INTERVIEWS | My Eyes Tokyo

I felt something strangely familiar about Palestine when I got there.

2011-05-11

Interviewed by Isao Tokuhashi & Mai Namiki Written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Kazuya Ogawa (Part1) Filmmaker Today we’re introducing you to Kazuya Ogawa, a young auteur or film director who made a movie called “Pink Subaru”. The movie is set in Tayibe, a town on the Israeli-Parestinian border. A man fulfilled his heart’s desire and got a new Subaru Legacy, but he was robbed of his treasure on the following day. The story opens from that moment. Some of you may think that the movie depicts a war or is political. If so, it’s totally different from what

I really wondered when and where Japanese people learned being friendly and caring about each other.

2011-05-08

Interviewed by Isao Tokuhashi & Masayuki Abe Written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Tanja Sobko (Sweden) Nutritionist/cooking instructor (She’d been in Japan from 2006 to early 2009) We introduce you to a wonderful lady. Tanja Sobko, a Swedish nutritionist who currently works in Hong Kong. She came to Japan in 2006 after she gained the chance of coming to Japan. It has been her true love since she was a little girl, and she interacted with folks here with boundless love. Japanese people also became big fans of her, too. So she came over to the people like

We want to help needy people from the bottom of our hearts.

2011-04-24

Interviewed by Isao Tokuhashi & Katsutoshi Ito Written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Sri Lankan Curry Kitchen Project Today we introduce you to a group of Sri Lankans, who set up soup kitchens for the earthquake victims. They contacted devastated areas and municipalities which received evacuees right after the earthquake, then headed to sites in the disaster area of Fukushima with tons of curry meals. They’ve visited three shelters in Fukushima and dished out 2000 meals. Also they distributed about 330 portions to people in Asahi City, which is located at the far end of Greater Tokyo area. What is

The crisis situation made Japanese people more courageous and united to rebuild the country.

2011-04-08

Tasnoova Tahia March 11, 2011 – Alone on the 45th Floor During the Big Earthquake Tasnoova Tahia, a Bangladeshi woman who lives in the waterfront area of Tokyo, will be our guest on My Eyes Tokyo radio program on 84.0 ChuoFM on April 16 and April 23, 2011. She has written an essay about her experience. *Tahia on radio: 4/16/11　4/23/11 日本語 “I’m going to die” We got earthquake alert from the emergency center of our building 20-30 seconds before. I just got back home when the alert went on, on 11th march, around 14:45. As always, I

I don’t want to have to change my lifestyles so much because of uncertainty, because of fear.

2011-04-03

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Kathy Bauer (USA) Educator (She’s been in Japan since 2001) A huge earthquake hit Eastern Japan on March 11, 2011. It had a magnitude of 9.0 and caused a massive tidal wave and nuclear accidents. It produced a large number of victims, and it’s also a fact that many foreigners left the country to avoid fear of radioactive fallout and aftershocks. However, we know there are many people from other countries who’ve decided to stay here. Kathy Bauer, an American woman, is one of them. She’s been teaching not only English

Niki’s Kitchen is a great opportunity to make Japanese friends.

2011-02-21

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Tasnoova Tahia Bangladeshi cuisine instructor (She’s been in Japan since 2007) About a month and a half has passed since a big earthquake hit Japan. Many foreigners left Japan to avoid aftershocks and radiation, but many foreigners still stay here without hesitation. Cooking instructors of Niki’s Kitchen are the same. They were obliged to cancel their classes due to the earthquake, but some have been already returned to normal. Tasnoova Tahia, a young Bangladeshi instructor, had the earthquake on March 11 on 45th floor of a high-rise apartment in Tokyo. She’s closed

I don’t have a fear of moving somewhere else. I don’t care about one’s nationality or skin color.

2011-01-16

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Clara Nakazato (Venezuela) Venezuelan cuisine instructor (She’s been in Japan since ’95) The 4th interviewee of “MET × Niki’s Kitchen” is Clara Nakazato, a woman from Venezuela, South America. She is encompassing, envelopes her students in a warm hug. Her Japanese husband has a warm personality as well as Clara and the couple creates an aura of peace and harmony. Clara never builds a wall. She has no hesitation about anything. She tries any food even if it’s new to her. To people as well, she never distinguishes people by race,

I really love the place where my husband and children are. So where I end my life is Japan.

2010-12-08

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Satomi Nagakubo Iranian cuisine instructor (She’s been in Japan since ’90) What kind of image of Iran do you have? This project “MET × Niki’s Kitchen” was inspired by a woman whom we are introducing you to. Satomi Nagakubo, an Iranian woman. She has a Japanese name because it makes her life easy here. She speaks softly but laughs and smiles quite a bit when she feels happy. We joined her class for the first time in November, 2010. When we put the food which she made into our mouths,

I feel like my students are my daughters when I see them enjoying dishes that I cooked.

2010-11-24

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Sohon Se (Taiwan) Taiwanese-Chinese cuisine instructor (She’s been in Japan since ’97) My Eyes Tokyo brings you interviews with teachers from “Niki’s Kitchen“. It’s a cooking school in which foreigners teach their homeland dishes to Japanese people. The 2nd interviewee is Sohon Se from Taiwan. She holds cooking classes three or four times a month at her home in a quiet residential area. As soon as the info about her class is uploaded onto Niki’s homepage, it’s booked up. She analyzes the reason for it; “Our food culture is close to

Indian cuisine possesses much potential. So I cannot understand why some people don’t want to teach how to cook it.

2010-11-21

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com Savari Muthu (India) Indian cuisine chef/instructor (He’s been in Japan since ’94) My Eyes Tokyo brings you interviews with teachers of “Niki’s Kitchen“. It’s a cooking school in which foreigners teach their homeland dishes to Japanese people. The 1st interviewee is Savari Muthu, a managing chef of an Indian restaurant chain called “Muthu“. He owns three restaurants in Tokyo and Chiba. He says on Niki’s homepage; “You may associate India with Hinduism, but I’m a Christian. Therefore I can cook anything including beef, pork and chicken.” We got interested in a Christian

Interviews with Tokyo People Achieving Dreams