The Ireland Japan Association is delighted to announce that in 2026 the Ushioda Scholarship is awarded to Isabelle Emily Bates, studying Applied Languages and Translation Studies at DCU. Isabelle will be travelling to Japan for an exchange year at Rikkyo University, Tokyo.

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Isabelle is originally from Wexford and has spent the last three years studying Japanese and German in DCU.

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I first fell in love with languages while studying for my Junior Cert, and this is around the time when I began to learn Japanese. I chose to self-study Japanese due to my love of Japanese games and anime at the time, and I was lucky enough to have a very inspirational teacher and be able to study it for my Leaving Certificate.

Since the beginning of my Japanese studies, it has always been my dream to visit Japan and experience all of the wonderful things that the country, culture and people have to offer. If you had told me at 15 that I would now have the opportunity to study for a year in Japan, I would have never believed you, it felt so far away!

It feels incredibly surreal and exciting that I now have this fantastic opportunity and can make my dream come true. I hope that I can make the most of my year, work hard and make lots of lasting connections during my year abroad. – Isabelle Bates

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We would like to thank Paula Kelly, IJA Council Member and the IJA Education, Language and Ushioda Scholarship Subcommittee for support and assistance with the scholarship management and administration process this year.

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