Peter Barakan, 57, wears many hats. He is a radio DJ, a TV program host, an author of books on music and English language education, a long-time Tokyoite fluent in Japanese, husband to a Japanese woman, and the father of a college boy and high school girl. Barakan said he never imagined spending more than half his life in Tokyo.

Having majored in Japanese language "for no particular reason" at the University of London, he came across an ad for a job with a music label in Japan, went for it and landed a job related to music copyright in 1974. "I wasn't thinking about it at all," he said speaking in near-native Japanese about the length of time he would eventually spend in Japan. "I didn't even think of it when I married my wife," said Barakan, who prefers to give his job title as "broadcaster."

Barakan ended his career as salary man after six years, and began contributing to magazines and hosting a radio show as a freelancer. He also coordinated overseas marketing for the epoch-making techno music group Yellow Magic Orchestra for six years from 1980.