Japan-Palau Alumni Series: Vol.9 Ms. Kiku Brell
Ms. Kiku Brell is one of the successful alumni of the Special Training College program of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. She graduated from Sundai Travel and Hotel College in Tokyo in 2007 after she had completed one year course at a Japanese language school. Formerly the President of the Palau Association of the Japanese Government Scholars, Ms. Brell is currently serving as the Special Assistant to the President at the Office of the President of the Republic of Palau.
Ms. Brell applied for the Japanese Government Scholarship after she graduated from Mindszenty High School. While waiting for the result of her application, she first decided to study in Mission College in California, USA. It wasn’t long after she started studying at Mission College when Ms. Brell received a notice from the Embassy of Japan in Palau about her acceptance for the MEXT scholarship. Her strong desire to be more independent made her take the opportunity to study in Japan, and she moved there in 2004.
Ms. Brell enrolled in Bunka Institute of Language in Shinjuku, Tokyo in her first year. When she first arrived at her dormitory, she met a “senpai” or upperclassmen from Samoa who helped her settle in by showing her how to take the train, apply for a train pass, get her school ID and where to shop for groceries.
The classes at Bunka Institute of Language were all taught in Japanese which was a bit challenging for Ms. Brell. She said that it was very helpful for her that she had learned the basic Japanese language for two years at Mindszenty High School before she went to Japan. Ms. Brell eventually became so fluent that she would speak Japanese with her friends from other countries. After she completed her Japanese language studies, she went on to study Travel Business at Sundai Travel and Hotel College for two years and graduated in 2007.
During her free time, Ms. Brell tried to make the most of her time in Japan. She traveled to many parts of the country such as Hokkaido, Okinawa, Nagoya and Kagoshima. Ms. Brell also enjoyed watching fireworks at natsu matsuri (summer festivals) with her friends wearing yukata (summer kimono). She loves Japanese food, especially sushi, sashimi and chawanmushi (Japanese savory egg custard).
When she completed three years of study in Japan, Ms. Brell was happy to have finally achieved her goal, but also felt sad, as it meant saying goodbye to the close friends she had made. She created unforgettable memories with them, and the wonderful thing is that Ms. Brell has stayed in touch. She said they are planning a reunion in Tokyo in 2025.
Living in Japan taught Ms. Brell valuable lessons such as good work ethics which she says has helped her with her career. She also encourages Palauan students to apply for the Japanese Government Scholarship.