Never in my memory has there been a time where Japanese culture has not influenced my life. In my early childhood, the cartoons I watched played a pivotal role in the development of my morals, interests, and personality. As I got older, I realized that the cartoons I watched were called anime, and had so much more to offer than just children's shows. When I reached High School, I became engrossed in more than just Japanese animation, and began devouring knowledge on Japanese history and culture. Currently, I am a budding historian who endeavors to specialize in Japanese history. In the future, I want to be a museum curator who can educate the American public on Japanese culture and history while supporting and financing the work of native Japanese artists and historians. Due to this background, I aspire to study abroad in Nagoya, Japan for my Junior Year, starting in the Fall of 2016 through the Spring of 2017. For preparation, I have been studying elementary Japanese for a year prior to my potential departure date. Presently, I am studying Japanese 1002 at Georgia Southern University, and will vigorously indulge in self-study over the summer. Additionally, I have downloaded multiple Japanese Language Study apps that I practice with daily. Furthermore, I consume Japanese media such as news …show more content…
I want to speak and read Japanese fluently, so that I can comprehend primary source documents without translation. I want to specialize in Japanese history in my professional career, so being able to learn Japanese through immersion will be beyond beneficial for my future. Not to mention, the value of having access to the Nagoya University Library to read a prodigious selection of literature and historical documentation, unavailable in the United States, at my leisure as well as for some preliminary research for my senior seminar class at Georgia Southern the following