Yuka Nakazawa entered Tokiwagi Gakuen as a first year student in the International class of 2007. I and Miyuki Kudo were her co-homeroom teachers. Yuka followed in her older sister's footsteps, who had also gone through our International class program. She was quieter than most of the other students, but not out of shyness- she just chose her words carefully and knew when to express herself better than most. She had many qualities, but two that I remember quite well were that she was very down-to-earth and was also a good listener; these made her very approachable and resulted in her making friends quickly and easily.
During Yuka's third year at Tokiwagi she participated in a one-year homestay in the United States. She was sent to Florida, and by all accounts had a wonderful time there. I remember upon her return to Japan she was asked to give a speech about her homestay experiences and she delivered one of the most positive ones I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot). The reason for this was being that Yuka was a girl who was extremely easy to get along with and she proved this everywhere she went. In her years at Tokiwagi I can't remember a single incident, or problem she might have been involved in. Her consistantly high grade levels further enforced her image as pretty much a model student in every way.
One unique decision she made that stands out in my mind was to return to Tokiwagi's International course after her classmates had graduated in order to be qualified to enter University. Most International class girls returning from a homestay situation do not choose this path- it meant entering a tightly-bonded class of girls a year below her and midway through the semester. The transition was a little awkward- in the first class I taught them with Yuka added there was definitely a feeling of separation and distance between her and the others. But this was Yuka: by the end of the school year she'd won them over and they graduated together in the Spring of 2011 as close friends. It was 11 days before the Great East Japan earthquake.
I mention the earthquake because in the hours, days and weeks after it happened the primary efforts of the people here were to make sure everyone had survived and were safe. Some of the houses we've all seen floating away in the tsunami belonged to our staff, students, Yuka's classmates. I remember a horrible, anxious feeling in my stomach for weeks as I braced myself for the worst news. But all Tokiwagi students were eventually accounted for, and although we were shaken by the incident we were incredibly relieved that everyone had survived. We picked up the pieces and moved on, considering ourselves lucky.
Yuka had been accepted in the English program at Dokkyo University, Saitama. Although I hadn't heard how she was getting along since graduation her facebook pictures suggest that she was continuing with her habits of traveling the world, having fun and winning new friends. Then last Friday just before I left school for the weekend I was given news about Yuka that at first I did not believe; it simply couldn't be true. It was true, and that terrible feeling in my stomach returned.
On February 9th, 2012 Yuka went on a snowboarding trip with her friends. They had a really good time that day. Upon returning to the main lodge that night she was conscious and coherent but her condition suddenly deteriorated. The medical report said that Yuka passed away early Friday morning due to a stroke. She was twenty years old and planned on returning to the United States next month.
"She loved Tokiwagi so much.
And we loved her." - Miyuki Kudo
Our deepest sympathy goes out to her family, friends and loved ones that are left behind.
