival. Thousands of performers will dance to traditional folk songs. The dancers are equipped with handmade flower hats and umbrellas that represent the prefecture. There are chances for festival-goers to get small dancing lessons, and even join the parade.
Free event, no tickets needed
Tokyo -> Yamagata
Shinkansen = ¥11,500 - ¥12,500 (3 hours one-way)
Bus = ¥5,000 - ¥7,000 (6 hours one-way)
Tanabata Matsuri, Colorful Sea of Streamers
(Star Festival)
August 6-8 (Tue-Thur)
Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City
Miyagi's main festival. The most famous of all tanabata festivals in Japan. Thousands of colorful streamers line up the city’s downtown area.
Free event, no tickets needed
Tokyo -> Sendai
Shinkansen = ¥11,000 - ¥14,000 (1.5 - 2 hours one-way)
Bus = ¥3,000 - ¥7,000 (5.5 hours one-way)
Niigata Matsuri, Wide Variety of Things to Love
(Niigata Festival)
August 9-11 (Fri-Sun)
Niigata Prefecture, Niigata City
Niigata's main festival. They used to have 4 separate festivals, then they combined them into one large one. The main events are thousands of dancers crossing Niigata’s main bridge, and a great firework finale.
Free event, no tickets needed
Tokyo -> Niigata
Shinkansen = ¥9,000 - 11,000 (2 hours one-way)
Bus = ¥3,000 - ¥9,000 (5 hours one-way)
Plane = ¥30,000 - ¥35,000 (1 hour one-way)
Omagari Hanabi, Japan's Premiere Fireworks Competition
(Omagari Fireworks)
August 31 (Sat)
Akita Prefecture, Omagari
Japan's national fireworks competition. The best 30 firework companies in the nation compete to win the 内閣総理大臣賞, or the Prime Minister's Award. It is also the only fireworks display in Japan to have both night and day performances.
NOTE: Locals say this event gets CROWDED. As in 700,000+ visitors come into a city that normally has about 85,000 people living in it. Exiting the event may take a few hours.
Almost all best seats require tickets (¥3,000 - ¥23,000), but many people will try to go up mountains and watch from distance at the sacrifice hearing the accompanying music.
Tokyo -> Omagari
Shinkansen + Local Train/Bus = ¥17,000 - ¥18,000 (4-4.5 hours one-way)
Bus = ¥9,000 - ¥10,000 (10 hours one-way)
I'm still fairly new to living in Tohoku, but I fell in love with the region. I decided to support it by reminding others that it still exists on the map :)
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Welcome to Tohoku.
東北へようこそ。
I've come across several articles noting that Fukuoka is the fastest growing major city in Japan outside Tokyo, and has one of the younger overall populations amongst major Japanese cities. It's predicted to keep gaining population up until 2035, while Tokyo's is supposed to decline after the mid-2020's.
My question is what is driving this growth?
I understand there's an effort to pitch Fukuoka as a 'startup city', but surely it's not so effective as to have this much effect on the demographic profile. I'm genuinely curious as to why it's attracting all these people, and what it has that other major cities don't (after all, many other cities are also nice provincial capitals yet they're losing population).
References:
https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Fukuoka-a-booming-population-in-aging-Japan
https://www.fukuoka-reit.jp/eng/beginner/potential/ingather/
https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/invest-overseas-properties/article/2119630/fukuoka-japans-fastest-growing
In case you've not noticed, in the recent House of Councillors election a few weeks ago, the "Protect the People from the NHK Party", which campaigns on the single issue of the bullying tactics of the NHK in forcing people to pay NHK license fees, has successfully got their leader elected when nobody expected them to.
Inspired by the Anti-NHK Party, someone has decided to set up a similar single-issue party, this time aimed at JASRAC, (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers), the monolithic organization which handles musical royalties, and notorious for its overhanded tactics in their intolerance for even the simplest fair use of copyrighted material, called the "Protect Music from JASRAC Party".
A simple Google search would reveal a plethora of JASRAC's antics, so I will not elaborate here.
This Anti-JASRAC Party hopes to tap into the electoral success of the Anti-NHK Party, which managed to rouse enough people fed up with the NHK to vote for them. Equally, they hope that by setting up this party, JASRAC's bullying antics will be brought into the spotlight.
The Anti-JASRAC Party has not ruled out a possible collaboration with the Anti-NHK Party in the forseeable future to unite people fed up with institutions that abuse their power for shameless money grabbing opportunities.
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