【2023.9.25~ 2024.2.29】

My name is Julia Visser, and I'm a student from Stellenbosch University, South Africa. I belong to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and am currently studying towards a degree in Humanities with majors in Geography, English Studies and Visual Studies.
Although I reside in a European-styled University town in the Western Cape; I'm originally from a very different but beautiful part of South Africa. I grew up largely amidst the plantations of Mpumalanga province in the northeast of the country, between small towns. In fact, for the most part, I was always within a 20-minute drive from the Kruger National Park!
Studying at Stellenbosch University has been a considerable feat, but coming to the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, is a lifelong dream come true! I plan to learn more about Japanese arts, culture and society, and certainly improve my Japanese language skills. I am eager to explore Japan's innovative systems of sustainability, and how knowledge may be interchanged within Japan-Africa relations. Venturing around the metropolis of Tokyo is exhilarating, yet I hope to visit rural spaces and areas of cultural significance during my stay here.
I want to express my sincerest gratitude to the TUFS IAfP office for supporting me on my journey here, and SU International for nominating me for our pioneer inter-university exchange. Thank you kindly to The Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Scholarship Foundation for your generous support in allowing me to live and study in Japan, as well as valuable cultural insights shared.