University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa student Joseph Iseri is one of only three United States award recipients of the 2019–20 Monbukagakusho Scholarship from the Japanese government’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The Monbukagakusho Scholarship covers tuition and living expenses, and provides a stipend.
Iseri is a Japanese language major in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures and a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. At Kamehameha, Iseri developed an intense passion for Japanese language and culture, something that according to him was unfortunately lost in his lineage despite being the descendant of a Nikkei family.
He will study Japanese language and culture at Doshisha University in Kyoto through August 2020.
“The scholarship will help me pursue my career goal of becoming a Japanese language teacher in Hawaiʻi nei. Ever since I was in elementary school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher,” said Iseri. “This scholarship enables me to study Japanese language and culture authentically, intensively and personally ensuring that my future teaching will be as beneficial to students as possible. I truly hope to develop my abilities through dedication to my studies at Doshisha.”
Deputy Consul General Shinichi Yamanaka presented the award to Iseri at a ceremony on August 30.
