In this blog post, I will outline my motivation for pursuing in-depth studies of Japanese culture and diplomacy, my specific research plan, my goals after completing my master’s degree, and a brief self-introduction.
Motivation for Pursuing Higher Education
When I was a sophomore at ○○ High School, I participated in a cultural exchange program that invited foreign students from a school that had established a sister-school relationship with my high school. I made precious memories while experiencing various aspects of Korean culture alongside students from all over the world. Among them, the time I spent with friends from a Japanese school stands out the most.
To be honest, I had harbored negative feelings toward Japan after hearing anti-Korean remarks from a Japanese student during a soccer match with friends from a Japanese sister city—a trip I had taken to Japan—but the sister school program allowed me to heal those personal feelings toward Japan. That’s why I came to realize that rather than simply having a vague understanding of Japan and making friends there, I wanted to study the country’s culture, customs, and even its values.
Therefore, I applied to your university to pursue a deeper study of Japanese history and diplomacy, which I’m interested in. In the new environment of college, I want to devote myself to in-depth study focused solely on my dreams. Surrounded by a different environment and new friends, I aspire to become a young person who engages with others and dreams of a broader world.
Areas of Interest and Research Plan
I will study from multiple perspectives to address “cultural friction,” which is a root cause of various “frictions” within the international community. Although I have always enjoyed the Japanese language, due to my family’s financial circumstances, I have only been able to experience Japan through books; I now wish to study abroad to see and feel Japan firsthand.
By participating in your university’s exchange program, I hope to gain a deep, heartfelt understanding of Japanese culture and build practical proficiency in the Japanese language I have studied so far through daily life. Of course, due to the financial burden of tuition and living expenses in Japan, this might be difficult without a scholarship; however, I will do my best to maintain my academic performance and improve my language skills so that I can earn one.
Not content to stop there, I will study the languages of other East Asian countries—that is, a second foreign language—to understand their cultures and acquire the foundational skills needed to become an international scholar. Although I will major in Japanese at your university, I plan to become a scholar specializing in East Asian culture in the long term, so I will not neglect my studies in Chinese and English.
Plans After the Master’s Program
My dream is to major in Japanese—a field I have long been interested in—and, building on this foundation, become a scholar who researches Northeast Asian culture. I sense that the cultural landscape is changing significantly, not only due to the movement of capital and technology but also through the movement of people and ideas, as well as the flow of images via the media. An order is emerging that is shaped not by “international” and “national” frameworks but by global capital and the people of Asia; within the interplay of global, regional, and local currents, Asia is emerging as a new “region”—an intermediate point.
Therefore, starting with research on Asian ecological culture, I wish to develop operational programs for the creative utilization of Asian cultural resources. I aspire to play a role in identifying, researching, and collecting cultural resources that can communicate with the world by viewing the Asian region from a global perspective.
Based on the knowledge gained through this research process, I will become a talented individual in Korea who contributes to examining Korean contemporary society and promoting its future development. To achieve this dream, I will do my very best—even more so than I have in the past.
Self-Introduction
I have a proactive personality; rather than reacting passively to tasks assigned to me, I always take the initiative to lead and drive projects forward. Additionally, through overseas travel since my childhood, I have made many international friends, and even now, I maintain a wide network of relationships by sharing information and knowledge with them.
With my very lively and cheerful personality, I am also quite ambitious when it comes to my work. Although my friends sometimes tease me for being “greedy,” I believe that always doing my best to achieve something is a very important attitude toward life.
