Mr. Walker works for the Japan office of Tourism New Zealand (TNZ). He joined the company about two years ago. He says that although he was born in New Zealand, his long time abroad in England, Australia and other countries has made him want to know more about his own country. "I wanted to rediscover the charm of New Zealand and my pride in it." His current job is to stimulate demand in travel to New Zealand, especially through events where Japanese people can experience New Zealand while being in Japan. There are only two New Zealanders working in TNZ's Japan office. That, he says, is precisely why he wants to be active as the face of New Zealand. Mr. Walker says he first took an interest in Japan as a student when he met some Japanese tourists through the common pastime of surfing. That he is now working in the field of tourism in Japan can only indicate a certain profound connection.

Mr. Walker notes, "Many of my peers chose to go Europe or Canada for study abroad, but I wanted to venture out a bit and go to Japan." His first visit to Japan was while in high school. Since then he has made the trip many times and has lived in Japan for seven years all together. At first he was taken aback by the unique practice in the Japanese business world of spending so much time in meetings and on preparations. Now, however, he says he feels that by spending so much time preparing, Japanese people are able to ensure that things get done within the budget and time constraints and that everything goes smoothly. He says he wants to continue to gain experience in the business environment of Japan. This is an indication of his positive attitude of not trying to escape from the unfamiliar business customs of Japan but seeking to absorb the strong points and use them for his own personal growth.

Mr. Walker is the epitome of an active man on his days off. On some days you might find him on the train to Okutama with a mountain bike on his shoulder, or on winter days you might find him enjoying backcountry skiing in Niigata. I just had to ask him if he doesn't miss the lush natural settings of New Zealand living in Japan. He replied, "The great thing about Tokyo is that you can have this amazing urban experience, yet you only need to take the train for an hour or so and there are many places where you can get close to nature." Entertainment facilities and shopping center complexes are all the talk in Tokyo, but Mr. Walker seeks out the natural beauty instead. He says he wants people to experience and enjoy New Zealand for themselves in the same way, and works daily to communicate the country's charm.

New Zealand and Japan share many geological traits in common. For example, they are both elongated islands and have volcanoes and thermal areas with hot springs. He speaks of New Zealanders' strong desire to preserve their beautiful natural environment for future generations. Mr. Walker encourages those who have up until now only participated in passive vacations consisting of bus tours where all you do is look at the scenery to be adventurous and try cycling, sea kayaking, walking and other such tours. He says that by doing so they can observe and experience New Zealanders' respect for nature and way of living first hand, and that since last autumn there has been a travel promotion campaign, based on the theme of walking, to increase the number of "interactive travelers." The idea is that by walking the trails, touching the trees, feeling the breezes and interacting with the locals, the travelers can experience new and fascinating things about New Zealand missed on ordinary tours and thereby come away with a more memorable experience. A trip where you get around on your own two feet and experience things first-hand is sure to bring new discoveries and spark a new sense of curiosity.

Mr. Walker explains, "Whenever I have a chance to experience new things, I want to go for it fearlessly. I don't want to look back with regret at not having done things." It is this attitude that makes him an "interactive traveler" with a truly pioneering spirit.


Tourism New Zealand
http://www.newzealand.com

"Even my mother went to the doctor to get advice on my shyness." That, says Kontos, was how painfully shy and introverted he was as a boy. At his mother's worried recommendation, young Nicolas took up judo, then fencing, then playing the guitar and bass guitar. By the age of 12 he was gradually emerging from his shell. When his father bought him a Konika camera, his life was transformed. This happened just as his interest in music was blossoming; naturally, the musicians of the day became his subjects. "Because they would pat us down at concerts to see if we had any cameras or recorders, I used to hide my camera under my arms or between my legs." Every time he succeeded in smuggling in his camera, Nicolas snapped photos of famous artists. Eventually his photos found their way into the pages of Hard Force Magazine, a French rock-music rag. "One day I realized that the publisher's address was on the same street as my house. Since then my friend and I started visiting the editors on our way home from school. Later they began using the photos I took."

Kontos' passion for music burned brighter. By the age of 17 Kontos was playing music himself, while snapping photos of various artists as a side interest. It was then that young Kontos caught the attention of the editor of Hard Force Magazine. He was offered a job as journalist for the newly launched magazine, Rock Spirits. "At first I was going to say 'no' because I wanted to be a musician on stage, not a journalist behind the stage. But then I gave it a second thought. I decided to take the offer, thinking it might be a great opportunity to learn about the music business and make connections in the industry." To the astonishment of his parents and friends, Kontos left school and plunged into the world of the photojournalist. He traveled the world with camera in hand, reporting on and interviewing countless top-billed musicians. Later, Kontos became an official photographer for Rock Spirits and Hard Force Magazine. "Stevie Wonder was one of the most inspiring musicians I met," he recalls. Kontos remembers closing his eyes, trying to imagine himself inhabiting the world of a blind man. "I closed my eyes and tried to make myself blind like him. My seat wasn't close enough to where he was, but still I could really feel his presence even before he begun talking. He was radiant and amazing just by being there." Many other musicians, notably including Prince and David Bowie, earned Kontos' respect and affection with their aura of charisma. Their music, their art and their various world-views proved an enormous influence on the young photojournalist.

When he had spent seven years on the front lines of photojournalism, Kontos decided to call it quits. Though not dissatisfied with his circumstances, Kontos found the life of a photojournalism to be enormously time-consuming. Little by little, it was crowding out other aspects of his life. He had not yet given up on one still elusive dream. "I still wanted to be one of the musicians in the magazines," he explains, not someone who made magazines about them. So it was that Kontos traveled to New York to study jazz. During this time Kontos developed a degree of emotional attachment to the Big Apple that surprised him. He studied the saxophone, and even after his return to France he continued to benefit from the tutelage of musicians such as Steve Lacy. "Maybe it's freedom," Kontos muses, trying to explain the captivating power of jazz. "Jazz allows you to decide the direction you take, like you can suddenly jump to different chords you can't find through other music. Also jazz is more of a communicative medium."

Alongside photography and music, Kontos studied pantomime and drama, broadening his interests. When a friend was stricken with illness, he took to learning therapeutic techniques. Unable to bear being in the presence of friends in pain and being unable to help them, Kontos took his first steps into the world of Oriental medicine. "It's not to say that I can help them, but I just want to heal or cure the pain of people who I love, even just a little bit." It was a natural progression for Kontos as an artist. After all, he had made a career of building his own road when he had nothing, starting from nothing and creating something lasting and beautiful.

The Nicolas Kontos who from his childhood years nurtured a fondness for judo, Japanese music, and the films of Akira Kurosawa has now been two years in Japan. As with New York, Kontos feels an affinity with the cities of Japan, almost as if he had lived there in a previous life. Taking up a position as public relations manager for Eye Peace, a cosmetics company in Tokyo, Kontos soon became immersed in the hectic task of launching a beauty salon for the company, soon to open in Paris in tandem with a spa. In the company's restaurant operations, Kontos creates fresh projects on an almost daily basis, planning musical events and overseeing language events featuring French and English conversation. At the same time he continues to pursue his passion for music and photography, playing in jazz and pop bands and opening photo exhibitions. His life can be likened to an enormous canvas on which the artist's brush never pauses to rest.

And yet, having quit the world of photojournalism, Kontos felt a curious change within himself. "I used to take pictures to capture the moment or record something important just for myself. I really was taking pictures--I was taking everything for myself. But now I take pictures to share them with people, which is to give, not to take. Like with therapy, I want them to feel better or relaxed looking at my pictures," Kontos reflects. Sometimes, he says, he attends concerts without bringing his camera. "I realized that when I take pictures, I am only focusing on the image, not enjoying the music or what is really happening beyond the viewfinder." Kontos' lifelong dream of becoming a musician had transformed into a desire to learn the real meaning of "giving," including giving to oneself as well as to others. Today, he says, he no longer pursues the title of musician. Instead, his greatest wish is to soothe and help people through art, including music. "It could be any form of art, like music, photos, acting, conversation--even silence, as Stevie Wonder inspired me in his silence and blindness."

"Stay happy and be free." That, says Kontos, is the most important thing in life. Like the free-flowing melodies of jazz, art provides the notes with which Kontos composes his life. It's a wonderful composition with the precious power of bringing happiness to others.

Born and brought up in Vancouver in Canada, Wayne Leung, the 35 years old Chinese refers to himself as Canadian more than Chinese, speaking fluent English than Cantonese.  "Vancouver is a great city for outdoor activities. There are many places where you can play sports and is overall a very relaxing city, which is completely opposite from Tokyo." Vancouver will always be his hometown but he thought it was time for a change in scenery. This sparked the idea for him to work in the crazy city of Tokyo, a mecca of videogames, design and pop culture.

When first searching for jobs, Leung quickly found out that without any knowledge of the Japanese language it was a very difficult task. He then decided to search for jobs in San Francisco, Hawaii and New York. One company in Tokyo replied and asked him if he was able to fly out to Tokyo for an interview. He thought to himself, "This would be a great experience," and then booked the next convenient flight.

Even though he didn't speak any Japanese, Leung believes that his graphic design ability mixed with his experience in game development is what caught the company's eye. "In the studio environment, we get past the language barrier with our passion for game development and design. Some of the more technical terms are universal in game development which helps a great deal."  He says with a big grin on his face, "I'm very fortunate that I got the job!!"

Leung currently works at iNiS as a CG designer. At the studio, iNiS has created games for publishers such as Nintendo and Microsoft, specializing in games of the music genre such as Elite Beat Agents, Gitaroo Man and Ouendan 1&2. Leung truly enjoys his line of work because the projects are always changing, facing new creative challenges both technical and artistic. His dream is to start a designer toy and clothing line company.

One thing that was quite different for him from the first day he stepped into the studio was the Radio Taisou routine. "I couldn't stop laughing when I first had to do the Radio Taisou (kind of Aerobics) every morning." It was very shocking for him, because Radio Taisou does not exist in Canada and he had never seen or heard anything about it being done in offices. However, Leung thinks that when people work on computers every day, it is actually good for them to do some movement stretching in before they start the day. He laughs, "I will never forget the Radio Taisou routine."

During his first days in Tokyo, the city was extremely overwhelming. "My head was spinning. I had no idea what hit me," he remembers. However, Leung noticed that even if he didn't understand any Japanese, there were many English signs so that he never really had any struggle getting around Tokyo.　For the first six months, he says he went everywhere in Tokyo to explore whatever guide books recommended. Now that he knows Tokyo a little better, so he would love to travel around other areas in Japan outside of Tokyo.

Leung explains that he never really had any bad experiences here in Tokyo, apart from searching for an apartment. He thinks one of the most difficult tasks for foreigners in Tokyo is renting a good apartment. In his former apartment, he was asked politely to move out because they wanted to renovate the building. He then needed to find an apartment again in a very short time. Now living in Yutenji, Leung is really happy since his apartment manager speaks fluent English.

He likes to spend his free time by going to concerts and art galleries, playing darts and exploring. One of his favourite places to be in Tokyo is Shibuya. "Shibuya has lots of energy and has a good combination of energy, music, design, urban lifestyle and toys."

Since moving to Tokyo, he began to notice that his drinking habit has changed. Back home in Vancouver he rarely drank alcohol. Leung says "I would be drunk after a couple of beers." But now in Tokyo, he can handle a lot more alcohol and actually enjoys it. He thinks this may be because his friends in Tokyo love drinking and always have parties. He also added, "There are far more trendy bars and venues in Tokyo, including Darts bars which do not exist in Vancouver. Having a drink and playing a few games of darts is a great way to unwind after work."

After talking with Leung, most of the people would imagine that he loves everything here in Tokyo so obviously he would say Sushi or Tonkatsu for his favourite food but......he answered with a big smile, "I especially love hamburgers here in Tokyo! They are so delicious. Some of the best I have ever tasted!"

Leung is still searching for his future plan since he has only been in Tokyo for a year. However, he says he would be quite happy to settle down in Tokyo until retirement. "After that I would want to go back to Vancouver to have a slower and more relaxed lifestyle."

URL: www.deviouslabs.net

Frye was born and raised in California and also maintains deep ties to Hawaii, where he currently owns a home. Coming to Japan and taking on an international challenge was a perfectly natural choice for him since he was always open to different environments and cultures while growing up. In August 1986, at the age of twenty, he visited Japan for the first time on a college graduation vacation and could not speak a word of Japanese. He didn't have a completely positive impression of Japan since he spent two months in a crowded and dirty youth hostel during a humid Japanese summer.

However, as time passed, things started changing around him for the better at the beginning of autumn. Upon leaving the youth hostel, he decided to extend his stay in Japan a little since he had now started to make friends and landed some part-time work. Later, working as both a part-time English teacher and travel magazine editor, Frye gradually started building a network of contacts, thanks to the many opportunities he had to meet people in the industry.

He then reached a turning point in his life. On assignment in Hawaii for a magazine article he was scouted by a Japanese travel agency to work at their Honolulu branch office.

In 1992, Frye returned to the company's Tokyo headquarters, located in the Roppongi, and spoke with the company president regarding his interest in launching a travel division which would cater to Japan's growing expatriate community. He got to work on the new business, which was completely commission based. The company provided him with a base salary of 80,000 yen a month and free office space. He remembers, "Although excited by the opportunity to be my own boss, 80,000 yen barely covered the rent on my small apartment. I realized I needed to succeed and succeed quickly." The division was a huge success and in two short years Frye had accumulated enough capital to found his own company outright. In 1994 Ebisu-based Starlight Travel was created and is still in business today.

Another life changing turning point came in January of 2000. A headhunter who was also a client of Frye's requested some help locating some qualified travel industry professionals interested in managing the operations for Amadeus' newly created Japan branch. Although not considering the position for himself, after receiving the job spec. Frye commented "They are looking for me!". Out of a large pool of applicants, it was Frye who was chosen and after a lengthy vetting process, received the offer for the job.

As the president of Amadeus Japan, he would contribute to the growth of Amadeus over the next five years by increasing the number of branches in Japan. Looking back, he recalls, "I also really wanted to experience working for a large company, and I am proud that I was able to expand the company's market share drastically during my tenure. Although it was difficult, the challenge was exhilarating an enjoyable experience." After achieving his goals at Amadeus, Frye decided to take the next step. One year after his departure from the company, he became a graduate student at UCLA. More interested in gaining a wide range of knowledge rather than a specific degree, Frye chose several courses in various fields.

After re-charging the batteries, Frye returned to Tokyo and began to create the business plan and launch strategy for Travelstar. He explains, "I founded the new company because I wanted to overcome some of the mistakes I'd made in my former company and saw it as a great opportunity to apply my increased knowledge and experience." He goes on to say, "I wanted to create a work environment where people can take responsibility for the occasional failure and where the happiness felt from hard won success is shared amongst a small group of employees."

Frye has many daily responsibilities as a manager. People may wonder how he deals with such stress. He says, "I personally don't think that stress is necessarily always a bad thing. Stress is good in the sense that it serves as a catalyst for employees to improve situations." However, he is human just like the rest of us and says he gets rid of stress by going out to eat with his friends and tinkering with his vintage American car from the 1950s that he really loves. He says, "Nothing beats cruising down some road in Hawaii with all the windows down and the wind in your face."

In what remains a difficult time for the travel industry, Frye talks about the allure of travel: "Traveling overseas, offers people an opportunity to reflect on their lives and also view themselves in a more objective. Also I strongly feel that experiencing the many wonders the world provides should be a priority for everyone. Go out and see the World!"

Frye does his best everyday to make customers, from individuals to large groups, aware of these benefits of travel. "Can't do" is a prohibited phrase at his company. He says that it is very important to explain the reason why something is may be difficult and then provide alternative options, rather than simply say that it is impossible. He explains, "Although I know I'm generalizing, I feel that in many cases Japanese service personnel do not seek the reasoning behind their own rules or regulations and therefore can seem rather rigid and unaccommodating. At Travelstar 'can't do' is not an option."

Right after first arriving in Japan in the mid 80's, Frye was at a family restaurant and ordered a standard western-style breakfast. However, he requested that the eggs be fried well on both sides. The waiter looked confused and after several trips back and forth to the kitchen, answered, "I'm sorry, but we can only prepare the eggs exactly as they appear on the menu photo (sunny-side up)." This experience served as a large dose of culture shock. He reflects, "Although there have been many changes in Japan since those days for the better, this was a typical incidence of Japanese 'doing it by the book'."

At the end of the interview, Frye was asked to describe in one word what he considers the most important thing in life. He answered, "Life is too intricate and varied to be described in one word, but I would say the constant yearning for knowledge and the drive to move forward are the keys to my life."

Frye has always used the word "star" in all the names of the companies that he has founded. At the age of 14, he was given a 1953 Studebaker Starliner Hardtop. His love for the cars of the '50's soon followed. That link to his past keeps him headed for the future shining brightly.

Mr. Varin was granted a scholarship to attend Aichi Gakuin University in Nagoya and received his master's degree in international commerce in 2000. "During this time, the Internet was just starting to take hold in Japan and I wrote my master's thesis on the Internet and the effect on Japanese SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) in the Aichi region in Japan," he says. As part of this, he also created a website to provide information about and access to SMEs in English and Japanese. "It was during this project that I really became interested in the power of the Internet and software development."

After graduating he worked as a university professor and, as a side project, started developing a website with a couple of his friends called GaijinPot, a site providing information to foreigners in Japan. Even though GaijinPot started from a small project, it developed into a major web portal that provided job and other services to foreigners in Japan. Mr. Varin and his partners managed these under the umbrella company they created called GPlusMedia and moved the headquarters to Tokyo in 2002.

Then, in 2005, he left GPlusMedia and formed his own company, The Plant, in order to focus on developing next generation web applications. The Plant creates and maintains Joblet, a distributed job network, and Asoboo, an international social network. It also creates web applications for multinational corporations as well as SMEs. His major clients include MTV Japan and Tamedia, the Swiss media house. "I feel that the strength of my company is the strength of my team," says Mr. Varin. "People working at my company are among the best in the world at what they do."

Mr. Varin, who used to enjoy traveling whenever he wanted, is now in a totally different situation from where he was. "I haven't traveled so much recently, since tending to The Plant is quite consuming," he explains. "But I enjoy hanging out in Tokyo and taking short trips in Japan." In Tokyo he says he likes the Koenji and Asagaya areas, where there are creative singers, small clubs, live music bars, and also Shinjuku golden gai. "I prefer these kinds of cozy areas more than busy areas such as Shibuya."

When asked about what he likes about Japan, he says, "I appreciate the relationships between Japanese people. I believe that as adults, Japanese people seem to have more freedom to spend time with their friends." Mr. Varin explains that as Americans become couples, they tend to spend all of their free time together and seem to make relatively little time to spend with their friends. "I remember that when I first came to Japan, I was surprised to see so many non-couples (groups of men and women) out at night eating and drinking together."

"I also like the Japanese attitude towards work," he continues. "From my experience, Japanese people take their duties very seriously even if they are not in 'glamorous' jobs." He feels that this is one of the reasons that Japan is always competitive in the world market and makes excellent products with such attention to detail.

However, he doesn't think that the longer work hours in Japan are always a sign of productivity. He says, "I was surprised to see people in Japanese companies working late but doing nothing at all." In his company, he encourages his staff to go home early if they are not busy. "Of course if there is an important deadline to meet we have to work late, but in general I know that these geniuses also need their downtime too."

A Bulgaria-born Janina Nikolaeva, who has been called "Niko-chan" since she came to Japan, which refers to 'a smiley' in Japanese, is leaving Japan in three weeks. She has worked in Japan for two years as a GKAM CPO （Global Key Account Manager Chief Pricing Officer）for Toyota Group and Honda of Chassis Systems Control at Bosch Corporation, the world's largest automotive supplier in terms of sales in 2004. In October she will be transferred to a different Bosch division called "Diesel Systems" in Feuerbach, Germany. 

Even though she is delighted to go back to the country where she has been living since she was 18, she expresses her mixed feelings about leaving Japan.

"This decision was not easy for me," says Nikolaeva who was supposed to stay in Japan for one more year. "But since my chances to get promoted and develop further are in Germany, I've decided to accept the new job offer. I hope I've done the right choice."

Two years ago, when Nikolaeva was assigned to go to Japan by her company, she was just shocked because she had never thought of living in Japan. "I hadn't even planned to work in Asia," she explains.  After she actually came to Japan, she was shocked again by the fact that she was not accepted by her new team, since women in Japan have less control at work than men do in comparison to the situation in foreign countries.

"I have always believed that women can prove to be good at her job as good as men are but once I came here, I faced a different situation and realized a lot of things," Nikolaeva says.  Although she's now established a good relationship with her colleagues in the team, she recalls that the first half year was especially challenging for her. "I think it's easier for (foreign) men to work in the Japanese society (in terms of social acceptability)."

However, Nikolaeva adds that she is not the one to tell whether it is best or worst to live in Japan, since she thinks each culture is different from others and has good aspects. "I don't have to accept, but I respect the different cultures," she explains with carefully chosen words.

Considering herself as a mixture of various cultures, such as Bulgarian and German, Nikolaeva says that Japanese culture has also influenced her behavior and character. "I've changed a lot in a good way. For example, I've developed some patience instead of saying whatever is on my mind," she smiles. "Japanese people know how to control their feelings.  I think it's something valuable."

Nikolaeva, who speaks Bulgarian, German, English, Spanish and Russian, has been learning Japanese since she came to this island country. "Even though I've been having some hard times while learning the Japanese language, people are understanding and a situation can change in a good way by just trying to speak Japanese. Everyone knows it's hard to learn a foreign language," she explains.  "Language opens so many doors."

For the past several years, she has had a more work-centered life and assumed a responsible position in a big company. However, Nikolaeva knows it is not everything in her life. "To me, the most important thing is that my family stays healthy and happy," says Nikolaeva. "And in the future, I'd like to have my own family, which would enrich my private life."

When she traveled to Bali to get a certificate for teaching basic yoga, she met the local people being poor but kind and warm-hearted. "I was impressed by their strong family bonds. They taught me there was something more important than money or career."

One of the similarities between Bulgaria and Japan which she respects is interpersonal communication. "In Western culture, individualism is deemed more important than group harmony, but I like to be in a close-knit community," Nikolaeva says.

At her new job in Germany, she is going to work for Toyota, which gives her chances to come back to Japan several times a year. Living in Harajuku for two years, Nikolaeva says that she will definitely miss the current living environment with full of excitements. "I've been worried about the restrictions on the baggage at the airport because I'm a real shopper," she laughs. 

Looking back on the two-years of her life in Japan, Nikolaeva states positively: "I have no regrets." 
 

These are the words of Mr. Craig Langdon, an instructor at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba.  "Because I came from a very small town, I've always wanted to meet many different people and see many different things."

Mr. Langdon grew up in a town called Kawhia in New Zealand.  The town, which he explains "there are about 400 people and the nearest town is probably one hour away," is known as the spiritual and ancestral home of the Maori tribe, Tainui.  He describes his hometown as a place where "everybody knows everybody," and says that people living there are closely connected with each other in the community.

He was 16 years old when he started traveling to seek something different from what he had experienced in his hometown.  Since then, he has met a lot of people in the world through traveling, and has always tried to remember that being open-minded is the way to understand the unknown world.

When Mr. Langdon first visited Japan in 1985 for sightseeing, nobody expected that he would come back again to teach English in the future.  He had spent about four years in London following graduation, and then three years in Korea before coming to Japan.  "Although I had first worked as a transport manager at a transport company in London, I started to teach there, and decided to change my occupation from business to education," Mr. Langdon says.

Later, he got an opportunity to teach English in Korea and left London.  "Since the soccer World Cup was being held in Japan and Korea at the time," explains Mr. Langdon, who loves playing and watching soccer, "that good mood [from soccer] helped me to make the decision."

In 2007, he finally came back to Japan with his job as an English teacher.  After living in a small town in Saitama for a while, he moved to Makuhari, which is near his current workplace.  As for his view of Japan, "Everything is of course quite different from the 1980s," he comments, "but Japan has established a mix of high-tech and old culture: For example, very extensive cell-phone use is mixed with very old temples in Kyoto."

Speaking of his impression of Japanese people, "They are usually very kind, and forgiving of my terrible Japanese," he smiles.  "I think a lot of Japanese people travel, so they are quite open to different cultures and new ideas."  He sometimes feels they are too shy to express their feelings or too polite to ask the questions directly compared to people in New Zealand, but Mr. Langdon explains that politeness is a common characteristic of people in both countries. 

He is now teaching three different English classes at Kanda University, which has over 50 foreign instructors on campus.  Due to that environment, he says he has spent 70 percent of his time with foreign staff, and 30 percent with Japanese staff, mainly speaking in English at his workplace.

"It's not a very stressful job I think, and also living in Makuhari is very comfortable," says Mr. Langdon, who is a very calm and peaceful person.  "So I'm not usually very stressed, but if I feel stress, running is how I release it.  I just run, thinking about nothing.  Running on the riverside reminds me of my hometown."

As for the future, "Hopefully, I will stay another two years here, and we'll see after that," he says.  "I'd like to get a PhD and continue to teach in a university in Japan."  Although he hopes to live in New Zealand, he explains that there are many more career opportunities in Japan.

"It's important to have an open mind when you come to Japan," Mr. Langdon, who has also tried to live by that advice, says at the end.  "Since everything is completely different, it's important to keep an open mind so you can live with what you could never understand."

Mr. Langdon is still learning about the Japanese culture.  One day morning, he got onto a women-only-cart in a subway without knowing about the system.  "It was a mistake," he smiles.  "Many women were there at the time, but nobody said anything!" 

Even though he struggles each day, he is sure he will continue to journey throughout life.

It was eight years ago that Pontoise-grown Frederic Jourdan first came to Japan to teach French in Kobe. Before that, he had worked for an audit firm in Paris for two years following graduation. "But I had been feeling unsatisfied, personally and professionally," he explains. "I think I needed more discovery and excitement."

Even though he couldn't communicate in Japanese at the time, Mr. Jourdan, who now speaks fluent Japanese, says that his impression about Japanese people has always been good: "Compared to people in my country, Japanese people are more communicative, easygoing (some have told him that's because he was in Kansai), and peaceful. And they are always eager to try new things to improve themselves," says Mr. Jourdan.

However, he sometimes has hard time understanding the tendency that Japanese women are expected to act somewhat immature and even goofy. "Maybe it's the influence of what Japanese TV emphasizes," he comments, "but in France, women are taught to be independent and intellectual." He thinks that Japanese women could more openly perform to their ability if Japanese society were to become a bit less conservative.

After working for a few months as a French teacher in Kobe, he moved to Tokyo to work at a wine and spirits company, which he eventually left. Speaking of Tokyo life, he says "I am obviously happy about the good quality transportation network, many convenient stores, and all the ways to go out and have fun."
 
"Besides, the energy required to enjoy all of that is huge," he continues. "Tokyo is perfect for singles, young and active people. I may be no longer single, and older than eight years ago, but I'm fortunately still active!"

Now, he is Finance and Administration Director of Club Med, the worldwide specialist in all-inclusive, upscale, friendly, and multicultural vacations. His responsibility covers accounting, tax, legal and financial management for their two villages in Hokkaido and Okinawa, and five sales offices in Japan.

"I have a good team that includes multicultural Japanese employees in Tokyo, speaking English or French, and foreigners in the villages who can communicate very well to each other, thanks to worldwide established Club Med processes."

He nevertheless sometimes feels confused about Japanese work system. "Anybody should be replaceable to take long holidays, for instance," he points out. "I am pushing people to change their habits and take new responsibilities. Regardless of seniority, empowerment within our common vision has developed somewhat in Japan, but it was quite tough for it to be accepted at the beginning!"

Mr. Jourdan believes that tolerance is the key to enjoying a different culture: Instead of complaining, he has tried to enjoy situations where he faces things that are difficult to understand. His flexibility and suave have also helped others to accept him.

He married a Japanese woman named Shiho about a year and half ago. Although he wasn't planning to have a wedding ceremony at first, he says his wedding day was unforgettable. "I was proud of the way my Japanese family-in-law welcomed my family and friends from France."

In the future, he might have to leave Japan for his work, but without hesitation, he says, "I am sure I will come back."

"Because I was the youngest of 12 in my family, the kitchen was where I belonged," says the Canadian chef, who came to Japan 16 years ago after living in many different parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Asia. Mr. Foley opened his first restaurant in Nishiazabu, which was followed by restaurants in Ebisu and Harajuku. Since then, his restaurant has been serving mouth-watering delights to many Tokyo gourmands with various fusion foods, including Italian, French, Mexican and other western dishes. "Most of our customers are foreigners, just like our cuisine," he says. And as being a vegetarian is not a rare among foreigners, the restaurant never forgets to serve vegetarian meals, in which one can savor fresh veggies that come from Mr. Foley's own farm in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka.

The name of the restaurant, Good Honest Grub, is a paraphrase of the restaurant's concept: "I tell my staff to treat customers the way they want to be treated, and it's just the same for the food we serve," Mr. Foley says. "We love to be happy and healthy, so what we serve for our customer is also healthy, which makes you and your body happy."  Even their cookies and carrot cakes are made to be what he calls "healthy junk food", with less sugar or butter. "We've just been honest to what we think is good."

"When Japanese customers come in, they often care too much if they're being rude and repeat 'Suimasen( "I'm sorry" in Japanese )' to us, but they don' t need to. I mean, we want our customers to just be relaxed and feel at home, and call my place their second home" says Mr. Foley.

GHG Harajuku was closed two years ago to keep that stance; the restaurant became quite big and demanded that he manage more of the business side, which didn't allow him much time to communicate with his customers. "It was not something I wanted," he explains. "Since I grew up in a small town where people are very close together, personal contact is very important."

At GHG Shibuya, which is smaller than his former Harajuku restaurant, Mr. Foley comes up and talks to customers himself, especially new ones, to give a detailed explanation of the dishes on the menu. "As seen with our popular weekend brunch of bacon and eggs, and French toast, 'simple but you just can't get them anywhere else' is what you experience at GHG."

Mr. Don Foley pokes fun but also is very peaceful and calm, which makes people smile naturally. According to him, it is his new home that puts him so at ease. "The very respectful and harmonious aspect of Japan has made me even more appreciative. And I think this is why I fit in Japan so well, since that's the way my parents raised me, with many 'Thank yous' and 'Pleases'". says Mr. Foley.

Living in Japan and seeing many foreigners in Tokyo, Mr. Foley believes in meeting new people and learning new cultures. "It's sad if you just hang out with people from the same country when you are in an entirely different part of the world. Go outside and experience Japan. I even tell that to my foreign customers when I visit their homes for catering service and see them living in the restricted worlds of their penthouses." And he thinks that to understand Japan, rather than expecting the country to change, is something we should always remember. "Pay attention to what people do and respect it, and then you'll be enjoying the unique culture of the country."

Mr. Foley, however, is still learning about the Japanese culture even after living here for so long. "One day, a Japanese woman came in and asked me for two pancakes and three pieces of French toast...and she ate them all like they were nothing. You know, she was as tiny and skinny as any other Japanese women!"