Brooke Palmer

Education:
University of Canterbury    
Bachelor of Japanese language & linguistics
Master of Translation and Interpreting
 
Work Experience:
Japanese tutor                                6 months/New Zealand
Japanese specialty food store         1.5years/New Zealand

   Kia Ora, Hello! My name is Brooke Palmer and I'm from Christchurch, New Zealand. I'm working at the Niseko Town Hall as a CIR.
I first became interested in the Japanese language when I was a high school student and had the experience of doing a homestay with students from our sister school in Japan. I did not understand a word of Japanese, but it left a good impression on me and I decided to study Japanese. From there, I continued my studies and went to Kwansei Gakuin University in Hyogo Prefecture as an international student. After returning to New Zealand, I graduated and decided that I wanted to experience working in Japan. Shortly after, border restrictions were tightened due to COVID, so I decided to study translation and interpretation at graduate school. Now I am finally here in Japan as a CIR!



 

Located on the central, east coast, Christchurch the largest city in the South Island. With the ocean,　mountains, and forests at our doorstep, similarly to Niseko, outdoor and adventure sports are very popular in Christchurch. The Canterbury region, in which Christchurch is located, also has a lot of farmland. But the nature does not stop there, even in the city center you can find plenty of nature. I especially recommend the Christchurch Botanic Gardens! The gardens have an abundance of nature, with the Avon river flowing right through it. No matter what season you visit, there’s always something to look at. They also have a New Zealand garden featuring a large collection of new Zealand species of plants, and every time I go there I get the feeling that I'm REALLY in New Zealand, even though I'm already there. If you're lucky you might even be visited by the local native birds.
New Zealanders are kind and friendly people, and our day to day life is quite laid back. When you go shopping, you can often see people without shoes or wearing pajamas. Imagine seeing that in Japan!