James Worsham (’19) is a Mathematics major with double minors in International Studies and Japanese. He is from Nashville, TN. He studied Japanese language and culture at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka, Japan. After graduation, James plans to spend a year living in Japan before heading to grad school. He hopes to work for a Japanese tech company in the future.
People
This picture was taken at a small Indian festival in downtown Fukuoka. One of the things I enjoyed about studying abroad was meeting people from all over the world – not just Japanese people! Pictured are two friends I made during my furlough: an Indian American studying in North Carolina, and a French grad school student hoping to someday practice law in Japan. Other friends I made included Finnish, Italian, Chinese, and Taiwanese students, to name a few.
Art and Architecture
Another benefit of studying abroad is the opportunity to do local travel to places not in the typical guidebooks for a country. This picture was taken during a solo day trip to Kamakura, about an hour’s train ride from Fukuoka. Certainly, the fact that the castle remains damaged by an earthquake is regrettable, but seeing one in ruins satisfied another sort of morbid curiosity I hadn’t even known I held. I believe these sorts of unique experiences are nigh-impossible to have in only a short-term visit to a place.
Landscape or Cityscape
This picture was taken from a bridge leading into Ohori Park in Fukuoka. Ohori Park was sort of like the Central Park of Fukuoka, the city where I studied abroad. I believe this picture reflects the Japanese value of appreciation and care for the beauty of nature, despite a highly urbanized society.