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AB, East Asian Studies |
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I began studying Japanese in order to read Haruki Murakami’s novels in their native language. After enrolling in Japanese at Harvard Summer School, I participated in the Okayama internship program, writing for the first (and only) edition of Let’s Go Japan, and spent a year studying abroad at Waseda University on the Mitsubishi Trust Yamamuro Memorial Scholarship. Upon graduating, I taught for JET, or the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, for three years in Fukushima Prefecture and then moved to Tokyo to work as a translation project manager at a small translation company. I have since moved back to the U.S. to pursue an MFA in creative writing, which I completed in 2013. I consider concentrating in EAS a defining moment in my life, since it was so critical to my later career path. The opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom (and particularly in Japan) were invaluable; for example, I was able to study with Murakami’s translator Jay Rubin and meet Murakami himself when he came to run the Boston Marathon in 2003. Thanks to the Japanese Language Program, I was also allowed to devote an extra year to improving my language skills in order to use Japanese texts in my thesis, which I later rewrote and published online. I am especially grateful for the work my language instructors dedicated to the Japanese program, and appreciated the ways they encouraged students to develop their speaking, listening, and writing skills. Currently employed at the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago as an assistant in the Political Affairs section, I also work as a freelance writer and translator. While in Japan, I started a blog about Japanese study and translation called “How to Japanese”. Building my website connected me with other writers and editors in Japan, and I now regularly contribute to the Japan Times Bilingual page as a columnist. I also plan to publish a book version of How to Japanese. The time I spent exploring different career paths, whether teaching, writing, or translating, were all made possible by EAS. The concentration’s language instruction and interdisciplinary curriculum enabled me to pursue multiple career trajectories, work abroad, and ultimately discover my interest in writing, both in English and in Japanese. [Since the time of this interview, Daniel has additionally worked as Coordinator of International Relations for the Japan English Teaching Programme (JET), Translation Project Manager at INTAC International Inc., and currently, International Programs Manager at the Institute of Real Estate Management in Chicago, Illinois.] |
