My goal is to promote friendship between Japan and China. To that end, I will continue to share my thoughts today.

■ Profile

Originally from Tianjin, China. After graduating from university, she worked as a announcer at Tianjin Television before coming to Japan. Since April 2011, she has been a regular on NHK Educational TV's "Chinese on TV." (Graduated March 2017) In 2014, she graduated from the Journalism course at the Graduate School of Political Science, Waseda University. She is currently a part-time lecturer at Waseda University. She has appeared on NHK WORLD programs, is an author, an MC, and is also active as an actress, appearing in stage plays and films.

Since coming to Japan 11 years ago, Duan Wenning has been active in a wide range of fields, including as a TV personality, CEO, and lecturer. She continues to promote the theme of "friendship between Japan and China," so we asked her about her reasons for coming to Japan, what she finds rewarding about her work, and her passionate feelings about Japan-China friendship.

■ From a shy childhood to a university life where he decided to study abroad in Japan

　People who know me now might find this hard to believe, but I was very shy when I was little. I was so shy that when I was in front of people, my face would turn red and I couldn't speak. I didn't like myself back then. So, in order to overcome my shyness, I enrolled in a university announcer course that would involve speaking in front of people. Through my time at university, my personality completely changed from shy to very outgoing. Looking back now, those four years at university were an important time for me.
　As I became more outgoing, I gradually wanted to see the outside world, so I decided to study abroad. When I thought about where to go, Japan came to mind. My father worked in Japan, so I'd felt a close affinity to Japan since I was a child. I also loved anime like "Doraemon" and was interested in Japanese culture, and Japan is close to China, so my family would feel safe there, so I decided to study abroad in Japan.
　So I came to Japan, but when I first arrived, I hadn't even decided which graduate school to attend. To be more specific, I hadn't even studied Japanese when I arrived. I hadn't decided on a school, and I didn't know the language. Naturally, I was a little anxious about living alone in an unfamiliar place like that. However, the excitement of experiencing something I'd never experienced before far outweighed that anxiety. Thanks to that excitement, my anxiety was blown away, and I never felt homesick during my time abroad. There weren't many difficult things about living in Japan, but the one thing I didn't like were cockroaches (laughs). Cockroaches in Tianjin are small and don't fly, but cockroaches in Japan are big and fly! I was really surprised when I saw one for the first time.

■ I want to be a bridge for friendship between Japan and China

　Because I love both China and Japan, I have always worked on the theme of Japan-China friendship. I also have a strong desire to become a bridge between Japanese and Chinese people. While I'm still on the way to achieving my goal, I feel a sense of accomplishment and great joy when I realize I've been useful as a bridge in my activities. For example, I sometimes lead short-term study abroad programs at Waseda University, and when a student tells me, "After studying abroad, I want to learn more about China, so I've decided to study abroad in China for a long period of time," I feel a great sense of accomplishment. I've also been delighted when people currently studying Chinese tell me, "I learned a lot from watching 'Chinese on TV,' which you used to appear on."
　I work on the theme of Japan-China friendship, and after wanting to become more deeply involved with Japan and China, I founded a company called "Goodwill Pictures" in June of last year. This may be a bit sudden, but what do you think of when you hear the words "Hokkaido souvenirs"? "There are many famous sweets that immediately come to mind. But Hokkaido also has many other attractive products. As part of our efforts to promote Japan-China friendship, Goodwill Pictures promotes and sells attractive products from the region to both China and Japan online. We will continue to promote Japan to China and China to Japan, and work to become a bridge between Japan and China!

■ Not for others, but for yourself

　There were many times in my work that I found difficult. However, I think I was able to continue because I was doing what I truly wanted to do, not for someone else. My parents were doctors and wanted me to follow in their footsteps. However, I did not follow in their footsteps and came to Japan to work as a TV personality. I am where I am today because I did not choose to become a doctor for my parents' sake, but instead continued to do what I wanted to do.
　Also, continuing to do what you want to do leads to enjoyment and motivation to continue. Looking back now, I think I've worked my whole life based on whether I was having fun or not. I think that's why I've been able to continue working, and I really enjoy my current job every day.

■ Whatever you do, it's important to be motivated

　In life, there will be times when unpleasant things continue to happen. At times like these, believe in the future and never give up. If you give up, it's all over. No matter how bad things are now, find what you want to do and keep doing it. If you do that, the time will surely come when you will be rewarded.
　From here on, I have a message for those who are learning Chinese. Many Japanese people start studying Chinese because they think it will be easy because the kanji are similar to Japanese. However, it is also true that many give up halfway through. I feel this setback is more likely to happen to people who are studying Chinese just for school credits. Try to find a motivation for studying other than "for class." Whatever your motivation may be, "I love 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,'" "I want to have a Chinese girlfriend," or "I want to live in China," is fine. As long as you have motivation, you can continue with anything. I also worked hard to study Japanese in order to survive in Japan. Once you get through the difficult times, you will be able to see truly beautiful scenery. Good luck to all university students!

Student Newspaper WEB February 16, 2021 Yusuke Suzuki, 1st year student at Hosei University