While I have focused mainly on studying the Japanese language so farand it is my firm

intention to continue focusing on the study of language itself from now on as well, I have had
some contact with Japanese history, culture, literature, and society, and I am very interested by
all these various cultural aspects.

Literature, however, is one of the subjects I enjoy most, and modern and contemporary literature
in particular are of interest to me. Having started the study of Japanese as a result of reading both
Japanese literature and Western literature set in Japan, literatures role in my formation cannot be
overstated. I immensely enjoy the works of authors such as Kawabata Yasunari, Mishima Yukio
or Murakami Haruki, and I would like to study their works in depth, focusing on literary
techniques, themes, character development, symbol interpretation or critics opinions. I am also
interested in writing a thesis on the subject, and consequently, the more I could study and the
more materials to which I could have access, the better.

I would also enjoy studying the Japanese language from a cultural perspective. So far, I have had
the opportunity to learn a little about Japanese sayings and proverbs, which I have found
extremely interesting, and I would like to find out even more. The way language affects human
relationships is another subject that interests me, and given the deep connection between
language and society in Japan, I would enjoy discovering more about the subject.

One of the aspects that truly intrigues me is Japanese calligraphy, and given the opportunity, I
would like to study it. I believe it is one of the most beautiful, complicated, and interesting
Japanese arts. I have begun practicing it since coming to university, and I have been honored to
be the head of the calligraphy club for a year. However, it is not the only art I would like to study
all the different aspects of the Japanese culture are equally interesting to me. As such, I would
also enjoy learning more about kimono culture or tea ceremony, to name a few.