Aiya Perrine

Communications Coordinator

Akita, 2022-24

Aiya grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and graduated with a B.A. double major in Japanese and Linguistics from the University of Virginia. As a second-year, she studied abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo, and moved to Yurihonjo, Akita to work as an ALT after graduating from UVA in 2022. Always motivated to get involved in her local community, Aiya volunteered as Charity Akita Community Liaison Coordinator and Prefectural Advisor during her time in Tohoku. 

Upon returning to the United States in 2024 she began working as a paralegal in Connecticut, which is where she was first introduced to JETAANY. Her most recent placement in Japan was during the 2025 Osaka World Expo, where she worked as a Youth Ambassador at the American Pavilion. Currently, Aiya is living in Manhattan and working as a Supply Chain and Product Development Coordinator in the Japanese restaurant industry, simultaneously pursuing her passions for food, hospitality, and Japanese language and culture.