Episode 10 of the podcast CrossWorld Puzzles is now out!
I was so happy to welcome interpreter and analyst Lefteris Kafatos, who I’ve long looked up to. Lefteris went on the JET (Japanese Exchange & Teaching) Program in Okinawa and served as a diplomatic interpreter at the U.S. Department of State, interpreting for Presidents Obama and Trump on several occasions. He now writes (in both English and Japanese!) for The Japan Lens, where his focus is the U.S.-Japan alliance, Japanese politics and foreign policy, and regional dynamics in the Asia-Pacific. Lefteris has master’s degrees in Japanese-English Conference Interpreting from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), as well as in International Affairs from UC San Diego.
We discuss his upbringing and identity as a Greek American; how his interest in Japan evolved over time as a student, interpreter, and analyst of U.S.-Japan relations; how he stays calm when interpreting for heads of state and other high-powered individuals; and how we can continue to maintain and strengthen the U.S.-Japan relationship despite recent uncertainties like tariffs. I’m amazed by not only his linguistic talent and hard work that brought him to where he is, but also his willingness to continue to study and grow.
The video podcast with Lefteris is below, but for more information, please see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode10-lefteris/.
The podcast can be followed on YouTube, Spotify, and (for audio only) Apple Podcasts.
ポッドキャスト「CrossWorld Puzzles」の最新エピソードです。今回は、通訳の先輩であるレフテリス・カファトさんの話を伺いました。大学で日本語を勉強し始めた後、JETプログラムや日本での勉強・勤務を経て通訳となり、国務省の日本語通訳者となってオバマ・トランプ両大統領の通訳も務めたレフテリスさん。今は「The Japan Lens」と呼ばれるウェブサイトを運営し、日米同盟や日米関係を様々な観点から分析して、両方の言語で記事を書いています。
ギリシャ系アメリカ人としての子供時代、日本語や日米同盟に対する関心がどのように強まっていったか、首脳会談などでどのように緊張せずに通訳に臨んでいるか、関税等で日米間の信頼が揺らぐ中で私たちがどのように同盟関係を維持・強化し続けられるかなど、多岐にわたるお話を伺いました。とにかく素晴らしい語学の才能があり、凄まじい努力をされてきたレフテリスさん。いろいろな分野を勉強し続けるその姿勢に刺激を受ける方も多いと思います。ぜひご覧ください！