Educated in Japan and the U.S., and each year making frequent official trips to Europe, Mary Ishin Sung Katayama says that she thinks of herself as borderless. "I love to travel and feel a need to be on the go every month or two," she said.
She speaks lovingly of her parents, both no longer alive, and of her untroubled childhood memories. Her father, Paul Sung, is still remembered here as a serious businessman, a European car importer. Hailing from Beijing, where he was a banker, he was also an active volunteer worker for the Young Men's Christian Association.
Her mother, Amy Sung, is remembered as a popular, prominent figure among Tokyo's international women. She came from Shanghai, where she was a journalist.