I am interested in stories from long ago and far away. Especially stories from Japan. I also enjoy artwork, book layout, and self-publishing.

My parents immigrated from Japan and I am the first in my family to be born in the United States. My father was one of the many academics who came to this country from its former adversary, Japan, after WWII. During my childhood, I lived in Europe (Romania for a year, the Netherlands for half a year) and Japan (two years). In between these stays overseas, I attended schools in Boulder, Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Then I obtained my Master's Degree from the School of International Affairs at Columbia University, New York City.

In addition to working for the National Park Service, a Japanese steel company, and writing for an American newspaper, I worked with international students at the University of Colorado, Stanford University and the Fulbright Commissions in Tokyo, Japan and Jakarta, Indonesia. I wrote articles and books on Japan, international education, and jewelry making. My current writing and translating reflects a deep interest in cross-cultural matters sparked by these experiences in so many different parts of the world.

After I finish getting Tei's memoir out into the English-speaking world, I plan to write a collection of short stories - based on mukashi banashi (old Japanese tales). My plan is to update them and present them to English speakers so that readers can be entertained, horrified, moved and intrigued by these  fascinating old stories which have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years.