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From England to Waseda

Zoe Vincent
Student at Center for Japanese Language

Japanese majors at the University of Edinburgh have the precious opportunity to study at a Japanese university in their junior year. I jumped at this opportunity and began studying Japanese at Waseda University.

I grew interested in Japan in high school after hearing my grandfather talk about working in Tokyo in the 1960s. At that time, I enjoyed music by Hikaru Utada and wondered about the meaning of the lyrics behind her soothing music. This is how I grew interested in the Japanese language.

I am so happy to be in Japan. I am making the most of my time here traveling around the country, having new experiences, and making friends from all over the world. My most memorable experience was visiting Osaka Castle. In 1964, my grandfather took a picture of himself standing in front of the castle. In spring of 2014, I traveled to Osaka and took a picture in the same spot.

Another wonderful experience was my homestay in Mogami-machi of Yamagata Prefecture. This opportunity was possible thanks to the ICC Homestay Program. Thanks to the ICC Program, I was able to travel to a location I would not have gone to on my own. During my time in Mogami-machi, I grew interested in becoming a Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) in The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET). After graduating, I would like to come back to Japan as a CIR and arrange international exchange activities across Japan.

With my host family in Yamagata Prefecture