Originally from Chennai, India, 39-year-old Keerthana Mariappan came to Tokyo at 17 to study. She grew up listening to stories of Japan from her father, who lived there from 1964-70 and had a fantastic experience. In fact, he encouraged her to move to Japan because it's safe. Mariappan now serves as director at Deutsche Bank Securities.
1. When you came to Japan in 1998, what was the biggest culture shock you faced? The language. Even figuring out restaurant menus was a challenge, it was great that they had the plastic food displays.
2. What was the biggest surprise? The first day of my orientation at Sophia University, I got lost. I asked someone the way, and the person walked me to my destination. Experiencing such kindness was so impressive.