nktaruaru

Personal blog · Japan

Life in Japan — Through an Indonesian's Eyes

Hi, I'm Kevin. I've been living in Japan for 5+ years — from a Master's student in Tsukuba to a PhD graduate now working as an engineer in Tokyo. This blog is where I share honest stories about studying, working, and living in Japan.

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What You'll Find Here

Study in Japan

The full journey from applying to graduating — Master's and PhD at the University of Tsukuba. From NIMS-GRA scholarship applications and entrance exams to crossing the stage at graduation. Everything, told honestly.

Read the study stories →

Working in Japan

What does it actually take to land a job in Japan as a foreign PhD graduate? The process, the challenges, the culture shock — and how it all turned out.

Read the work stories →

Life in Japan

The stories that happened between university and work — nenkin, salary deductions, and NISA, plus commuting, visa paperwork, and cooking dinner in a student apartment.

Read the stories →

Food & Life in Tokyo

Japan is a food lover's paradise. When I'm not working, I'm exploring the city — one restaurant at a time.

Coming soon

The Journey So Far

  1. 2019 TOEIC in 2 weeks Scored 940/990 for the Master's application. Read the story →
  2. 2019 Applying to NIMS-GRA Knocking on the door of research at Tsukuba. Read the story →
  3. 2020 Flying to Japan First time living alone in a foreign country. Read the story →
  4. 2020 Classes in a pandemic A fully online first semester of the Master's. Read the story →
  5. 2021 Deciding on the PhD A big decision midway through the Master's. Read the story →
  6. 2022 M.Eng. → PhD Graduated, then straight into the doctorate. Read the story →
  7. 2023 Starting the job hunt November of the second PhD year — research ongoing. Read the story →
  8. 2024 Ten rejections → offer The job offer came one year before graduation. Read the story →
  9. 2025 PhD graduation Officially a doctor, five years after arriving. Read the story →
  10. 2025 Engineer in Tokyo First day at work — a new chapter begins. Read the story →

A Few Numbers

5+ years
Living in Japan
5 languages
Indonesian, English, Japanese, Mandarin & Korean (learning)
3 journals
Published as first author during PhD
ITB → Tsukuba
B.Sc. Physics → M.Eng. → Ph.D.

Have a Question?

Thinking about studying or working in Japan? Feel free to reach out — I'm happy to share whatever I know.

Contact me →