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Sachiko Sakamaki | 坂巻幸子
Landstown High School, Virginia Beach City Public Schools
"Sakamaki-sensei" Japanese Language Teacher
Director
皆さん、こんにちは。Hello Everyone! This will be my ninth year at the Japanese Academy, serving as Lead Teacher in the past and Director for the last three years. I am originally from Shizuoka, Japan, where I did my post-graduate study in English at Shizuoka University. My dream since I was in middle school was to study abroad, so I continued my education at University of Nebraska and earned my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Urban Studies and Secondary Education. With my Japanese teaching experience in public schools and community college since 1995, I am very passionate about introducing my culture and language to American students. I currently teach Japanese at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach. While not working, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my dog, Roxy, as well as attending cultural events at museums and theaters.
どうぞ よろしく。Nice to meet you!
Koji Otani (大谷浩二)
Teacher
My name is Koji Otani. This has been my fourth time teaching the Academy. I was raised in Osaka, Japan. But my hometown is Iga where Ninja and Haiku came from. After receiving Master of Education from the University of Florida, I have been teaching Japanese at Fairfax County for 18 years. I have also have taught in various levels Japanese schools (middle school, high school, and juvenile detention camp). While I was at the UF, I also worked as a sushi chef at a Japanese restaurant. Cooking has been my passion since. I spend most of my free time in the kitchen when I’m home on weekends. Another passion is wa-daiko (Japanese drum) that I started to learn 4 years ago. Wa-daiko has many benefits for me as a Japanese teacher. I am planning to start the wa-daiko club this coming school year. I also have two sons, Akira (21) and Tomoki (19).
Koji Otani (大谷浩二)
Teacher
My name is Koji Otani. This has been my fourth time teaching the Academy. I was raised in Osaka, Japan. But my hometown is Iga where Ninja and Haiku came from. After receiving Master of Education from the University of Florida, I have been teaching Japanese at Fairfax County for 18 years. I have also have taught in various levels Japanese schools (middle school, high school, and juvenile detention camp). While I was at the UF, I also worked as a sushi chef at a Japanese restaurant. Cooking has been my passion since. I spend most of my free time in the kitchen when I’m home on weekends. Another passion is wa-daiko (Japanese drum) that I started to learn 4 years ago. Wa-daiko has many benefits for me as a Japanese teacher. I am planning to start the wa-daiko club this coming school year. I also have two sons, Akira (21) and Tomoki (19).
Dan Hill (ダン・ヒル)
Teacher 日本語の生徒達へ  I teach English, Japanese, and social studies at Miami High School, in Miami, Arizona. I am so excited to be teaching Japanese at this year’s Virginia Governor’s Language Academy. I’ve been to Japan four times, and this August I am returning to fulfill a dream of hiking to the top of Mt. Fuji. I love all things Japanese: The food, the amazing landscapes, the reverent and beautiful temples and shrines, the culture, but especially the people. Who will tell you how good your language skills are when you can barely say, “Hi, how are you?” Who will tell you how good your cooking is, when you left the oil out of the crust recipe, and you can barely cut through a piece of pie with a steak knife? Who will miss their own train to make sure you, the American tourist, gets on the correct train to wherever you’re going? A Japanese person will. Students, I can’t wait to meet you at the Academy, help you study the language, and share with you my passion for all things Japanese!楽しみにしています。ヒルより |
Iya Nemastil (イヤ・ネマスティル) Teacher  Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, I acquired a second language at the age of eight when my family immigrated to the United States. I learned English during my first summer in the U.S. by communicating with summer school classmates. When I entered high school, I had the opportunity to take Japanese as a foreign language, which I continued to study at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In addition, I spent a year studying abroad at Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata-shi, Japan. After graduating from Miami, I furthered my foreign language acquisition studies at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio where I received my licensure to teach both Japanese and Russian. As the Japanese program developer for the Marysville Exempted Village School District, I am excited to share my knowledge and experiences with my students, colleagues, and anyone else willing to listen! |
Kasumi Tago (多胡夏純) Teaching Assistant Hi, everyone! こんにちは。  I was born in Toyama prefecture and I lived in Hyogo next to Osaka before I came to America to teach Japanese. I graduated from Kanazawa University with a major in teaching Japanese and then I entered Kobe University to pursue a Master’s degree in Phonetics. Since I have been in America, I have enjoyed introducing students to Japanese culture and language. I enjoy calligraphy, origami, and performing tea ceremony. Though I like the traditional arts, I also feel that I am a part of Modern Japan. I like traveling and tried many types of ethnic foods. People are often surprised when I tell them that I like American food the best. This is my first time to join this program and I am so excited!I am really looking forward to meeting you! |
Kyle Chung (カイル・チョング)
Lead RA
皆さん！やっほー！！おめでとうございます！(Congratulations! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ ) This will be my third year working as an RA for the Virginia Governor's Japanese Academy! This year as the Lead RA. I recently graduated from George Mason University with a Global Affairs major, concentration in Environmental Policy and Global Inequalities & Responses. My hobbies consist of drawing, eating (I’m a dessert fanatic), and listening to J-pop! My favorite Japanese artists as of now are Goosehouse and Spyair!
じゃ皆さん、行きましょう！！
Lya Tomomatsu (友松里亜)
RA
よろしくお願いします！
David Sablosky (デイビッド・サブロスキー)
RA
