Junko Ueno, professor of Japanese, grew up in Fukuoka, one of the prefectures of Kyushu Island, Japan. She loved learning English as a child, and a part-time job teaching English during her college days inspired her to study abroad after graduation.

While working on her M.A. in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) and applied linguistics at Indiana University, Bloomington, Ueno started teaching Japanese as well. She found tremendous joy in teaching and relearning her native language and culture from a different perspective and found herself wanting to study more in these areas.

After receiving her M.A., she earned her Ph.D. (also from Indiana University) in language education with a minor in East Asian languages and cultures, focusing on Japanese linguistics and pedagogy.

This led her to Union, where she has been teaching all levels of Japanese language since 2000.

While she really enjoys teaching language courses, she also loves teaching culture courses. Some of the topics in “Language, Identity and Power in Japan” bring back memories reminiscent of her time in Japan. And “Explore Japanese Manga and Anime” is the ultimate combination of her academic and personal interests.

Outside the classroom, Ueno likes staying active by going to Zumba classes and playing with the family dog, Sego. Although not a competitive runner, she likes running 5K races because they give her a purpose for her jogging.

She feels passionate about food, both eating and cooking, and she is a big fan of K-pop. She lives in Niskayuna with her husband. Their daughter attends Union.

FIRST APP YOU LOOK AT IN THE MORNING: Weather, or Line or WeChat, depending on the day and notifications.

WHAT ARE YOU READING? I am rereading “Hakuchö to Kömori” (meaning “A swan and a bat” but I think its English title is “Guilt”), written by Higashino Keigo, one of the greatest mystery writers in Japan. I had been planning to reread the book because it just got made into a movie but didn’t get around to it. Then I found out that he passed away in July, so I started reading it again as a tribute to him.

WHAT ARE YOU STREAMING? “The Darwin Incident.” I’m watching it because I read the manga, and I found the story just captivating. I have been enjoying the anime very much so far as well. I also love its opening song by Higedan.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU RECEIVED: “Keep believing yourself. Trust your gut,” from my late mother.

ONE SKILL YOU WISH YOU HAD: I want to communicate with animals (especially our dog) like a horse whisperer. Our dog often looks like he has something he wants to say, but I can only make guesses, and I feel like my guesses are not always accurate.

THREE DINNER PARTY GUESTS (living or deceased): Miyazaki Hayao, because his works make me think deeply while giving me a sense of healing. I may be too starstruck to say anything though, if I ever have a chance to meet him. Higashino Keigo, because I have always been fascinated by his storylines, especially the revelations infused by his background as a former engineer. My grandmother, who lived to be 100. She was a very strong woman, and I just miss her.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOU: I try to grow shiso, a type of Japanese herb, in summer. Shiso is supposed to be one of the easiest herbs to grow, but I was not good at it for the past few years. I was finally successful this year, and I was a little obsessive about it -- staring at them from inside, reading about shiso and looking up recipes. We ate the shiso leaves every single day this summer.

FAVORITE UNION MEMORY/EXPERIENCE: I always love it when I get a visit from alumni. Recently two of the alumni from 2007 came to see me and we had a great conversation. It is so rewarding to know that my classes made enough of an impression on my students that they wanted to come back and visit.

I USE AI FOR… When I want quick, short information. I used it a lot when I was travelling this summer, like looking up transportation, timetables, business hours of the places we were visiting, etc.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF? Throughout middle school and high school, I feel like all I did was study. This is mainly because of the very competitive entrance exam system, which is still prevalent in Japan. I would like to tell my younger self, “You only live once. Have more fun!”