Monbukagakusho

Ever since I left Japan in 2015 I've been longing to go back. I've talked a bit with one of the teachers at my university and he mentioned the Monbukagakusho scholarship that is given to 2-3 students every year. The scholarship I applied for was for 2 years on graduate level. I sent in my application thinking at least they will read it and maybe remember me for next year. BUT, surprisingly I receieved an e-mail saying I was summoned for exams in Japanese and English, and an interview. This is the last stage in the application, after this they decide on which 2 or 3 candidates they will recommend.
To be honest, since I was so sure I wouldn't have a chance I didn't really pay that much attention to the application form. I googled around to get some tips and hints on what they want to read and that seemed to do it.
The closer it got to the date of the interview and examinations the more nervous I got. It got more real to me that since they summoned me I acctually did have a chance. Among the tips and hints I found that many recommended you should pay attention to your choice of clothes. So I acctually wore a suit, also trying to cover up my pierced ear with my hair.
I got to the embassy a bit early, but I thought that would be cool and they'd just have me sit and wait, BUT NOOO. I rang the bell and the guard told me to take a walk and come back by the time of the appointment. This I found very amusing since in their letter it said I should come at least 10 minutes before to prepare for the first exam... I found a bench and listened to ZIZ while I waited and then I rang the bell 5 minutes before the appointment and that was ok :P
If you google monbukagakusho you're most likely to end up on a webpage that offers example exams for both the Japanese and English one. The real thing was a bit different though. The Japanese exam was rather long and I got really tired by the end of it. It's devided into 3 parts, the first part is the easiest and then it just gets harder. Each part however has the same structure. It starts of with grammar, so you should fill in the blancs with the correct particle and then there's a reading comprehension. The English exam was the same, but much smaller and easier (at least for me).
Now to the interesting part, the interview!
I mentioned that I googled a lot before I went there, to prepare myself. I really wanted to know what kind of questions they'd ask and I found some detailed blogs about it. Although, the most detailed one was written by a girl who applied for the undergraduate scholarship. I assumed however that the questions would be about the same so the day before I acctually tried to answer these question (by myself, in english). When it was my turn to be interviewed a women from the staff came to bring me to the room, and she told me to knock and say "失礼します" which I found a bit funny. To apply for this scholarship, knowing japanese is a merit, which means if everyone says it it's obvious we're told to do so and they can't really judge our performance (I've been told that they really look at the overall image you give).
In the room I was introduced to a Japanese woman from the embassy and a Swedish man who came from another organization to act as a objective judge.The interview was held entirely in english, and then there was a bit in Japanese. From the blogs I read, it seemed like the japanese part was most casual, to just check that we can hold a normal kind of conversation. Ow, how wrong they were. This might depend on both the country in which you live in and also the kind of scholarship you apply for but the questions I found from googling was not asked, AT ALL. I was so nervous I felt like jumping out the window. Since I got my hopes up, feeling like I acctually had a chance I was so scared of screwing this up, that I acctually did....big time.
So I walked in there and they ask me for a self introduction. If there's anything I hate, it's that. I never know what it is they want to hear, so I went with my name, age and then what I ahve studied. That was followed by awkward silence. No, I'm not kidding, they didn't say a thing until I felt so uncomfortable I said I didn't know what it was they wanted to hear, which probably was my first out of many mistakes. He explained that I could mention about anything, just as long as I kept talking. I was so nervous my mind went about blanc. Thinking about it now I could've mentioned things I like to do in my spare time but sitting there I felt like there was a total chaos in my head and I'm glad I knew my own name.
I got asked what I came up with for my bachelor thesis, what my question was and what I found out by doing my reserach, so I briefly talked about that and then they also wanted me to explain my master thesis that I will write. Since I combine gender studies with my Japanese studies they wanted me to mention some theories from gender science and again my mind went blanc and I couldn't even remember R.W Connell or Judith Butler which I reffered to alot in my thesis! Panic yet again, so I just mentioned the hegemonic men and how the western idea of that differs from the Japanese. When they had tried to make me talk it was time for the fun part...or not so fun part; JAPANESE.
In all the blogs I found about everyone mentioned how they test your Japanese skills by talking casually to you, just to make sure you'd be able to talk to the proffessor in Japan. So I assumed there would be questions like "Why are you interested in Japan", "what do you like to do in your free time"etc. She started off with asking me to explain my future reserach. .... yeah., not what I had planned. I froze, I don't even know the japanese word for gender roles. If I wasn't so nervoud I probably would've been able to explain with other words what I meant but at that point I felt like my head just blacked out and I just threw something out there....in 1 sentence (second BIG misstake, inbetween there had been a million small ones). Then she asked what I would like to do in Japan, besides studying. The third question I don't remember, but it went bad, REALLY BAD, I could feel it. Then they asked me if I had any questions for them. Yet again I planned on asking them something but I didn't bring my notes and by this time I was so paniced I couldn't think, and replied that I couldn't think of anything for the moment. I was dissmissed and went down to the waiting area in which the kind japanese women from before asked me how it went. She also wondered what they had asked me in Japanese, so I told her (in japanese) that they wanted me to explain my reserach and it acctually suprised her. She had also thought they'd ask about my hobbies or something, not questions that difficult, especially since you don't have to know any japanese to apply for this scholarship.
Anyhow we were 7 applicants there, I talked to some of them and some had amazing japanese skills, other had already established contact with japanese universities so I knew I was done for. I received an e-mail a few days later saying I did not get the scholarship.

So, keep in mind!

• Prepare yourself for questions regarding your previous and future reserach
•  Review your bachelor thesis so that you can reply to any questions regarding that
• and most importantly, STAY COOL  

Schwarz Stein Interview, ZEAL LINK Free Paper Vol. 6, 2014

Why did you decide to revive Schwarz Stein?

Kaya: We did our first reunion in 2011 after 10 years. People came from overseas, but there were many who could not be there, therefor we did it once again in 2012. I wondered if there would be another 10 years, but then we were invited to a live by Mana so we did another gig in 2013. So then I received a call from Hora.

Hora: I received many e-mails and letters from fans, and after all we did 3 reunion gigs, I have this feeling I can't explain (bitter laugh). Then I talked to Kaya and it kept going and now we're at this.

And then you made a perfect comeback.

Kaya: This year is exactly 10 years since our breakup. I've done solo for 8 years and started the new band Femme Fatale. Isn't this a great timing for Schwarz Stein? I thought, for a moment, on the contrary maybe it would be good. I've done chansons for my solo, bandmusic in bands, and I've always really liked the digital music we did in Schwarz Stein.

Hora, how do you feel about doing music together again?

Hora: Simply like I've changed my mind sort of (laugh).

Kaya: Just like Hora (laugh)

Hora: After I got sick and then cured, the one man live during one evening felt nice, so I thought it would be nice to do it again.

Even if things has changed, the concept and musicality doesn't seem to have.

Kaya: The gothic and esthetic origin, expressing organic things in a digital manner that was our starting point, and that basis has still not changed.

The sound hasn't changed either?

Hora: When we first started Schwarz Stein, we were kind of inexperienced, but how the music is done, what I myself like and what I want to make has not changed.

Kaya: Doing new things and making it wider and bigger isn't the aim, we'll make the music we like in our own pace.

This time it will be a great comeback too, there's no words for it.

Hora: It's a 100% like the expectations (laugh) But that doesn't mean you don't want to hear new stuff, the main style is as always so look forward to it. It's like "kata" in kabuki. I think you'll enjoy our style which has matured year by year.

GEBET is exclusive for ZEALLINK, right.

Kaya: We thought that new fans also wanted to get in touch with it, but to have a nationwide spread and since it's the first single we asked ZEALLINK which has helped us before.

One of the songs is "Lapis Lazuli", what kind of feeling does this song have?

Hora: I made it so that all the fans should enjoy it. Perhaps the people who listen to our music will enjoy this I thought.

Kaya: Maybe the 10 years which has passed effected it. 10 years ago we used to get together and talk about what we wanted to release, what to write. Also what words I shouldn’t use. Like using rose too much (laugh).

Hora: Yeah (laugh).

Time has passed, you've matured, even your music?

Kaya: Thank you. On the other hand I also think about what I don’t want to put emphasis on. Not to put too much out there and destroy Schwarz Stein’s world. Schwarz Stein is us two, equal in the band, releasing what the fans want to hear.

Lyrics too?

Kaya: In my solo I have a lot of songs which has a strong sensitivity. Desire, sadness, lyrics which show sensitivity with all my strength. But with Schwarz Stein I stick to one thing, like goodbyes or apathy (laugh). In my solo I sing about places you belong to while in Schwarz Stein its places you want to run away from. You don’t want to fight anymore, nor see the reality, so close your eyes and run away, that kind of lyrics. You’d think I’m young (laugh). No positive words. Even if the lyrics are negative and implying there’s no rescue I want to make them beautiful and also make music which has a meaning.

For the younger people who’s not familiar with Schwarz Stein, what’s the charm point?

Kaya: Our music is sadness and beauty, and I hope that the sounds that are born from that can be of some comfort. Both in my solo and Schwarz Stein the theme is to forget about reality for a while but in Schwarz Stein it might come out even stronger.

What about the sound?

Hora: The music I make has a sort of 80’s feel to it, and I think that’s what’s making it stand out.

Kaya: Yeah, the music is very much like popular music from the mid-1900. But the sound approach has a digital, slight club and German goth feeling to it. I think that combination is interesting and not that much around.

For the youths today this might feel new.

Hora: Yeah, on the contrary it might feel that way.

“Rise to heaven -2014-“ is and already released song.

Kaya: Yes. This was my suggestion, but I didn’t want to change too much of the original but since a lot has changed in 10 years, the equipment, my way of singing, so I wanted to try and make it again.

In that way it feels like a new release?

Kaya: Back in the days I thought it was hard to sing that song, but this time the recording went smoothly. My way of singing has changed quite a bit, but I tried to do it similar to the original. But I think it’s fun you can actually here the presence in this version.

Hora: Yeah we didn’t want to change too much. But if you listen no you can hear that the sound is a bit refined, clearer. We didn’t want to destroy the image of the song for those who listened to the old version.

Kaya: Eitherway there are parts which has changed since it’s been years. There are things about me that has changed and things that has last, both shows here and in my solo. Neither is important. Some things has to change and some things ought to stay the way it is. I think it’s important that Schwarz Stein holds that balance.

The meaning of the title of the single “Gebet” is prayer in German isn’t?

Kaya: We decided on that sound (light laugh). The choice of “Rise to Heaven” was also just instinct. But as we recorded it began to show a meaning. I think the lyrics “The white light of to be born again, I’ll show you a new morning” is suitable for the reunion. So, I wondered if the importance for the things that change and things that doesn’t change could be expressed in form of a prayer. I think the lyrics came to get a meaning.

You’ve also decided on a oneman.

Kaya: I will show everyone what they’ve dreamt of to a 100%. Since it’s a new expression the visuals will change a bit. But it’s minor changes. So small you might think “What was different?” (laugh). Schwarz Stein feels like home. When you return home after a long while you’ll be excited.

Do you have anything to say to the people who will see you for the first time?

Kaya: Watch it freely. If you want to go wild or just listen peacefully it’s fine.

Hora: Despite our appearance we're alright

Kaya: Yeah right (laugh).

Hora: There’s a lot of people who’s given us some sort of maniac image but I think our music is fairly easy to listen to. So even if you’re not into a weird image I’d like you to come and listen.

You’re also doing an instore.

Hora: It’s been 10 years so let’s talk on and on.

Kaya: Yeah let’s talk a lot.

Have you settled any plans from here?

Kaya: The live gigs will be both onemans and promotion events. As for releases, it will be in our own pace.

Hora: We’ll do this smoothly.

Kaya: Slippery (laugh).

Taken from ZEAL LINK Free Paper vol 6, spring 2014.
(Translation is made by myself, sorry for everything that sounds weird, I had some difficult parts, especially with Kaya -.-')