Do you remember what you were doing on October 6, 1982?
Perhaps not, as it was exactly 42 years ago.
But I do, because it was a special day for me – I finally “escaped” from “communist China” on that day – I left China for Japan on October 6, 1982!
No, I did not leave China in a boat, nor did I sneak out of China in darkness. Instead, together with 149 other “top” Chinese students, I left China with a huge honor: after being chosen by the government to pursue graduate degrees in Japan, we were warmly sent off by some government officials on that day in anticipation that we, upon completion of our studies in Japan, would all come back home, helping modernize China.
1. How were we chosen?
Through the exams for graduate studies before we finished college in January 1982. Yes, we were all a part of Class 81 (or “Grade 77”, as it is known in China).
My entrance exam for graduate studies consisted of five parts:
- English (a national exam)
- Political Science (a national exam)
- Advanced Math (Zhejiang University’s exam)
- Advanced Electrical Engineering (Zhejiang University’s exam)
- Advanced Electronics (Zhejiang University’s exam).
I scored the best in my major and earned a slot in Japan. The other 149 folks went through a similar process in the top universities throughout China.
There was a big problem: many of us did not know a single word of Japanese.
No problem – The Chinese government planned it way ahead.
2. How were we prepared for Japan?
In March 1982, all 150 of us were gathered in two places in Northeast China (100 in Dalian and 50, including me, in Changchun) to study Japanese. It was a crash course: 10 hours a day, five days a week, for six months, with all the teachers being Japanese.
What a great way to quickly learn a difficult foreign language!
Ready or not, all 150 of us boarded a giant chartered plane to Tokyo on October 6, 1982.
3. To which universities did we go?
Because we were absolutely the best and brightest students from China, and the first large group of graduate students ever sent out by the PRC to Japan, we were entitled to attend the best universities in Japan. Otherwise, it would have been an intolerable insult to China, would it not?
No problem—the Chinese government worked it out with the Japanese government way ahead of time: We were assigned to the seven “Imperial” Universities (i.e., Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Tohoku, Hokkaido, and Kyushu), plus the Tokyo Institute of Technology (aka “Japan’s MIT”) and the University of Tsukuba (Japan’s new all-tech university).
I was assigned to the University of Tokyo (aka “Japan’s Harvard”) and was very happy about it—it must have been the exam score(s).
See, “just do well in school, good life will follow,” as an old Chinese proverb says.
The photo below shows me in 1982, shortly after arriving in Japan.
4. Where are we now?
In 1985, I was the first to leave the pack (of 150): I left Japan for America on my own. Later, about 10 folks followed me to America in their own ways. Most of the rest completed their degrees (mostly Ph.D.) in Japan and went back to China. Many are now the VIPs in China, and some are retired.
As for me personally, three informative readings:
- My American Dream Story
- Why and how do I write?
- History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline.
5. Closing
One day, we will have a reunion. I am sure each of us will have a different story to tell. But one thing is in common for all 150 of us: we all shall remember October 6, 1982. It was what we all worked hard for, and it was the day that profoundly changed us all.
Meanwhile, I will strive to live well and live long, in that order, through ballroom dancing, for example. Enjoy the video below.
