Hello!

My name is Simen, and I will be among the councelors in the 2017 World Campus – Japan program! I am a 22 year old Norwegian guy, and while I speak hardly any Japanese, I will do my best to guide you safely through your journey, and ensure that you get as good of an experience as possible!

To tell you about myself, I am currently studying to become a teacher in the Norwegian school, and as of the start of the program, I will be fully educated to start working. I genuinely like working as an assistant towards learning and experiencing, which is probably why I was chosen as one of your counselors. I am also not very afraid of trying new things, and I hope that I get to do just that with many of you this coming summer! Hobby wise, I tend to use my spare time either for work, volleyball, or games. I am currently working in a grocery store in Norway, which will probably change soon enough.

I was a participant of the programs second session in 2015, and I really enjoyed that experience. I do hope that I can help you feel a similar extacy over getting to experience the Japanese way of life in such a fashion, and I’ll see you in Japan!

Simen Solum (Norway)

Hi everyone!

My name is Shoko Mizuno and I’m from Aichi in Japan. I’ll be one of the program counselors this summer and I’m so excited to meet you all and spend memorable time together in World Campus – Japan program!

I joined this program when I was in my first year in university (about 9 years ago!?) and this was the first one that I joined to meet and do something with foreign people before I decided to go study abroad.

I met lots of people from all over the world and we shared lots of experiences. I remember that the more days we spent together the more we understood diversity by
sharing opinions about culture, lifestyle and so on. By the end of the program we were like a team!

Each country has their own culture, so during your stay in Japan you will experience many things and maybe have some culture-shock but please explain your feelings and share them with us because that’s the time when we, Japanese people, also find something that we have never realized or thought about!

I’ll help you as much as I can during the program so please come talk to me when you have questions or need help!

This is my first time to join the program as a counselor, so I’m little bit nervous but I am more excited and can’t wait to have new experiences with you all!

Welcome to Japan!

Shoko Mizuno (Japan)

Hi everyone!

My name is Espen. I’m a 26 year-old Norwegian guy. I currently live in Copenhagen, Denmark where I study mathematics.

I became interested in Japan in my high school days when I started learning the language as a hobby. I especially like Japanese stand-up comedy. My other hobbies include reading, watching movies and playing the game of Go.

I have travelled to Japan six times, four of which has been with the World Campus – Japan Program. For me, travelling is not as much about where I go or what I see, as it is about who I meet and what I experience with those people. Travelling with World Campus International has given me a unique opportunity to meet people from all over the world and form lasting friendships. It has also taught me more about myself than I thought possible. I hope that as your counselor I can bring you out of your comfort zone so that you can do the same.

I’m looking forward to meeting you in Japan this summer and getting to know you! See you in Japan!

Espen Auseth Nielsen (Norway)

Hey there!

I’m one of your friendly neighborhood counselors, Juuso Myller from Finland. I’m 23 and about to wrap up my Bachelor’s Degree in English and decided that what’d be a better way to celebrate than to join the WCJ-caravan for a second year as a counselor. I come from a small town of Joensuu – a rock’s-throw from the Russian border – where I’ve spent basically all my life, including my studies. Besides English I also study Japanese, Karelian and Teacher studies, so hopefully one day I’ll be teaching a next generation of WCJ-participants! I also like hiking, skiing, kendo and writing and reading.

The reason that I got interested in Japan actually began with reading. You know, the old story: I didn’t like manga and anime, got introduced to it, then hooked to the culture and POW, here I am, years later, going to Japan for the third time in my life, studying the language and practicing kendo. Even when I started my Japanese studies in Uni I didn’t believe I’d one day visit the country. I had never been more than 2000 km from my home. But everything changed, when Hiro Nishimura came to town. His presentation during one of our Japanese lectures got me interested and I participated in the program for the first time that summer, with no way out anymore.

You’ll be surprised to learn how amazing Japanese food is. Everything I’ve eaten has been delicious, or at least a unique experience. The onsens, Japanese hot spring baths, are the best way to relax that I know, and I come from a country that invented the sauna. Japanese martial arts, nature, religion, history, the whole country is just a fruit basket full of juicy awesomeness. And the best part is the host families. I’m still in contact with my host families from over the years and I’m looking forward to meeting them again next summer as well. You’re going to become part of their family also, as you’re going to become part of the big jolly family of World Campus International. Beware or you might get hooked as well 🙂

So, let’s have a blast, make lots of new friends and memories and expand our comfort zone to experience Japan more than you ever have.

Juuso Myller (Finland)