Occupation:
Computer Engineer/
Swing Dance Instructor
Time in Japan:
One year


Where are you from?
Colorado, USA.

What brought you to Japan?
The language. I wanted to learn Japanese. I studied in the States for three years. The Japanese economy was better at that time and I thought if I came here I could do well, but as soon as I came the economy started to plunge.

What do you do?
I work for Digital Magic Labs in Ebisu. I do software for Fortune 500 companies' websites and databases, and programming for stuff like online e-commerce. In my free time I teach swing dance.

Tell us more about swing dance.
It's an American dance that gained popularity in the 1940s when Glen Miller did his US tour. It was essentially a black art form in the '20s, which came out of the Charleston or the Jitterbug. It's not like most social dances. It's relaxed and very loose, it's easy to express yourself, but it's also a partner dance too, making it good for meeting people.

What made you interested?
I went to a bar with two co-workers and they just got up and started dancing. I watched and thought, wow, that's really cool and I want to learn! So I did. In Tokyo there are only three instructors, including myself. There isn't a demand for it because people don't know what it is.

Why do you think it became popular again in the States?
I think people forgot how to talk and communicate with each other. In the States, you go to a bar and just get drunk with your friends. Swing dance is a social activity where you actually have an opportunity to interact with the opposite sex. I think people are attracted to that - having another agenda other than just getting wasted.

How many classes do you teach?
I teach three times a week: Twice a week at Wall Street Lounge in Roppongi with a party afterwards, and once at the Tokyo American Club, which is limited only to the club members. The Roppongi classes are open to anybody. I wanted to have a piece of my own life in a country and culture that I didn't know too much about, and try to teach other people that part of me as well.

What kind of music do you use for swing?
Old stuff from the '40s: Glen Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman. Now there's a lot of retro swing where they're re-recording the old stuff. But Ella is my favorite.

What draws you to it?
The interaction. You're dancing with someone, you're talking to them - it just feels good. When you lead the girl, it's like you're having a conversation and interpreting the music at the same time, and when you put it all together you create the flow.

What do you like best about Japan?
Food and fashion. People really care about how they look here and it shows on the streets. It's not like America where when you walk behind someone, sometimes you can't tell if they're a boy or a girl. Also, I like all Japanese food except natto. I haven't tried it and I don't think I ever will.

What's the weirdest thing you've seen so far?
Shibuya girls. They blow me away. I was one for Halloween.

What is your recipe for a happy and successful life in Japan?
Same as anywhere: Surround yourself with honest, fun, bright, people. Do what you do. Teach what you know. Learn what you don't.

Contact Richard by email: rich@hijobs.com 

Richard Morrow spoke to Maki Nibayashi.

Do you know an interesting person in Tokyo? If so, email us at maki@tokyoclassified.com