Flying to Japan for the First Time — Researcher Visa, January 2020

January 29, 2020. The day I first set foot in Japan.

Nobody knew at the time that two months later, the world would change completely. But in that moment, there was only one thought in my head: I was actually going to Japan.

Original Plan: Depart April 2020

After receiving official confirmation of my acceptance into the University of Tsukuba Master’s program, the original plan was simple — fly to Japan just before April 1, 2020, the start of the Japanese academic year.

Everything looked normal. There was no sign that the world was about to be turned upside down. COVID-19 wasn’t on anyone’s radar yet.

Message from My Supervisor: Come Early

In October 2019, my future supervisor in Japan reached out by email with news I wasn’t expecting.

He suggested I come earlier — starting research activities in February 2020 — to give myself time to adapt to the campus environment, lab, and life in Japan before formal classes began. This meant departing at the end of January 2020, two months ahead of the original plan.

An offer I obviously didn’t refuse.

An Unexpected Act of Kindness

In that same email, there was something else that made me stop and re-read it several times.

He knew I hadn’t yet received confirmation about NIMS-GRA — the program that would fund my studies and living expenses in Japan. Without being asked, he offered:

• Monthly allowance for the first two months (February and March 2020)
• Help finding alternative funding if I didn’t get NIMS-GRA

I still remember how I felt reading that email. A mix of being deeply moved, relieved, and genuinely disbelieving. In a country I’d never visited, someone already believed in me before I’d even arrived.

That was one of the earliest moments that made me realize how fortunate I was to have this supervisor.

The Visa Process: Faster Than Expected

A lot of people assume Japanese visa applications are slow and complicated. My experience was the opposite.

Here’s the full timeline:

Important note: My visa status at this point was Researcher, not Student — because officially I wouldn’t become a student until April 1, 2020. The switch from Researcher to Student visa is a separate process I cover in another article.

For anyone planning the same route: once your CoE is in hand, the visa process is fast. The part that needs preparation well in advance is getting the CoE itself.

January 29, 2020 — First Step onto Japanese Soil

When the plane landed and I stepped out of the airport, there was a feeling that’s hard to describe in words. A mix of excitement, nervousness, and a full awareness that my life had just entered a completely new chapter.

I didn’t know then that two months later, COVID-19 would lock down the entire world. That classes would start online. That Japan would close its borders for years.

But that’s the story for the next page.