Occupation:
Business skills trainer / consultant
Time in Japan:
Ten years
What do you do here?
I work with public and private sector organizations and their employees to help people
communicate more effectively with others by discovering their weaknesses (linguistic,
nonverbal, cultural assumptions, etc.) and improving them. I also host the "San Ka
Getsu Eikaiwa" series on NHK called "Taiatari Eigo Juku." Unlike other
shows, however, this one deals with the real as well as the ideal in communication. It' a
brand new way of teaching on TV that combines role play with "real" Japanese and
commentary on "ideal" responses.
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, USA, but I've lived most of my adult life
overseas, mainly in Japan.
What brought you to Japan?
An exchange program with Kansai Gaidai in Osaka in 1982. I just fell in love with the
country and decided to steer my undergraduate and graduate education toward Japan. I felt
then (and still feel) that Americans have an "education deficit" with Japan. I'd
like to work to bridge that gap.
Are you planning to stay?
Why leave? It's safe and clean. People are on the whole kind, honest and hard working. And
the tax rate is low. Is this nirvana or what?
What do you like about Japan most?
It's the land of opportunity. If you have an idea and a bit of ambition, you can do almost
anything here.
What do you dislike about Japan most?
Three things: one is the fact that there are no places to just sit and relax when
shopping. Japan has taken capitalism to an extreme: keep people up and walking so they
will spend more money. The second thing is that there are no drinking fountains! Again,
linked to capitalism gone awry: if there is no free water, people will have to spend money
on canned drinks. The last thing is spoiled men. Japanese mothers (and wives) would do
their sons a world of good by making them do their own laundry once in a while.
Do you organize your CDs alphabetically?
No. Those I listen to most frequently are on top. That's the end of the story.
What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen or experienced in Japan?
Can I say this? I was on a very crowded rush hour Chuo train one morning headed towards
Tokyo station. As everyone was getting off at Shinjuku, someone dropped a plastic bag
filled with human feces and many people stepped in it while boarding. The doors closed and
we were stuck for five minutes with that horrific smell! The worst part was not the smell,
but that no one opened a window to let fresh air in. Everyone just pretended it wasn't
happening.
What do you sing in the shower?
In the winter it's a song I wrote called "I wish Japanese homes had central heating
and insulation." In the summer it's a song I wrote called "I wish Japanese homes
had central cooling and insulation."
If you could take one thing back from Japan to your native country, what would it be?
Taking a bath or shower before going to bed. In America most people shower in the morning.
They take all the filth of the day to bed with them. It's rather silly, isn't it?
Where would you like to be when the big one hits?
On the phone telling my stockbroker to sell my portfolio since the world's economy will
crash.
Where do you want to be New Year's Eve 1999?
Anywhere with Bill Gates as he laughs at the Y2K (Year 2000) problem.
You have to spend the rest of your life trapped on the Yamanote line. You're allowed to
take one book, one CD and one luxury item. What would they be?
The book would be my mother's Ph.D. thesis titled "Suicide in French Thought from
Montesquieu to Cioran." It takes a lifetime to read, believe me. As for the CD, Level
42's Greatest Hits. And the luxury item would be a lifetime subscription to The New
York Times newspaper.
David Wagner spoke to Maki Nibayashi.
Occupation:
LIFE IN JAPAN: