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2017 JLP FOR SPECIALISTSSEPTEMBER, 2017: BREEZE ISSUE #119
A FREE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF JAPAN & TEACHERS OF
JAPANESE2017 JAPANESELANGUAGE PROGRAM
FOR SPECIALISTS IN
CULTURAL AND
ACADEMIC FIELDS(SHORT-TERM)
BY GINA KIM
University of California, San Diego
Already three weeks has passed since mysuccessful completion of the 2-month language
training at the Kansai center, but I still dreamabout Osaka, the region’s friendly vibe,
summer rain and ocean, and above all things,
my dearest friends, teachers and staffs whom Imet throughout the program. My experience atthe Kansai center during the 2017 Japanese
Language Program for Specialists was
something unforgettable, which not only provided me an opportunity to develop my language
and academic skills, but also offered me a genuine life experience in culture and more.
Although the Kansai center is nestled in a tranquil ocean village far from the hustle-bustle of
Osaka city center, the building was always filled with lively energy from many different training
groups from all around the world. ‘17 CA 2.’ That was how my class of 16 cultural and academic
specialists from 10 different countries was called throughout the period. Our trainee’s life as ‘17
CA 2’ had started with an excitement as well as a fear of the new setting, but proudly
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completed with a great assurance. We were very privileged as every resource there including
human resource and facilities was extremely benevolent for us to achieve our individual
academic goals. The program was very well organized and coordinated by the cooperative
system among faculty, staffs and librarians, always taking a step forward in response totrainees’ requests and needs.
This program was specifically designed for researchers and cultural specialists, mostlygraduate students in the stage of writing thesis or dissertation. During the day, our group wasdivided into small classes, not only based on comprehensive assessments of grammar, kanji,reading, speaking, listening and writing capabilities, but reflecting each participant’s academic
fields and needs, which I believed to be the biggest strength of the program. I was placed into
the highest level in kanji, grammar and speaking as a mandatory section, plus which, I could
choose few more optional classes for my best use such as ‘speed reading,’ ‘discussion,’ and‘news’ classes. Thus, each participant had a customized class schedule, which allowed us
plenty of flexibility. Also, there was a very advantageous mentoring system; four students inrelated fields were assigned to a tutor, who offered us inclusive academic advice, individual
reading sessions, and even personal cares for any difficulties. My tutor Ms. Yazawa made asincere mentor for me from the day of arrival to departure. I cannot thank enough for her
endless feedbacks for my public presentation, e-mail writings, and research plans andassessments. The faculty members are truly helpful with their great understanding of different
linguistic and cultural backgrounds; for example, my teachers paid a great deal of time tocorrect my pronunciational and grammatical errors coming from my mother tongue.
We were strongly encouraged to utilize the time between and after classes for our own
research projects. The library in the center was very accessible with a fair amount of culturaland academic publications and the convenient inter-library system. Above all things, librarians
were exceptionally generous and supportive. They dedicated extensive time and efforts toaccommodate each of us with resources as may as possible. I often received surprisemessages from the library that they found out additional books and articles related to myproject and collected them from other libraries. Ms. Hatakenaka, my librarian, even so kindly
provided ferry and bus information from Osaka to Kyushu for me in order to browse in-libraryuse books in Oita University.
The program was less like a mere series of classes and tests than an incubator for wellrounded Japan specialists. Throughout the program, there are several tasks and activities
given to the trainees besides cultivating language proficiency, such as participating in culturalexperiences and building professional and friendly networks. During the first week, we wereasked to explore famous spots in Osaka city with some tasks such as interviewing Japanesepeople and eating local foods. In the following weeks, we participated in a home visit program,an exchange meeting in Kobe University, Japanese Puppet Theater (Bunraku), four days ofresearch trip to Tokyo, Japanese Tea Ceremony, etc. Those activities were the crown jewel ofthe program. In particular, the home visit program was a great opportunity to experience
Japanese life style and build a local friendship. My host Mr. and Mrs. Shigemoto so warmly
treated me, showing Japan’s omotenashi, wholehearted hospitality to guests. The home visit
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was not a one-time event. My
host family often contacted meby phone or text, and came to theKansai center to see me, andattended my completion
ceremony. We still keep in touch
through letters and messages.
At the end of the completion
ceremony party, many of us weremoved to tears as we so muchappreciated the program in wholeheart. We promised to reunite
there in few years, not as
trainees but mature Japan
specialists. My summer in theKansai center as part of 17 CA2 became a turning point of my career. I feel that I laid anotherimportant cornerstone of my life as a Japanese art historian. Even though it was only 2 months,
my instructors guided me how to carry my academic language skills to the highest pitch in ashort amount of time. The Japanese Language Program for Specialists demonstrated theexample of educational omotenashi.

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