Juggler of two professions in Japan

| Mar 15, 2011

Juggler of two professions in Japan

“My No. 1 hobby even now is still ‘learning,’ ” says Peter Frankl, 58, who has been juggling two professions for over 30 years. Speaking with his eyes lit up like a little boy, the mathematician and street juggler says that through learning, he ...

From love of anime to love of a man

| Mar 8, 2011

From love of anime to love of a man

When Mel Ushikubo, 35, saw the name of her future husband, Kohei, on the Internet, she immediately wanted to see him in person, as that was the name of a character in one of her favorite anime. “I was an anime freak, and saw ...

Latvian diplomat runs for closer ties

Feb 22, 2011

Latvian diplomat runs for closer ties

Latvian Ambassador Peteris Vaivars, 48, has been an avid marathon runner since he was posted to Japan five years ago. He has participated in the Tokyo Marathon for four consecutive years since the inaugural event in 2007 and is preparing for the fifth marathon ...

Canadian’s health issue unites couple

| Feb 15, 2011

Canadian’s health issue unites couple

On their first date, Eiko Tiernan was told by her future husband, Laurier, that he has Marfan syndrome, a congenital hereditary disease that affects about 1 in 5,000 people. At first, she did not know how to react, as she knew nothing about the ...

Indian works to serve expat enclave

| Feb 8, 2011

Indian works to serve expat enclave

Once you get out of Nishi-Kasai Station on the Tozai subway line, it’s likely that you will bump into at least half a dozen Indians in the first five minutes on the street. Nishi-Kasai in Edogawa Ward is known as “Little India,” home to ...

Diplomats relate cultures in Japanese

| Feb 1, 2011

Diplomats relate cultures in Japanese

“Goseicho arigato gozaimashita” (thank you for listening), a regular way of ending a speech, echoed in the meeting room after each foreign speaker gave their presentations and received a big round of applause from the audience. Diplomats from 13 countries — including two ambassadors ...

U.S. NPO seeks ‘social entrepreneurs’

Jan 18, 2011

U.S. NPO seeks ‘social entrepreneurs’

A U.S.-based nonprofit organization that has helped “social entrepreneurs” around the world opened a Japanese office this month, its first branch in East Asia, with the goal of creating a similar community in a country where the concept itself is little understood. Ashoka: Innovators ...

Dec 28, 2010

Teens give boost to volunteerism

American School in Japan alumnus Jonathan Higa and student Alex Heideman are setting an example for others interested in volunteerism by boosting the youth activities of Hands On Tokyo, a nonprofit organization offering community services. Hands On Tokyo is involved in 12 projects that ...

| Dec 21, 2010

Javan culture brings couple together

Sumiyanto, 31, born and raised in the Klaten regency of central Java, and Ayako Nezu, 39, from Kawasaki, met in 2002 in the central part of the Indonesian island while they were studying at a national traditional arts college in Solo. Nezu was studying ...

| Dec 14, 2010

For writer, languages are his ‘darling’

Writer Tony Laszlo, 50, has a strong passion for languages. He speaks 10, including English, Japanese, Chinese, Greek, Turkish and French. As a writer, he uses both English, his mother tongue, and Japanese. In 2005, he published his first essay “Tony-ryu Shiawase wo Saibai ...