Oceania

Happy Birthday to the countries!

Happy Birthday to Samoa!

2018-06-01

A Samoan family. *Photo from Wikipedia June 1 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Samoa from New Zealand in 1962. The Samoan Islands were first settled some 3,500 years ago as part of the Austronesian expansion. European exploration first reached the islands in the early 18th century. Louis-Antoine de Bougainville named them Navigator Islands in 1768. The United States Exploring Expedition (1838-42) reached Samoa in 1839. In 1855 J.C. Godeffroy & Sohn, a German trading company, expanded its trading business into the archipelago. The Samoan Civil War of 1886-1894 devolved into the Samoan crisis between colonial powers, followed by

INTERVIEWS

I confirmed that I wanted to come and live in Japan as a singer.

2016-04-27

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com   Katy Phillips (Australia) Singer/performer One day our friend told us about a female singer who was singing near Harajuku Station. “She continued to perform for 2 hours and didn’t stop singing and performing at all even though just a few people looked at her.” That singer is today’s interviewee, Katy Phillips from Australia. We were moved by what we heard and became interested in her. We decided to hold the “Interview in public” with her since our friend who introduced her to us said that he had a space for

INTERVIEWS

Sake is an entry into a great experience in Japan.

2016-01-26

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com   Andre Bishop Sake Samurai/Owner of Japanese restaurants & bars   The 2nd Kyoto interview is with Andre Bishop, “Sake Samurai” from Australia. His attachment to Japanese food and sake developed into owning his own Japanese restaurants and bars in his country. He has much knowledge of sake, but he wanted to learn how to make sake. In March 2015, Andre met Maho Otsuka, a toji (杜氏, Chief Sake Brewer) who worked for “Japan Brand Public Diplomacy Program” as a sake expert, in Australia. She held a seminar on climate, culture

INTERVIEWS

I’m able to use a lot of knowledge and experience to my career as a geisha now.

2008-04-06

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com   Sayuki (Australia) Geisha *Photo by Kerry Raftis Before Japan’s economy took off, foreigners conjured up an image of Japan represented by such Japanese things like geisha and Mt. Fuji. The feeling was that traditional Japanese culture was mysterious and exotic, and the world of the geisha seemed irredeemably closed to outsiders. But now a non-Japanese has finally opened a crack into this very closed world: Sayuki, the first foreigner to be a geisha in Japan. Japanese and foreign media are paying close attention to this Australian woman who debuted in

INTERVIEWS

I was looking through some apartments and one had “No foreigners allowed”.

2006-11-03

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com   Lyle Warren (Australia) Manager of homestay company (He’s been in Japan since 2002)   A wonderful guy from Australia. He has been in Japan for four years and works every day very hard. He is the manager of a home-stay company, an English teacher for Japanese business persons and a science teacher for kids. He doesn’t stay at one place. He always moves around Tokyo. Now he might be in your town! *Interview in Sangenjaya, Setagaya-ku     I don’t even know what the “Japanese way of life” is I