About Me

Hey there! Thank you for visiting, I’m Erika, native Japanese & author of this blog.

Who I am…

I was born in Tokyo but spent half of my life outside of Japan. From a small town alongside the Mekhong River to the skyscrapers of the Big Apple, I was very lucky to have the opportunity to live in different countries and experience different cultures.

Through the years, I made friends from many different countries. Cultural understanding was a natural thing I learned through my life. When I lived abroad people would ask me questions about Japan. “How do you say ~ in Japanese?” “Do they have ~ in Japan?” and I never really thought more about them. It was when I was in high school that I rediscovered the beauty of my own country and people. There was more to it than I had expected. Japan was amazing in so many ways! And I felt somewhat ashamed of myself for not really understanding what Japanese culture was all about.

Consequently, a strong ambition was brought up within me which was to introduce Japan to foreigners. I wanted to learn more about my country so I decided to take the examination for qualified tour guide for foreigners in Japan determined to take on the job as a certified English Tour Guide.

After 2 years of studying I successfully got certified and was ready to hit the road! Yes finally! A certified tour guide for foreigners in Japan! But you know how life is, you are all set! ready to go! and some really unexpected things pop up in front of you just like that and you have no choice but to drop anchor. And that happened to me.

So instead of working as an English Tour Guide in Japan, after some this and that in my life, I started teaching Japanese to non-native speakers outside of Japan. Teaching the Japanese language is very common to a tour guide in terms of introducing Japan and it’s actually a very exciting job. The passion I see in my students to learn and know more about Japan always teach me, in turn, many lessons. Their motivation to learn Japanese leads to my motivation to teach all different things about Japan that cannot be learned through textbooks. And it’s just simply exciting to meet new people, people who have passion in learning Japanese.

After some few years living abroad as a Japanese teacher, I’m now based in Japan working as a foreign staff recruiting consultant and language teacher.

Why I decided to blog about Japan

This country has changed alot while I was away. I can see so many foreigners in town, I can hear different languages on trains. As the Japanese Government is really moving forward to “open the doors” for Gaikokujin travelers and residents, Japan (especially Tokyo) has really changed.

But did you know, as foreign residents in Japan are increasing in numbers, still many of them leave the country in about a year? They say, “it’s pretty tough to live here.” Why? Because Japan is still a very homogenous country, and in many cases foreign residents get stressed with the unique customs and manners along with the language barrier.

I know from my own experience that when you are living in a foreign country, you can easily get stressed with all the different cultural differences. Japanese culture is unique. I don’t blame people for leaving the country. It’s very hard to do things the right way and get the most out of it, unless you have a local friend. You won’t be able to shop as wisely as the locals do. You won’t be able to dine in the not-so-famous-but-definitely-the-best restaurants in town. Unless you know a local.

So that’s why, as a native Japanese local myself, I thought maybe I can give you some information and tips here as I blog.

There are many English articles talking about Japan which are written by native English speakers. I’m not a native English speaker, and I learn everyday from their writing. No way I can top their writing skills, but I’m sure I’ll be able to share with you “real” information as a Japanese native.

And when I ever do have some time aside, I surely am hoping to explore the exciting cities again as a tour guide. (I’d love to give online advice if you’re planning a trip to Tokyo!)

Meanwhile this blog would be my platform to share interesting information that may be helpful and fun for you!

Thanks for visiting：）

よろしくおねがいします。