graduation – Global Voices™ Journal

The 2021 graduates of William & Mary’s Japanese Studies Program celebrated their academic achievements during a virtual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 21. They marked this milestone with their peers, William & Mary faculty and staff, and thirty guests, including family and friends. The graduates—Bobbi Joe Carwile, Caleb Rivers, Jackson Lawson, Reese Willis, Jin Lee, Campbell Wharton, Ben Ryan, and Kayla Zanders—represent the second cohort of students in the major. In addition to eight students in the major, William & Mary also honored three students in the minor: Amber Blanton, Anna Ledwin, and Kate Lucas.

Japanese Studies on-line graduation attendees

Ms. Tomoko Nakamura, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Japan to the United States of America, in Washington, D.C., served as the ceremony’s guest speaker. Nakamura commended the students for becoming part of the bridge between two countries. By embarking on the journey to learn the language and culture of Japan, the graduates are poised for greater job opportunities. The lessons the students learned at William & Mary have allowed them to better understand the similarities and differences between their culture, Japanese culture, and many others around the globe. As globally minded citizens, they are ready to navigate today’s interconnected world.

2021 Kinyo Awardees (clockwise from top left): Ben Bowles. (100 level), Ryleigh Line (200), Ana Ledwin (400), and Ryujin Barlow (300)

The Japanese Studies Program also recognized students’ academic excellence during the ceremony. Jackson Lawson received the Book Award. Kinyo Awards recipients included Ben Bowles. (Japanese 100 level), Ryleigh Line (Japanese 200 level), Ryujin Barlow (Japanese 300 level), and Ana Ledwin (Japanese 400 level). Jackson Lawson, Kayla Zanders, Bobbi Joe Carwile, and Kelly Shea were inducted into the Japanese Honor Society.

Dr. Michael Cronin, William & Mary’s Japanese Studies Program Director and Associate Professor of Japanese Studies, commended the students for their hard work and resilience during such a challenging time, sharing that he learned great lessons from their ability to adapt to change. Noting that few students come to college with significant training in Japanese language, he was happy to see such great success in the students as they discovered something new after arriving at William & Mary. We extend congratulations to the Class of 2021, wishing them a successful and prosperous future. 皆さん、おめでとうございます！

The Zoom event featured presentations from five students.

William & Mary’s Japanese Studies program was proud to host its first Senior Thesis Colloquium on Thursday, April 30. The hour-long Zoom presentation, originally slated to occur on campus, featured the research of five seniors who are members of the inaugural cohort of the Japanese Studies major. Thirty-three participants joined the event. Presentations included:

“Wasted Effort: Representations of the Onsen through the Commercialization of Leisure in 1930s Japan,” by Margo Baden
“Murky Mirror: Miyamoto’s Dо̄tonborigawa and Being Left Behind by Economic Growth,” by Alison Bolton
“The Influence of American Military Presence on Students in Murakami’s Sixty-Nine” by Sarah Wilkowske, “Systems of Oppression through the Korean Body,” by Julia Wright; and
“Refusing to Sit Still: The Portrayal of the Japanese City’s Mobility and Moga in Tanizaki Jun’ichiro’s Quicksand,” by Kayla Zanders.

The students’ presentations were filled with information they discovered during their course, “The Japanese City.” The capstone seminar acquainted them with the historical development, theoretical conceptualization, and everyday life of the Japanese city from the nineteenth century to today. Students examined representations of the city in literature, film, architecture, and city planning. They completed their theses under the direction of Dr. Tomoyuki Sasaki, Japanese Studies Program Director and Associate Professor of Japanese Studies.

The Japanese Studies program extends its thanks to the students, faculty, and staff who assisted in bringing the colloquium to fruition as it offered a platform for the college to celebrate the students’ academic achievements. Special appreciation goes to Associate Professors Dr. Eric Han and Dr. Hiroshi Kitamura of the History department. Both offered insightful comments during the colloquium for the students who showcased the breadth of their research.