Japanese Program Students Visit Japan for Workshop at Ochanomizu University

Four Japanese Program students — Mina Kim (Japanese major, Class of 2026), Nil Nyah (Japanese major, Class of 2027), Raymond Xiong (Japanese 305 student, Class of 2026), and Daniel Zhang (graduate student in East Asian Studies) — participated in the inaugural Duke & Ochanomizu Student Workshop held on October 14, 2025, at Ochanomizu University in Tokyo, Japan.

During the morning session, each Duke student presented their individual research project on the Japanese language, followed by three presentations from Ochanomizu University students. In the afternoon, the Duke students introduced Duke’s undergraduate curriculum, discussed their majors and minors, and shared their campus life and what a typical day at Duke is like with Ochanomizu’s undergraduate students. The workshop concluded with a friendly tea party, providing opportunities for cultural and academic exchange.

Below are the presentation topics of each Duke student:

1. Raymond Xiong: A Mixed-Effects Analysis of Addressee Honorifics in Japanese Voice Actor Events

2. Mina Kim: The Analysis of Masu/Desu Form Style Shifts in L1 Japanese Children Ages 2 to 4

3. Nil Nyah: The Interpretation of English Bare Plurals by Native Japanese speakers

4. Daniel Zhang: An Analysis of Linguistic Features in Japanese Gay Dating App Profiles

Duke student presenting
Duke student's presentation
Duke and Ochanomizu presenters receiving gifts from Ochanomizu University
Duke and Ochanomizu presenters receiving gifts from Ochanomizu University
Duke and Ochanomizu students interact in a tea party following the presentations.
Duke and Ochanomizu students interact in a tea party following the presentations.
Duke students and AMES faculty member Yunchuan Chen visiting the main building of Ochanomizu University, completed in 1932.
Duke students and AMES faculty member Yunchuan Chen visiting the main building of Ochanomizu University, completed in 1932.