This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Waseda chapter.
This week’s campus cutie is Naoko Shoji! Naoko is beautiful both inside and out with her positivity, intelligence, and her beautiful smile. Knowing Naoko for almost five years, I thought I knew everything about her, but there were a lot of fun facts that I did not know of! Take a look at our interview (more like a typical conversation we would have)!
1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself!
I was born in Germany, but I moved to London shortly after. Then, I moved to New Jersey. When I was ten, I moved to Japan.
2. You have a great international background. Do you consider yourself as American, Japanese, German, British, or French?
I don’t know… this is a hard question. I get this question a lot from different people and I never know what to tell them. When I was in high school, I tried to be more like a typical Japanese girl. Now that I think about it, I feel like it was a phase that I went thorough. After that phase, I tried to be more myself, which is… I don’t know. I don’t consider myself American because I’ve only lived there for two years nor do I consider myself German, British, or French. I think I am more Japanese than anything, but I am not just Japanese. Does that make sense? (laughs)
3. Being that you are a returnee, what was the toughest obstacle you had to overcome and how did you manage it?
I do consider myself as a returnee, but it was really just part of my childhood. From age ten, English was something that I had maintained by studying in middle school and high school. I was also always in a global environment because of the schools that I went to including SILS, and that had a lot to do with how I was able to develop my English skills even after leaving English speaking countries. I think that the toughest thing I had to overcome was when I was applying for SILS. At my high school, everyone including the teachers expected me to get into a good college because I was able to speak English. They assumed that even without much preparation for entrance examinations, returnees like myself would easily succeed. It was never directly said to my face, but I have always felt that pressure. Although English as a skill is a great advantage in Japan, no one saw all the struggles that I went through. I understand how unfair it is to gain a special experience living abroad and acquiring English, but that is my life! There was no reason why I would not use that advantage to go to Waseda University.
4. How was studying abroad to France?
It was definitely one of the most challenging months I had in my life. Not only was France a place where I had never been to, studying the language was a BIG hurdle for me. I studied French for a year before my study abroad, but I was only able to introduce myself. I was very worried about how I would survive a year in France, but it was definitely worth the challenge. I feel like all my life, I’ve depended on people like my family and friends, but that year was all about me. The amount I studied and went forward with experiencing new things are incomparable to what I had been doing before. On top of that, making new friends, getting to know different cultures, and speaking a lot of French was challenging, but really, really good for me. And I truly love France!
5. I hear that you interned for a cosmetic company this summer. How has that influenced you?
Yes, I interned for a French cosmetic company for a month and a half. To be honest, the reason why I applied for this company was because of the long duration of the internship. Before working there, I wasn’t too concerned about makeup and beauty. I’ve always liked it, but I never knew that it was a path I would be able to take with such passion. Though, it turns out that I really enjoyed working there! I was responsible for searching makeup trends in Japan. I started getting a lot of interest in marketing, researching for bloggers, other makeup lines, and skin care products. Now, I can say that I am truly passionate about them.
6. In addition to the topic of trends and beauty, you are definitely a fashionista! Where do you get your inspiration?
No way, I am not a fashionista! (laughs) But I do get a lot of inspiration from blogs, Instagram, and magazines. I think I prefer fashion from overseas especially after that Japanese phase. (laughs) A lot of my clothes are from foreign stores, but I am not a fashionista! I just like simple and comfortable clothes.
7. You have a great balance in terms of relationships, not just with your boyfriend, but also with your friends and family. How do you do it?
I used to be a part of a circle and a volunteer group, so that is why I have junior and senior friends. Right now, I don’t belong to any circles or clubs, but I am fortunate enough to have friends in SILS. I also keep in touch with my friends from middle school and high school that I’ve spent six years with. And my family. I love my family! We just love to hang out with each other. I especially hang out with my dad these days. And of course, my boyfriend who is in the same department as me. We meet up a lot at school and it’s going good! (laughs) I don’t exactly know how I keep the balance, but I just try as much as I can to see everyone. I guess I don’t really put priorities on any of them.
8. At last, what are your dreams and goals?
Like I said before, I’ve always been the type of person who needs someone’s help in everything. My one year in France made me realize that I am a person who can actually do anything by myself. I would say my goal is to be even more independent. For example, if I were to have a family and a job at the same time one day, I want to be able to have a good balance between the two.
I am sure that you can be anything that your heart desires. Thank you, Naoko for sharing!