Our Students
The Outstanding Chinese and Japanese Major Awards were created to recognize the achievements of exceptional students who not only produce excellent thesis work during their senior year but also exhibit an enthusiasm and passion for East Asian Studies that goes beyond the conventional. Our recipients this year fit this bill through their fascinating scholarship but also their leadership, participation in a wide variety of departmental activities and events, as well as being exemplary ambassadors for East Asian cultural studies to the Wake Forest campus. The recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Japanese Major Award is Christopher Koontz, who developed a groundbreaking honors thesis project that uncovers a connection between constitutional debates on militarism in Japanese society and popular television programming in the 1980s through to the present day. Congratulations, Chris! (Words by Prof. Andrew Rodekohr at the Honors and Awards Ceremony)
Tina demonstrated intense and sustained dedication, great intellectual curiosity, and overall academic excellence in both her language coursework as well as her research projects. But what really makes Tina remarkable is her commitment to Japanese studies outside the classroom in ways that have created positive change both within our department as well as the campus as a whole. Tina's thesis project on the history of the ethnic Korean minority in Japan and its representation in contemporary Japanese cinema brilliantly combined film analysis with historical survey and cultural studies. Meanwhile, Tina also worked extensively with Global Programs and Studies during her time at Wake Forest and recently received the Diversity Abroad Award for Academic Achievement for Undergraduate Research in Diversity and Inclusion in Global Education.
Congratulations, Tina!
[Link to WFU Old Gold & Black Graduation Tabloid ]
Congratulations, Tina!
[Link to WFU Old Gold & Black Graduation Tabloid ]
During the fall semester of my senior year, I was offered employment at Workday, a Software as a Service (SaaS) business cloud solutions company, as a software engineer. I think one of the reasons I landed this job was thanks to the East Asian Languages and Cultures department, which I would like to thank! As a computer science major, I didn't have many things that set me apart from fellow candidates, except for my passion for Japanese and all things Japan. I took Japanese for 3 years, studied abroad in Tokyo for a semester, and am finishing up the requirements for my minor which have all been a catalyst for my learning. In my interviews I was able to talk about learning Japanese and a lot of the challenges I had to overcome in order to even get a decent understanding of the language (memorizing kanji definitely was one of those). Furthermore, being able to describe my experience living in a foreign country, especially since I did a homestay with a family that didn't speak English, really helped distinguish myself further. I'm so excited for this opportunity, and again am thank for everyone who has helped me along the way. (January 2018)
Anna consistently surpassed our expectations with her superior academic work, her true joy in learning, and her substantive contributions to our program and the community.
Anna's Japanese language and cultural skills have helped her conduct research on topics ranging from medieval linked verse competitions to office ladies and group dating in TV dramas. Combining these skills with her pre-medical studies, Anna also examined culturally diverse approaches to what Pro Humanitate can mean with a senior research project that looked at medical ethics through the lens of a classic Kurosawa movie.
After studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai in Hirakata, Japan, where she gained a deeper appreciation for cultural differences and cross-cultural relationships, Anna returned to Wake Forest and launched the mentoring group, Friendship Beyond Borders, in order to foster personal relationships and understanding among our international and domestic students on campus.
Congratulations, Anna! We wish you continued success at medical school next year.
Anna's Japanese language and cultural skills have helped her conduct research on topics ranging from medieval linked verse competitions to office ladies and group dating in TV dramas. Combining these skills with her pre-medical studies, Anna also examined culturally diverse approaches to what Pro Humanitate can mean with a senior research project that looked at medical ethics through the lens of a classic Kurosawa movie.
After studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai in Hirakata, Japan, where she gained a deeper appreciation for cultural differences and cross-cultural relationships, Anna returned to Wake Forest and launched the mentoring group, Friendship Beyond Borders, in order to foster personal relationships and understanding among our international and domestic students on campus.
Congratulations, Anna! We wish you continued success at medical school next year.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to experience Japanese culture firsthand by choosing me to participate in the Kakehashi Project. I learned many things while on my journey, and had many memorable experiences. I am writing this brief report to thank the Japanese Consulate in Georgia for giving me this opportunity, and to share some of my experiences in hopes that others will also take the initiative to experience Japanese culture.
On my trip through Japan, I was able to fully experience the beautiful scenery that Tokyo had to offer. My first day included hiking on Nokogiri-yama. Luckily, there were few clouds that day, so our group had a clear view of Fuji-san. While on Nokogiri-yama, I learned about the history of the area and visited the shrines there. It was interesting to see a side of Japan that is not normally in most movies and popular culture. Our group not only got to experience the nature of Japan, but also the city as well. Many of the places we visited were in Tokyo, and we were able to see one of the most impressive cities in the world up close. Once our planned activities were over, we were also allowed to walk around the city freely. This allowed us to interact with the local Japanese people in shops and restaurants, further improving our Japanese language skills.
One of the most memorable points of my stay in Japan was my homestay experience. I was a bit nervous at first, but my homestay family was very nice and made me feel right a home. I liked that I was able to see what Japanese family life in a small town was like, and I felt more comfortable there than I did in the hotel. Our group’s homestay families lived in Kyounan-machi, which was a small town by the sea near Tokyo. For a few days, we were able to walk around the town and see how life in small Japanese communities was. This was definitely my favorite part of the trip. This might be because I grew up in a small town myself, and it seemed more familiar to me than the big city. I felt very relaxed there, and was disappointed when we finally had to leave.
The tour guides for the Kakehashi Project planned a wide variety of activities for our group to participate in, and I would like to mention some of the highlights. We visited traditional Japanese shrines and temples, as well as places like the Honda Showroom where we saw all of the newest technology being developed in Japan. Near the end of our trip, we dressed in kimono and walked around Asakusa, visiting Kaminarimon. This was the first time I had ever worn a kimono, and while I was a bit cold because of the time of year, I had a lot of fun. I also enjoyed visiting the Edo-Tokyo Museum to learn a bit more about Japanese history and culture. Our group also visited the Tokyo Skytree, where we saw a magnificent view of the Tokyo cityscape. I think the Kakehashi Project did a wonderful job of giving us a sample of Japan in the limited time we spent there.
Once again, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity I had to go to Japan to experience the language and culture up close. After I returned from my trip, I told many of my fellow students about my experiences. Within the next year, quite a few other students from Wake Forest are also planning to study in Japan, and have asked me for tips. I hope I was able to help and inspire them to take those last few steps on their new journeys. I would definitely recommend the Kakehashi Project to anyone else that has an interest in Japanese culture.
On my trip through Japan, I was able to fully experience the beautiful scenery that Tokyo had to offer. My first day included hiking on Nokogiri-yama. Luckily, there were few clouds that day, so our group had a clear view of Fuji-san. While on Nokogiri-yama, I learned about the history of the area and visited the shrines there. It was interesting to see a side of Japan that is not normally in most movies and popular culture. Our group not only got to experience the nature of Japan, but also the city as well. Many of the places we visited were in Tokyo, and we were able to see one of the most impressive cities in the world up close. Once our planned activities were over, we were also allowed to walk around the city freely. This allowed us to interact with the local Japanese people in shops and restaurants, further improving our Japanese language skills.
One of the most memorable points of my stay in Japan was my homestay experience. I was a bit nervous at first, but my homestay family was very nice and made me feel right a home. I liked that I was able to see what Japanese family life in a small town was like, and I felt more comfortable there than I did in the hotel. Our group’s homestay families lived in Kyounan-machi, which was a small town by the sea near Tokyo. For a few days, we were able to walk around the town and see how life in small Japanese communities was. This was definitely my favorite part of the trip. This might be because I grew up in a small town myself, and it seemed more familiar to me than the big city. I felt very relaxed there, and was disappointed when we finally had to leave.
The tour guides for the Kakehashi Project planned a wide variety of activities for our group to participate in, and I would like to mention some of the highlights. We visited traditional Japanese shrines and temples, as well as places like the Honda Showroom where we saw all of the newest technology being developed in Japan. Near the end of our trip, we dressed in kimono and walked around Asakusa, visiting Kaminarimon. This was the first time I had ever worn a kimono, and while I was a bit cold because of the time of year, I had a lot of fun. I also enjoyed visiting the Edo-Tokyo Museum to learn a bit more about Japanese history and culture. Our group also visited the Tokyo Skytree, where we saw a magnificent view of the Tokyo cityscape. I think the Kakehashi Project did a wonderful job of giving us a sample of Japan in the limited time we spent there.
Once again, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity I had to go to Japan to experience the language and culture up close. After I returned from my trip, I told many of my fellow students about my experiences. Within the next year, quite a few other students from Wake Forest are also planning to study in Japan, and have asked me for tips. I hope I was able to help and inspire them to take those last few steps on their new journeys. I would definitely recommend the Kakehashi Project to anyone else that has an interest in Japanese culture.
For most of the month of August, I participated in the 69th Japan-America Student Conference as a member of the American Delegation. Over the course of the program, we visited multiple sites across Japan, beginning in Kyoto, moving through several cities in Ehime prefecture and Mie prefecture, including Matsuyama, Seiyo, Ise, and Yokkaichi, and ending in Tokyo. In each location, we participated in events designed to deepen our understanding of both traditions and modern developments in Japanese culture and society, all the while meeting with the local people and discussing matters of great gravity with our counterparts from the Japanese delegation, covering topics such as politics and philosophy as they relate to current issues in our two countries.
This program was an excellent experience, not only allowing me to practice my Japanese communications skills and gain a greater appreciation for the roots of the cultural practices that shape the language and people, but also giving me the opportunity to make strong friendships with my fellow delegates from both countries. I particularly enjoyed our visit to Seiyo, where we were given leave to explore the city in small groups, after which time we met with local officials to discuss revitalization efforts, a topic relevant to many similar towns in rural areas across Japan. The Conference was, in my opinion, one of the greatest programs in which I could have participated during my time as a student, and I am very glad that I went.
This program was an excellent experience, not only allowing me to practice my Japanese communications skills and gain a greater appreciation for the roots of the cultural practices that shape the language and people, but also giving me the opportunity to make strong friendships with my fellow delegates from both countries. I particularly enjoyed our visit to Seiyo, where we were given leave to explore the city in small groups, after which time we met with local officials to discuss revitalization efforts, a topic relevant to many similar towns in rural areas across Japan. The Conference was, in my opinion, one of the greatest programs in which I could have participated during my time as a student, and I am very glad that I went.