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Hoping to build friendly relations between my home country and Japan

Aysel Mamedli
Student at Center for Japanese Language (CJL)

Introducing Azerbaijan to elementary school students through
ICC’s outreach program

I come from Azerbaijan, a country far away from Japan, located on the western shores of the Caspian Sea and surrounded by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, and Iran. It is a friendly, hospitable country known for its oil production and four seasons.

I had unexpected reasons for studying Japanese. In high school, I dreamt of becoming a lawyer. My parents, interested in Japan, urged me to learn about Japan and study Japanese. I was not confident I could acquire Japanese language abilities and was a bit discouraged, but I came to love the language the more I studied. In order to experience Japan for myself, I decided to study abroad. Looking back, I can say that this was the best decision I have made in my life.

I have been surprised and charmed by many things in Japan such as Japanese fashion and the sight of pet owners pushing their dogs in baby carriages.  I find it peculiar that while although Japanese people are generally shy and hesitant to express their feelings, their fashion and makeup exudes freedom and eccentricity.

Unfortunately, most Japanese people do not know about Azerbaijan. I hope to build friendly relations between the two countries in the future. While in Japan, I am participating in various events and speech contests to spread awareness about Azerbaijan. I also want to experience more beautiful and mysterious parts of Japan that I have yet to discover.