Study Abroad: UH Hilo Japanese studies major Brooklyn Geiger shares her year in Japan
Brooklyn Geiger spent her junior year studying abroad at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan. “Studying abroad really broadened my view on the world in all kinds of ways.”
By Lauren Aoki/UH Hilo Stories.
Brooklyn Geiger, a Kohala High School graduate and senior at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, spread her wings last year to study abroad in Nagoya, Japan. Born and raised in Kohala on Hawaiʻi Island, she decided to study abroad to enhance her education at the recommendation of her advisor.
“I never really thought about studying abroad before or had any real aspiration to leave,” she says, “I just wanted to get the best education for my major.”
- Learn more about the UH Hilo Study Abroad Program.
Geiger, a Japanese studies major with a minor in English, is simultaneously pursuing two certificates: educational studies, and teaching English to speakers of other languages. She was supported during her study abroad through a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
In the heart of Nagoya
In Japan, Geiger studied at Nanzan University, a private university in Nagoya, the capital city of Aichi Prefecture. She notes the college’s reputation as “the best university to study Japanese language.”
“Surprisingly, there were a lot of European students, as well as students from all over South America and Asia. I was surprised to see the diversity,” she says, commenting on the difference from Hawaiʻi’s diversity. “There were little to no Hawaiians or other Polynesians like I’m used to seeing here, but new people and culture I haven’t seen before.”
Though she primarily studied the language, Geiger also learned about Japanese society, religion, history, and art, including taking courses on ikebana (the art of flower arrangement) and manga (Japanese comics and graphic novels). In her Japanese society class, she participated in community outreach with fellow students about their day-to-day lives, learning more about Japan, both language and culture.
Daily differences
Geiger says she loved living in a different country. “I lived independently on campus at UH Hilo for two years but when I went to Japan I actually felt independent,” she says.
She attributes the difference in living circumstances as one of the key factors to her success. While she has roommates at home, she finally got a chance to stand on her own and dorm alone while abroad.
“I got my own room in the dorms, no meal plan, had to organize and throw out my trash on certain days, figured out the transit system,” she recalls. “It was great.”
Despite some challenges with different customs and university culture, as well as living in a country where English isn’t the dominant language, Geiger flourished as an individual and found growth and enjoyment living in a different setting. She particularly liked Nagoya’s easy access to public transportation, train and buses alike, and the amount of activities readily available in a thriving urban hub.
“Besides things about Japan, I realized how many things there are in urban areas. It’s convenient to live somewhere where public transportation is readily available and on time,” she says.
She says her greatest support came from friends, especially during stressful times like the three separate notifications in her first week of North Korea launching missiles into the ocean.
“All students from home, friends in a different state, the ones that I made in Japan, all of them helped me go through daily life easier.”
Key takeaways
Geiger’s credits her study abroad experience with expanding her personal perspective and helping her mature as a person.
“I think studying abroad really broadened my view on the world in all kinds of ways —learning about new cultures, meeting new people, and overall having new experiences,” she says. “I think I also learned about a ton of new things like how international relations can be a major, my English is good in Kohala but terrible abroad, and people aren’t as scary as I thought they’d be.”
She also emphasizes the importance of communication, especially in a foreign country. When in a place where you don’t speak the language, it’s easy to get mixed up and even easier to become confused. “I think the best takeaway is to always communicate when there are issues going on. Especially when living in a different country and getting used to different customs, communication is key.”
Getting ready for the future
Home again and happily reunited with family friends, Geiger’s already laying the groundwork to return to Japan.
“Now, I’m in the Japanese Students Association and Yosakoi (Japanese dance club) here on campus,” she says. “I’ve just had my JET interview (teaching English in Japan) and I started my English teaching practicum this week.”
Gieger expects to graduate UH Hilo this spring 2026 and anticipates a future abroad, whether it’s in Nagoya or somewhere else in Japan.
Story by Lauren Aoki, an English major with a minor in anthropology at UH Hilo. She is literary editor at the university’s student publications Kanilehua and Hohonu.
