I really enjoyed reading the articles "Kikokushijo: returnees to a country not yet ready for them" and "Returnees' experiences drive a will to give something back" [by Teru Clavel, Learning Curve, May 5 and 12].
I was born in Japan but moved to Nairobi, Kenya, when I was 3 months old. I spent my whole life in a British international school, until university, where I completed my bachelor's in psychology at the University of York, U.K. I am currently doing my master's in Munich, Germany. I never attended a Japanese school (aside for a few months of kindergarten) and so although my Japanese understanding is of native level, my reading and writing skills in Japanese are hardly sufficient.
My parents tried their best to instill Japanese customs and mentality in me, and they often read Japanese books to me as well as recorded Japanese shows and movies for me to watch in my free time, but they also gave me the space to really absorb the different cultures I was exposed to. My primary school class proudly represented students from 30 different countries, and my teachers were also from all over the world. I feel blessed to have had the experiences that I had, and consider myself a global citizen.