Yuki Inoue is an ICU alumna from the class of 1993 currently living in Los Angeles. She is a member of the Southern California ICU Alumni chapter and proud mother of two sons. She agreed to share a bit about her time at ICU, experience studying abroad in South Korea and life in general.

Tara: Hi, Yuki. It was such a pleasure to meet you during my trip to Los Angeles. Thank you again for agreeing to a phone interview. Let’s get started! Please tell me a little about your time at ICU.

Yuki: Well, I studied at ICU from 1989 and graduated in 1994. It took me a little longer to graduate because I studied abroad in Korea my Junior year.

My major at ICU was communications and linguistics, but I was really interested in not just languages, but history, culture and the relationship between Korea and Japan.

The program that took me to Korea was for anyone who wanted to know more about Korea. The participants were mostly Korean Americans or Koreans from countries around world who were pushed into going because their family wanted them to learn about their heritage. I was part of the minority who had no real connection with Korea, but was just interested.

I didn’t have much prior knowledge though I tried to study the language before I went, but I learned it all there. I can now communicate, order food, and conversationally communicate in Korean.

Tara: Wow! That’s impressive. What sparked your interested in Korea?

Yuki: Back then, my Mom was interested in Korea and she also began learning Korean. Also, I was very interested in war, specifically WWII, and how Japan occupied other countries, leading to a lot of bad things.

Basically, I was interested in the history, but I was open to everything. The experience definitely changed my perspective on what I knew of the past. I had only studied by book and didn’t know any Korean people in real life until I went there. Meeting people in person totally changed my perspective.

Tara: What do you mean? How was your perspective changed?

Yuki: Well, I was a little more afraid before I went because the relationship between Japan and Korea was not really positive. Right now, Korean culture is pretty popular in Japan, but back then nobody knew about Korea. A lot of people asked why I would go. They warned me that the people I met there might be mean because I’m Japanese, but I had no bad experiences.

I never personally experienced anything negative though I did notice differences in opinion and memories.

Tara: How so?

Yuki: For example, I learned a lot about “comfort women” and learned their story from their perspective. It was a real eye opener, because what we learned through the history class in Japan was very different from what is taught in Korea. One side is not necessarily wrong or right, but it certainly is a different view. Collecting these different perspectives has helped me have a more well-rounded opinion.

Tara: What would you say was your favorite part of studying abroad?

Yuki: I really fell in love with Korean culture – specifically the arts, percussion dance, colors and how they are such a passionate people. If you look at the soccer games, their cheer is so much louder than any other country! I also had a great time traveling within Korea to neighboring cities and south to Pusan and other counties. Seoul is highly modernized so it wasn’t so different from Tokyo, but the rural area was filled with nature.  Sort of like ICU!

Tara: Haha! So, now that you’ve told me all about studying abroad, please tell me more about your time on campus!

Yuki: Sure! As I mentioned before, I majored in communication and linguistics and I believe we were the first or second class of communication majors. Since ICU is a liberal arts university, even if you majored in language or communications you can also take the science major classes. I definitely enjoyed and took advantage of that. I even took a computer programming class – just because I was curious.

Tara:I know you are now involved in a taiko drumming group in Los Angeles. Were you involved with taiko at ICU?

Yuki: No, actually, I didn’t know about it when it was there. I wasn’t really involved in any particular club at ICU.

Tara: How come?

Yuki: That’s a good question… I don’t know!

I had a lot of friends who were involved in the Modern Dance Society or Spanish Club, but I personally didn’t get involved in anything. I was more active outside of the university though.

Tara: What things were you involved in?

Yuki: I was involved in UN University with other college students to organize discussions and participate with workshop. I also used to host parties at my place.

My apartment was very small, but I would have the ‘doors open’ from 4 pm – 11 pm and people would arrive at different times, stay or leave. I cooked all the food and it was great to get to meet and know many people through that setting.

Those 4 years really were the days I met most people ever in my life.

Tara: I think college around the world is like that. I always encourage my younger friends to make the most of the time in school because there really is no environment like it! So, how did you end up moving to the US?

Yuki: When I lived in Korea I had a friend who wanted to go to Japan and explore. He came to Tokyo and I showed him around and we were friends, but than we began dating.

After graduating from ICU I was working at a small company, but I was also involved in a translating job for a TV company. They had a small branch in NYC. My boyfriend decided to go to UNLV to study.

…Then, I thought I could live in US and do the same translating work from there. So, I moved to Las Vegas. I lived and worked in Las Vegas for 3 years before moving to Los Angeles.

Tara: Wow, a truly global citizen! Do you feel ICU was part of the reason you first studied abroad and then went to live in the US?

Yuki: Yes! The best part of ICU is its diversity. Being exposed to so many different types of people from different parts of the world helped me to be ok with any situation or any encounter with any culture – even after college.

I studied a lot at ICU so I was really mentally prepared to face the world too. In fact, ICU’s curriculum was one of the biggest factors in why I chose to go there. I didn’t want to just party and ICU is known for making you study. I was interested in everything so I felt I would rather have the opportunity to study more and more  and since everyone was studying we had a great sense of community.

Most of all OYR’s (One Year Regulars), exchange students and other Japanese people from different backgrounds really helped to open my eyes and get me used to meeting different people. It is a main reason why I don’t feel afraid to try different things and move to new places. ICU helped me bloom as a person.

Tara: That’s really wonderful. How did you get linked up to Southern California ICU Alumni chapter in LA?

Yuki: Good question! I wonder the first time… My eldest son Sean was very small, four or five, and I think I received an e-mail and they found me. I was a single mom during those days. 5-6 years, but I was also trying to be involved in as much as I could within the area.

Tara: That must have been a lot of work. Did you receive support from the ICU alumni chapter?

Yuki: Everyone was very welcoming and warm. Even now, every time I go there are new people and we always try hard to make sure everyone feels comfortable and has fun. We have a lot of active alumni in the area. We involve people who are from the first graduating class at ICU to the youngest generation of current students. Personally, I would really like to play more active role in the chapter, in the future.

Tara: How so?

Yuki: I love planning new events! Right now, I can only attend one or two events a year because of my busy schedule. There are so many fun events to go to though.

Our biggest event is the annual luncheon. Then we have golf outing, museum tours, a welcome brunch for the new exchange students,  a year end O-en Kai to support career opportunities for exchange student and there are sometimes even plays by one of the alumni who produced and acted.

Tara: That is really wonderful to hear. It’s so important to keep the ICU spirit and community alive in the US! One last question. Do you have any parting words of advice to current ICU students?

Yuki: I have kind of weird advice. What I would tell to students today is to remember that life is long.

When I was in college, I felt so pressured to find the right job and pick the right path to get the right career. I think having goals and doing a lot of research is great and will help you in long run, but it’s ok to make mistakes and to take a round about way to finding what you really love and want to devote yourself to.

I put so much unnecessary pressure on myself to find the right thing. I would tell students today that they are still so young and knowing who you are may not happen until your 30’s or even 40’s! It’s ok to keep searching and go to the ‘wrong path’ because there’s no real wrong path. It’s all just experience to help you find the right thing for you later.

It’s ok if you don’t know yourself yet. Keep experiencing new things. Some things you don’t understand until you do it. For example I wanted to be a newspaper journalist because I like writing, but I discovered later that I’d rather do things and have other people write about me!

Tara: Well, I’m happy to be writing about you now! Haha

Yuki: Seriously though, currently I work part-time at an insurance company. I used to work full time until my youngest son was born and we found out he was autistic. I wanted to spend more time with him so I went to part time and dedicated myself to learning more about him, researching autism, and participating with teachers and therapists so I can be more involved with his treatment and his education.

Tara: That is very impressive. I know that other people will be touched by this too.

Yuki:  The taiko drums I play can also be used as a tool for music therapy and my new dream now is to find ways to incorporate taiko and other methods into teaching kids with challenges.

Taiko and my son have become like my full time jobs with passion. I teach and practice taiko twice a week, plus there’s a lot of preparation and coordination.

I learned a lot through raising an autistic child, sometimes I wish I knew them when I was raising my first child as a single mother – see that the same techniques you use in his therapies can be applied to raising a child – any child, even a non-autistic child. I also learned a lot through learning the art of taiko, leading a taiko group, and teaching people a joy of taiko. It took me a long time to really realize this, but I found myself loving performing, learning, and teaching.

All of this is a roundabout way to say to future ICU grads… Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. It takes time. Listen to yourself.

Tara: Great advice. Thank you for your time, energy and support!