Jocelyn Miyashiro - Class of 2019
February 9th, 2022
Jocelyn Miyashiro Studies Japanese Language in Tokyo
Jocelyn Miyashiro ’19 has faced many challenges as an international student at Temple University’s Japan Campus (TUJ). One of the biggest this year was spending her first holiday season away from her family.
“I was definitely thinking about PBA’s annual Thanksgiving party,” Jocelyn said. “Spending time with my advisory prepping for the all-school party has to be one of my favorite memories!”
But studying abroad was only natural for the TUJ junior. Jocelyn was already an inveterate traveler in her high school years.
“Hard to count the number of times Jocey traveled to Japan while PBA,” said Dean of Students Liane Viloria. “Jocey had already gone to Japan as part of Hongwanji Mission School’s Japan Tour. At PBA, she traveled to Japan with her family frequently. She was selected to participate in the annual Religious Seminar of the Ryukoku Sogo Gakuen, the federation of Shin Buddhist schools to which PBA belongs. She is very adventurous,” Mrs. Viloria emphasized.
“Jocey also joined the Dento Hokoku Hoyo,” Head of School Josh Hernandez Morse remembered. “I was with her and the group of Hawaii Shin Buddhist pilgrims traveling to the 2017 Hongwanji Accession Ceremony for His Eminence Gomonshu Kojun Ohtani. It was a beautiful Kyoto spring. Jocey and the rest of the PBA students made me so proud,” he said.
TUJ is Japan’s oldest and largest foreign university. Though Temple University’s main campus is located in Philadelphia, TUJ is home to more than 4,000 students, providing a unique opportunity for American undergraduate and graduate students to obtain their degrees in Japan.
Jocelyn loves Tokyo. “I am currently staying in a single-room dorm that is open to both international and Japanese students, so I am able to meet people from all over the world,” she explained Jocelyn. “With the stress of school, coffee has become one of my favorite things and Tokyo is filled with cute coffee shops. My favorite thing about living abroad is that I still find new places in Tokyo to explore every day.”
Once she achieves her degree in Japanese language, Jocelyn hopes to use her skills in real estate, helping Japanese speaking individuals who are looking for homes in America. With her major, Jocelyn will be functional in Japanese reading, writing, speaking, and listening. “As an international student, I know how difficult it is to look for housing in a foreign country, so I look forward to helping others,” she said.
