GLOCAL LOUNGE : From USA to Waseda

Graduate School of Commerce, Master`s First-Year Student Laura Sobrin

Ms. Laura Sobrin

Interest in advertising awoken in Kyoto

Laura is from Miami, Florida. In the 7th grade she began studying Japanese as an elective course. She vividly remembers when her education-oriented mother told her “You will need Japanese for your future career. If you are going to study a new foreign language, Japanese should be it.” When she reached high school she was chosen twice as the representative of her state to participate in a 6-week home-stay in Japan. Her first visit was to Kyoto and her second to Tottori. “I really feel comfortable in Japan, as if it were my own country.”

After returning back to the states, her interest in Japan further increased. She majored in Japanese and minored in Asian Studies at Pomona College, a liberal arts college in Claremont, California. In her junior year she participated in a ten-month study abroad program at Doshisha University in Kyoto. During her stay in Kyoto, she watched a lot of television and was intrigued by the humorous and unique Kansai commercials. “My senior thesis was about the soft-sell approach in Japanese humorous commercials. I analyzed the identification process between the viewer and the main character of the commercial as well as how the commercials create a space of escape for the Japanese viewer. American commercials are pretty direct, using the hard-sell approach “Product A is twice as good as product B.” On the other hand, Japanese commercials are much more indirect but can still be quite effective and powerful. I really do prefer Japanese commercials.”

Deeply absorbed in her studies, yet it is hard for her to make Japanese friends

After graduation Laura knew that she wanted to pursue her studies in advertising. In October 2003, she was awarded the Monbukagakusho Research Grant to study as a research student at Waseda for a year and a half. She became an official Master`s student in April of this year. “I am really fortunate to be studying under Professor Kazue Shimamura who has carefully guided me through my studies.” Since Laura has accumulated several credits from her year and a half as a research student, she does not have to take as many classes and so she is now able to concentrate on her Master`s thesis topic, organizational structure of Japanese advertising agencies.

“There are a lot of familiar faces at school, but it is really difficult for me to become close with Japanese peers. The relationship never tends to go beyond casual acquaintance. When I am with other foreign students at the School of Commerce, I feel at ease when I talk to them because we make the same kind of mistakes in Japanese and we know how it feels to be a foreigner in Japan. The few Japanese friends I do have are friends I met when I studied abroad in France. Since they studied abroad, they understand how I feel. I hope I can open up more and make some more Japanese friends.”

Are people who are good at languages also good at singing and imitation?

Laura does kendo once a week at Shinjuku sports center. Singing Spitz songs at karaoke is another of her favorite hobbies. Laura who also speaks French and Spanish fluently really seems to have an ear for languages. “Learning a foreign language entails observation, insight and imitation. I am continuously increasing my repertoire of people I can imitate (as she laughs).” Laura showed me her most recent imitation, that of Guitar Samurai. In the future she would either like to work at a Japanese advertising agency or a Japanese brand maker. “I also have an eye on Uniqlo or Muji,” both Japanese brands. I am hoping to be able to do an internship in some other Japanese ad agencies and get a better understanding of how Japanese companies function. Along with this experience and backed by my Waseda education, I would like to use this knowledge to full potential serving a Japanese company.”