Japanese Graduates: Where Are They Now? | Liliana '20

Liliana, a double major in Communication and Japanese works as a munipal JET

LILIANA, a double major in Communication and Japanese, graduated in 2020 and has been working as a municipal Assistant Language Teacher in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) since August 2022. She lives in a small city called Miyakonojo (都城市) in Miyazaki prefecture and works for the city, assigned to four middle-schools. That means she has approximately 2000 students! Liliana encourages anyone interested in JET to “just do it!” She says, “the whole process may seem daunting, but it's worth it. It's important to remember that JET is whatever you make of it, so take the time to learn a new skill, figure out your passion, and embrace being out of your comfort zone.”

We asked Liliana to tell us about her life and experience in Japan. Here’s what she has to share.

My town is a small city called Miyakonojo in Miyazaki prefecture. The city is in a basin with luscious scenery and lots of sunshine. It's big enough to have two shopping malls, cute coffee shops, and a convenience store on every corner. At the same time, it's rural enough for rice fields to take up the majority of the land. Without realizing it, I've been using my Japanese everyday by connecting with people! I’ve found the best way to do this is to involve myself, whether it be with the community, students, or friends. For example, I take part in one of my schools' tea ceremony clubs. There, I get to talk with my students in a non-academic space. The more I bond with them, the more I practice Japanese. I also befriended a few coworkers who get lunch with me and invite me to their homes. They often want to learn English, and I Japanese, so our get-togethers turn into a fun language exchange. It may feel like common sense, but just talking to people really goes a long way when practicing Japanese.

Living in south Kyushu means I'm surrounded by some of the most beautiful nature sites in Japan. For fun, I like to explore my prefecture. Some friends and I typically peruse Google Maps for anything that looks interesting and decide on a location from there. We've discovered breathtaking landscapes, 17th century castles, and a famous cape with wild horses! While I'm in Kyushu, I plan to visit Nagasaki, and Kagoshima prefecture. I've also been to Tokyo and enjoyed all of the grand tourist locations there, such as Sky Tree, Harajuku, and Shibuya. But maybe not so famously, I visited Yayoi Kusama's museum in Shinjuku. If you enjoy her exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum, it's worth going to Japan to appreciate her entire museum. It's just as trippy as her Infinity Mirrors, but you're able to learn about the context surrounding her pieces