To the youth on the eve of the graduation

Some people understand one out of ten while others understand ten out of one. Hajin definitely belongs to the latter group.

I first met him when I just started teaching Japanese at one of the universities in Cheonan. So, I met him more than 10 years ago. I always remember him as the positive and hard-working boy with a big happy smile.

One day, I had to move the books in my study and I asked him for help. He not only turned up with a smiling face, but also came with a few sturdy friends. Furthermore, he brought his own cotton gloves. How kind and thoughtful of him! I was deeply moved.

Even after the graduation, he continued to keep in contact with me. He always told his important news to me such as getting a job, marrying a beautiful girl and receiving a master’s degree.

The insecure future for Japanese graduates

Japan nowadays is a lot closer to everyday life than it was in Hajin’s university days. Korean wave hit big in Japan while Japanese culture is easily accepted by the young in Korea through Japanese animations, dramas and the like.

Eateries around the Gangnam Station, a place considered as a mecca for young people are all Japanese styles. Noodle soup, pork cutlet, Nagasaki noodle and even curry are served in a Japanese way. In the street, Takoyaki (Japanese style fish cake) has proved to hold its own against Bung-o-pang (Korean style red bean cake).

Nevertheless, students of the College or Department of Japanese studies deeply sigh before their graduation. Gloomy expressions such as unemployment and 880 dollar generation have become a reality. They find a long-term economic slump and the insecure future of Japan very hard to take. Quite many of them question the meaning of ‘studying Japan’ and consider other options rather than Japanese studies.

Japan once achieved remarkable economic development after the Second World War and Korea was eager to copy Japan. Koreans thought that it was essential to learn Japan as the two countries were closely intertwined and even surpass Japan.

Suddenly, Japan has an image of ‘falling’ and Japan is not attractive any more. Morning classes of language schools are crowded with people holding foreign books except Japanese ones. Employers look for English or Chinese graduates rather than Japanese graduates. Less and less students choose Japanese as a second language. The harsh realities for Japanese graduates cannot be ignored.

Attitude

I made an appointment with Hajin for lunch. My son unexpectedly asked for a diary and Hajin came to my mind since he got promoted to Legal Affairs Team Manager last summer. It seemed to me a position to get some diaries easily. Besides, I wanted to hear his everyday life as a Japanese graduate. He could be a shining example of what young students with Japanese degrees can achieve and also a wonderful mentor to my son, entering university this year.

Again, that was my Hajin who understood ten out of one. While waiting for food, he started to deliver a PowerPoint presentation, something he prepared for my son. He said, “Two particular incidents have changed my life. One is national service and the other is an impressive encounter with a friend from India. This is a story he told me.”

The title of the presentation was <A SMALL TRUTH TO MAKE LIFE 100%> and it went as follows. We can change alphabetic letters into numbers. For example, A for 1, B for 2, C for 3, D for 4, E for 5 and Z for 26. Then, we can find a perfect word for life. This should be a kind of game, just for fun.

Attitude, otherwise interpreted as mindset or posture. The conclusion is “If you change your attitude, you change your whole life.” In the end, a positive attitude decides one’s own destiny.

Somebody said to me, “Destiny is fate, fate is attitude and attitude is fortune.” I was convinced by him that young people could overcome the insecure future with a positive attitude rather than blaming the harsh realities. What a happy day I had to meet a student like him!

Translated by Park Yong-jung займ с 18 лет с просрочкой