When I first applied for the grant, I was nervous. I had no formal language training and, due to operational needs within our school, was teaching lower-level Japanese. I felt the self-education available to me in Australia couldn't match the authenticity of an immersive experience. Additionally, it had been several years since I last engaged in formal education, and I saw this opportunity as a way to reignite my passion for learning.
My study trip was filled with highlights, both academically and culturally. One of the most enriching parts of my journey was using my language skills to navigate daily life as a solo traveller. Exploring the surrounding towns and applying what I had learned in real-world settings boosted my confidence in the language. However, one of the most valuable and often underrated aspects of the trip was living with a Japanese family. Cooking, shopping, and sharing meals with them allowed me to engage in their daily life, providing an insight into everyday Japanese culture that went beyond the typical tourist experience. This firsthand knowledge is something I’ve been able to share with my students in Australia.
Another transformative aspect of the trip was gaining a deeper understanding of the emotional and intellectual challenges my students face, particularly in a foreign language classroom. The feelings of inadequacy and frustration I experienced when struggling to communicate in Japanese gave me greater empathy for my own students. This experience has enhanced my ability to support diverse learners, and I’ve used these insights to improve not only my language classes but also my role as a diverse learner support teacher.
I wholeheartedly encourage eligible Queensland Japanese teachers to apply for this grant. The application process is simple, and the benefits far exceed what you may initially expect. This experience has significantly enhanced both my language skills and my understanding of Japanese culture, and it continues to enrich my professional and personal growth.
Japanese Language Teachers | Travel Study Grant, 2023
Japanese Language Teachers | Travel Study Grant, 2023
Japanese Studies | Conference Grant, 2023
In late 2023, I was able to conduct research travel in Japan for one month thanks to the generous support of the QPJE. My PhD thesis examines the dynamics of Australian literature translated into Japanese through a range of data sources including bibliographical data, paratexts and interviews. Receiving the RHD Research (Travel) Grant enabled me to access materials at the National Diet Library and International Library of Children’s Literature and meet with key people involved in the Japanese translation and publication of Australian literature in Tokyo.
Further to this, I also visited the Australian Library at Otemon Gakuin University in Osaka, where I sighted key translated works in the collection and delivered two guest lectures on my research. This provided a valuable opportunity to not only observe the publishing differences across countries and cultures, but to share the findings of my research with undergraduate students, scholars and the general public in both English and Japanese. I am indebted to the QPJE not only for their assistance with my research travel in 2023, but also for RHD Fee Support for conference attendance and interview transcription in 2022.
Higher Degree | Coursework Fee Support Grant, 2022
Higher Degree | Research Travel Grant, 2023
The funding therefore enabled us to develop a manuscript now under review at the Q1 journal Language Awareness. Importantly, the grant also created an opportunity for Tomoe Shimoyama, an emerging scholar from a migrant background, to participate in academic research with her contributions leading to her inclusion as a co-author on the submitted paper. For those considering applying for similar grants, our experience demonstrates the potential of such funding not only to advance academic knowledge but also to provide meaningful opportunities for emerging researchers in Japanese education.
Tertiary Research & Curriculum Decelopment Grant, 2023
I am a Japanese and Visual Art teacher based in Townsville, Queensland. I was a recipient of a 2017 Queensland Program for Japanese Education (QPJE) Professional Development Grant for Japanese Language Teachers to study Japanese language at James Cook University (JCU) through their Academy of Modern Languages (AML) program. The grant covered two courses of Intermediate Japanese study. The AML course was offered weekly of an evening at JCU and enabled me to network with other language learners; and reinforce and improve upon my knowledge of Japanese. An added benefit as a teacher was to observe and participate in Japanese lessons led by another teacher – essentially a PD in language teaching. I found this most beneficial and I now use some of the language games and songs that I learnt with my students. The QPJE scholarships provide an invaluable opportunity for teachers to engage in professional development in their subject area and further their knowledge of Japanese language and culture.
Teacher Professional Development Grant, 2017
Teacher Travel Study Grant, 2018
I was awarded a Queensland Program for Japanese Education (Japanese Studies Research) Grant in 2017 to conduct research in Japan. My research examines the interactions of Japanese art critic Yanagi Sōetsu (1889–1961) with Korean art objects in the colonial period, specifically through an assessment of his famous “beauty of sorrow” (hiai no bi) discourse on Korea’s Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910) ceramics. This discourse, which reached its fullest articulation in Yanagi’s 1922 Chōsen no bijutsu (Korean Art), attempted to conceptualise a distinct Korean aesthetic in relation to Chinese and Japanese aesthetics by defining Korean ceramics as beset by a sorrowful beauty. For Yanagi, the Korean vessels’ linear forms, white glazes, and decorative motifs were symptomatic of a pervasive national melancholy brought about by the country’s history of repeated foreign invasion.
In the course of my research at UQ, I came across a reference to a lithographed book which contained information suggesting the involvement of Yanagi’s friend and mentor, Bernard Leach (1887–1979), in the construction of the “beauty of sorrow” discourse. Public copies of the book are incredibly rare, but I was able to locate one in Nara. Thanks to the generous funding of the QPJE Grant, I was able not only to access this work, but also to conduct supporting research at the National Diet Library, the Japan Folk Crafts Museum, the Museum of Oriental Ceramics Osaka, and the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft.
Japanese Studies Research Travel Grant, 2017
The Queensland Program for Japanese Education (QPJE) supports a wide range of teaching, learning and research activities not only in the area of Japanese language but also Japanese studies. In 2014, I received a QPJE travel grant to participate in the international symposium on the civilian internment in Australia during WW2: history, memories and community heritage. The symposium aimed to focus on three Axis nationals who were interned in Australia during the war, and my paper sought to shed light on the Japanese experience in the internment camps in Australia. In addition to this talk, I also served as interpreter for the Japanese attendees at this symposium who were former Japanese internees. I interpreted their first-hand stories of their experiences into English, which enhanced not only the depth of the subject, but also the significance of the symposium theme.
Japanese Studies Research Conference Grant, 2014
I have received wonderful support from the QPJE that has also led to further research opportunities. As a PhD candidate I received two Conference Grants: the first was to present a paper on animated films, titled "Witches, wizards and wide-eyed daughters: Using 'The tempest' to read authority and gender in two contemporary children's films" at the Australia New Zealand Shakespeare Association conference at the University of Sydney in 2010. The second was to present a paper titled “An unsuitable job for a girl: Violence and the girl in two novels by Sakuraba Kazuki”, at the Women in Asia conference at the Australian National University in 2010. This second paper was later selected for publication in a special journal issue resulting from the conference, in Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific (2012).
In my role as a lecturer I also received a Conference Grant to present a paper titled “Of girls, books, and beasts: Shōjo studies perspectives on the girl reader in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ retellings” at the Japanese Studies Association of Australia conference at Latrobe University in 2015. My research focuses on Japanese texts, but it incorporates several fields, including literary studies, popular culture, gender studies, fairy tale studies, and more. As such it has been important for me as an early career researcher to attend not only Japanese area studies conferences but also conferences beyond this sphere, and I have especially appreciated the QPJE recognising and supporting me in doing so.
Being a recipient of QPJE Conference Grants also made me eligible to apply for the Research Grant for NF-JLEP (Nippon Foundation Fund for Japanese Language Education Program) Fellows. I was one of the two inaugural fellows to receive this grant. This funded a month-long research trip to Japan, where I worked at Waseda University Library and other Tokyo locations, as well as visiting libraries, museums and national parks in Hokkaido to work on a project entitled “Owls in (Yamato) Japanese and Ainu stories: Re-creating animal-human relationships”. In this way, support from the QPJE contributed to important further research and funding opportunities, and has put me in good stead for future internal and external applications.
Higher Degree Research Conference Grant, 2010
Japanese Studies Research Conference Grant, 2015
The Queensland Program for Japanese Education (QPJE) plays a significant role in the funding of teacher development activities, support for research students and curriculum renewal, and the development of innovative resources for Japanese language and studies education in Queensland. We are indebted to the QPJE for their support for our project which resulted in the publication of Learning Japanese: Voices of experience (Hong Kong: Candlin & Mynard, 2018). The assistance of the QPJE was crucial to the completion of this project by enabling a literature review and research into best practices in the teaching and learning of Japanese in areas such as the role of memory, literacy, learner age, socio-cultural influences on language use, identity and motivation. Learning Japanese: Voices of experience aims to give learners and teachers insight into these areas and the processes involved in learning Japanese and becoming competent users of it. The resource, which is accompanied by downloadable worksheets, incorporates expert advice and the voices of experienced learners. It connects the classroom with outside learning and use of the language and guides learners toward independence.
In 2016, I was the fortunate recipient of a QPJE Japanese Studies Research Travel Grant. This enabled me to carry out crucial research in Tokyo on Japan’s participation in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. I examined the impact of participation in the Melbourne Olympics on Australia-Japan relations: how the Japanese saw the Melbourne Olympics prior to, during and after the event, and how the Japanese press presented the success of the Japanese Olympians, especially the gold medal winning gymnast Ono Takashi.
Thanks to the grant of $4,666 that I received, I was able to travel to Tokyo in July 2016 for ten days of research. In Tokyo, I visited libraries, museums and bookstores gathering relevant material. Most time was spent at the National Diet Library in Tokyo. In addition, I visited the headquarters of the funding body, the Tokyo Foundation to express my gratitude for their support. After my return to Australia, I presented my research findings at two conferences: “Japan in Australia” at the University of Queensland on 25-27 November, and the Sixth Japanese History Workshop at the University of Auckland on 2-5 December 2016. The research will be published as a chapter in a forthcoming book edited by David Chapman and Carol Hayes.
Japanese Studies Research Travel Grant, 2016
In 2014, while I was a PhD candidate in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland, I was awarded a higher degree research travel grant by the Queensland Program for Japanese Education (QPJE). This allowed me to travel to the Tokyo and Osaka areas of Japan for six weeks and collect data for my PhD project. In addition, in 2015, I received a conference grant from QPJE and I presented my PhD research at the 18th Annual Pragmatics Society of Japan Conference, at the University of Nagoya. This opportunity allowed me to present my research, receive valuable feedback from experts, and form lasting relationships with key researchers. I sincerely thank the wonderful QPJE staff and committee members for their support during my PhD candidature. Without this funding, I would not have been able to experience such a wonderful conference, or stay in Japan for an extended period of time to collect data. I strongly encourage all HDR students and researchers to take this opportunity and apply for a QPJE grant if applicable to you.
Higher Degree Research Travel Grant, 2014
Higher Degree Research Conference Grant, 2015
I have been fortunate enough to receive funding from the QPJE twice during my PhD Candidature. The first time sent me to Tokyo for a month-long stint as a Research Affiliate at Waseda University and to the British Association of Japanese Studies (BAJS) at Chiba University. During my residency at Waseda I was able to meet with a number of scholars in my field, whilst undertaking a deep exploration of the university library’s vast collection of books in my research area. By chance the BAJS in Japan conference was held the weekend that I was planning to arrive in Tokyo, allowing me to combine my research trip with my first experience presenting at an international conference. The second time I received QPJE grant it was to attend two conferences, Asia Pacific Week at the Australian National University, and then the Asian Studies Association of Australia conference in Sydney the following week. It is vital for early career researchers to take their research to national and international contexts, receiving feedback and insights from both established and emerging scholars. Yet, it can also become prohibitively expensive! Therefore, having the opportunity to apply for funding such as the QPJE has had a significant impact on my progress as a PhD candidate and as an emerging scholar.
Higher Degree Research Travel Grant, 2017
Higher Degree Research Conference Grant, 2018
The grant scheme of the Queensland Program for Japanese Education significantly supported me in realising several months of fieldwork in Japan for my doctoral project dealing with the contemporary meaning of the cassette tape in Japanese popular music scenes. As the program's aim is to foster cultural and language focused research projects that broaden academic exchange and discourses between Australia and Japan, I think it is a great opportunity for students and researchers in the Humanities.
Higher Degree Research Travel Grant, 2018
I have been fortunate to conduct a variety of projects that I am passionate about - teaching and learning Japanese language and intercultural communication. As a result, I have received a number of QPJE Research/Curriculum Materials Development grants in recent years and published the outcomes in scholarly papers, as well as presenting at both national and international conferences.
My latest research project is inspired by Dweck's (2008, 2012, 2015) theories on growth and fixed mindset which influence achievement and motivation to learn. I investigated the beliefs and mindsets of students enrolled in first-year Japanese course at Griffith University and explored whether their beliefs and mindsets about learning Japanese changed over a trimester. The data revealed that students showed very positive mindsets regarding the belief that intelligence can be changed and positive attitudes towards learning Japanese. Even though more than 60 per cent of students agreed that Japanese is difficult to learn, the experience they had in learning Japanese was enjoyable (100%). More than 80 per cent indicated that they would continue study in trimester 2, confident in studying Japanese and like the challenge to improve Japanese. This may imply that possible main cause of high attrition rates when students take first-year beginner Japanese course is factors other than the difficulty of the language itself.
My success in QPJE grants was also a key factor in enabling me to win two teaching awards (the 2018 Vice Chancellor's Teacher of the Year and an Arts, Education and Law group Griffith Award for Excellence in Teaching), as well as a 2017 Learning and Teaching Citation from the university. I would certainly encourage other academics to apply for QPJE funding, as it is rewarding and opens up more opportunities in your scholarly career, and, above all, it makes a significant contribution to Japanese education.
Tertiary Research/Curriculum Materials Development Grant, 2016
Jasmine Delaney
St Monica’s College, Cairns
Teacher Travel Study Grant, 2017
I was a recipient of a Queensland Program for Japanese Education Travel Study Grant in 2017 and used this grant to attend a language school in Tokyo during the December-January school holidays. I studied for 4 weeks at Genki Japanese and Culture School in Shinjuku, participating in grammar and conversation classes, and immersing myself in Japanese culture. The staff were amazing and I met many people from all over the world who were at different stages of their Japanese learning journey. There were even some other recipients of this Study Grant program at the school.
I am very grateful for the opportunity from the QPJE to support Japanese language teachers in Queensland. Prior to this trip, I felt a little like I had plateaued on my Japanese teacher journey, and this really gave me the chance to renew my passion for learning and improve my own skills. I returned to school confident in my ability and with a fresh understanding of the struggles that my students face in a challenging foreign language classroom, as I had just experienced this myself.
I would encourage eligible Queensland Japanese teachers to apply for this grant, as the application process was simple and straightforward. The hardest part for me was picking which language school to attend as there were so many that looked great! This was the first formal Japanese study I had undertaken since graduating from university and I believe it really enhanced my language skills and knowledge of Japan.
MICHAEL POPE
ST MARGARET MARY’S COLLEGE, TOWNSVILLE
TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT, 2017;
TEACHER TRAVEL STUDY GRANT, 2018
I am a Japanese and Visual Art teacher based in Townsville, Queensland. I was a recipient of a 2017 Queensland Program for Japanese Education (QPJE) Professional Development Grant for Japanese Language Teachers to study Japanese language at James Cook University (JCU) through their Academy of Modern Languages (AML) program. The grant covered two courses of Intermediate Japanese study. The AML course was offered weekly of an evening at JCU and enabled me to network with other language learners; and reinforce and improve upon my knowledge of Japanese. An added benefit as a teacher was to observe and participate in Japanese lessons led by another teacher – essentially a PD in language teaching. I found this most beneficial and I now use some of the language games and songs that I learnt with my students. The QPJE scholarships provide an invaluable opportunity for teachers to engage in professional development in their subject area and further their knowledge of Japanese language and culture.
Dr Penny Bailey
The University of Queensland
Japanese Studies Research Travel Grant, 2017
I was awarded a Queensland Program for Japanese Education (Japanese Studies Research) Grant in 2017 to conduct research in Japan. My research examines the interactions of Japanese art critic Yanagi Sōetsu (1889–1961) with Korean art objects in the colonial period, specifically through an assessment of his famous “beauty of sorrow” (hiai no bi) discourse on Korea’s Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910) ceramics. This discourse, which reached its fullest articulation in Yanagi’s 1922 Chōsen no bijutsu (Korean Art), attempted to conceptualise a distinct Korean aesthetic in relation to Chinese and Japanese aesthetics by defining Korean ceramics as beset by a sorrowful beauty. For Yanagi, the Korean vessels’ linear forms, white glazes, and decorative motifs were symptomatic of a pervasive national melancholy brought about by the country’s history of repeated foreign invasion.
In the course of my research at UQ, I came across a reference to a lithographed book which contained information suggesting the involvement of Yanagi’s friend and mentor, Bernard Leach (1887–1979), in the construction of the “beauty of sorrow” discourse. Public copies of the book are incredibly rare, but I was able to locate one in Nara. Thanks to the generous funding of the QPJE Grant, I was able not only to access this work, but also to conduct supporting research at the National Diet Library, the Japan Folk Crafts Museum, the Museum of Oriental Ceramics Osaka, and the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft.
Dr Yuriko Nagata
The University of Queensland
Japanese Studies Research Conference Grant, 2014
The Queensland Program for Japanese Education (QPJE) supports a wide range of teaching, learning and research activities not only in the area of Japanese language but also Japanese studies. In 2014, I received a QPJE travel grant to participate in the international symposium on the civilian internment in Australia during WW2: history, memories and community heritage. The symposium aimed to focus on three Axis nationals who were interned in Australia during the war, and my paper sought to shed light on the Japanese experience in the internment camps in Australia. In addition to this talk, I also served as interpreter for the Japanese attendees at this symposium who were former Japanese internees. I interpreted their first-hand stories of their experiences into English, which enhanced not only the depth of the subject, but also the significance of the symposium theme.
DR LUCY FRASER
THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
HIGHER DEGREE RESEARCH CONFERENCE GRANT, 2010;
JAPANESE STUDIES RESEARCH CONFERENCE GRANT, 2015
I have received wonderful support from the QPJE that has also led to further research opportunities. As a PhD candidate I received two Conference Grants: the first was to present a paper on animated films, titled “Witches, wizards and wide-eyed daughters: Using ‘The tempest’ to read authority and gender in two contemporary children’s films” at the Australia New Zealand Shakespeare Association conference at the University of Sydney in 2010. The second was to present a paper titled “An unsuitable job for a girl: Violence and the girl in two novels by Sakuraba Kazuki”, at the Women in Asia conference at the Australian National University in 2010. This second paper was later selected for publication in a special journal issue resulting from the conference, in Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific (2012).
In my role as a lecturer I also received a Conference Grant to present a paper titled “Of girls, books, and beasts: Shōjo studies perspectives on the girl reader in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ retellings” at the Japanese Studies Association of Australia conference at Latrobe University in 2015. My research focuses on Japanese texts, but it incorporates several fields, including literary studies, popular culture, gender studies, fairy tale studies, and more. As such it has been important for me as an early career researcher to attend not only Japanese area studies conferences but also conferences beyond this sphere, and I have especially appreciated the QPJE recognising and supporting me in doing so.
Being a recipient of QPJE Conference Grants also made me eligible to apply for the Research Grant for NF-JLEP (Nippon Foundation Fund for Japanese Language Education Program) Fellows. I was one of the two inaugural fellows to receive this grant. This funded a month-long research trip to Japan, where I worked at Waseda University Library and other Tokyo locations, as well as visiting libraries, museums and national parks in Hokkaido to work on a project entitled “Owls in (Yamato) Japanese and Ainu stories: Re-creating animal-human relationships”. In this way, support from the QPJE contributed to important further research and funding opportunities, and has put me in good stead for future internal and external applications.
Dr Belinda Kennett and Dr Yuriko Nagata
Research/Curriculum Development Grant
The Queensland Program for Japanese Education (QPJE) plays a significant role in the funding of teacher development activities, support for research students and curriculum renewal, and the development of innovative resources for Japanese language and studies education in Queensland. We are indebted to the QPJE for their support for our project which resulted in the publication of Learning Japanese: Voices of experience (Hong Kong: Candlin & Mynard, 2018). The assistance of the QPJE was crucial to the completion of this project by enabling a literature review and research into best practices in the teaching and learning of Japanese in areas such as the role of memory, literacy, learner age, socio-cultural influences on language use, identity and motivation. Learning Japanese: Voices of experience aims to give learners and teachers insight into these areas and the processes involved in learning Japanese and becoming competent users of it. The resource, which is accompanied by downloadable worksheets, incorporates expert advice and the voices of experienced learners. It connects the classroom with outside learning and use of the language and guides learners toward independence.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MORRIS LOW
THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
JAPANESE STUDIES RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANT, 2016
In 2016, I was the fortunate recipient of a QPJE Japanese Studies Research Travel Grant. This enabled me to carry out crucial research in Tokyo on Japan’s participation in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. I examined the impact of participation in the Melbourne Olympics on Australia-Japan relations: how the Japanese saw the Melbourne Olympics prior to, during and after the event, and how the Japanese press presented the success of the Japanese Olympians, especially the gold medal winning gymnast Ono Takashi.
Thanks to the grant of $4,666 that I received, I was able to travel to Tokyo in July 2016 for ten days of research. In Tokyo, I visited libraries, museums and bookstores gathering relevant material. Most time was spent at the National Diet Library in Tokyo. In addition, I visited the headquarters of the funding body, the Tokyo Foundation to express my gratitude for their support. After my return to Australia, I presented my research findings at two conferences: “Japan in Australia” at the University of Queensland on 25-27 November, and the Sixth Japanese History Workshop at the University of Auckland on 2-5 December 2016. The research will be published as a chapter in a forthcoming book edited by David Chapman and Carol Hayes.
DR TODD ALLEN
KANSAI UNIVERSITY
HIGHER DEGREE RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANT, 2014;
HIGHER DEGREE RESEARCH CONFERENCE GRANT, 2015
In 2014, while I was a PhD candidate in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland, I was awarded a higher degree research travel grant by the Queensland Program for Japanese Education (QPJE). This allowed me to travel to the Tokyo and Osaka areas of Japan for six weeks and collect data for my PhD project. In addition, in 2015, I received a conference grant from QPJE and I presented my PhD research at the 18th Annual Pragmatics Society of Japan Conference, at the University of Nagoya. This opportunity allowed me to present my research, receive valuable feedback from experts, and form lasting relationships with key researchers. I sincerely thank the wonderful QPJE staff and committee members for their support during my PhD candidature. Without this funding, I would not have been able to experience such a wonderful conference, or stay in Japan for an extended period of time to collect data. I strongly encourage all HDR students and researchers to take this opportunity and apply for a QPJE grant if applicable to you.
LAURA CLARK
THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
HIGHER DEGREE RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANT, 2017;
HIGHER DEGREE RESEARCH CONFERENCE GRANT, 2018
I have been fortunate enough to receive funding from the QPJE twice during my PhD Candidature. The first time sent me to Tokyo for a month-long stint as a Research Affiliate at Waseda University and to the British Association of Japanese Studies (BAJS) at Chiba University. During my residency at Waseda I was able to meet with a number of scholars in my field, whilst undertaking a deep exploration of the university library’s vast collection of books in my research area. By chance the BAJS in Japan conference was held the weekend that I was planning to arrive in Tokyo, allowing me to combine my research trip with my first experience presenting at an international conference. The second time I received QPJE grant it was to attend two conferences, Asia Pacific Week at the Australian National University, and then the Asian Studies Association of Australia conference in Sydney the following week. It is vital for early career researchers to take their research to national and international contexts, receiving feedback and insights from both established and emerging scholars. Yet, it can also become prohibitively expensive! Therefore, having the opportunity to apply for funding such as the QPJE has had a significant impact on my progress as a PhD candidate and as an emerging scholar.