I am currently in Kyoto for a short stay until mid of April 2024. After living in Nara and Kyoto for 10 months in 2022-2023, attending the NWU Nara Women’s University as an exchange student, I am about to move on into my last semester at the University of Trier to graduate as a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese studies (major) and art history (minor). My main interest and the topic of my thesis are the Taketori monogatari and its anime adaptation Kaguya hime by Takahata Isao.

Besides being busy studying for university, I have entered both Mokuhanga, Japanese woodblock printing, and Shodō, Japanese calligraphy, classes in which I participated every week during my exchange year. I have been welcomed back to them during my short stay and project to move to Kyoto after graduating with the objective to intensively study both techniques for the next 4 years.

I started traveling to Japan in 2016 and these travels, 6 so far plus the residency of 10 months, have deeply impacted my life.  Visits to museums, temples, shrines and gardens as well as admiring the beauty of nature are my favorite activities in my free time.