エプスタイン問題の最新状況、投票に米国籍の証明を求めるSave America Act、テキサスからDCまで2千マイル以上を歩いた僧侶の皆さんによる「ピースウォーク」、バッドバニーによるスーパーボウルのハーフタイムショーなどについて話しています。また、涌井支局長、特派員の大橋記者、私がそれぞれお勧めする映画や本についても語っていますので、よろしければお聴きください！
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 latest in the Epstein files, the Save America Act, the “Walk for Peace” led by Buddhist monks who traversed from Texas to DC, Bad Bunny’s halftime show at the Super Bowl, and more. In response to a listener’s request, we also each discuss films and books we recommend!
The episode (in Japanese) is available at the above Spotify link.
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#23): How to Share Gifts”
Here’s the latest for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. The series of events triggered by the U.S. attack on Venezuela not only disrupted international order and harmed civilians, but led to another development that was shocking in its own way: Ms. Machado presenting President Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize medal. While publicly giving away a medal we’re awarded is rare, in everyday life, we sometimes share portions of gifts we’ve received. In this issue, I explore how we can share gifts with others who might appreciate them and, if needed, explain to the original gift-giver why you wanted to spread the joy.
日本語の「お裾分け」には、幸せも分けるような素敵なニュアンスがこめられていますが、英語ではぴったりの訳がないため、少し直接的な言い方になります。I know you enjoy drinking tea. We received a beautiful box of tea over the holidays, so I thought I might share some with you. などと言えます。お裾分けをする相手とはある程度親しい間柄でしょうけれど、I’m sorry it’s not properly wrapped, but I included each of the five flavors in the box! などと説明するとより丁寧でしょう。
ただ、元の贈り主とお裾分けをした相手が知り合いの場合は、それぞれに対し、誰から頂いたのか、誰に分けたのかを伝えた方がよいかもしれません。贈り主には、My mom is visiting me this week, and we both really enjoyed the chocolates you gave me. Thank you again! や、I happened to have lunch with our mutual friend Dan a day after you and I met. I remembered that he loved the brand of sweets you gave me, so I hope it was ok that I shared a few with him. などと言えます。
近年は「お裾分け」の言葉を頂き物以外に使う方も増えているそうです。実際、多めの料理や食べ物などを分けることもあるでしょう。I baked some cookies over the long weekend. Please help yourself! というメモとともにオフィスに持っていけば、気軽に食べてもらえるかもしれません。大学のキャンパスなどで会議やイベントを行った後は、We just had a faculty breakfast meeting in the English Department, and have a ton of bagels and muffins left over. If anyone’s hungry, please come get them in the next half hour! といったメッセージをゼミの学生に送ったりもできます。
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.
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
“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。
