Mikasa Akiyama | ミカサ • 秋山

[Kinyuun]

Backstory​

Mikasa Akiyama was originally born in the Kyoto region of Japan. Upon her upbringing into this world, she resided in a home with both her mother, Ayane Akiyama and her father, Seojoon Akiyama. She was born into a well-off medium class family, being provided the basics of what she needed both mentally and physically. Her parents sought to see her strive and become an individual who stands out. Mikasa was consistently pushed into becoming someone who is successful which in return put a lot of stress on the young woman. However, her parents were supportive of her no matter what and did what they could to make Mikasa feel both grounded and protected. Her father is originally from Seoul, South Korea which is where her knowledge on the Korean language comes in. He often spoke Korean in the household in hopes that his daughter picked up the fluency of the language, which is why she is fluent in both Japanese and Korean.

She went to one of the best high schools her parents could offer her, which was Kyoto Gaidai High School, a three-year private institution. Mikasa held a job at a small café near the school at sixteen years old, earning money in order to save up for college and other future endeavors she had planned. Her job allowed her to open up a bit socially, aiding her in making conversation with peers and creating welcoming environments. At school, she strived academically in order to keep up with her peers, graduating near the top of her class. She sought to attend a four-year university, which was heavily suggested within the schooling system. While Mikasa was in high school, the private institution held a Performing Arts club and academic course, which is where she fell in love with both acting and the theatrical side of life. Theater brought Mikasa the most joy in school, as she would often suggest the subject to students around her, however they seemed more interested in other specific studies such as math or science. This is when Mikasa began to realize that her goal in life was to teach the beautiful art within theater, and how it can not only bring a closer community together but also allow people to express themselves through character roles. She began to research what was needed in order to become a performing arts teacher and acted accordingly.

Once she had finally met the requirements needed to graduate, she applied to the Kyoto City University of the Arts, where she was eventually accepted and focused her major on Education of Performing Arts. She studied vigorously in order to obtain her bachelor's degree, showing her peers time and time again that her goals would be met. While she was in college, she began working at a fancy restaurant as a server in order to maintain a steady income. Once she had finally graduated from Kyoto City University of the Arts, she began to seek out new beginnings. Mikasa realized that although she loved her city, she didn’t want to share her dream with anyone in the region. She did intensive studying in different cities and regions, attempting to decide where she would like to experience her dream of becoming a drama teacher. In her search, she came across the city of Karakura. As she scrolled through various photos of the region and did research on the settlement, she almost immediately began packing her bags, selling her apartment and finding the cheapest flight. Throughout the process she kept assuring her parents that she was making the right decision. As she arrives in Karakura, one of the first steps Mikasa takes is finding a place to live and filling out a teaching application at Karakura High School.

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