Lin Chen
From China
Tokyo-Takadanobaba Campus
Keio University
Accepted into the MBA Program, Major in Business Administration, Graduate School of Business Administration
- Please introduce yourself.
- Hello, everyone. My name is Lin, and I'm from Hangzhou, China. I majored in e-commerce during my undergraduate studies in China. In my sophomore year, my older brother and I started our own business, and we currently run an Amazon store in the U.S. specializing in tools. During my junior year, I decided that I wanted to study abroad in Japan, and over the course of a year, I worked my way from zero Japanese proficiency to the N1 level. After graduating from university in 2022, I enrolled at ISI's Takadanobaba Campus, which had long been my goal. I have since been admitted to Keio University's MBA program and am now looking forward to starting my studies this April.
- Why did you choose to study in Japan?
- There were two main reasons. First, my family's company has long been doing business with Japanese companies and is primarily engaged in the international trade of industrial tools, such as milling cutters, saw blades, and taper drill bits. Second, I personally wanted to study business management in Japan.
- Why did you choose to enroll at ISI?
- I was drawn to ISI because of its excellent facilities. Since enrolling, I have been studying in the new building at the Takadanobaba Campus. The campus is modern, clean, and just as comfortable as I had expected.
- How did ISI's guidance help you prepare for the Keio entrance examination?
- The one-on-one guidance I received from Instructor Katahira on my research proposal was an enormous help throughout my application process. Katahira sensei held my application materials to a very high standard. As a native Japanese speaker, the instructor not only carefully reviewed my word choice and writing style but also provided a great deal of constructive feedback on the logical structure of my research proposal.
The advanced class I attended was made up of many students with N1-level Japanese proficiency, and most of them were aiming for Japan's top universities. Being surrounded by such motivated classmates created an inspiring learning environment and gave me tremendous motivation to stay focused on my own entrance exam preparation. - Which universities did you apply to during your admissions process?
- Although I had already reached N1 level while I was in China, I obtained the official JLPT qualification after coming to Japan.
I applied to four universities in total: Keio, Waseda, Aoyama, and Meiji. Each of these universities has its own distinctive features:
Keio's MBA program emphasizes practical application and case studies rather than theoretical research. Students can accompany professors on company visits and gain exposure to the latest developments at the forefront of Japanese business.
Waseda has an exceptionally strong faculty, with many renowned professors. I have heard that Aoyama does not require a graduation thesis, which may be convenient for some students. Meiji offers evening classes, making it possible for working professionals to attend.
In the end, I was accepted into the MBA Program in the Major in Business Management at Keio University's Buiness School, commonly known as KBS. - What is the Keio MBA entrance examination like?
- Keio's MBA is a Japanese language program. The admissions process is mainly divided into three stages: the initial screening, a written examination, and an interview.
The initial screening involves submitting personal documents and an essay.
The written examination mainly consists of reading comprehension questions and evaluates abilities such as the applicant's critical thinking skills. Keio's past examination papers can only be viewed in the university's reference room and may not be taken outside, so I went there to find the past papers.
The final stage is a three-to-one interview. What left the strongest impression on me was that, because I had started a business while I was at university, one of the interviewers asked, 'After entering the MBA program, will you be able to balance your studies with running your company?' - What do you think was the biggest factor that helped you gain admission to Keio University?
- From my understanding, Keio University's MBA program generally admits applicants with professional work experience. However, I came to Japan and applied for the program immediately after graduating from university, without any full-time work experience. I believe that my entrepreneurial experience during university, combined with the program's strong emphasis on practical business education, was one of the key factors that ultimately led to my admission.
- Could you tell us how you came to start your own business?
- In my sophomore year of university, I founded a company in China from the ground up and launched a business exporting industrial tools manufactured by my family's company to the United States. Although the company is based in China, once the necessary requirements—such as registering a trademark in the U.S.—are met, we are able to sell our products directly to American consumers through Amazon's U.S. marketplace.
As competition in the Chinese market has become increasingly fierce, I saw greater growth potential in expanding into overseas markets. For example, DIY culture is well established in North America, and many customers purchase our tools for woodworking projects such as building small cabinets and tables.
Over the past few years, the business has grown steadily, and our team has gradually expanded as well.
Since I am currently studying in Japan, I plan to leave the day-to-day operation of the company to my management team and focus on my MBA studies in Business Management at Keio University. - What are your plans after graduating from university?
- After graduation, I plan to return home and continue managing the company.
In the future, I also plan to export our products to Japan by expanding into Japanese e-commerce platforms such as Rakuten and Amazon Japan. In addition, I hope to launch a TikTok account to increase our brand awareness through social media.
The Japanese and U.S. e-commerce markets operate differently. To sell on Rakuten, you need to establish a Japanese corporation. However, if you already have a store on Amazon U.S., you can start selling on Amazon Japan using the same seller account. - What has been the most memorable part of your study abroad experience in Japan?
- What impressed me the most was Japan's culture of courtesy and the way Japanese people consistently consider others' perspectives and convenience in their daily lives.
In Japan, when people ride an elevator, the person standing closest to the control panel typically holds the door open after it opens until everyone else has exited, and then steps out last.
I believe that these small acts of consideration reflect the strong sense of public-mindedness and respect for others that is deeply rooted in Japanese society. - What advice would you give to students who are considering studying in Japan?
- If you're considering studying in Japan, I strongly recommend preparing your language skills as early as possible.
I completed my Japanese and English preparation while I was still in China. As a result, once I arrived in Japan, I was able to devote all of my attention to preparing for the entrance examinations.
