Aika Akagi

• Hometown: Toyooka, Japan
• Major: International studies & Political Science (Undergraduate)

Hello I am Aika from Japan! My home city is called Toyooka and it’s a really small city with a population of 80,000. My hometown is a place of abundant nature, especially rice cultivation, which is one of the most important agricultural industries. It is surrounded by mountains and is a beautiful place, but in summer, it is the hottest place in Japan with high temperatures many times. In addition to rice and vegetables, Toyooka also has delicious seafood and beef. The delicious food is one of the things I am proud of about Toyooka. I lived in Japan until I was 18 years old and decided to study in the United States after graduating from high school. My majors are international studies and political science. Everyday things I experience in the U.S. surprise me and make me feel many cultural differences. I hope to share these surprises with you and have a lot of fun and laughter! I am good at origami and Syodo (calligraphy) which are traditional cultures of Japan! I would like to share with everyone not only tangible culture such as goods, but also intangible culture such as the way of thinking and customs in Japan.  I am really proud to introduce my culture!