The 2020 Governor's Japanese Language Academy is about to begin!

いよいよ！ After so much anticipation and preparation, the time has come to begin the 2020 session of the Virginia Governor's Japanese Language Academy! Our staff of teachers and assistants has been excitedly working to create an amazing experience for our students. To overcome the hurdles of holding the Academy online this year, we will be utilizing a suite of online programs including an incredibly immersive VR platform. Our staff, as always, consists of seasoned professionals with a wealth of experience in teaching and an eagerness to share the wonders of Japanese culture. Our staff also includes our committed Teaching Assistants, all former students of the Academy who continuously demonstrate their kind hearts and brilliant minds.

We know that all of our Academy students have been looking forward to this program, and our staff is equally excited to meet you all. In our two short weeks together, we hope to create a wonderful, memorable experience together. At the core of our Academy, our goal is not only to advance our students' Japanese ability, but to build bonds of friendship through communication. The current situation in our world presents a hurdle that we must overcome to build that sense of togetherness. That is exactly why our theme this year is "七転び八起き" meaning, Fall seven times, stand up eight. We intend to face this year's unprecedented challenges and overcome them through the dedication of our staff and the powerful enthusiasm of our students.

We will post fun and interesting moments from the Academy here on the blog page, so please visit here often to check out our updates. From all of us here at the Academy, よろしくおねがいします！