Sho Shimoyamada

PhD, The University of Edinburgh
Master's degree, Physical Education, Tokai University
Bachelor's degree, Physical Education (Sport and Leisure Management), Tokai University

I was born and raised in central Tokyo and grew up as an “ordinary” Japanese person who could not speak any foreign languages. Inspired by one Japanese professor who earned a doctoral degree from an American university, I strived to improve my English competence and aspired to become a PhD in an Anglophone country. In other words, I had very limited overseas experience until I became a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh at the age of 25.

In Scotland, I was intrigued by amateur gardeners who tended their private gardens to attract visitors. Therefore, my doctoral research project addressed the question of how personal leisure pursuits are converted into public tourist attractions. Before completion of my PhD, I was appointed as Project Researcher at the University of Tokyo and was assigned to design a programme for Japanese researchers to develop the skills at teaching their subjects in English.

I am currently Project Lecturer in leisure and tourism studies at the Centre for Global Education. My primary mission is to manage the Go Global Gateway programme that supports all UTokyo undergraduate students to foster their global competence while teaching two credit-bearing courses “Introduction to Sustainable Tourism” and “Tourism and Justice” as part of the Global Liberal Arts courses.

Let me tell you the truth. For many people, dreams are not something to be found but something to be created. Balancing what you want to do with what other people expect you to do can sometimes be nerve-wracking.

Let me offer you some hope. You do not need to create your dream by the time you graduate from UTokyo. Take your time and listen to your inner voice.