Month: July 2023
SJMC Japan 2023 wraps up an unforgettable trip
13 undergraduate students. One graduate instructional assistant. Two faculty members. 11 memorable days in Tokyo, Kamakura and Kyoto. 13 daily blog posts written by students. 13 mini-documentaries. 54 feature stories about Tokyo and Kyoto. 13 insightful personal essays (plus a professional essay and personal essay by graduate student Jamie Gonzalez). Three company visits (with the […]
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Gonzalez’s 360° and promotional videos highlight program’s media and cultural visits
As a graduate student and graduate instructional assistant, Jamie Gonzalez had graduate-level work and assignments. You can read about her role — and what she learned — in her professional essay. She also shared her reflections in her personal essay. In addition, Ms. Gonzalez created 360-degree videos about Time Out Tokyo, Kyoto Shimbun and Shinjuku […]
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Mini-docs explore facets of Japan and the program
Along with daily blog posts, feature stories, personal essays, and Instagram posts, reels and stories, SJMC Japan Team members crafted mini-documentaries about a specific aspect of their experiences. All videos below are organized by alphabetic order of last names and can be found on the SJMC Japan channel on YouTube. Briana Archer: Allison Binkley: Bre […]
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A taste of Japan: how I sampled the culture and cuisine
I spent my first 30 minutes in Tokyo quietly crying in the Tokyo International Airport. Prior to my arrival, I was feeling pretty proud of myself for my roll-with-the-punches attitude I’d had all day. I’d been traveling about 30 hours, 17 of which were in the air, and only about five of which were spent […]
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A professional discovery: finding a new part of me
My mother has spent the last 30 years of her life as a teacher, molding the minds of the youth. My only explanation for how she has survived this career path is that she is a superhuman, à la The Flash, or Wonder Woman.
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An emotional trip
To be completely honest, I didn’t know how I felt about going to Japan. As someone who’s been interested in various aspects of East Asian culture nearly my whole life, I’ve seen a lot of discourse between people who romanticize/admire Japan far too much and those who demonize it because of its bad traits. Both […]
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A journey through Japan
Why was I interested in the Japan program? I wanted to be apart of the study abroad program to revisit and explore more of what Japan has to offer than what I remembered when I was 12 years old living in Misawa, Japan; basically the country and closed off part of Japan. I genuinely wanted […]
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Experiencing a new nation
It had been an established want of mine to travel to Japan. My attention was caught by the appeal of its beautiful cityscapes, rich cultural heritage and delicious cuisine. Among the many sites to visit in Japan, Tokyo and Kyoto stood out as the must-see locations for discovering the country’s various sides. I found myself […]
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A soulful journey
In a world teeming with nearly 8 billion people, it’s easy to feel lost and disoriented. We spend our lives searching for meaning amidst vague symbols and attempting to discover our purpose, only to find ourselves with more questions than we had before. Yet, in Japan, I feel as though I am finally found. It’s […]
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Capturing the unforgettable in Japan
On the second day of my adventure in Tokyo, I ran out of storage on my phone. I’ve never been an avid photographer, often going months without opening the camera app on my phone. After all, why capture life through pictures when you’re living it, right? When I take pictures, they usually come out blurry […]
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