Late night ramen runs between study sessions. Commuter train rides through Tokyo’s neon-lit streets. For many, studying abroad in Japan is a dream. But for Rae Ota BA’27, Adam Son BA’27, and Salah Williams BA’27, it was their reality — thanks to the competitive United States-Japan Bridging Scholarship and support from Willamette’s Office of International Education (OIE). Willamette is the only university in the 2025–26 cohort to produce three distinct scholars, a testament to the students’ ambition and the OIE’s effectiveness in supporting their study abroad aspirations.
The students’ journey to Tokyo started with some strategizing and careful preparation. Ota, a Japanese Studies major and Economics minor, discovered the opportunity on the OIE’s website and got the nudge she needed from Professor of Japanese Miho Fujiwara. “The OIE helped me brainstorm essay points, and the student consultants at the Writing Center helped me refine my writing,” she explained.
Williams took a similar approach, working with the OIE to identify the strongest recommenders and crafting a competitive application to the program.
The students’ coursework at Tokyo International University, Willamette’s sister school since 1965, goes far beyond language immersion. Son, a Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics major, is tackling sustainability, American politics, and foreign policy. Williams, a Psychology major and Japanese Studies minor, is diving into courses including International Security, Sustainable Society, and Japan and the Islamic World.
“After being in Japan for a couple of months already, I am learning about history, culture, language, politics, and more from a new perspective that is reshaping my view of the world,” Williams said.
Since finishing the highest level of Japanese-language courses offered at Willamette, Ota has used the scholarship to pursue advanced language courses and obtain a holistic understanding of Japanese culture and people. “Getting to live with a host family, commuting to school by train every morning and night, and wandering through the Tokyo streets in my free time has allowed me to better look into the heart of Japanese society,” Ota said.
Son relished the opportunity to improve his proficiency in Japanese while balancing academics with cultural immersion. “Exploring the country and connecting with its people has given me a deeper understanding of Japanese people and culture,” said Son.
The program also includes mentoring and networking opportunities — including meetings with government officials at the International House of Japan, a private, non-profit organization established in 1952 in Tokyo to promote cultural exchange, intellectual cooperation, and international dialogue.
The Bridging Scholarship program awards 75–100 scholarships annually from a pool of nearly 600 applicants, with the goal of cultivating future leaders who will strengthen the U.S.-Japan relationships across fields like diplomacy, business, education, and the arts. The Bridging Scholarship is just one of many study abroad opportunities the OIE helps students pursue. Whether it's finding funding, workshopping essays, or identifying the right recommenders, the office is committed to making high-impact global experiences accessible to all Willamette students.
