I appeared as a guest on Washington Weekly, a podcast produced by the DC bureau of the Japanese broadcasting company TBS.
For this episode, we discuss the murder of Alex Pretti. The episode features an interview with a NY-based TBS journalist who covered Minneapolis following Renee Good’s death. On a lighter note, we also talk about how Nicki Minaj, Bad Bunny, and other artists have been making their positions clear on whether they support or oppose the president’s policies.
I have no words for the tragedy that’s ongoing in Minneapolis, and hope that this situation is resolved as quickly as possible. My heart goes out to the residents who are continuing to protest and record the activities of the immigration authorities. I’m moved by their strength, courage, and resilience.
The episode (in Japanese) is available at the above Spotify link.
I really enjoyed this conversation with the wise Sam Ushio, Founder of Ikigai Lab. Sam leads the social enterprise’s commitment to human sustainability and societal impact, and designs purpose-driven ecosystems for individuals and organizations around the world. Prior to founding Ikigai Lab, Sam was Director, Practice Management at Russell Investments, where he led the team that coached approximately 1,000 financial advisors per year. He is a Council Leader at the U.S.-Japan Council (and we met through one of its programs, the Advanced Leaders Collective).
We discuss Sam’s upbringing in Nebraska, including the close-knit community he grew up in; his family history, including his dynamic great-grandparents who came from Japan, and a recent reunion where 36 (!) family members visited Fukuoka; his career in finance and how he decided to found his own business; the meaning of ikigai and qualities of a good leader; and the importance of leaving our comfort zone.
Many thanks to Sam for sharing his powerful story with me. His family history is fascinating, with themes that will resonate with many (including the Japanese American struggle during the war) and figures that are uniquely inspiring and unforgettable (especially the women!). Those who are wavering whether to continue in their current career or embark on a new path will likely find Sam’s 18-month journey of self-exploration prior to founding Ikigai Lab–including many lessons learned–particularly inspiring.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to appear on three episodes of a Japanese podcast about English language education for kids. I very much enjoyed talking about my experience growing up going back and forth between the U.S. and Japan, the struggles/fun in interpreting between a high-context language and a low-context language, my thoughts on the future of interpretation as AI continues to evolve, etc. The episodes are available at the links above
I was honored to welcome the multitalented Niharika Chibber Joe, a public diplomat with experience across government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. She currently serves as Deputy Agency Head of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance through educational and cultural exchange. Previously, she was General Manager at Tata Sons, where she managed corporate sustainability, monitored U.S.-India trade policy, oversaw partnerships, and coordinated public-private initiatives. Earlier, she held leadership roles at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. A published poet and writer, she communicates in seven languages and multiple dialects.
We discuss Niharika’s upbringing in India, including the prejudice she’s had to overcome and how she came to command so many languages; how her interest in the Japanese language developed, to the extent that she worked as an interpreter; her move to the United States; increasing diversity in the U.S.-Japan space; and the importance of connecting people. Many will likely find Niharika’s comprehensive view of identities–how we all have multiple identities that are continuously shifting–and kind words for anyone who’s struggling to fit in incredibly powerful.
Many thanks to Niharika for sharing her fascinating story with me. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation as a fellow language enthusiast–time just flew by, and I couldn’t believe at the end that we’d been talking for two hours! She has watched every episode of the podcast, and I really appreciate how she wove into our talk many of the themes other guests touched upon. She is a wonderful role model who’s passionate about helping the next generation, and I’m sure young audience members will find her advice particularly inspiring!
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#22): Looking Back on the Year”
Here’s the latest for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. This year has been a whirlwind for many of us who support U.S.-Japan relations. Stakeholders across all fields have been affected by countless issues, including tariffs, funding cuts, visas, the government shutdown, and a hardline stance toward foreigners. But even with challenges still ahead, it would be best to conclude the year with a positive outlook. In this issue, I explore ways to express gratitude to the people who supported us while reflecting on what we achieved in 2025.
普段から頻繁にやり取りしている相手には、ホリデーシーズンの休暇や事務所閉鎖について伝えたりするでしょう。その際、最後に As always, I really enjoyed working with you this year. Thank you for kindly answering my many questions about what you are doing to minimize the impact of funding cuts. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! などと書くことができます。It was a difficult year for all of us, but being able to quickly establish a working group with other universities like yours and sharing our experiences was incredibly helpful. Thank you for all your support! といった言い方もできるでしょう。
顧客に対する企業メッセージでは、もう少し堅苦しい形になりますが、You have been so patient with us as we navigated a lot of uncertainties this year. Raising our prices was a very difficult decision that came after months of deliberation. We are grateful for your continued loyalty despite those changes. といった言葉を盛り込むことができるでしょう。スポンサーには、You kindly supported us just as funding became increasingly difficult to obtain. We have never been more grateful for your generosity and partnership, and are touched that you continue to support us despite the challenges many industries faced this year. と謝意を述べることができます。
上司として部下を称えることも重要です。Our company is nothing without our wonderful employees. While everything else was uncertain, one thing I could count on was how passionate you are in supporting our customers, providing consistent service no matter what. といった言い方ができます。We survived this tough year because of all your hard work. So this holiday season, I am closing our shop between Christmas and New Year’s, so that we can all take time off and get some well-deserved rest. といった対応もできるかもしれません。
I appeared again as a guest on “Washington Weekly,” a podcast produced by the DC bureau of the Japanese broadcasting company TBS.
This week, we discussed the end of the government shutdown and the political ramifications on both Democrats and Republicans, as well as the Epstein files/emails that are gradually being released. We also talked about a fascinating poll by Gallup that says that 40% of younger women (aged 15 to 44) in the U.S. would like to move abroad permanently if they had the opportunity (I totally understand women wanting to leave–but 40% is indeed a high number!
The episode (in Japanese) is available at the above Spotify link.
I appeared again as a guest on “Washington Weekly,” a podcast produced by the DC bureau of the Japanese broadcasting company TBS.
This week, we discussed the various elections that took place on Nov. 4th (Mamdani and what his victory might mean for politics; the blue wave in Virginia, including the first woman governor-elect; redistricting in California; etc.). I talked about some common words that are used differently when it comes to elections, like “call [the race]” and “[at the] polls.” We also discussed the ongoing federal government shutdown that’s now the longest in history, as well as its impact (including reduced flights).
The episode (in Japanese) is available at the above link.
座右の銘ー言葉や文字が好きな私にはぴったりな気がして気に入っています！(My mantra: “Even if Plan A doesn’t work, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet.” As someone who loves words and language, I like this expression a lot!)
While I was in elementary school and middle school in Japan, I very much enjoyed studying with Kumon, an afterschool self-learning program. I was able to learn at my own pace, and particularly enjoyed the opportunity to explore Japanese literature, including classics from 1,000 years ago. For middle school, I chose to go to a private school that was established by Kumon called Kumon Kokusai Junior/Senior High School (it was really new back then, and I was part of the second cohort!).
Based on this connection, Kumon recently interviewed me, and I enjoyed talking about my life choices until now and what I hope to achieve in the future.
Separately, I also had the opportunity to give a lecture to the PTA of my middle school. I’m so grateful to my friend / former classmate / now principal (!) of the school, Akiko, who gave me these wonderful opportunities!
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#21): Laying the Groundwork”
Here’s the latest for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. The federal government shutdown continues, and there’s little sign of members of congress meeting across the aisle to engage in substantive discussions. Yet some remain optimistic, believing that lawmakers are discussing behind the scenes in an effort to reach an agreement. While “nemawashi” is a distinct feature of Japanese culture, the practice of quietly conversing or sharing information ahead of time–with the aim to make formal discussions more effective later on–also exists in the U.S. In this issue, I explore expressions we can use to lay the groundwork and prepare behind the scenes.
政府機関や大きな組織の場合、外部委託をする際、部内の承認に時間がかかるため、公式な依頼がすぐにできないことがあります。よく依頼をする業者には、前広にI wanted to give you a heads up that we have a new project coming down the pipeline. We cannot formally book you just yet, but would you be available during these dates? などと聞けます。また、締め切りが迫っている場合には、I’m afraid the deadline is the last day of the month, but it’s highly likely we would get approved to work with you within the next few days. Would you still be able to finish it, and what are your rush fees? と確認することができます。
会議においては、少しでも時間を有効に使えるように事前に議題を話し合い、特に言語の異なる出席者がいる場合には、しっかり読み込めるように資料を送付することがあります。If you have any questions you’d like us to address during the meeting, please let us know so that we can prepare a response or ask the person in charge to attend. といった言葉を添えれば、より丁寧でしょう。さらに、We have kept our presentation materials simple, with only photos, diagrams, and a few bullet points; we will explain the rest verbally. といった形に調整すれば、事前に確認してもらった資料と会議の内容の過度な重複を避けることができます。
仕事上の人脈に対しても、困った時だけ急に相談するのではなく、転職などの機会に連絡を取っておいた方が好印象でしょう。今やSNSで転職を宣言する方が多いですが、新しい連絡先はメールで伝えた方が適切です。My nonprofit strives to strengthen economic relations between the U.S. and Japan, and I’d love to continue working with you in this new capacity. Please allow me to contact you in the future for possible opportunities of collaboration. などと書けば、マスメールであっても、受け取った側としては、個人的に思い出してもらったことを嬉しく思うでしょう。
