Our Graduates

After completing a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Asian Studies at the University of Sydney in 2003, I decided to pursue further research on Japanese history, beginning a PhD in the Department of Japanese Studies in 2004. My thesis, on 'Rediscovering Women in the History of Japanese Tea Culture, from Edo to Meiji’, combines my interests in women's history and tea culture. Whilst a PhD candidate in the department, I have been able to undertake several research trips to Japan, including spending one year at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies in Kyoto on a Japan Foundation Fellowship. With support from various school, faculty and university grants, I have presented conference papers on my research in Australia, Japan, and the U.S., such as the Association for Asian Studies conference in Atlanta in 2008.

I started Japanese in year 8 because I thought I should learn the language of a country closer to Australia than France, and continued it because quitting would make my efforts a waste. I also liked Japanese Studies because it meant I could study all of the subjects I enjoyed the most – literature, philosophy, art, history, film. They just needed to be Japanese literature, Japanese philosophy, Japanese art, Japanese history and Japanese film – which was fine by me because (as courses at Sydney quickly revealed) the Japanese contributions to all of these arts were and still are fascinating.

By the time I graduated in January 1997 I had spent eight years studying things Japanese so it was natural that I tried living in the country. I liked writing, so a position as a foreign correspondent based in Japan was about as clear an idea as I had of a "dream job." The first work I got was at a photo agency in the Tokyo suburb of Ebisu – the manager didn't realize I was a foreigner until he'd already agreed on the phone to give me an interview in person. That job lasted about a year before I jumped to an arts consultancy firm and worked on the Nagasawa Art Park artist-in-residence program on Awaji Island. Artists came from all over the world to learn woodblock printmaking. At the same time I started writing freelance about art and also doing art-related translation work.

In 2000, I started making the arts-news online journal Japanese Art Scene Monitor for the Australian Embassy in Tokyo and shortly after that began writing monthly exhibition reviews for the Herald Tribune / Asahi. In 2001, I met up with David Elliott, who'd just been appointed director of what in 2003 would open to the public as the Mori Art Museum. I started working with him in 2002, focusing on publishing and production at first but gradually finding my duties extending to public relations and eventually management of the public relations department.

By 2007 I was ready to get back on the writing track, so moved to The Japan Times where I am now a journalist in the Arts, Entertainment and Features section. I'm having a ball – writing about everything from crane drivers and police boxes to art world news and reviews. It's similar to Japanese Studies in some ways – anything goes as long as there's a Japan angle!

Since graduating with honours in Japanese in 2003, I went on to complete a combined Arts/law degree, graduating from law in 2005. I spent 2006 working with a judge in the NSW Land and Environment Court where I was able to consolidate my understanding of the law from a practical perspective, before being drawn towards overseas work and travel in 2007. I began work as a "Trainee solicitor" at Herbert Smith LLP, an international law firm based in London, in February 2007. By working at a firm with an international focus, I have had the opportunity on occasion to assist with the translation of Japanese documents into English. I have also participated in weekly Japanese lessons, sponsored by the firm, which will come in handy if I ever decide to do a stint in the firm's Tokyo office! Moreover, the generic analytic, writing, comprehension and communication skills I learned during my Japanese degree continue to assist me in my work on a daily basis, and I would strongly recommend the study of this language to all without hesitation.

After returning from a student exchange through the Arts Faculty to Aoyama Gakuin University (Tokyo) in 2004, I participated in the honours programme in Japanese Studies in 2005. I wrote my thesis on the politics of Japanese constitutional reform, and was subsequently fortunate enough to have this published in the Journal of Japanese Law. After completing honours, I resumed my Law degree, and further pursued my interest in Japanese law. In 2006 I was selected for the Australian team which participated in (and won, against 15 prestigious Japanese Universities) the Inter-collegiate Negotiation and Arbitration Competition at Sophia University, Tokyo. In 2007 I went on a further exchange to Kobe University Law Faculty, while working part time as a paralegal at an Osaka-based law firm.

I currently work as an associate in the Tokyo office of a major UK law firm.

I have no doubt that my participation in the honours programme (for which I was also able to receive the University Medal), and the skills acquired during that year have helped me immeasurably in these endeavours.

I did my BA Honours in Japanese Studies 1995-2000 during which time my focus was on Japanese language, culture and modern literature. My studies have over the years allowed me to travel with a purpose and have also opened many doors of opportunities, some less obvious than others. Through my experiences as an exchange student at the University of Tokyo (1996-1997) and a JET programme participant (2000-2003), I had ample opportunities to learn about all things Japanese, from their way of life, traditions and taboos to their academic and government systems and work ethics and protocols. But my biggest gain from these years was the life-long friendships I formed with many interesting people from around the world and different paths of life, which have since taken me well beyond the borders of Japan and given me exposure to other cultures in the world. I have now been living in London, UK for 4 years, and my Japan experiences have once again opened a door to the finance sector, where I am learning something new every day. I now understand that studying a language isn’t just about learning words and grammar, but gaining an aptitude for learning and experiencing on a higher level, and there are countless opportunities out there for those who have this aptitude! Who knows what life has in store for me next, but I’m looking forward to finding out!