Ms. Ashlee Kinch of Barbados, who participated in APIC’s 2024 Pacific & Caribbean Student Invitation Program, came back to Japan to work in the Barbados country booth at the Osaka Expo 2025. Below is a short message from Ashlee about her time in Japan.

APIC’s Pacific & Caribbean Student Invitation selects a total of ten university students from the Pacific and Caribbean region to come to Japan to study at Sophi University in its Summer Session in East Asian Studies course. The program aims to further deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of Japan, and to promote international cooperation.

（Pacific & Caribbean Student Invitation Program 2024）

　（Ashlee's Message）　

My name is Ashlee Kinch, a Barbadian who visited Japan last summer to participate in Sophia’s Summer Session thanks to APIC.

This year I returned to Japan to represent my country Barbados at Expo 2025, Osaka. I would have visited Osaka briefly last year but this time I spent 2 months here. Unfortunately it was a very hot summer!! Despite that, I had a great experience while working at Expo and during my off days.

Working at Expo was truly an experience, as there were many people visiting daily, including Japanese nationals and tourists from varying countries. As Barbados is very far from Japan, many locals asked me questions about my country. It was very exciting to share information about Barbados and see their reactions.

While imparting knowledge about my country, I also learnt a lot about Japan through one of my Japanese coworkers as well as the attendants who assisted us everyday. This helped to build on the information I learnt in my classes last year at Sophia University.

Outside of Expo I went to places such as Expo City, Osaka Castle and Fushimi Inari in Kyoto. Once again I was amazed by the architecture and nature in Japan. I also visited the Osaka Museum of History, where I learnt a lot about the history of Osaka Castle, life in Osaka and Japan through the years.

Due to my two summers spent in Japan, I have started a beginners Japanese language course at my university (University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus) this semester. I want to be able to communicate with the Japanese friends I have made over the past two summers and further indulge in Japanese culture. This has been somewhat of a challenge due to my limited knowledge of the language.

I have wholeheartedly fallen in love with Japan and I hope to return one day in the future!

（Upper left: Ashlee at the Osaka Expo 2025. Upper right: Standing in front of Taro Okamoto’s Tower of the Sun
Lower left: Visiting Osaka Castle. Lower right: Visiting Fushimi Inari, Kyoto）