NUTOfficeBucharest

My name is Aoto Saito, and I am from Tochigi, Japan. I came to the Romanian American University from Nagaoka University of Technology, alongside seven students from our university who participated in this program.

In the future, I would like to have a job that connects people. In Romania, I experienced that even if people speak different languages, they can connect through hobbies and food. I saw how new communities were created naturally, and this experience made me want to work in a place where people can meet and build new relationships.

This was my first time going abroad, so I felt very nervous at first. However, people in Bucharest were friendly everywhere I went. Many people asked me, “How do you say ‘thank you’ in Japanese?” I realized that Romanian people like Japan more than I expected. When I told them I was Japanese, many people praised Japanese culture such as sushi and manga. Some people also said, “I want to visit Japan someday.” Even though we speak different languages and live far from each other, I felt that our cultures connect us.

My hobby is communication. In Japan, I have met and talked with many people, and in Romania I also made many international friends beyond language differences. I think I spent the most time at the entrance of the dormitory at the Romanian-American University, talking and spending time with friends.

I decided to apply for an internship in Romania because I wanted to leave Japan and learn in a new environment. My best memory in Bucharest was Comic Con. Many people who love Japanese anime and manga gathered there and expressed what they like freely, and I was very impressed.

My favorite food was mici. My favorite Romanian expression is “La mulți ani,” which is used to celebrate special moments. I said it many times during the New Year.

I really like manga, and I read Weekly Shonen Jump every week. My favorite titles are My Hero Academia and One Piece.

Our program lasts for six months, but I hope to visit Romania again someday. I would like to see the country’s development and feel the connection between Romania and Japan once more. My life in Bucharest was truly amazing and unforgettable.

Mulțumesc!!!

Salut! I’m Mikito Yaguchi, from Tokyo, Japan.
I’m a fourth-year undergraduate student at Nagaoka University of Technology, majoring in IT.
I came to Bucharest for an internship at ECDL Romania, and full semester at the Romanian American University.
My dream job is to work as a football data analyst for professional teams.
I want to apply my skills to football in the rapidly growing field of sports data analytics.
At the same time… I still have a dream of playing football as a professional player.
In Japan, football-related sports such as futsal, Socieaty, and the Kings League are becoming more popular,
and every time I watch a match, I feel more and more excited.
Although I once gave up on becoming a professional football player,
I still have a strong desire to challenge myself and aim for that dream again.
My hobby is everything related to football.
I have played football for 17 years,
and I have been a huge fan of Manchester City for about 15 years.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to watch a match during this period,
so I really hope to watch a live match next time.
I decided to come to Romania because I wanted to broaden the possibilities in my life and gain new perspectives.
By interacting with people from different backgrounds whom I would never meet in Japan, I hoped to discover a new version of myself.
I also heard that many people here can speak English, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to improve my English skills as well.
My best experience in Bucharest was definitely working on my application development project at ICDL Romania.
Developing an application, giving reports in meetings, and sharing my ideas were all new experiences for me, so it was a very valuable and meaningful experience.
My favorite food in Romania was probably the sandwiches from LUCA.
I also had BBQ and Japanese food, but I think I went to LUCA near the office the most.
Outside of Bucharest, I really liked Sinaia the most.
I saw Peleș Castle in person, and I was impressed by its architectural style and history.
Both the interior and exterior were beautifully crafted in great detail, and the furniture on display gave me a sense of what life was like at that time.
I was busy focusing on improving my English, so I didn’t have much time to study Romanian.
However, I used “Salut!” a lot😁
Whenever I greeted people, they always responded in a friendly way.
Manga, anime, gaming, and outdoor activities are all essential parts of my life.
If I had to choose just one, I would choose sports, especially football.
For me, these hobbies are precious ways to share time and feelings with friends and teammates.
I believe that friendships formed through hobbies can last even when we are far apart.
Just as I was able to make many friends through football here in a foreign country, hobbies can become a bridge between people, even when we have different languages and cultures.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who supported me during my stay in Romania.
I hope that we will meet again somewhere in the world someday.

My dream job is to work as a system engineer or a data scientist. My hobbies include gaming, playing the piano, and snowboarding.

How did I decide to come to Bucharest? My professor has connections with Romania and told me that it is a safe country and good place to work and study.
In addition, I had never been abroad before, so I wanted to challenge myself by gaining international experience.

My best experience here was volunteering with children. I wrote their names in Japanese calligraphy and played kendama and soccer with them.
I was deeply moved to see that Japanese culture is loved even in a country far from Japan like Romania.

I have made friends in Romania.
I met kind people through volunteering and daily life here, and I would really like to keep in touch with some of them even after I return to Japan.

My favorite Romanian food is mici. The best mici I ate were at Mici Obor – “Cei mai buni mici mari” at Terasa PLATOU.

Besides Bucharest, I have visited Constanța, Sinaia, Brașov, and Sighișoara.
I liked Sinaia the most because Peleș Castle left a strong impression on me.

My favorite Romanian expression is Poftă bună”, which means “Enjoy your meal.”

Takaya Okumura-san și Mikito Yaguchi-san, studenți la Nagaoka University of Technology, se află începând cu luna septembrie 2025 la București, fiind beneficiari ai unei burse de un semestru.

Cei doi vor urma cursurile facultății de Computer Science din Cadrul Universității Româno-Americane. De asemenea, vor participa la un stagiu de practică la ICDL România, sub Coordonarea domnului Mihai Peca.

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