Gerry Curtis, Burgess Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Columbia University and expert in U.S.-Japan political relations, shares how an open mind can lead to unexpected opportunities, beginning with the surprising origins of his Japan Journey.

Patricia Maclachlan, Professor of Government and Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, shares her personal history with the country of Japan and how her love of research led to a deep dive into Japan's postal system and agricultural cooperatives and their roles in Japanese society and politics. 

Kasia Lynch, founder of Ikigai Connections, shares how a chance study abroad opportunity at a Japanese high school led her to a lifelong love of Japan, its culture, and its people and how that love has influenced her in her career as well as her personal life.

Maria Toyoda, Provost at Western New England University and former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Suffolk University, shares how her Japan journey started with her Japanese immigrant parents, but it wasn't until an unconventional academic path took her from a major in Biology to a career in Political Science that her interest in Japan deepened on a personal level.

George Rose, Executive Advisor of Pacific Rim Operations for the New York Yankees, shares how a night out with a friend in New York City sparked a lifelong relationship with both the country of Japan and the New York Yankees.

Gennifer Weisenfeld, Professor of Art, Art History, & Visual Studies at Duke University, shares how she found her life's calling as a cultural bridge between the US and Japan through art.

Andrew Gordon, Professor of History at Harvard University, talks about how his serendipitous encounter with Japan paved a lifelong career in Japanese History and Society.

Susan Napier, Tufts professor and anime expert, shares the journey that took her from Cambridge, MA to Miyazaki's studio.