Hi, this is my CommonApp 250-500word essay. I'd be really grateful for any criticism/advice! Thanks for your time
I'm often asked, 'do you think of yourself as English or Japanese?' and I find it difficult to answer. What is 'English'? What is 'Japanese'? It's impossible to simply separate myself into those two categories but both have undoubtedly contributed to shaping who I am today.
Having been born and raised in busy Tokyo, the sudden move to the quiet countryside in England (my father's native country) came as a huge culture-shock to my seven year old self. Despite the fact that I spoke very little English I mastered the language with an alarming pace and settled into my new school with ease. A few things, however, came as a challenge to me. Firstly, the food, along with the weather was appalling; it seemed that English children's diets consisted solely of snacks such as crisps, sweets, and the occasional peanut-butter sandwich.
However, my desire to be like my new western friends must have quickly eroded any doubts because much to my Japanese mother's disdain, I soon began to prefer white bread over brown and developed a taste for chocolate and fizzy drinks. In retrospect, I'm grateful for having been exposed to two wildly differing cultures because it has given me an open-minded attitude and an eagerness to try different things, not least in food; I impressed my Nigerian friends by trying their spicy stewed snails and our love for cooking and food has helped us bond. Unlike the usual Japanese practice of concentrating on one sport at high school, I enjoy trying a different sport each term because it enables me to stretch my limits and constantly expand my horizons; rowing has been my most challenging sport so far but I am also looking forward to trying women's American Football one day as it is practically non-existent in England!
Having a grasp of the Japanese language has enabled me to experience manga (Japanese comic books) and films in their original form, giving me a greater understanding of their context and helping me appreciate their beauty all the more. All too often manga is dismissed as a 'lesser' art form but I think everyone could benefit from reading skilful and inspirational works of great masters like Tezuka Osamu. My desire to make manga more accessible has driven me to translate a few works online for people who cannot buy hardcopies in their own country and I am always delighted to introduce my friends to Miyazaki Hayao's films which have been extremely influential to me throughout my life.
Although I've settled into a relatively western lifestyle, now and again I'm reminded of my Japanese heritage like when the topic of best childhood television programmes arose in a conversation one day. It sparked a fierce debate among my friends; my Asian friends and I argued that Anpanman (literally 'bean-curd-bread man') was a better hero than Noddy or the Telly Tubbies could ever be and it's silly things like this that make me really glad of my upbringing.
What a cute essay! I, coming from a Korean heritage at the age of ten, could definitely relate to you on this topic.
I think your story about the relationship you have with your friends really brings out the cultural differences in the two countries. With that said, I do not think that the last bit about reading mangas and watching japanese tv shows should be emphasized. Maybe you could combine the two topics together and lightly mention them? It is just my opinion.
Thanks for the feedback! I wasn't sure about that bit either; I genuinely am interested in manga and Japanese films and have been from a yound age so I wanted to get that across but at the same time I don't want to be dumped into the Japanophile/ shoujo manga/anime category so I tried to distinguish myself by emphasizing Miyazaki and Tezuka.
But hey, I might just shorten it and add some other stuff instead! :)
