Mr. Hong, who has been taking Tokyo Galaxy’s classes online from his home country since April 2021, has passed the entrance exam for Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku. We asked him about the school of his choice and how he has been studying so far.

Congratulations on passing the entrance exam of Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku. Please tell us what kind of efforts you have made for it.
I spent a lot of time on preparation and review of classes, because I didn’t want to fall behind the other students who were taking classes in Japan. I applied for admission to the College through the special admission system of “self-recommendation”, so I studied not only Japanese but also the basics of cooking in order to present myself appealingly.

Did you notice any improvement in your Japanese ability after taking the B-1 (Basic) Class from April to June 2021?
I didn’t have a chance to use Japanese or to hear someone talking in Japanese before entering Tokyo Galaxy, so I was a little confused when I started taking classes, but I was able to become quite accustomed to Japanese as I studied in the B-1 Class.

How about the Accelerated Learning Class you have been taking since July? Please tell us how it helped you to prepare for the entrance examination.
Most of my classmates of the Accelerated Learning Class are studying hard to achieve their own goals, so the atmosphere of the class is very nice. The lessons are fast-paced, and we have reading comprehension homework and kanji tests every day, so it is difficult to catch up unless you study outside of class hours, but you can make faster progress with your Japanese if you have determination and devote yourself to studying. I studied really seriously in the Accelerated Learning Class, so I was able to get a good score in reading comprehension and kanji tests of the entrance exam.

What made you to decide to enroll in Tokyo Galaxy?
I was planning to study in Japan with a goal of entering Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku. I was looking for information on the Internet, and found the blog of Tokyo Galaxy. I decided to enroll after reading it.

What was the reason you decided to enter Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku?
I was working at a sushi restaurant in my home country, and while working there, I became more and more attracted to Japanese food and I came to feel that I should learn more about it. There are many cooking schools in Japan, but I wanted to study Japanese food in a professional manner, so I decided to enroll in Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku.

Due to the COVID-10 pandemic, you had to take Tokyo Galaxy’s classes online. You must have had a tough time under the unexpected circumstances; how did you manage to keep studying hard every day?
When I was feeling low, I watched video clips about Japanese cuisine on YouTube and encouraged myself. I tried to do my best every day, with a strong will to get enrolled in Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku in April.

Please give some advice to those who are thinking of going on to a Japanese vocational school and are preparing for it.
My idea is that getting enrolled in a Japanese vocational school is relatively easy compared to getting enrolled in a Japanese university. However, if you start studying abroad in an easygoing manner without a clear objective, you may end up feeing lethargic, just doing things out of habit. You are going to pay a lot of money and spend considerable amount of time, so I think it’s better to set your goal and work hard; then you will get good results.

What are your objectives for studying at Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku?
I want to make new friends, friends with common interests and study together with them to become more capable. I will make efforts to maintain high grades and a high attendance rate, and I’m hoping to get a designated activities visa after graduating from the College and gain experience at a sushi restaurant in Ginza.

Mr. Hong, who has emphasized the importance of setting a solid goal, has himself been studying Japanese steadily and has prepared for the entrance examination with a strong sense of purpose. He was forced to take classes online from his home country, but despite the unexpected situation, he has made a lot of efforts every day to improve his Japanese significantly. We are looking forward to see him become a washoku chef several years from now. Thank you very much for the interview!