ROEL

34, United States

What is your education level?

University

What is your current (or most recent) job?

Baker Helper

When did you apply to come to Japan originally?

1 – Oct – 2020

Why does studying Japanese in Japan mean so much to you?

As a person who grew up in Japan when I was a teenager, there were many things I came to intrinsically understand about their culture. In contrast, as a person who also grew up in the United States prior, there were much more things about Japan I did not understand. Many of my questions were answered when I went to the University of Hawaii at Hilo where I studied Japan as my field of study. Now that I have a better understanding of Japan, I want to be able to physically go back to apply the knowledge I have acquired.

How do you think that as a student in Japan that you will add benefit to Japan society?

I am hoping I can integrate myself to the Japanese society by being immersed into their culture. I have noticed that through my intrinsic understanding of Japan through my experiences, people have commented that I could be mistaken as a Japanese, and I would be able to blend in almost perfectly to their society. I want to be able to use that to serve a better purpose. Because my focus for studying Japan was their language, and language is a main component in understanding culture, I want to connect with the Japanese people through stories. One way to do that is through manga, which is something I have been wanting to pursue for quite some time. I am not mainly interested in the otaku aspects of manga, although it was a major reason why I got into it, but rather how I can use manga to tell stories that pinpoints the psyche of the Japanese. But in order to achieve that, I must be able to be better at the language.

What will it mean to you if there is another delay for students to be able to come to Japan?

After almost four months of waiting, I am quite surprised that it has taken Japan this long to open their borders. But given their circumstances, it is also understandable. What it will mean to me if there is another delay is that I will continue to patiently wait for them. For me, Japan is not going to go away so I have no qualms about it. Because I understood where Japan was headed in response to COVID-19, I braced for impact. As a result, I found myself rather fortunate. Like the rest of the other language students, I was ready for my next adventure in my life, but when I noticed what was going on, I reluctantly held back; I almost left my job, and I was preparing to move out already. The worst thing that has happened to me during all of this was questioning and rumors from people I saw every day (I live in a small town). I gave the conviction that I was leaving for Japan only to find out that I am still here. It is quite difficult to give them straight answers about Japan if Japan is also not giving me straight answers as well. Despite that, it is to me a minor inconvenience compared to the rest of my future classmates who have much dire circumstances.

Chamika, 30, Sri Lanka

I am waiting from April 2020 to get into my university as a self-financed student. April intake was postponed because of the corona situation. Then I was able to register for the September intake. However, because of COE delays, I couldn’t get in during the time Japan was open for students. My research is already on hold since I cannot perform the experiments needed for data acquisition. Because of this uncertainty, I now have to consider a Ph.D. topic change even after spending 8 months into my research. I left my previous job in 2019 January thinking I’ll be able to get in by April. Because I don’t know when Japan will start accepting students, I can’t apply for any other job positions either. There is a minimum contract period that I must complete before quitting all most all of the jobs. So my life is on hold since January of 2019. It is not an easy task to keep going [especially mentally] when you are already 30 and you have to depend on your parents for food and a roof over your head. At this point, I am prepared to accept any conditions imposed by the Japanese government if it means that I can start my research. Even something like quarantining in a paid embassy designated quarantine location in my home country before I come to Japan. So, total of one month quarantining is a possible action for me now at this point. That’s how desperate I am at the moment, and I know it would be same for many students who dreamt of studying in Japan. Another long delay will force me to drop my research dream and focus on a different path for the sake of my mental health alone.

July 16, 2021 No Comments

Giulia, 26, Italy

I have been studying Japanese for seven years. I spent the last year stuck at University, keeping paying taxes even if I finished all the exams in Winter 2020 just waiting for Japan to open and let me in, since I am trying to write my MA thesis regarding women contemporary literature in Japan.

May 27, 2021 No Comments

Lissette, 30, America

It is very important to learn first hand in Japan because it will let me keep pushing forward to learn. There is no better way to learn a language than in the country it comes from.

May 26, 2021 No Comments

John, 30, America

Studying in Japan has always been part of my dream. I wish to pursue not only studying and becoming fluent in Japanese, but to be able to build a life in Japan. I have visited many times and made many Japanese friends. Each visit has had a profound effect on my life, and I wish to be able to communicate fluently, in order to become a contributing member of Japanese society.

May 25, 2021 No Comments

Veronica, 25, Italy

I always dreamed of going to Japan as soon as I graduated in Japanese (which was last October). My goal is to improve the language, as I would like to become a translator in the future.

May 20, 2021 No Comments

Abhishek, 23, India

studying Japanese in Japan is means a lot to me because for me it’s always my dream to live and study in japan and experience their culture while enjoying student life which I always dreamed of.

May 20, 2021 No Comments