Departmental Newsletter for Modern Languages & Literatures at the College of William & Mary
The 2021 graduates of William & Mary’s Japanese Studies Program celebrated their academic achievements during a virtual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 21. They marked this milestone with their peers, William & Mary faculty and staff, and thirty guests, including family and friends. The graduates—Bobbi Joe Carwile, Caleb Rivers, Jackson Lawson, Reese Willis, Jin Lee, Campbell Wharton, Ben… Read More
Congratulations to Jackson Lawson, the recipient of the 2021 Modern Languages and Literatures Book Prize in Japanese Studies! During his time at William & Mary, Jackson built meaningful relationships with faculty and his peers, and he credits his professors and the lessons he learned in history and culture classes for helping him to foster a… Read More
The Japanese Program celebrated Homecoming 2020 by hosting a conversation with alumnus Yuri Lowenthal (’93) and Tara Platt, two of the most in-demand voice actors for anime and electronic games. Lowenthal graduated from W&M with a degree in East Asian Studies, having spent his junior year on a study-abroad program in Japan. After graduating, he returned… Read More
Caleb Rivers There is not a moment that I don’t think fondly of the time I spent at Akita International University (AIU). I originally went to AIU to strengthen my Japanese language skills, but the experience became so much more. The Japanese students and international students always stood beside one another and helped lift everyone… Read More
Kelly Shea After studying the Japanese language for several years at William & Mary, I was fortunate to expand upon my learning at Keio University. I couldn’t have asked for a better study abroad experience. I learned alongside many older classmates who were in Japan to work and sought to improve their Japanese language skills…. Read More
Imagine the opportunity to try okonomiyaki, tempura, miso dip, plum wine, red bean paste rolls, natto, and other delicious familiar and unfamiliar Japanese cuisine. I enjoyed a summer doing that and more in Tokyo and Tatebayashi. Thanks to William & Mary’s Freeman Intern Fellowship program, I spent two months as an intern with Toyo Suisan,… Read More
After taking Japanese courses for several semesters at William & Mary, I decided to journey to Keio University in Tokyo for language immersion. I embarked on the experience with the hopes of improving my listening and speaking skills; however, I learned so much more. While studying the language, I enjoyed lessons about art history, religion,… Read More
As the scene outside the window of the Shinkansen train gradually changed to a delightful rural view, I knew I had arrived in Kyoto. The beautiful city full of historical architecture greatly resembles Makoto Shinkai’s movie. New experiences at Ritsumeikan University were ahead of me. Its small Kinugasa campus is home to a diverse study… Read More
The four months I spent studying in Japan were memorable and valuable. I enrolled in business and Japanese language classes at Ritsumeikan University’s Osaka campus. Significantly different from the classes at William & Mary, business classes at Ritsumeikan University focused on the comparison of distinct company culture in different countries. In-class discussions and teamwork with… Read More
The Spring 2019 semester brought an esteemed visitor to campus, and an opportunity to think more deeply about Japan’s nuclear history and its unique role in shaping our global nuclear future. Setsuko Thurlow is a hibakusha–a survivor of the 1945 atom bombs. She was a 13-year-old schoolgirl living in Hiroshima when that city was destroyed,… Read More
Hayden Hubbard, Class of 2019. There’s really no place like AIU. On my way to northern, rural Japan, I’m not sure what I expected, but it was nothing like what I found―a diverse student body, a great group of friends and awesome surroundings. Probably one of my most rewarding experiences was as a tutor at the… Read More
Rollin Woodford, Class of 2019 The Japanese House has been my home away from home ever since my sophomore year. An upperclassman who was living there at the time told me about it, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me. Having spent 4 years in high school studying Japanese, an environment where I… Read More
Ziyue Shen, Class of 2019 From professors to students, everyone I have met in my three years of Japanese studies has inspired me to become a TA and to share this cordiality. My job as a TA is to assist professor Kato in teaching JAPN 201 & 202 while simultaneously learning teaching skills in MDLL… Read More
“I had a wonderful time in Japan,” Kenneth Li answered every time someone asked about his time during the summer break. Now when he reflects on that experience, everything seems to be scenes in a dream. Every morning and evening, Kenneth rode a bike along the gorgeous Biwa Lake to commute between school and his… Read More
Kaoru Suzuki was born and reared in Akita Prefecture, Japan. She sought a bachelor’s degree from Akita University and finished her master’s degree at Akita International University (AIU), where Ms. Suzuki studied Japanese Language Education. Akita International University is in Akita prefecture and is a proud partner institution with The College of William & Mary… Read More
Hayley Snowden, Class of 2019 Had I been able to draw an ideal picture of what my study abroad at Keio University would look like, it would have matched reality exactly. My classes in Japanese cultural studies and Asian business offered me the vastly unique opportunity to hear a wide variety of perspectives from both… Read More
Daniel Johnson received his PhD from the joint program in East Asian Cinema at the University of Chicago in 2015. He previously taught at Union College in Schenectady, New York. His research interests include the relationship between language and popular media in Japan, and the perception of vitality in the moving image. His work has… Read More
The Japanese Section awarded several prizes to mark the end of the 2016-17 academic year. First, we are proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Kinyo Awards for Excellence in Japanese language study. The prize recognizes the hard work and achievement of the top student at each level of William and Mary’s Japanese language… Read More
This past fall, Dr. Tomoyuki Sasaki joined the Japanese program as an Associate Professor. We spoke to him recently about his research and teaching. Q: Professor Sasaki, Welcome to William & Mary. I hope you are enjoying the campus and getting to know the town of Williamsburg. You started at W&M this August. Do you… Read More
The Japanese Program welcomes a new faculty member this coming fall. Dr. Tomoyuki Sasaki received his PhD in history from the University of California, San Diego. He also holds a Masters degree in Japanese studies from the Kobe City University of Foreign Studies. He has taught at Kalamazoo College and Eastern Michigan University. His research… Read More
The Japanese section is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Kinyo Prizes for Excellence in Japanese. The Kinyo Prize has been established through the generous support of Mr. Kazuo Nakamura of Kinyo Virginia, Inc., to recognize the hard work and achievement of the top student at each level of William and Mary’s Japanese… Read More
MLL is honored to have received both of the 2019 Jefferson Faculty Awards. Silvia Tandeciarz, Chair of MLL and Professor of Hispanic Studies, is the recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award, and Jennifer Gülly, Senior Lecturer and MLL Associate Chair of Departmental Affairs, has received the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award. The award ceremony took place… Read More