Ahmed Bakir is a career iOS developer, entrepreneur, and educator. He is the author of three books on iOS development, including “Program the Internet of Things with Swift”, which ranked #3 on Amazon. In 2009, he started his consulting business, devAtelier, where he worked on mobile apps for a wide range of clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. He has been a senior or lead developer on over 20 apps, including ones for major brands like UNIQLO and KFC. In 2015, he developed and taught a mobile programming certificate program for the University of California San Diego’s extension program. Ahmed is currently living and working in Tokyo, where he is overseeing a major luxury brand's apps for the Japanese market.

Aki Matsukura graduated from the First Department of Literature at Waseda University. After working for a publishing company specializing in educational materials for 9 years, she started teaching Japanese in 2002. She is currently teaching classes at various Japanese language institutions and universities.

Arrow-Small Interview with Aki Matsukura

Alexandra Shaitan has a Master’s Degree with a focus on TESOL, from Temple University, Japan Campus, and a PhD (ABD) in Applied Linguistics and Communication from Birkbeck College, University of London. Alexandra has lived and worked in the UK and Japan for the past 20 years, teaching numerous academic courses to ESL learners at different educational institutions including pre-schools, high schools and universities. Her current research interests include bilingualism, language and identity, learner autonomy and task-based language teaching. She recently delivered a workshop on “Language and Identity” at the University of West London, the UK, as an invited speaker. Her calling and passion are sharing her teaching experiences with others.

Alexandre Okamoto, originally from Brazil, has over 20 years of experience in Japan managing large-scale, complex projects for global corporations. Known for delivering successful outcomes in high-stakes environments, he has led diverse teams across continents, overseeing projects from inception through completion while ensuring alignment with strategic business goals. Alexandre continues to enhance his expertise through studies at institutions like the University of Oxford and Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ). He holds certifications including Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Practitioner, PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP), and Scrum Master/Product Owner. Alexandre combines practical experience with theoretical knowledge, empowering students to excel in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management.

Alfonso Asensio is a Tokyo-based executive at a leading global digital technology company, specializing in data-driven marketing and digital advertising. A trilingual professional, Alfonso holds a digital marketing certification from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master’s degree from Nagoya University in Japan. His professional background includes pivotal business roles at major Japanese consumer corporations and Silicon Valley tech firms.
Alfonso has lectured at Rikkyo University and Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, and has been a guest speaker at the Madrid Chamber of Commerce in Spain and the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. He is the author of several books, including “World Wide Data” (2018) and “Chief Kickboxing Officer” (2019), both published in New York.

Mr. Larson was born in the United States and has lived and worked for over thirteen years in Japan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a Master of Arts degree from San Diego State University in California, as well as a certification in TESOL. He is presently pursuing a PhD in Language and Information Sciences from the University of Tokyo.
Currently he teaches English at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Tamagawa University. He is also an avid writer, having written plays for the stage and screen, and is now working on a media-based curriculum for English language learners.       

Annette Karseras is a coach and trainer who develops leaders and teams at all levels of the organization from aspiring new talent to regional leads. She has trained with the Coach Training Institute (CTI), the Intercultural Communication Institute (ICI), Systems Coaching group in the Society for Organisational Learning (SOL), and is currently a member of ICF Japan and the Society for Intercultural Education, Training & Research (SIETAR). Annette completed her Masters degree at the University of Leicester, UK. Annette's courses focus on personal, professional and organizational change. Participants takeaway practical skills they can use 'tomorrow' & insights for strategic win-wins long-term. Based between the UK & Japan, she has worked with professionals from 50+ countries, uses working Japanese and legacy French alongside her mother tongue English, with-a-Welsh-lilt whenever the topic of rugby arises.

Anthony Cloudy has worked on a wide variety of games, from indie development to AAA, along with shipping titles for mobile, PC, and consoles. After breaking into the industry with Fractal Fox and shipping Greebles for iOS, he attended SMU Guildhall to earn his Master's in Interactive Technology with a specialization in Game Programming. Cloudy has worked on multiple gameplay updates for Minecraft, including the Update Aquatic, Cats & Pandas, and the Village & Pillage releases. He also worked on Minecraft: Education Edition, developing custom gameplay features and crafting tools that empower content creators to teach hard-to-grasp subject matter in innovative ways. In 2021, Cloudy quit his job at Mojang in order to move to Tokyo, Japan and to fully devote himself to his indie game development and startup efforts. Cloudy Games LLC's Dragon Drop, a couch-multiplayer game currently in development for PC, Mobile, Switch and Xbox, is his first self-published title, and won the CoroCoro Comics award at BitSummit in 2022. He also helped found nextReality Games LLC, which creates games for Roblox. The team's games on the platform are Journey to the Sun, Whale Survival, and Toast your Friends, and have a combined 50,000 monthly active users. Cloudy also has formed a partnership between nextReality and GeekOut K.K. in order to help make the Roblox platform more successful in Japan. To manage the growing liaison work, in 2023 Cloudy established クラウディリアリティ合同会社 (Cloudy Reality G.K.) here in Japan to further facilitate entry into the Japanese market and other collaborations and partnerships in the country.

Anthony Del Vecchio, commonly known as Tony, is a long-term resident of Japan with over 30 years of experience living and working in Tokyo. He earned his B.A. in Journalism/Public Relations from the University of Southern California and an M.Ed. in CITE (Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology in Education) from Temple University Japan. Tony has taught at several universities in Japan, including Keio University, Temple University, Meiji Gakuin University, and Rikkyo University. He has a deep passion for teaching and a keen interest in American history, with a focus on the Civil War Era and the Civil Rights Era from the 1950s to the 1980s. In addition to his academic pursuits, Tony holds a Black Sash (Instructor Level 1) in Wing Chun Gung Fu. He is a direct descendant of the style's founder, Ip Man, through his student and Bruce Lee's classmate, Wong Long Ching. Tony studied under Sifu Embrey Ramon Williams in Tokyo. Outside of work and martial arts, Tony is an avid backpacker. He has explored various regions in the Northern and Southern Japanese Alps and has undertaken treks in the Himalayan region of Nepal, including the Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp.

Prior to financial futures trading, Antonella worked at various investment banks in their Global Markets divisions, originating, marketing, and structuring various derivatives transactions in multiple assets. She worked for Societe Generale, BNP Paribas, HSBC and Mizuho in New York, Paris and London and her expertise in risk management and derivatives led her to cover both corporate and institutional clients. She holds a BA from Fordham University in New York and a degree in Law from the College of Law and BPP Law in London. She has also attended various management courses at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. Her two decades of experience in the financial markets includes dealing with all asset classes (FX, Equity, Fixed ncome, Credit, Weather Derivatives, and Life Settlements). Antonella started her career at the brokerage division of the Man Group in New York where she was focusing on marketing Fixed Income products to French Institutional clients. At HSBC she ran the Multi-Asset derivatives desk and focused on the European Institutional clientele.

Antonella is now focusing her efforts on establishing herself in Asia and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

April Perkinson has been involved in the music world all her life. She is currently a vocal coach, teaching her original class, Vocal Rejuvenation Techniques. She teaches Japanese and international singers performing in well-known musical companies and smaller community theaters. As a two-time Berklee College of Music graduate, she realized that guiding others on how to explore and perform was her passion. April was an adjunct professor until recently at Temple University, Japan, where she taught composing and sound engineering. She is now excited to be coaching and producing professional singers full-time and teaching in the Continued Ed program guiding students to dive into the joy of musicals.

Bavo Willems works internationally on architectural, art, interior and renovation projects and runs a creative studio in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. Recently, he has been working on several renovation projects and participated in expositions showing furniture design and installation art. In collaboration with 'Art Basics for Children', he designed various educational studios for, among others, the Margritte Museum in Brussels and the Chinese Pavilion in Brussels, a work by French 'Belle-Époque' architect Alexandre Marcel. Until 2008 he studied Architecture at the Saint-Lucas School of Architecture, Belgium, after obtaining his degree in Interior Design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Belgium.

Betty is an experienced and passionate English language educator originally from Brisbane, Australia. After completing her Master's Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, she moved to Tokyo, where she has since spent several years teaching English across various international settings. With over 25 years of experience, Betty has taught in Brisbane, Taipei, London, and Tokyo, specializing in classes related to travel, hospitality, and cross-cultural communication.

As a supportive and dedicated teacher, Betty creates a comfortable and engaging learning environment where students are encouraged to develop their skills and expand their knowledge. Her wealth of experience, combined with her enthusiasm, makes her classroom an ideal place for students to thrive.

In addition to her teaching expertise, Betty brings practical knowledge from her extensive background in the hospitality industry. She has hands-on experience in managing day-to-day operations, promotions, and customer service at a café, fine dining restaurant, and the banquet department of a five-star hotel in Brisbane. While working as a Front of House Supervisor at a catering service in London, she was also a key member of the management team.

Betty’s diverse professional experience enriches her teaching, allowing her to offer students valuable insights into the practical aspects of customer service, communication, and business within the hospitality industry.

Chiyo Watabe holds a bachelor's degree in International and Cultural Studies from Tsuda College and a librarian certificate from Taisho University. She worked for Tsuda College library and Temple University Japan Campus library for thirty years. In addition to her career, she acquired a teacher's certificate of Taikanryu, modern style flower arrangement in 1978 and of Koryu, classic style flower arrangement in 1984. She has been (and still is) an adviser to the head of the school since 2005 and a member of Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Japan Ikebana Art Association since 2019. She has participated in various activities, especially Koryu Association Ikebana exhibitions for many years.

Christopher Rathbone currently works on international transactions with a large Japanese law firm in Tokyo, in addition to being an adjunct professor of Temple University of Japan Law School. He has worked as a legal translator since 2000 and taught classes and provided seminars on legal translation and legal writing for Japanese, Korean, Cambodian and US universities, as well as the Tokyo offices of many top US law firms. Mr. Rathbone graduated with honors from the University of Saskatchewan, earned a JD from the College of Law of the University of Saskatchewan and an LL.M. from Hokkaido University as a Monbusho Scholar. He is admitted as an attorney in Massachusetts.

Dan Sloan is a veteran multimedia journalist, who writes for Eurobiz Japan and other media after working at Reuters for 17 years. He is a frequent public speaker and commentator on current events, corporate communications and Japan for professional organizations and academic groups, a university instructor, and author of "Playing to Wiin: Nintendo and the Video Game Industry's Greatest Comeback." He is a former president of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan and a current Board Member.

Dan Clapper is an applied linguist, learning architect and entrepreneur with 30 years of international experience. He graduated from Stanford University with a A.B. in English (Phi Beta Kappa), he earned an M.S. in Cybernetic Systems from San Jose State University and an M.S.Ed. in TESOL from Temple University Japan Campus. He now holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. He has two decades of success as a manager of innovative educational projects at enterprise scale, including work with government, schools, universities and businesses in 16 countries. In 2004 he was invited by the US Department of Defense to speak on US foreign language education for the post 9/11 era. His company provides consulting on project management.

David Phillips earned his MAT in Applied Linguistics from the University of Southern California and has been working as an Academic English Instructor at Temple University Japan since 2016 and started working at Seikei University from April 2023. In addition to his university work, he also serves as an examiner for the Eiken Foundation of Japan throughout the year. Prior to living and teaching in Japan, he taught sociocultural anthropology to first-year undergraduates at the University of Washington and Intensive English courses at Seattle Pacific University for 5 years. David is focused on continuing to apply a sociocultural approach to every class lesson as a way to utilize student background knowledge and build co-created classrooms in which every student has opportunities to contribute and actively participate. When he is not teaching or publishing works on adapting materials for cultural responsiveness and autonomous learner development, David is working toward completing a doctorate degree in English Pedagogy at Murray State University and producing episodes for his YouTube channel called, "The Rhythm Circuit," which features a global listening base.

David Price has been a resident of Tokyo for over 30 years. Throughout his career, he has held various roles, from managing sales teams to leading entire divisions and companies. He holds a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is a licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate. David is also certified in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). He provides coaching, counseling, and mental wellness training for organizations and individuals.

David W. Fingerote’s nearly two decades of experience teaching has allowed him to learn from and provide support to learners of all ages and various levels/backgrounds from many parts of the world. David trains, teaches, mentors, and consults, focusing on various topics related to learning. David aims to meet students where they are in their respective learning journeys. An M.Ed in TESOL coupled with a passion for testing and applying edtech innovations leads to sustainable learning opportunities for all course participants.

Drew Holmes is a translation specialist working primarily in the fields of government, finance, business, information technology, and tourism. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Translation Studies from the University of Portsmouth, U.K., and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Japanese Language and Culture from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, U.S. He has extensive experience working as a project manager, translator, and reviewer in the human translation division of a language services provider and machine translation development company in Tokyo, where he led large-scale human-centered translation projects for high-profile clients comprising a range of global and domestic corporations as well as national- and local-level Japanese government organizations. He currently works as an in-house linguist and consultant at the Tokyo headquarters of a Fortune 100 financial firm.

Drew has a passion for translation processes, particularly the technical aspects involved in enhancing efficiency and linguistic quality. His goal is to help students strengthen their practical knowledge of the essential technical elements of the translation process to acquire a professional-level competency in translation technologies.

As founder and director of Concept Design, Ed Thompson works with multinational clients in Asia-Pacific providing strategic services covering marketing, business and partnership development with a focus on emerging digital technology.

With more than 20 years in Japan, he has built solid experience handling the varied challenges leading multicultural, cross-functional teams at all levels of global organizations, to consistently deliver positive outcomes for corporate initiatives.

He continues to assist both domestic and multi-national corporations in increasing brand awareness through the planning of effective digital and marketing strategies, customer loyalty programs, lead generation campaigns and advertising promotions.

Eric Ritter has a Master's degree from Columbia University in New York in International Affairs and a Bachelors degree in Economics from SUNY-Oswego. He spent over 20 years in business as a financial analyst and lived in Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong before moving to Tokyo in 2013. He specializes in teaching business English in particular effective speaking and writing skills. He has written articles on business for various publications including the Nikkei Asian Review and the Japan Times. In his spare time, he likes to play tennis and listen to jazz.

Flavio has over 25 years of experience working in marketing and hi-tech business areas at global corporations in his native Brazil, Europe and Japan. Working directly and indirectly with brands such as Ambev, Adidas, Panasonic, Warner Music among others during his professional career, he is now an entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Fullcircle Innovation - A digital marketing startup agency based in Tokyo. Fullcircle has a strong presence on the social media space, working with influencers, developing apps as well as state of the art websites communities focused on green-eco-technology-science related issues. Fullcircle has won the Innovation Award in Asia from Red Herring on the year in 2010. Flavio holds a double master degree (e-business and MBA) from the International University of Japan (IUJ), Niigata, Japan.

Gil is an experienced Tokyo-based marketing consultant, professor, and managing director of his own company. He has taught at universities since 1998, when he was a professor at California Polytechnic State University. Since then, he has taught numerous courses at several universities and MBA programs in Japan. He has delivered a variety of interactive, case-based business courses online and has facilitated numerous corporate training sessions for mid- to upper-level managers. Throughout his time as a professor and trainer Gil has gained recognition for his engaging and sincere approach to education and professional development.

Gil’s work experience includes positions at IBM Asia Pacific, Nortel Networks, Hill & Knowlton, and Kyodo PR. In addition, he has advised many global and regional companies as well as ambassadors and embassies. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Kansas, a bachelor’s degree from Colorado College, and has attended executive education programs at Harvard Business School. He is from the United States and speaks Japanese.

Glen Kovar was born in Canada, but spent his formative years in Austria and Czechoslovakia (now Czechia). This exposure to language and culture influenced him to get involved in language education. He has over twenty-five years of experience in this field, and has had the opportunity to work around the world. This includes developing curriculum, instructing, and conducting teaching training in an academic high school in Europe, and working in a technical college in Kazakhstan. His first exposure to Japan was in 1996 where he primarily taught business English and TOEIC in a variety of companies throughout the region. For twelve years he taught current events, TOEIC, TOEFL, academic writing and business at a private language school and at an ELC in Victoria, Canada. He returned to Japan in 2018 where he was an assessment specialist for corporate clients, and then returned to the classroom in 2022 to conduct business English classes and help clients develop communication skills.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Germanic Studies from the University of Victoria (Canada), has certification in TESOL, and has his Masters in TESOL from the University of San Francisco (California). He also has a Photojournalism Diploma from the Western Academy of Photography (Canada).

Helping students acquire language skills and motivating them to reach their goals is something that he is passionate about.

Glenn Davies, originally from New Zealand, has been working in education in Japan since 1997. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of Canterbury and an M.S.Ed. from Temple University Japan Campus. Glenn has extensive experience teaching at private language schools, elementary schools, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), where he taught TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, Eiken, and business English. His academic interests focus on collaborative learning and test preparation strategies, as reflected in his 2015 publication in The Language Teacher on “Developing Collaborative Learning in the Classroom” and his 2023 article on “Utilizing Collaborative Testing to Better Evaluate Classroom Learning.” Outside of teaching, Glenn enjoys history, Japanese baseball, and travel.

Hideaki Saito has earned an AA from Peninsula College, a B.A. in anthropology from Moorhead State University, and M.A. in cultural anthropology from University of Oregon. After having taught English in language schools, he has been a part time English instructor at a Japanese University since 2003. In his free time, he enjoys working-out, riding a motorcycle, dancing Salsa and doing magic.

Janet Johnson has lived in Japan for several decades, teaching English conversation at various universities, including Kawamura Women’s University, Toho Music University, Toho Medical University/School of Nursing, and Tokyo Fuji University. Janet was immersed in Gospel music from a young age, singing in church as part of her daily life. While she developed other musical interests over time, her passion for Gospel music has always remained strong. She also developed a keen interest in Country Music, particularly Classic Country and modern Country Rock, after moving to Japan. She spent 20 years as a member of the semi-professional band, Country Stars, which included former professional musicians from Seijo University. During this time, she performed regularly at “Country Night” events at a small club in Ginza. In addition, Janet explored Bluegrass music, closely tied to both Gospel and Country, and often joined open mic sessions and performances with Bluegrass bands.

Joe Swift has been immersed in traditional Okinawan/Japanese martial arts since 1985 and has resided in Japan since 1994. He founded his own martial arts school in Tokyo in 2000, specializing in Okinawan Karate and Ryukyu Kobudo (traditional Okinawan weapons). Swift holds a Nanadan (7th-degree black belt) under the mentorship of Grandmaster Uematsu Yoshiyuki from Mushinkan Dojo. Additionally, he serves as a standing director of the All Japan Ryukyu Kobudo Federation and is a senior advisor to the International Ryukyu Karate Research Society.

John has been instructing an array of business management courses in Continuing Education at Temple University Japan since 2007. He is also an adjunct professor of business management at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). John has had a varied career working as a stockbroker and investment advisor, in information systems and e-commerce management, launching and managing a business with employees, as a project manager with Microsoft and in public relations with Toys 'R' Us Japan. He has written business plans and consulted on business start-ups, and written for several publications and published two books: "Making Conversation" and "Milo, the Closet Monster and the Anti-Monster Society" in support of his Anti-Monster Society. John has a BA in Economics from the University of British Columbia, an MBA from Deakin University, a Certificate (with honors) in Electronic Commerce Management from BCIT and is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

John is a passionate communication trainer dedicated to empowering individuals to excel in their interactions. With a focus on crafting compelling messages that resonate with global audiences, John leverages his expertise to develop and deliver impactful coaching programs that enhance communicative impact and professional delivery. John is the founder of JPK, a boutique communication training firm serving executives and management across a diverse range of markets, including Japan, Korea, China, and Hong Kong. His extensive experience collaborating with a wide range of professionals, including executives, management teams, investor relations personnel, and team members, allows him to tailor his training programs to meet the specific needs and goals of each client. John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (BSE) and a Master of Arts degree in Applied Linguistics specializing in global business communication (MA). This unique combination of technical and linguistic expertise enables John to bridge the gap between business objectives and the development of effective communication strategies. Through his training programs, John equips participants with practical tools and techniques they can implement immediately to elevate their communication skills and achieve success in the dynamic world of global business.

Johnathan McCaskill is a US-qualified lawyer with nearly 20 years of experience, including over 15 years of international law practice. He has worked as a lawyer for several international organizations including the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), where he has advised on human rights laws, criminal investigations and prosecution tactics.

Dr. Karan Sahar is a UK-licensed Clinical Psychologist with a passion for working with adults and children who have neurological and neurodevelopmental needs. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his work with over 15 years of clinical and research experience in international settings. Dr. Sahar received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of London (UK), his BSc in Psychology from Royal Holloway, University of London, and her MSc in Rehabilitation Psychology from Nottingham University (UK). Throughout his career, he has worked with people of all ages, addressing a variety of mental and physical health issues in the public and charitable sectors.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Sahar has several years of experience teaching and consulting psychology students and health professionals. He takes an active interest in applied research in clinical psychology, particularly in the positive psychological adjustment to chronic health conditions. Dr. Sahar relocated to Japan in December 2020 and has since established his own practice, LivFull Psychology. He offers person-centered online psychotherapy, counseling, and parent training. He uses an integrative approach to therapy in his clinical practice, but he frequently utilizes Cognitive-Behavioral, Acceptance-Commitment, and Solution-Focused Brief therapies.

Coming from an international photographic background, Karl has lived and worked in London, Paris, Miami and NY. He has worked alongside some of the most creative professionals in the fields of fashion, advertising and branding, including fashion visionary Thierry Mugler on many perfume campaigns for Clairns of Paris. Together with top fashion models, stylists and art directors Karl has traveled the globe and gone on to enjoy creating fine art photography, shooting in remote locations such as northern Mongolia and Iceland. Irish born and with a diploma in photography his camera has never stopped clicking. Now a four year resident of Japan, he documents the culture here in all it's facets.
 

Kathleen Schmitz taught English at universities in Mexico, Malaysia, and the United States before coming to Japan.  At TUJ she worked in many areas of the university English language instruction programs, including course development and administrative work.  She is especially interested in intercultural topics and teaching English through content related courses. Currently she has ended full time work at TUJ but has continued with part-time teaching, primarily in the Continuing Education Program where she has taught courses related to global issues since the earlier days of the program. Her MA is in Intercultural Education/TESOL.

Kazuyoshi Hisano is the President of both Conoway, Inc. and the Feed Forward Association, and the Vice President of Cognitive Coaching Association. He is an entrepreneur and has vast experience in domestic and multinational companies (i.e. Tyco Electronics, Philips, and Bureau Veritas), where he played various management roles. Before starting Conoway, Inc. he served as COO and Executive Managing Director at ProFuture, Inc. He has coached thousands of people in the past 30 years, and has launched "CEO Coaching", his only one on one CEO and equivalent coaching service. His work is backed by cognitive science, the study of "how the human brain works". He is author of several business-related books, including CEO Coaching, Gold Vision, and Feed Forward. His goal is to provide pro-bono coaching services for people in underdeveloped countries. Kazuyoshi has acquired Bachelor's in Economics from Tokyo University and an MBA from Tsukuba University (top of the class).

Dr. Hakoda is currently an instructor at Aoba Japan international school. Prior to Aoba, he was a professional conductor of symphony orchestras and musicals, and Professor/teacher for over 20 years in the United States. Dr. Hakoda has directed Musical Theatres and Operas for professional companies as well as community based theater / schools throughout his career. He has over 40 shows in his credits. In addition, Dr.Hakoda is also known for his talent as a composer, with over 20 works to his credit. He has won a number of awards and honors as a composer, including the 1998 Claude T. Smith Phi Beta Mu Composition Contest, the 1996 MMEA Collegiate Composition Contest and a Departmental Distinction at St. Olaf College. Hakoda also received the 2003 Outstanding Young Band Director Award from Kansas Bandmasters Association and was named as the 2014 Kansas Federated Music Club “Composer/ Conductor of the Year.” Recently he produced a CD “This is me!”, for a professional singer, Deris Takagi. The CD includes musical covers and his original songs. Dr. Hakoda holds a Doctor of Education degree from Columbia University, a Master of Music Degree from Wichita State university, and a Bachelor of Music degree from St. Olaf College.

Luiz Olimpio has been practicing yoga since 1999. He has trained in India with the nonprofit Yoga Alliance and holds regular meditation retreats in the Tokyo area and across Japan. He is a mindfulness facilitator for corporate clients to support organizational behavior. He is the founder of Olimpyoga, an executive mindfulness and wellbeing consultancy where motion and meditation are intertwined to promote physical health and enlightenment. Trainings include diversity and cross-culture communication workshops, senior management mindfulness facilitation, and teambuilding facilitation for cross-department synergy.

Lydia Kiyota is a Paris native, who has lived and worked in Tokyo, Japan for many years. She is passionate about teaching French to Japanese university students and other educational institutions in Japan. She published numerous books and tutorials on how to master French in an engaging way. She currently teaches French to undergraduate students at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

Maki is an experienced university administrator with 15 years’ experience of academic student services in the bilingual working environment. She currently manages the undergraduate admissions at Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ), and enjoyed teaching of interpreting to non-Japanese undergraduate students at TUJ and teaching business letter writing to adult learners at a Japanese technical college before. She earned a Master of Translation and Interpreting from Macquarie University, Australia, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature from Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, Japan. Her work philosophy is to face challenges and continue to learn for self-development. Through teaching translation courses, she would like participants to feel how enjoyable translation processes are.

Besides delving in government think tank and management consulting, Dr. Sharma has spent more than 10 years doing macro-economic research and teaching, at premier institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Tokyo and London School of Economics. Till April 2012, he worked at the Tokyo headquarter of Daiwa Capital Markets, as Director in the Corporate Finance Department. Thereafter he has delved in full time academics teaching Finance and Economics at some of the renowned business schools in Asia, including Doshisha Business School.

Dr. Sharma runs an investment Advisory. He had worked as a newscaster with NHK World Radio Japan for 13 years and advises a number of alternative investment ventures. In 2006 he co-founded a rural primary education initiative in India. He has published in top-notch academic journals, edited books and newspapers.
He holds a Ph.D. in financial economics.

Masashi Kato, an alumnus of Aoyama Gakuin University, furthered his education with a diploma in International TESOL from Vancouver Community College. He boasts an exceptional command of the English language, evidenced by a top score of 990 on the TOEIC L&R Test, perfect scores of 200 on each TOEIC SW Test, and achieving Level 1 in English proficiency. With a rich teaching tenure exceeding 15 years at Essence English School, Masashi specializes in TOEIC preparation, earning acclaim for his innovative teaching strategies. His expertise shines in English listening training, where his lectures are celebrated for their native-like pronunciation accuracy. Masashi is also a distinguished author, contributing significantly to TOEIC learning materials with titles like "TOEIC L&R Test Selection Mock Test [Comprehensive]" and "TOEIC L&R TEST 900 Points Express Part 5 & 6". Beyond academia, he is a talented guitarist, known for his original song "Should You Have Any Questions". This song has not only captivated TOEIC learners but has also been incorporated into university syllabi, marking a unique blend of music and education.

Masatoshi Hirakata has more than 20 years of leadership experience in various business units' functions and management positions in Asia Pacific and international IT business area. He earned a BA in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Sophia University and an MA in Economics from Temple University Japan. He has been teaching in the Continuation Education program at Temple University for more than 10 years. Recently he started a series of AI and statistics courses using Python and R. He also enjoys Skiing for many years and has recently become interested in Skiing as a lifetime sport and its relationship with preventive medicine. He studied physical conditioning, fitness methodology, and skiing technical reference at Canadian Sport Business Academy. He holds SAJ Skiing class 1 certificate, Canadian Skiing Instructor Association Level 2 certificate, and Avalanche Skill Training 1 certificate from Avalanche Canada.

Maurizio is the Chief Financial Officer for Credify Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based Fintech company developing enterprise solutions focused on embedded finance and digital identity. Maurizio has over 20 years of international finance experience, with expertise in credit derivatives, structured finance and fund management. Maurizio's recent roles were as Managing Director at UniCredit, Italy's largest bank, and as Partner at TriSpan LLP, an asset management firm based in London, where he was deputy Chief Investment Officer of TriSpan's global macro fund. Maurizio holds an Mphil in Financial Economics from the University of Cambridge and a first-class honors degree in Economics and Management from Royal Holloway College of the University of London.

May May Ho qualified as a Fellow Chartered Accountant ("FCA") under the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) in 2007 after training with Ernst and Young in London. She is a UK and Singapore Chartered Accountant and holds an MSc in International Business from the University of Lancaster, UK. She has experience in financial auditing at Ernst and Young before moving on to regulatory reporting at Merrill Lynch and later the Royal Bank of Scotland. Since 2011 she has embarked on an academic and writing career drawing on her experiences and expertise. Away from work May May enjoys fashion and travelling.

Mete Yasuji is a naturalized Japanese citizen, a trilingual executive coach, and a seasoned business professional with expertise in coaching, teaching, psychology, and techno-futurism. Over his 22-year career as a senior leader in financial services, insurance, IT/software, and legal services, Mete developed a deep understanding of organizational dynamics before transitioning to leadership coaching and training. His current mission is to help companies and leaders achieve sustainable growth.

Mete holds a Doctor of Psychology from California Southern University, an MBA from the International University of Japan, and a Certificate in NGO Management from Temple University. His diverse interests include positive psychology, leadership development, digital well-being, self-leadership, and coaching.

Miho is an England-based opera journalist who has been a member of the Foreign Press Association in London since 2015. She graduated with a BA Hon.in Opera Studies from Manchester University and received her MA from University College of London (UCL) by researching gender issues and Orientalism in Opera. She has contributed articles to and produced feature spreads in both Japanese and English magazines since 2014. For all articles, she makes sure to interview opera singers, directors and instrumentalists for first hand reference. Supporting the development of opera and widening its audience by conveying her joy and knowledge is her passion. She also thoroughly enjoys traveling across the globe to visit different opera houses.

Ming Tam is a translator and editor from Canada who works mainly in technical, medical, scientific, and academic fields. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Translation Studies from Portsmouth University, U.K., and a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Immunology from McGill University, Canada. She has work experience in biotech and pharma research as well as teaching. She has a passion for figuring out creative strategies to deal with hard-to-translate terms and culture-specific items, especially food terms, to bridge the gap between languages and cultures and facilitate communication.
Her goal is to help students learn not only practical translation skills, but also to translate with awareness of the purpose of translations and the role translators play in an increasingly globalized world.

Dr. Nagisa Todoroki obtained her BA from Sophia University, Tokyo and Master and Doctor of Education (M.Ed., Ed.D) degrees in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)/Applied Linguistics from Temple University. She has been working as a professional simultaneous interpreter (SI) and technical translator for over 20 years, and she is also the President of En Clair Inc., a professional conference interpreting and translation agency. She initially started working as an NHK interpreter, NTV satellite simultaneous interpreter, TBS translator, etc. She has also worked for over 300 major private corporations, major international conferences, and various governments. She has also involved in marketing and PR agency assignments for over 20 years and has been taking over 1,000 simultaneous interpreting assignments for media presentations and press conferences to date.

Nami began classical ballet training at the age of 5 with Matsuyama Ballet Company and continued her training with numerous teachers and studios throughout her life. In 1994, she moved to the USA to study dance and academics, receiving a B.A. in International Business and Psychology and later received MEd in the Globalization of Education. During her years in the US, she studied ballet and modern dance under the tutelage of major dance mentors including Katherine Horn, Mary Anne Mee, Patricia Mc Bride, and Jean-Pierre Bounnefoux. In 1997, she received a scholarship from the Joffery Ballet School in NYC. From 1998-2000 she danced professionally with the North Carolina Dance Theatre, and from 1999-2000 with The Moving Poets. She has taught ballet and creative movement as well as choreographed for numerous ballet schools in the US, including as an adjunct professor at Point Park University of the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 2004 - 2013. Returning to Tokyo in 2013 she has been a Performing Arts teacher at Aoba-Japan International School. Nami is currently researching in the link between EQ (Emotional Intelligence) and Dance through kinesthetic empathy.

Norman is a corporate executive coach, facilitator and HR consultant with a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Manitoba. He has around 30 years of working experience in the Asia Pacific Region namely in China, Korea and Japan. Motivated by his great interest in Asian history and cultures, he has accumulated a vast and diversified first-hand experience. Having lived and worked in Asia for such a long time, he has provided a variety of customized experiential workshops to a wide number of multinationals in various sectors. In addition, he conducts an annual seminar on Diversity and Inclusion at the ICS center in Hitotsubashi University which is attended by students taking the MBA Program.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, USA, Otis Richardson has lived in Japan for 23 years, working in tourism, education, marketing, and finance. Following his passion, Otis started as a SCUBA instructor, teaching and island hopping around the pacific islands. Settling in Japan, he has continued to teach diving, while pursuing a career in higher education.

Originally from Toronto (Canada), Paul Kates has over 20 years of diverse professional experience. After the completion of his MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University, he began his career in the Entrepreneurial Services Practice of Ernst & Young, providing accounting, auditing, and consulting services to a wide variety of businesses. He then moved on to management positions for companies operating in both the consumer goods and hospitality sectors, including a Fortune 500 company, where he was engaged primarily in marketing, sales, customer service, and merchandising activities. Paul arrived in Tokyo in 2006 and has spent the majority of his time here as a University Instructor and Corporate Trainer. Among other things, he teaches an assortment of business courses and workshops at TUJ.

Peter Morris is a lawyer, journalist, and educator who has been working professionally as a writer/editor for 20 years. As a journalist, Peter has written about China, Japan, and Myanmar. Peter started getting involved in Myanmar during law school because he is interested in refugee issues, and he has been teaching English, law, and other subjects to Myanmar people for 10 years. In 2019, Peter opened his own law firm and his clients are mostly tech start-ups, non-profits, and media creators. Peter is passionate about education and has been teaching students of all ages and proficiency levels since high school. Peter's first students included some Japanese classmates from his high school marching band in Irvine, California. Peter enjoys teaching because he is passionate about helping people reach their true potential and accomplish their life goals. In Japan, this involves teaching people English and other communication skills so they can develop the confidence necessary to engage with global society.

Ron Scott has been teaching English in and around Tokyo since arriving in Japan in July 2005. From Canada, Ron obtained both an honours Bachelor's degree in Drama and Psychology from McMaster University and a Master's in Drama Therapy from Concordia University.
An avid traveler, Ron travelled around the world on a cruise ship, running a recreational facility for children. Ron has also been acting and making people laugh since an early age, and is very active in the Tokyo English theatre community.
Due to his interest in acting, and particularly in comedy, Ron is very interested in and specializes in teaching both natural English and how we can use comedy and humor to communicate, connect, and create deeper relationships with others.

Santosh L. Gawande holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree from Mumbai (Bombay) University, India, and is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and AWS Certified Solution Architect Associate. He is also Sun certified Java Programmer and Architect -1.

Currently he works in the financial sector as an Information Technology professional. During his entire professional career he primarily worked for Engineering, Insurance, E-Commerce and in financial domains developing various products using primarily Java, J2EE, C, C++, VB, Spring, UML, Oracle and other RDBMS along with Open-Source tools on Cloud, Unix, Linux and Windows platforms. His hobbies are researching, playing Chess, listening to music, hiking, sketching and animation.

Sarah Furuya is trained Relationship Systems Coach ORSC™, certified practitioner in Lumina Spark® and Saville Wave® Psychometrics and holds BSc Hons in Human Psychology and Biology. She has spoken at the HR conferences in Tokyo and Osaka on Leadership and protecting the female HR pipeline, delivered leadership programs in SE Asia and UK, has spoken at the Women's International Networking Conference and was President of FEW Japan 2011-13. She is founder and coach at Sarah Furuya Coaching delivering private and executive coaching and workshops. She is on the Board of Directors of Refugee Empowerment International (REI).

Sarajean is a Tokyo-based consultant providing program coordination, training program facilitation, and capacity development advisory services for institutions such as JICA, Japan PlatForm, the Give2Asia Foundation, the Center for Global Partnership, Morgan Stanley, Sophia University and others seeking to gain strategic advantage while better meeting community needs and promoting more effective civic engagement. Sarajean's most recent training programs focus on CSR and SDGs, Unconscious Bias and Every day Sexism, Cross Cultural Communications and Basic Conflict Mediation skills development for international organizations and 2020 volunteers. She holds an undergraduate degree in sociology and a Master's in International Affairs with a focus on human rights in East Asia from Colombia University. She has also earned professional certificates in Disaster Management, Humanitarian Response Management and Conflict Mediation.

Born in Normandy, France, Sebastien Lemoine visited Japan in 1987 for the first time, as a business student. He fell in love with the surprising moments that never fail to come, when confronting Japanese people and their culture. For family or work purposes, he has travelled back and forth since, made Tokyo his home again in 2008.
In 2013, he put an end to his career as financial markets specialist. He invested time in proper training and research about one of his hobbies, nihonshu. Advanced Sake Professional (certification by the Sake Education Council), he embarked on sharing what he loves about Japanese sake and its culture with visitors and foreign residents. He produces workshops, events and tours, working with high end travel agents and international corporations. Sake consultant, sake teacher at French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu, Sebastien is hosting the Sake On Air first English language podcast about sake and shochu.

www.passerelle-s.com New Tab

http://sakeonair.com New Tab

Seungkeun spent several years as a language instructor in public schools in Korea, and served as an English-Korean interpreter during his military service. Living, working and traveling in a variety of international contexts has also helped him to better understand the needs of language learners. He received a Bachelor's of Education from Seoul National University of Education, and completed the M.S.Ed. in TESOL program at TUJ. He works as an English/Korean language facilitator at TeLaCo (Teikyo Language Commons) of Teikyo University now.

Sheila Cliffe moved from the UK to Japan in 1985 and is now Professor Emerita at Jumonji Gakuen Women’s University. She earned an M.Ed from Temple University in 1989 and completed her Ph.D. at the University of Leeds in 2013 with a focus on “Revisiting Fashion and Tradition through the Kimono.” Sheila obtained a Grade 3 Kimono Teaching and Dressing License from Suzunoya Kimono Gakuin in 1992 and has since authored four books on kimono, including The Social Life of Kimono (Bloomsbury, 2017) and three style books published in Japan in 2018, 2021, and 2024.

She has presented on kimono culture in the UK, US, Australia, Korea, and Japan. In 2002, the Society for the Preservation of Japan’s National Dress honored her for promoting kimono culture. She served as an ambassador for Tango Textiles from 2019 to 2020. Sheila continues to teach kimono dressing and culture at various universities and has appeared on Japanese television programs like Tetsuko’s Room and NHK Asa no Ichi, along with various NHK World segments. She also regularly writes about kimono for Japan Forward.

Thomas Meyer is both an educationalist and researcher, having obtained a master’s degree in education research methodology from the University of Cambridge and a doctorate from the University of Oxford in the sociology of education. Thomas currently teaches courses on academic English, test preparation, including IELTS and TOEFL, as well as research methodology at several Tokyo-area universities including Temple University Japan Campus. A longtime resident of Japan, Thomas is an avid cyclist.

Todd Birzer has more than 25 years of experience as a product manager and product management leader at Silicon Valley and West Coast US companies. Todd is the author of Becoming a More Strategic Product Manager, and has an MBA from Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania.

Tom Cude, a professional photographer and continuing education instructor based in Tokyo, Japan, brings a decade of experience and a wealth of creative expertise to his students. His photography career began within the architecture division of a prominent real estate company, where he developed his talent for capturing the essence of design and structure. Subsequently, Tom served as an exclusive photographer for Shiseido, one of the world's leading cosmetic brands, where he specialized in beauty and fashion photography.

Currently, Tom works as a freelance photographer with a focus on beauty, fashion, and product photography. His work is noted for its meticulous attention to detail, creative direction, and integration of Japanese aesthetics into his commercial projects. Alongside his professional work, Tom is a graduate student at Kyoto University of Arts, deepening his artistic vision and researching Wabi-Sabi through art photography.

Tom is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and passion with his students, helping them to enhance their skills and pursue their own passions in photography.

Toshiki Onozuka's work experience ranges from a 27 year career in diverse accounting and finance roles in ExxonMobil (1977 to 2004) to working as a controller for Walt Disney Japan (2005 to 2012), including a three year supervisory responsibility for the accounting function in Walt Disney Korea. In addition to management-related tasks, he has accumulated a wealth of experience in a diversity of accounting and finance-related jobs while working for Controller's, Treasurer's, Strategic Planning and the SAP Project team. Toshiki has been teaching accounting courses at Temple University Japan Campus since the year 2000. Between 2013 and 2014, he was invited as visiting professor to give lectures on International Financial Reporting Standards and other accounting courses at Tashkent Financial Institute in Uzbekistan, where he is also currently honorary professor. He holds a MBA from Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, and a CPA from the Washington State Board of Accountancy.

Dr. Travis Christensen is a licensed US CPA with a Ph.D. in accounting from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. His research specializes in behavioral auditing and taxation with publications in top 10 accounting journals including BREA (Behavioral Research in Accounting). In his free time, he enjoys hiking and cardio kick boxing at the gym.

Virginia Annette Jenkins earned a Master of Arts in English in the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University in 1991, and shortly after a teacher’s license in secondary education. Ms. Jenkins first came to Japan in 1992 to teach English and experience Japanese culture in the public schools as part of the Ohio Saitama Teaching Program (OSET). Since then she has taught English at several universities in Japan for thirty years. Her goal is to create English-friendly classes in which students are encouraged to share the wealth of their ideas and experiences, thus creating an enriching learning environment for all. Ms. Jenkins, who goes by Ginny, is a lover of the arts, especially nature and abstract photography. She also did a short stint in music school studying voice but soon realized her voice was meant for the classroom and not the opera house.

Yishui Fang holds a Master's degree from the Royal College of Art and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Architecture at Waseda University. An accomplished interior designer and architect, Yishui has a rich background in both professional practice and academic research across Japan, the United Kingdom, and China. Her design philosophy champions multidisciplinary collaboration, seamlessly integrating interior design, architecture, engineering, robotics, and intelligent systems. Her academic pursuits are centered on kinetic architecture and creating innovative urban public spaces. Notably, her work has been featured in several international design journals, reflecting her commitment to advancing the field. As an educator, she fosters a creative and collaborative classroom environment, preparing her students to push the boundaries of architectural innovation.

Yoko Haruhara is an art columnist who has extensively written about Asian art for the Japan Times since 1997, focusing on exhibitions of Japanese, Korean and Chinese art and artifacts. Her publications include Artists in The Residence, a special publication of the United States Department of State for the American Embassy in Tokyo.

Yoshiharu is president of HPO Creation Inc., a management consulting company specializing in leadership and organizational development. He focuses his current practice in the areas of organizational change, leadership development, executive coaching, and marketing and sales development.

Earlier in his career, Yoshiharu spent 12 years in marketing and 12 years in human recourses and organizational development working first as Associate Marketing Manager for Richard Vicks, Japan, moved on to Marketing Manager at P&G along with acquisition, and later moved to HR/OD performing various management positions, including corporate training manager, Taiwan HR manager, Regional OD and talent development director. Yoshiharu holds a BA in Inter-cultural communication from Kita-Kyushu University, an MBA from Northwest Missouri State University and an Ed D in Organization Change at Pepperdine University.