In this week’s edition of Campus Celebrity, we meet Miia Turkumäki, a freshly minted Master of Arts and a bonafide expert on many things Japanese. She majored in English philology with pedagogy and Japanese as minors, which have given her a foundation to work for her dream to teach in Japan some day. Additionally, she’s brought the Japanese culture closer to us Finns as a volunteer in various culture expos and conventions. So have a cuppa and take a gander at Miia’s stories about her exchange year in Waseda University, Tokyo, her secrets on how to learn several languages, and several oh-so-good reasons to visit Japan.
You recently returned from Japan! How was your trip?
The trip in itself was a lot of fun, although busy as usual. I went to see many musicals and other things as always, and met with friends as much as possible. Almost four weeks but still not enough! Then again it never is…
So you pretty much visit Japan every year and even spent an exchange year in Tokyo. What was it like to study in Japan?
Because I was in the Japanese language program it was quite different from normal university studies. It’s extremely language centric after all. Also really, really busy. I heard from students who took normal classes that they basically just listen to lectures and write some short essays, so there’s not much to do either during classes or after school days. In the meanwhile, the language program offered 10 different courses with weekly exams and writing assignments among other things. Of course I had known what to expect, so I was prepared. Although it was a lot of work, my Japanese improved enormously, and depending on one’s interest and skill level, there are many things to choose from. So I very much recommend Waseda for those who want to improve their Japanese skills. After my exchange year, I even passed the highest level on the Japanese proficiency test.
What are the three best things about Japan?
Three best things… difficult to choose, but one thing for sure is that it’s so safe. I can walk alone late at night and not feel one bit worried. The same goes for living alone. Another good thing is something many of my friends, sisters, and dad agree to as well, and it’s the food. Many keep saying Japan is worth visiting just for the food, and while for me it’s more like a bonus rather than a reason, I do love the food. Another good thing I might include in my top three is the customer service, which in Japan is on a very high level. Despite how important they consider manners, there are of course many rude people around as well, but in general manners are pretty good compared to most places, and especially with customer service I can’t really remember a time when I would’ve been disappointed. But perhaps my favorite thing relating to manners in Japan is no talking on cell phones on public transportation! This is something I miss so dearly every time I step on a bus in Finland after a month in Tokyo.
Where does your love for Japan stem from?
Long story short, the first time I got properly interested in Japan was when I got some tapes (yup, not even CDs — that long ago!) with Japanese music from my sister’s friend, and really liked it. It was still years before YouTube became popular, but I still managed to look around the internet for more music and other information, and my grandmother bought me my first Japanese study book.
While I’ve had my moments with anime and manga, I’m mostly interested in music and TV shows, and although not that many series kindle my interest these days, I do follow several variety and music shows every week. Thanks to online stores, I’ve been able to order Japanese magazines, DVDs, and CDs ever since 2004, and there are 3-5 magazines I’ve ordered every month since then. I’ve turned my bedroom into a nice little library!
While my interest jumped through different artists and formats of media during the first few years of my love for Japan, for over 10 years now I’ve been following the same artists. Being able to watch them grow from kids to adults who now take over the stage as the main performers has been wonderful. Watching these guys work their way through all the obstacles has also motivated me in so many ways, such as kicking myself to lose weight many years back. “These guys are younger than me and still working so hard even though they don’t know if anything comes out of it, yet I just give up without trying, how pathetic is that!” I lost over 40kg since then. Not to mention I have worked harder with school and other aspects as well. Thanks to my interest in Japan, I’ve also made many wonderful friends, some of whom I’ve now known for over 10 years, and we still talk every day.
You’re a polyglot, fluent in Finnish, Japanese, and English. Do you have any language learning tips you’d like to share?
The first thing I’d recommend is listen, listen, listen. Anything you can find in video format especially in that language, watch and listen. Japanese TV shows often make it easy because there are loads of text effects during variety shows, so not only do your ears get used to it, but you also get exposed to written Japanese. But the first step in learning the language is getting exposed to it as much as possible.
As for building language skills, video games are my number one recommendation. With books and movies, even if you encounter words you don’t know, it’s easy to skip them. With games, you’ll be sure to check up new words, otherwise you might risk not knowing what to do next! Games were what made English, my poorest school subject, my best one – playing Final Fantasy, Grandia, and other games with long story lines and dialogue. And later I’ve used this same method for practicing my Japanese as well.
And last but not least, start a blog or something in the language you want to learn. I used to write several, but now I’m using Twitter every day in Japanese – as all my friends know Japanese, or are Japanese themselves. Doesn’t matter if you make mistakes at first, the more you use the language the better. And if you get friends who speak that language and who can help to point out your mistakes, all the better.
How did you spend Christmas? Is Japan present in your holiday celebrations, and if so, how?
Christmas Eve and Day I spent with my family and grandparents. After that I’ve been working through the holidays since it’s double pay and I’m saving up extra money for my next trip to Japan. Other than that, nothing Japan-related for me this year. Overall, Christmas is kind of a couple’s day in Japan, compared to how here in the West it’s about family.
When I was studying in Japan, I bought a ticket to a musical as a Christmas present for myself, and when I came home at Christmas night — thanks to the time difference — I skyped with my family and relatives as they got together for Christmas dinner. Luckily, my family came to Japan to visit me about a week later. On other holidays such as New Year’s, Valentine’s, or my own birthday, I pretty much always went to see some kind of show, musical, or concert with friends.
What are your future plans?
Moving to Tokyo. And this is no longer just a dream either; I received an offer from a school in Tokyo I had applied to, so I’ll be moving to Tokyo this spring (new school year in Japan starts in April). I had never expected to be chosen so soon after graduating, so I’m incredibly happy about this! Being a certified teacher, and not only my English but Japanese skills as well were of importance in being chosen, so I feel all my hard work during my studies have paid off well.