Izumi KIKKAWA

Scholarship for the Visually Impaired recipients

Kozue HANDA

BA Liberal Arts, International Christian University, MA Disability Sciences, University of Tsukubaa

Study Program: PhD Disability Sciences, Institute of Disability Sciences

Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba

Ms. Handa lost her sight due to pediatric cancer when 1 year old. While attending ICU, she visited an American museum and was permitted to touch the exhibits. Deeply impressed, she decided to study how to increase museum accessibility in Japan. She considers disability not as a disadvantage but something that gives one a unique viewpoint. She wants to work to provide more fulfilling methods of appreciation and learning for all museum visitors in Japan including disabled people.

Akiko TABUCHI

Tsukuba University High School for the Blind

Study program: BA Music, Kwassui Women’s College

Through music, Ms. Tabuchi has learned the pleasure of being able to express what she feels. For this reason, she has chosen a career in music. One of her goals is to study in Italy to gain more experience and insight into piano music, both as a soloist and also with singers and other musicians. Because music has increased her own possibilities, Akiko hopes to make a contribution to society by using music to help children and people who feel limited by their handicaps to experience a wider world.

Rie YASUHARA

Tsukuba University High School for the Blind

Study program: BA Western History, International Christian University

Ms. Yasuhara’s life-long dream is to be a pioneer. She hopes that her challenges of new things will help to develop new chances for people in the future. At university, her major is Western history, as well as studying to obtain a teaching certificate of social science. Goalball, a sport for visually impaired people, plays a very important role in her life. Her present objective as a goalball player is to compete in the 2008 Paralympics on Japan’s national team.

Graduate Scholarship for Non-Japanese Women to Study in Japan (NJG)

Non-Japanese Graduate Scholars

Masuma AKTER (Bangladesh)

MBBS Sher-E-Bangla Medical College, Dhaka University, Bangladesh

Study program: PhD Diagnostic Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University

After receiving her MBBS degree, Ms. Akter worked as a physician in the field of mother and child health for 2 years. At that time, she witnessed the low standard of the diagnostic field in her country and had a strong desire to get a higher degree in this field in a developed country. Masuma hopes that the knowledge she is gaining in Japan will make her able to contribute to the development of the health sector not only of her own country, but also that of the whole world.

Pana BAROVA (Bulgaria)

BA Japanese language and literature, MA English literature, Sofia University, Bulgaria

Study program: PhD Classical Japanese literature, Graduate School of Comparative Culture, International Christian University

After receiving degrees in Japanese literature and English literature in Bulgaria, Ms. Barova was given the opportunity by the Japanese Ministry of Science and Education to study Japanese at Kyoto University for one year.  She later went to the University of Tokyo as a research student. Pana aspires to become a professor in Japanese literature and to introduce non-Japanese students to the beauty of Japanese culture and literature.

Ge WANG (People’s Republic of China)

BA Chinese People’s Police Officer University, MA Human Science, Ochanomizu University

Study program: PhD Human Developmental Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University

Ms. Wang, a former police officer and Japanese translator, is studying media and prejudice at Ochanomizu University. She has published 3 treatises. Before coming to Japan, she was already interested in the cultural differences between Japan and China. Later on, she found the theories of Social Psychology about the individual and society useful. Social Psychology helps reduce prejudice and improves people’s ability to accept differences. In China, Social Science has less influence on people’s thought and behavior. She plans to spread Social Psychology in China in the future.

CWAJ-Tokyo American Club Women’s Group Non-Japanese Graduate Scholarship

TAC Women's Group Non-Japanese Scholar with wife of Thai Ambassador

WONGPHYAT, Waricha (Thailand)

BS, MS in Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Study Program: PhD Engineering, Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo

Based on an architectural-cultural analysis of traditional Thai and Japanese dwellings, Ms. Wongphyat’s research aims not merely at creating cross-cultural understanding between Oriental architecture and society, but also re-creating the quality of space that would improve the dwellers’ quality of life. By re-thinking the tradition in terms of worthwhile use of space, Waricha’s ultimate goal is to put forth a “culture of small space” as a potential paradigm that contributes architecturally, environmentally, as well as culturally.

 Scholarship to the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (IUC)

Inter-University Center Scholars

Molly DES JARDIN (USA)

BA History, BS Computer Science, Certificate in Asian Studies, University of Pittsburgh, USA

PhD candidate Japanese Literature, Dept of Asian Languages & Cultures, University of Michigan, USA

Ms. Des Jardin's research interests are in modern Japanese literature, specifically individual authors' anthologies compiled in the Meiji through early Showa periods. After completing the IUC program, she will return to her PhD research and simultaneously begin a Master’s degree in Information. Her goal is to become an academic librarian, ideally developing and managing a collection of Japanese-language materials at a university library.

Felicia LEE (USA)

BA Comparative Literature with focus on Modern Japanese and Chinese Fiction

Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, Stanford University, USA

Ms. Lee enjoys being a student of Japanese literature, with a special interest in translations of Japanese literature into Chinese and English. After completing her studies at the Inter-University Center, she hopes to pursue a PhD in Comparative Literature with a focus on literary translation amongst the East Asian countries of Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan.

NJG Scholars with CWAJ President and Embassy representatives