Transferring from Kogakkan University 皇學館大学 to Nagoya Gakuin University 名古屋学院大学

 Today, I retired from Kogakkan University in Ise, Mie Prefecture. I enjoyed being a faculty member from 2014 to 2024 and greatly appreciate the opportunities for research and teaching, as well as the friendships I shared with the other faculty and staff.  I wrote a short farewell for one of the school publications below:

On Retiring from the University

As of March 31, I will be retiring from Kogakkan University and transitioning to Nagoya Gakuin University. Since joining the Communication Department in the Faculty of Letters in 2014, I have had the privilege of spending countless meaningful hours in the classroom with thousands of students. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to interact not only with students in the Department of Communication but also with students from all faculties. Together, we have enjoyed the standard curriculum courses such as "English Expression" and "Introduction to Kogaku," as well as the specialized courses in our department, including "Foreign Affairs," "Japanese Cultural History," and seminars for juniors and seniors. 

My tenure as a full-time faculty member may have been relatively short. However, when the Department of Communication Studies was established 24 years ago, I trained and brought my high school students to the first English speech contest organized by the department, and since then, I have felt a connection with the university.

Kogakkan is a unique space where faculty, staff, and students study and research Japanese history, culture, and the country's spirit and embody Japanese values in their daily activities. I am proud and grateful to have engaged in education and research in this unique environment.

Although my role as a full-time faculty member is coming to an end, I am genuinely excited to continue my association with the university as a part-time lecturer. I am deeply grateful for the warm support I have received from the faculty and staff, and I eagerly look forward to your continued support in April and beyond.

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From tomorrow, I will begin teaching at Nagoya Gakuin University 名古屋学院大学 as a member of the Faculty of Intercultural Studies 国際文化学部.