Living in America as Japanese 9/29/09

September 29, 2009

I came back from our Japan tour last weekend! Japan was in nice fall weather, and I fully enjoyed feeling it! I had a great time, performing 5 concerts, seeing my childhood friends (all girls club! My husband is a special member in this club.) and family, eating GOOD food, drinking, visiting Sumo for 2 days, and Kabuki Theatre in Ginza–. I love going back to Japan even though I love living in LA. This tour was partially granted by the State Department so the concert program was focused on American Music. It is so fortunate to get this opportunity to share my love of American Music with Japanese audience. I chose to record all American Music for my first CD about ten years ago, and since then I have been playing all kinds of American Music. Please see the fun photos in the Photo Gallery in this homepage.

I got my bachelor of music degree at the Toho Conservatory in Tokyo, then masters and doctorate in USA. I love Japan and America equally. I have been getting lot of opportunity in music and meeting wonderful people in US, and I like relaxing lives here compare to Japanese stressful attitude. Since Japan is a closed society in a small island the lives are often not easy. But we offer deep culture and sensitivity. Until recent years we did not have many foreigners. So people expect others to be like everyone! It means we have to fit in the society. This is changing very slowly. But the society is often tight, and people like to do team-play activities which I miss in US. And most importantly I love the food in Japan. I prepare Japanese food at my home in LA for most of days, brown rice, and lot of fish dishes and vegetables. And Japanese people have great passion for food!

I hope to continue living in US and visiting Japan occasionally. I think I am truly Japanese no matter how long I live in US.