Considering matters in-depth and gaining a multi-faceted perspective
It was my grandfather, who is from Hiroshima Prefecture, who suggested I enroll at EUH. I was unsure of where to go, but I felt impressed by the learning at EUH, which offers a wide variety of skills that will be helpful in the future regardless of the field. I am very interested in the liberal arts classes I am taking, particularly in psychology. For example, the skills for digging deeper into psychology through group discussions and consideration of background factors and pursuing why a person made a decision can be applied to expanding analysis and interpretation when meeting with a client. Also, by deepening my understanding of a single theme, I feel that I can gain the skills to approach an issue from various perspectives and angles.
Not only growing as a person, but also improving my expertise
As I focused on improving my analytical skills, the field work exercises proved to be good opportunities for me to genuinely understand matters. I visited the worksite where "Open Collaboration Hub LODGE", which is operated by Z Holdings Corporation and "FabLab Hiroshima-Akitakata" collaborate to build capsule toy dispensers. This activity aimed to create a capsule toy dispenser that could be operated when the user put in a PET bottle cap for a fun experience of upcycling. PET bottle caps were also used to make the prizes. The original theme was how to spread awareness of upcycling and make it more popular. However, by actually visiting the worksite, I saw that there are various perspectives, such as some people being interested in the capsule toys themselves. However, the materials for analysis for creating a more comprehensible plan, such as the misunderstandings that came to light by listening to the enthusiasm of people working there and directly experiencing the community's environmental background, were factors that I could not gain without going there in person. Baed on this experience, I hope to improve my adaptability, problem-solving skills, and research skills to ultimately become capable of creating a conclusion that closes the gap between theory and reality. To that end, I will continue to learn and grow in various kinds of fields.
Becoming a human resource that can connect with many people to convey appeal from various approaches
Moving forward, I hope to become involved not only in art, which I have been interestd in since I was little, but in traditional Japanese culture as well. I also hope to deepen my knowledge in psychology, a field I am interested in, in order to improve my communication skills. In the future, I hope to find a job involved in artistic and cultural administration, such as event planning and curation.
September 2023 contribution
It has been almost a year and a half since I enrolled at Eikei University. I was born and raised in California, U.S.A., so it was challenging for me at first to adjust to Japanese culture and language. Something that is still sometimes difficult for me is understanding and reading Japanese social norms- Japan tends to have many unspoken rules and expectations, which are very different from the usual norms in the States. However, with the assistance of my friends and peers, it is much easier to navigate through them now, which I feel has lowered our cultural barriers.
My favorite classes that I’ve taken so far at Eikei University were Philosophy & Ethics and PBL; PBL stands for Project Based Learning. I chose these classes as I felt they left the most impact on me. It was really interesting for me to explore new ways of thinking, and explain the ways of possible existence and knowledge within Philosophy & Ethics. On the other hand, I felt that PBL was the true embodiment of what Eikei is all about. Through PBL, I was able to apply the knowledge and skills I've gained throughout my studies, as well as work with my peers to identify fundamental issues through fieldwork with local companies (this year it was with Yahoo! LODGE). I was already aware of it before, but taking this class reaffirmed the vitalness of communication and compromise within social settings. I’ve come to learn that I really enjoy an active learning environment. Not only is it extremely enriching to constantly interact with others, but it allows for a more ‘hands-on’ experience.
In the future I hope I can continue to interact with others, using my international perspective as a Japanese American, to hopefully work on solving social issues together. No matter what career path I choose, I hope I can continue to grow and learn new things in a setting that pushes me to do so, like in Eikei.
March 2023 contribution
