Hosei University intercultural communications sophomores Masahiro Iwasaki and Ran Ishizuka performed a cover of the 2001 Japanese hit “Everything” by MISIA.

“The music and lyrics are so specific to Japanese culture — it’s so soft,” Iwasaki said.

Popular Japanese musicians differ from their American counterparts because of the complexity of their lyrics, Iwasaki and Ishizuka said.

“From one word the listener could infer 10 words,” Ishizuka said.

As much as the Hosei students enjoy studying at MSU, adjusting to the social scene offered by MSU presented some challenges.

“In Japan, I belonged to a folk music club that had almost 100 people,” Iwasaki said. “My club hung out and partied together, we didn’t just play guitar. Here everyone just studies and parties on their own, not with clubs as much as in Japan.”

Adjusting to American food has been an ongoing challenge for some of the Hosei students.

“The food is very different,” Hosei University intercultural communications sophomore Saki Iizuka said. “American food is too sweet and salty.”

Their time at MSU has brought the Hosei students closer together.

“There aren’t very many Japanese students at MSU,” Hosei University intercultural communications sophomore Keigo Tsubokura said.

The small number of Japanese students at MSU brought the 17 Hosei University students closer together, Iwasaki said.

Despite how much they’ve enjoyed their time at MSU, some of the Hosei University students are ready to go back home.

“I miss the ramen in Tokyo the most, it’s so addictive,” Iwasaki said.