Chen-Yen Chang, an alumna of Tamkang University’s Department of Japanese and currently a reporter and anchor at NEXT TV News, recently gained attention in Japanese media after conducting an interview in fluent Japanese with Shohei Ohtani of “Samurai Japan” at a press conference at the Tokyo Dome. Her performance highlighted the strengths of language majors. Department Chair Pei-Ching Tsai remarked, “Now is the perfect time to study Japanese and become a professional talent that AI cannot replace.”

Chang shared with the media that she has been a fan of Ohtani since high school and chose to study Japanese because of him. After enrolling in Tamkang’s Department of Japanese, she studied abroad at Hosei University in 2019 for one year. Upon graduation, she successfully became a journalist and ultimately realized her dream of interviewing her idol. Her journey can be seen as a dream fulfilled through her studies at Tamkang.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Department of Japanese, whose alumni are spread across the globe. Faculty and students will join alumni to “open a new chapter through cross-disciplinary sustainability.” Tsai noted that with the increasingly close Taiwan–Japan relations and the establishment of TSMC’s plant in Kumamoto, job opportunities in Japan have surged, making Japanese-language graduates highly sought after. Business associations from the Kumamoto region have visited Tamkang multiple times to discuss internship and recruitment opportunities, making it a “current reality” for students of the department to advance into Japan alongside TSMC.

Tsai also offered a counter perspective in the age of AI. While generative AI may seem to diminish the value of language majors, mastering fluent Japanese not only helps enthusiasts realize their dreams but also enables them to become professionals and build meaningful careers—capabilities that “AI cannot replace.”

She cited two “Distinguished Alumni” honored at the March 14 Spring Banquet as examples: Consul General Shu-Ling Chang of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sheng-Fen Hsu, Director of the Taiwan Education Center in Japan. Both have long leveraged their Japanese expertise to promote substantive Taiwan–Japan relations in both government and civil sectors, serving as key contributors to bilateral diplomacy. Chang, with 33 years of public service, has facilitated city and railway diplomacy between Taiwan and Japan, while also enhancing tourism and trade exchanges through cultural and culinary soft power. Hsu has been dedicated to promoting the “Study in Taiwan” initiative, advancing Chinese language education, fostering exchanges between high schools and universities, and organizing education fairs in Tokyo, Okinawa, and Kumamoto. Their contributions demonstrate how language expertise can serve society and the nation.

Tsai also mentioned Tamkang’s Golden Eagle alumnus, Ming-Yaw Tsai, Deputy Representative to Japan, who continues to contribute to diplomacy even after retiring from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His efforts have included promoting visa-free arrangements between Taiwan and Japan and facilitating key bilateral initiatives such as mutual driver’s license recognition, working holiday programs, support for participation in international organizations, and strengthened exchanges between legislatures and local leaders, making him an enduring and irreplaceable figure in Taiwan–Japan diplomacy.

SDGs #SDG04 Quality Education #SDG08 Decent Work and Economic Growth #SDG09 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure #SDG11 Sustainable Cities and Communities #SDG17 Partnerships for the Goals

---