My parents were my teachers. While it may sound fun to go to school in pajamas, being homeschooled has its downsides. It is very easy to get distracted, and it can get lonely, but it was also great because I had lots of free time to learn about things that I found very interesting. Learning about Japan was definitely one of those things.
I have always loved Japan, ever since I was younger than all of you! My first introduction to Japanese culture was watching anime on T.V., like Pokémon. I loved it so much and quickly wanted to learn more. Whenever my parents took me and my siblings to the library, I would check out many books about Japan and Japanese culture so I could learn more than what anime taught me. I even began teaching myself the language when I turned eight or nine.
Ever since the young age when I discovered my interest in Japan, it became my dream to live and work there. Starting in August 2020, I was supposed to study abroad at Tokyo International University in Japan for a semester, but due to COVID-19, I had to cancel my plans. Although I felt sad, I decided to keep my chin up and try a virtual internship with a Japanese company! It turned out to be an amazing opportunity. I worked with Zentern, a Japanese internship placement company. I was nervous, but they were very kind and matched me to a company quickly! I work with Flip.Productions, a Japanese media and marketing firm based in Tokyo, Japan. In this job, I am able to apply things I have learned in my classes as a film major, which I didn’t even know was possible, as most Americans who work in Japan tend to teach English there.
