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2018 JLP FOR SPECIALISTSOCTOBER, 2018: BREEZE ISSUE #132
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF
JAPANESE2018 JAPANESELANGUAGE PROGRAM
FOR SPECIALISTS IN
CULTURAL AND
ACADEMIC FIELDS(SHORT-TERM)BY JINNY JESSICA
MCGILL
Pennsylvania State University
I was extremely fortunate to spend the summer
in Japan and participate in the JapanFoundation’s Japanese-Language Program forSpecialists. Much more than a language
program, this two-month course at the Kansai
Institute is a training ground for scholars
whose research area focuses on Japan. Forme, the program was a capstone to the years of classroom learning of Japanese that I had
received at Penn State where I am a doctoral candidate in Art History.
From the preparatory materials that were sent to me in advance of the program, I knew that
there would be daily language classes as well as scheduled cultural events. What I did not
expect was the level of individual attention we would receive from the teachers in terms ofcourse instruction, advising, and tutoring. My adviser took my language-learning needs andwants into consideration when crafting my course schedule, and I was very satisfied with thePrivacy - Terms
results. One of my favorite parts of the curriculum was a self-reading course, where we would

select and read materials in Japanese to support our research and then meet weekly with oneof the teachers to review or clarify our understanding of what we had read. My teacher
introduced me to older forms of Japanese writing that was required for me to read Meiji era
prints that are a part of my doctoral dissertation work.
On a regular basis, I attended classes for grammar, kanji, presentation, and conversation.
Rather than drilling new grammar points as though preparing for exams—“teaching to the test,”
as it were—we spent time using the grammar deliberately during language classes and madeshort presentations until each grammar point became a naturalized part of our speech. Thekanji course material was also designed with a purpose in mind, as was evident by the contextspecific modules that were selected for us to learn, such as kanji related to Japan’s train andsubway systems.
The librarian at the Kansai Institute played a special role in our training. As graduate students
we had already learned the methods of conducting research in our own countries, butnavigating research in Japan has its own rules and nuances. There were special courses that I
participated in that provided instruction on crafting correspondence to scholars andinstitutions, using scholarly databases, and using the library system in Japan.
This summer there were thirteen student-scholars in the Program for Scholars course,
representing countries all over the globe (e.g., Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil, Hungary,Russia, Ukraine). It would not be an exaggeration to say that spending two months with such an
intellectual, diverse, and fun group of researchers with a shared interest in Japan’s language,
history, and cultures was the true highlight of the program. We ate together, learned together,played together, and had new exciting experiences together. A few of the fun cultural classes
we participated in together include: calligraphy, haiku, yukata, and bunraku. It was sad to partat the end of the two months, but I really will cherish my memories of the time with this groupof wonderful scholars.
The Kansai Institute is in Tajiri, a quiet town in Osaka Prefecture, and only a couple stops awayfrom Kansai International Airport by train. Finding tasty food and drink nearby is no problem inTajiri, with a large grocery store within walking distance and a fair number of Japanese izakaya.
Worthy of special mention, the ramen shop just a block down the street from the Institute offersa delightfully spicy kimchi ramen bowl, and on Sunday mornings across the street at the harbor
there is a lively fish market where you can buy delicious and fresh seafood from stall vendors.
Also, the bustling city of Osaka, with its skyscrapers and seemingly infinite number of culturalvenues, takes only an hour to get to from the Institute.
Marble Beach is across the street, and our Brazilian student-scholar organized an afternoon
beachside barbeque. Summer in Osaka Prefecture is hot, but we had a shady spot on thebeach and borrowed a BBQ pit from the Institute. Some of the staff and teachers stopped by aswell, and it was a really great way to spend a Friday afternoon after the rigors of classroom
study during the week.
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Between the first and second month of theprogram, the Institute facilitated a four to fiveday trip to Tokyo. We each designed ourindividual research itineraries with our advisersand made independent arrangements to visit
archives, museums, or Japanese scholars, but
the Institute took care of our travel andaccommodations. By the time of the trip, we
had gotten to know each other very well, and it
was a lot of fun to take the bullet train together
with friends.
Many Fridays during the summer were free for
us to do our own research. I was able to take atrip to Osaka and meet with a company
representative who allowed me to examinearchival materials related to the architect who I
am studying for my dissertation research,
Takeda Goichi. I owe a lot to the training andopportunities awarded by participating in thistwo-month program and I will berecommending it to other graduate students studying Japan.

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