Educator, photographer, writer, creative director and more!
Educator, photographer, writer, creative director and more!

Which campus did you attend?

Shimo-Ochiai (Shinjuku).

What was the most memorable thing(s) about TUJ from when you were a student?

That would be preparing for the Comprehensive Exam with a classmate. We spent all of Christmas and New Years studying together. What fond memories!

How has the education you received at TUJ been helping you in your career or your life in general?

I would not be where I am today if it were not for TUJ. I got one of my first university teaching jobs through a fellow classmate more than 20 years ago. Since then, doors have constantly opened left and right for me. After several years in academia, I felt it was time to do something else and I enrolled in TUJ's EMBA Program. My B.S. was, after all, in Business & Management from a university in the states. What an eye-opener that EMBA Program was for me! After just two courses I knew without a doubt that this was NOT what I wanted to do. I wasted no time leaving the program, then dusted off my old backpack and went out to see the world. Camera in hand I traveled to all five (or six depending on how you count them) continents, shooting away and amassing more than 300,000 photos! This past spring I spent time in Tohoku doing photo exhibitions and events at temporary housing areas, schools, and other public facilities. I am exactly where I want to be in life, right here and now living authentically, because of the confidence and foundation TUJ gave me.

Looking at TUJ now, what do you think has changed or stayed the same at TUJ since your student days?

Well, for one thing, the location is certainly better, and the university now has a younger feel to it. During the Shimo-Ochiai days, TUJ seemed to be an institution for older continuing education-type folks (at least that's how I remember it).

How do you see the future of TUJ?

TUJ will mature into a bigger, more "mainstream" institution. Through the years I've seen many U.S. universities come to Japan with great fanfare and then fizzle away. TUJ is definitely here to stay and I see TUJ celebrating its 50th anniversary in an even more campus-like environment.

(Posted in May 2012)

More In This Section