Choices for Japanese People Living in America
Japanese people living between the United States and Japan were interviewed about life choices such as obtaining permanent residency and returning to Japan.
Stories from this series
Shinya Miyata, who moved to the U.S. as a resident 41 years ago and has permanent residency, plans to return to Japan permanently soon.
May 31, 2023 • Keiko Fukuda
Final home in Japan Shinya Miyata, who I interviewed online, was smiling broadly on the other side of the screen. He told me that he had just returned to Japan after four years from Los Angeles, where entry restrictions had been lifted, and that his one month stay in Japan had been as enjoyable as a dream. "The reason I came back to Japan this time is because I hadn't been back in four years and I wanted to go …
Fumio Ouchi, an American citizen living in Japan
Nov. 4, 2022 • Keiko Fukuda
Returning to Japan after 50 years in the US Fumio Ouchi, who moved to the United States at the age of 25, joined the chemical company DuPont after earning his doctorate at the University of Florida. He is an expert in materials engineering and taught at the University of Washington for many years. When Ouchi retires from the university in June 2022, his final position as professor in the Department of Materials Engineering, he has chosen Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, …
Makoto Shirasawa, who moved to the U.S. in 1963 and returned to Japan in 2018, plans to return to the U.S.
May 30, 2022 • Keiko Fukuda
The reason for going to America was to "see everything" In the past, Makoto Shirasawa was actively involved in the activities of the Southern California Gardeners Association, whose headquarters are in downtown Los Angeles. He taught vegetable gardening classes organized by the association for seven years and wrote a column on vegetable growing in the Japanese newspaper, Nikkan Sun. He also appeared in the association's YouTube videos, providing information on vegetable gardening to the general public in Japanese. However, before …
Michio Shimizu, who came to the United States in 2011, popularized Yakult across the country, and returned to Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic
May 11, 2022 • Keiko Fukuda
"Be a businessman" Michio Shimizu, president of Yakult USA, popularized Yakult, a health drink that was previously unfamiliar to people of Asian descent, in 49 of the 50 states. In 2011, Shimizu was transferred from his previous post in Singapore to Los Angeles, where he spent 10 years. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he returned to Japan from Los Angeles and resigned from Yakult headquarters, relocating to his hometown of Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. His purpose was to live …
Yoshihiko Masuda, who lived in Canada and the United States as a resident
March 18, 2022 • Keiko Fukuda
After deciding to become a permanent resident of Canada... Yoshihiko Masuda was stationed in California until 2014 and served as the president of the Japan Business Association (JBA). About five years after he returned to Tokyo from California, Masuda was to serve as a special lecturer at a newly established university in Japan, and I interviewed him to write an introductory article for students. From the very beginning, I had a vivid impression of Masuda. When I requested an interview …
Hiromi Ashmore: After living in several countries, she moved to Australia
Dec. 13, 2021 • Keiko Fukuda
Japan for the first time in 32 years Born This Way is an Emmy Award-winning reality TV show that depicts the real-life lives of young people with Down Syndrome. Hiromi Ashmore, whose eldest daughter was one of the main cast members and who also appeared in the show, returned to Japan in 2019 from Los Angeles where she had lived for 17 years. However, she is not making Japan her final home and is planning to move to Australia with …
