My Story

My strong interest in language and education

has been unwavering.

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I was born and raised in Osaka, Japan, where I developed a profound love for languages (both Japanese and English) during my childhood. I always enjoyed reading Japanese books (my mom called me a "bookworm"😅), watching English videos, and chatting, chatting, chatting with others. 

 

At the age of 18, I had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Oregon, which became a turning point in my life.

I became friends with many students studying Japanese at UofO and realized how little I knew about the language I'd been speaking and the culture I'd immersed myself into... I also felt so delighted to see their passion for learning Japanese and Japanese culture, which sparked my desire to support them.

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Upon returning to my home university (Doshisha University), I founded a club to support international students studying at Doshisha, and organized social events for both domestic and international students. Outside of school, I completed a Japanese Language Teacher Training Course (日本語教師養成講座) and passed the Japanese Language Teaching Competency Test (日本語教育能力検定試験), and also received beginner and intermediate level certificates for Kimono Dressing Instructor (着付け講師・初級/中級). 

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I was also fortunate to join the ALLEX program after completing my undergraduate studies, received my M.A. degree in Japanese Language Pedagogy from Indiana University Bloomington, and started working as a Japanese lecturer at the University of Florida. I have been living the HAPPIEST time of my life since I started this profession, as I am surrounded by what I love the most: Language and Education!🥰