ENTHUSIASM in learning the Japanese language is as strong as ever in Brunei society nowadays, especially with the younger generation. However, there is virtually no place in Brunei to go for advance Japanese language courses, unless one is willing to hop on a plane heading to Japan.

There has also been strong interest among some individuals regarding the possibility of studying at Japanese universities. Unfortunately there are limited avenues and facilitation in Brunei on how a person can go about it.

After 10 months of teaching the Japanese language in Brunei, Ms Satoko Kudo, 27, said that she found it refreshing to teach the language of the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ to people here in the ‘Abode of Peace’.

She is leaving Brunei today. She said Nasi lemak (fragrant coconut rice) is one of the most delicious delicacies she has ever tasted. Along with the Water Village, they are the most unique things that she has experienced in the Sultanate. “I have a lot of fond memories of Brunei,” she said.

A post-graduate holder in Japanese Education in Foreign Language from Gakugei University, she was on the Genesis Exchange Programme for 10 months in Brunei, teaching Japanese at the Continuous Education Centre (CES). She also taught Japanese in the Japanese Clubs in colleges such as SMJA and Science College.

In her 10 months’ stay in Brunei, she has made visited locales such as Temburong, OGDC in Belait, Royal Regalia and the Museum, which she said was very fascinating.

She said the food here in Brunei can be very oily, which is quite different from the food available in health-conscious Japan. Despite this, she loved it all. She loved the oily and spicy food except for one thing — Ambuyat (starch paste), which she said she was never able to swallow.

Before leaving Brunei, she urged those who had learnt the Japanese Language to take part in activities such as the Japanese Language Contest, a competition that has been around in Brunei for the last 23 years.

This is important, she said, to motivate them to practise and put into use in their Japanese language skills.
She also said that the majority of her students were between the ages of 17 and 19, and that she had also received queries regarding how they could further their studies in Japan.

She said, the Japanese language she teaches was at a beginners level and as a result she urged her students to push themselves further towards a higher level.

She understood that there is a lack of facilities here in Brunei to study advance Japanese but expressed hope that this would change in the future.

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