Kasumi Kawamoto

My interest in becoming an English conversation instructor was sparked by a teacher I met during my student years who made me fall in love with the English language. Motivated by this, I pursued specialized studies in English at both high school and university, including a one-year exchange program at Algoma University in Ontario, Canada.

After graduating from university, I joined AEON Corporation as an English conversation instructor, where I worked for over seven and a half years. In addition to teaching English, I gained valuable experience in early childhood education as described in my job history.

In 2018, while still working as an instructor, I became interested in the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JICA). Drawing on my previous volunteer experiences in Vietnam, Taiwan, and Myanmar during university, I realized the importance of education and how I could share not only language but also cultural understanding with my students in Japan. This led me to apply to the program, and in May 2023, I was assigned to the Uzbekistan-Japan Center (UJC), where I served until April 18, 2025. My role at UJC included the activities listed in my work history.

During my two years in Uzbekistan, I was deeply inspired by the dedication of Japanese language learners, their respect for Japanese language and culture, and their open-minded engagement with cultural exchange. These experiences made me strongly motivated to continue working with Japanese learners in Uzbekistan even after completing my JICA assignment, which led me to apply for this position.