Konnichiwa, my name is Aidan Stout and I am a Junior at the College of Charleston. I am studying Computing in the Arts, with a Game Development concentration and I have decided to spend the fall 2023 semester in Japan attending Kansai Gaidai University, located in Hirakata, Osaka. I have taken four semesters of Japanese at CofC, so when I heard about this program, I knew it was something I had to do. It is a perfect oppurtunity to improve my Japanese language skills and learn more about the culture. There is also a huge Japanese influence in game development around the world, so I will learn a lot of information that I can put to use in my classes back at CofC.

My main goal while abroad is to explore as many places as possible as try as much food as possible. I have already spent a bit of time researching fun places to explore such as the Osaka castle and sake tours. I also would love to reconnect with a few exchange students that my family hosted some years ago. I am excited to share my future adventures with you through these blog posts!