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Awareness of International Students after Short-Term Intercultural Contact with Japanese Students: A Narrative Analysis of Dialogues with a Linguistic and Cultural Mediator

This study investigated the dimensions of cultural awareness gained by international students in a cross-cultural international education program in a local Japanese community. Two international students, one from Italy and one from Indonesia, participated in the research. Their narratives arose in group interviews and were analyzed quantitatively using the M-GTA method. The analysis extracted four categories: excellent sociality, formation of unconstructive relationships, unique Japanese communication, and English language barrier. This paper discusses the possibility that international guests can simultaneously or sequentially experience adaptive and maladaptive psychological conditions through short-term close intercultural contact as well as the complexity of the path to cross-cultural adaptation. It also addresses the study’s limitations and its implications for future research.