Born in Buckinghamshire, U.K. and raised in the U.S, Diane Hawley Nagatomo, 66, has called Japan “home” for more than 40 years. Nagatomo, who retired from her position as a professor at Tokyo’s Ochanomizu University in 2022, has published a wide variety of academic texts throughout her career but has just released her first novel, “The Butterfly Cafe.”
1. What brought you to Japan and what has kept you here? I came to Japan for the second time in 1979, following my Japanese boyfriend and thinking I’d stay a year. We’ve now been married for 43 years!
2. You’ve just released your debut novel, “The Butterfly Cafe.” What’s it about? American Jessie Yamada is making plans to leave her emotionally abusive Japanese husband. When he is suddenly killed in a traffic accident, she discovers that her marriage had been built upon deceit and lies. However, with the help of old and new friends, she builds a life and a new family for herself in Tokyo.