LIFE IN JAPAN
Larry London
 Occupation:
DJ at InterFM Radio
I ' been called a radio personality, a DJ, anything you could possibly imagine that
could be put on a business card, but my current mission in life is to host the 2-6pm
afternoon program at InterFM.
I've been in Japan almost two years. I came here in a roundabout way. I was in LA in 1991,
very very happy with my life, golfing every day and working on the radio for a guy whose
name is Dick Clark. I thought it didn ?t get any better than that, being in LA, working
with Dick Clark. Then a headhunter called from Hong Kong saying they were starting up an
English-oriented radio station in Hong Kong. I loved it, and I was there for five years
when the contract came to an end. I had an offer in Taiwan at the same time I had an offer
in Tokyo and I accepted the Taiwan offer. Two days before I was supposed to move they
called me up and said, "We can't get you a visa."
Two days! My things are already loaded in a moving van, I'm in an empty apartment with
nothing but a blanket, my dog and a phone. I thought "Oh my gosh, what do I do
now?" I lost my mind for a couple hours, and then I thought maybe I'll call back the
radio station in Japan and see if they're still interested. So I called InterFM and they
said, "Yes, we'd still love to have you." Fortunately for me. So here I am
almost two years later now, and every day is a new experience.
I've compromised a little bit here and there. I've lost golf, which was not only my
hobby but my therapy. But I have the gym. My health is very important to me, and being
health-oriented, I love the food in Japan. Every time someone says "Let's go have
American food!" I say, "Just because I'm American doesn't mean I want to have
American food ?. You don't bring snow to Alaska! I want to have Japanese food. I love the
food here, and it's also probably indicative of the fact that the Japanese have the
longest lifespan of anyone in the world. In America everyone's into drive-up, fast, greasy
burgers.
I also love Japanese traditions: pagodas, temples, shrines, onsens, bonsai trees, kimonos.
I just bought a yukata for myself. I like traditional Japan.
The young women of Japan are encouraging. They're friendly and polite. They are the people
you can talk to, the same people you see sitting in international films, listening to the
international sounds and groups. I think because young Japanese women have a more open
mind, are more international-thinking, more travelled, they're not threatened by changes,
by new ways. They want to learn! They are basically the ones who support InterFM.
For now, I'm still enjoying Japan. Besides, I think I have the best job in the world:
playing records for a living!
Larry London spoke with Aeve Baldwin
Do you know an interesting person in Tokyo? E-mail us at editor@tokyoclassified.com |
LIFE IN JAPAN: