こんにちは！My name is Jackson Bass. Right now I am a sophomore at CofC, and I’m majoring in International Studies with an Asian concentration. The program I have chosen is the Asian Studies Program at Kansai Gaidai University, located in Osaka, Japan. 

I have a strong desire to work in Japan after graduation, so naturally the ASP at Kansai Gaidai was a good pick for me! While I am here in Japan, I plan to greatly improve my Japanese language skills in all areas – especially speaking and listening! I hope to make lots of new friends and to travel a bunch! 

To prepare for this experience, I researched standard Japanese etiquette for a little bit, and I have been learning Japanese in school for over a year now. I am very excited for this year, and I can’t wait to experience so many different places and things, and to meet many new people!