NCW 6th Form Student Alejandro is keen linguist with a passion for all things Japanese! When the opportunity to attend a ‘Japan Day’ at the University College London came up, he was more than happy to attend and further his knowledge of Japan, the culture and the language. Alejandro has written the following about his day:
“I attended the 6th Form Japan Day on November 7th which was hosted by the Japan Society, in association with the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of University of London (UCL) and Ritsumeikan University in Japan.
It was an all-day educational event held on the university campus of SOAS in London, open to 6th Form students all over the UK who are interested in Japan, especially those interested in learning more about Japanese studies at universities in the UK. I am very interested in all languages and am currently studying for my A-level in Spanish, but I also have a strong interest in the Japanese language and culture and would like to pursue Japanese studies in University after I leave NCW.
The Japan Day featured lectures by both SOAS and Ritsumeikan University professors, workshops on different aspects of the Japanese culture, as well as a University exhibit which included many UK universities who offer Japanese studies.
I got to attend workshops on the Kanji language, the Koto which is a Japanese musical instrument, and Japanese folk tales in literature. It was really interesting to speak with the universities to learn all they offered under Japanese studies, including a year abroad in Japan, which I was really excited about, but also about the many different subjects you could take alongside Japanese. I didn’t realise how many options there were. I had a good time because not only did I learn more about the Japanese language, culture, and studies, I also got to meet so many other students who really like Japanese like me and have good conversations with them, which was really fun. I would like to go again if they have another event.
Thank you to Mrs. Perks for allowing me to attend this event.”
