fly to the world !!
The Star of International Education, Kazuko Hirota, Ph.D.
sending more than 6500 students to the world.!
interviewed by chinese student
Miss shouka
Miss shouka
Miss Shouka, Chinese foreign student studying at Keio University got a chance to interview the star of International Education, Kazuko Hirota.Ph.D.
Q: You have experienced guiding many students. What do you think is the best way to decide the order of priority?
A: I don’t decide the order of priority on things. For me, intuition is really important.
When I think about things seriously, the most important thing would naturally come up and I try to act honestly to it.
Q: What do you recommend to foreigners in Japan for enjoying their life here?
A: The important thing is never forget the purpose of coming to Japan.
Of course there are both bad things and good things happened. But the way you accept it would change them to a part of your meaningful experience.
We have also been sending many students to abroad, and there are people who regret for not having gone abroad, but not for having gone.
I guess they all had a big dream when arrived Japan, so I would like them to keep it and have a positive life in Japan.
Even if you got some problem, it will surely help you as an experience, so accept it and keep challenging anything you want.
Q: It has been 8 years since I came to Japan. What do you think is the thing international students should know about when studying Japanese?
A: Japan has spiritual culture that is “understand each other without expressions”.
So we avoid direct expressions and have a lot of ways of expressions to “read between the lines”. Understanding the culture peculiar to Japan will direct you to the improvement of Japanese language.
When I see Tea ceremony and Japanese food, I find many delicate manners and nonverbal ways of expression. I can say it is also really important to understand about it.
A: I don’t decide the order of priority on things. For me, intuition is really important.
When I think about things seriously, the most important thing would naturally come up and I try to act honestly to it.
Q: What do you recommend to foreigners in Japan for enjoying their life here?
A: The important thing is never forget the purpose of coming to Japan.
Of course there are both bad things and good things happened. But the way you accept it would change them to a part of your meaningful experience.
We have also been sending many students to abroad, and there are people who regret for not having gone abroad, but not for having gone.
I guess they all had a big dream when arrived Japan, so I would like them to keep it and have a positive life in Japan.
Even if you got some problem, it will surely help you as an experience, so accept it and keep challenging anything you want.
Q: It has been 8 years since I came to Japan. What do you think is the thing international students should know about when studying Japanese?
A: Japan has spiritual culture that is “understand each other without expressions”.
So we avoid direct expressions and have a lot of ways of expressions to “read between the lines”. Understanding the culture peculiar to Japan will direct you to the improvement of Japanese language.
When I see Tea ceremony and Japanese food, I find many delicate manners and nonverbal ways of expression. I can say it is also really important to understand about it.
To believe your possibility
Q: What is the thing necessary for foreigners to succeed in Japan?
A: To believe your possibility. Please believe in yourself with the passion for challenge and get over each difficulty one by one. It is of course, important to study Japanese and Japanese culture. However it doesn’t mean you have to throw away your way of thinking.
These days, Japanese companies are paying attention to international students and Japanese students who were back from abroad to the realization of new globalization of a society. It has a part that they are looking for people who can express themselves clearly. With keeping the respect for your culture background, please keep your way in life.
Q: What would you like to do in Japanese society under the globalization?
A: I would love to continue to support people who challenge.
It’s been an age of excessive information and people tend to be satisfied with similar experience. And children don’t have to try hard to get into a college because of a drop in the birth rate. These lead to the age that doesn’t necessarily require people challenge.
I have many opportunities to give a lecture so I want to keep telling people the greatness which you will never be able to have without going abroad, and also the importance of challenge with the belief in yourself with my own experience.
All the students enter NIC with their eyes brightening. They get matured after the challenges and getting over hardships with believing in themselves.
I want to make every effort to make young people notice their chance to change
Q: For the last question, please let us share your motto.
A: “There is no thing such as by chance.
This is the message from my daughter who passed away when she was 18.
It teaches me that everything you got has each meaning and to accept it in a positive way is important.
And I also like “Sokutenkyoshi” that means “we should go with the flow after making every effort you can.” This is my daughter’s another favorite word and it teaches that your efforts will be rewarded if you do them with disinterests.
I teach this lesson to my students. I’m sure that someone is seeing your challenge so do your best with anything you got!
A: To believe your possibility. Please believe in yourself with the passion for challenge and get over each difficulty one by one. It is of course, important to study Japanese and Japanese culture. However it doesn’t mean you have to throw away your way of thinking.
These days, Japanese companies are paying attention to international students and Japanese students who were back from abroad to the realization of new globalization of a society. It has a part that they are looking for people who can express themselves clearly. With keeping the respect for your culture background, please keep your way in life.
Q: What would you like to do in Japanese society under the globalization?
A: I would love to continue to support people who challenge.
It’s been an age of excessive information and people tend to be satisfied with similar experience. And children don’t have to try hard to get into a college because of a drop in the birth rate. These lead to the age that doesn’t necessarily require people challenge.
I have many opportunities to give a lecture so I want to keep telling people the greatness which you will never be able to have without going abroad, and also the importance of challenge with the belief in yourself with my own experience.
All the students enter NIC with their eyes brightening. They get matured after the challenges and getting over hardships with believing in themselves.
I want to make every effort to make young people notice their chance to change
Q: For the last question, please let us share your motto.
A: “There is no thing such as by chance.
This is the message from my daughter who passed away when she was 18.
It teaches me that everything you got has each meaning and to accept it in a positive way is important.
And I also like “Sokutenkyoshi” that means “we should go with the flow after making every effort you can.” This is my daughter’s another favorite word and it teaches that your efforts will be rewarded if you do them with disinterests.
I teach this lesson to my students. I’m sure that someone is seeing your challenge so do your best with anything you got!