Europe | My Eyes Tokyo

To live in Japan is a very good education for all Westerners.

February 11 2008

Interviewed by Hisa Written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Alec Harris (UK) President of New Worlds Theatre (He’s been in Japan since ’96) The first place that he lived in in Japan was Iwate prefecture (Northern part of Japan) as an University professor. After the experience, he moved to Tokyo and established his theatre company. He is a person who hopes Tokyo becomes an international community including in the theatre area. He is cool to see the social issues and accept a “lesson” of being a foreigner in Tokyo. *Interview in Azabu-juban I had never related to theatre play.

I’m not Japanese. I’m not French. I’m myself.

July 12 2007

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Maia (Japan/France) Musician (Born in Tokyo and raised in Paris) We enjoyed talking with Maia, a musician who has both a French and Japanese cultural background. She sings and plays many kinds of instruments, such as flute, sax, pandeiro (Brazilian tambourine) and so on. Maia has been really familiar with many kinds of music since she was a child. It’s because of her unique environment. Actually her music life started at age 6, when she started to play the piano. But not only that. You’ll see how her surroundings are and

Be open to people in Japan and their culture. Don’t think everybody is against you.

March 17 2007

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Anastasia Korobtsova (Russia) University student & international center staff (She’s been in Japan since 2004) Spring has come! We met a Russian woman who brought a warm and calm spring wind. Anastasia Korobtsova is studying very hard at a university in Tokyo. And she works at the international center almost everyday to help foreign people in Tokyo. Her smile bloomed nicely during this interview and cherry blossoms also have begun to bloom now in Tokyo. *Interview at the international center in Tokyo *Edited by Daniel Penso 校正協力：ダニエル・ペンソ Coming to

I don’t like rude foreigners that don’t care about Japanese customs and traditions.

January 10 2007

A mail from our 1st interviewee (Holland) We got a mail from Giuliano Garau, the first interviewee from Holland. At that time, October 2006, it was his fifth day in Japan. Now he is in Holland. He had been in Tokyo for three months. While he was in Japan, how did he feel about Tokyo and Japan? Let’s take a look. *Previous interview with Giuliano… Click here. 日本語 Have you felt differences between Japan and your country? If so, what kind of differences? I’ve explained before that there are a few differences between two countries. But let me add a few

I’m not trying to be a Japanese. I just try to adjust to Japanese culture.

January 03 2007

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Bhim Boyer (Holland) Copywriter (He came to Japan in fall 2006 *Now he’s in his country) A Happy New Year 2007! The first interview of this year… with a nice guy from Holland. “I came to Japan because I’ve already learned some Japanese. I thought that I would test my Japanese skill here.” Boyer said strongly. His attitude toward the language and his life in a differnt cultural environment were totally cosmopolitan. The talk with him was really significant. We felt we could learn from his experiences. *Interview in Shibuya

I was very surprised at how much Japanese dedicated themselves to their assignments, how hard they worked and how responsible they were.

October 31 2006

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Eduard Talman (Holland) CEO of online hotel booking company *At that time (He’s been in Japan since 2002) Eduard Talman is from Holland and he came to Japan to start his own business. He says that nobody else in Europe wanted to have the business in Japan so he tried to do that. Now he is successful in the online-booking field but used to have a tough time. *Interview in Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku *Edited by Daniel Penso 校正協力：ダニエル・ペンソ日本語 Launching business in Japan I came here for the first time

Tokyo gives me a big sense of freedom.

October 23 2006

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Charlotte Warren (UK) Translator (She’s been in Japan since ’99) The second person is from the United Kingdom! Ms. Warren has been in Japan for almost seven years. She can speak Japanese like a native speaker! She says you have to use the language or you’ll never learn to speak it. *Interview in Shibuya 日本語 “Why not Japan?” Before I came to Tokyo, I used to be in Kanagawa Prefecture, next door to Tokyo. And then I have been in Tokyo for a couple of years. I wasn’t

When I went to “109”, girls were whispering to each other and pointing at me.

October 11 2006

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Giuliano Garau (Holland) Photographer, Audio & Visual Professional （He came to Japan five days ago) He is the first person on this website! Mr. Garau arrived in Japan five days ago. But he can already speak some basic Japanese. He worked as a salesperson for electronic equipment in Holland. But he really, really wanted to come to Japan, so he saved some money and traveled across oceans and land to get to Japan. Now he seems to be really happy with being in Tokyo. *Interview in Shirokane-dai, Minato-ku *Edited by

Interviews with Tokyo People Achieving Dreams