Konnichiwa! My name is Sophie Mariko (you can call me Sophie) and I am a graduate student researching literature in Japan. I grew up in Connecticut and went to Princeton University where I studied East Asian Studies for my bachelor's degree. I worked in Japan teaching English at a kindergarten from 2019-2020. Now, I am a doctoral student at the University of California, Irvine where I write about Indigenous literatures in Japan and the environment. As a mixed-race person, I became interested in the writing and ideas of Indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities living in Japan. This led me to study more about their literatures to learn different understandings of the environment.
As a person studying literature, it goes without saying that I love to read! I enjoy reading mystery and suspense novels as well as manga. I also enjoy exploring the outdoors by hiking or going to the beach. In Japan, I've hiked Mt. Takao (it's just a 1 hour train ride from Tokyo!) and Hakone, a volcanic lake on top of a mountain. I also love listening to and playing music! As a child, I played cello. Now, I am learning how to play the sanshin, a three-stringed instrument from Okinawa. I'm excited to learn more Okinawan songs!
My academic interest in Japanese culture comes from my family's Japanese heritage.
