Episode 32: Yumi Araki (ASIJ 2006)

Journalist (Senior Producer and Editorial Lead of a media lab)

​Yumi (Youme) Araki was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and raised in Tokyo where she was a “lifer” at the American School in Japan, attending from kindergarten through high school.

Upon graduating in 2006, she attended Boston University’s College of Communication to pursue a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and spent her formative years after graduation producing documentaries at a production company. She then earned her master’s degree at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and began working for the Washington D.C. bureau of Japan’s largest newspaper, The Yomiuri Shimbun.

After covering the 2016 presidential election, Yumi moved on to work as a producer at “On Point,” a daily news show on Boston’s NPR station, and currently produces short documentaries and podcasts for a Washington-based defense think tank.

Most recently, she hosted a four-part TV docuseries called Deciphering Japan, which explores hot-button issues that have both galvanized and polarized the nation. She interviews the people at the forefront of change in Japan.​

Docu-series on Japan,

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/video-on-demand/deciphering-japan

Podcast Summary

-What ignited interest in journalism,

-The importance of being versatile in multimedia in modern-day journalism,

-Will print media (in Japan) die out completely?

-Writing for sound v writing for print,

-Is media content changing to adjust to the demographics or the other way around?,

-Japans increase in foreign population,

-Japans aging population/population in decline,

-"karoushi", and Japanese work culture,

​-The culture of work at the Japanese workplace,

-Yumis identity and how Japanese perspective in regards to "identity" is shifting (*shout out to Naomi Sundberg class of 2008 who makes an appearance on episode 4 of "Deciphering Japan"

-How did the series, "Deciphering Japan" come-about?

Youtube Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L56x7ID3fdA&feature=youtu.be

Anchor Link

Caleb Eby (CAJ 2003) Missionary ​ 

Caleb was born and raised in Tokyo and attended Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ) from K-12.  After receiving a degree in Intercultural Studies and a Minor in TESOL from Emmaus Bible College, he returned to Japan and worked several months in the headquarters of CRASH (Christian Relief, Assistance, Support, Help) during the initials months of the Tohoku disaster relief work.  Later that same year he moved to Gifu where he worked 5 years in the Japanese public schools as an English teacher while doing missionary work on the side. Since 2016 he has been working as a full-time missionary in the Tokai region while still based in Gifu. He is part of a network called No Place Left that seeks to empower Japanese Christians to take the message of Jesus to their own circles of influence until all have had a chance to hear. ​ He is currently still living in Gifu city with his wife, Amy, and two sons.  

EPISODE Summary 

-Rescue work with CRASH (Christian Relief, Assistance, Support, Help) after the Tohoku earthquake, -The demographic of Christianity in Japan and in Gifu, -Changes needed with the way Japanese churches recruit, -How No Place Left networks and operates, -What the day to day operations like being a missionary, -Bible College, and why "Gifu prefecture". -CAJ in comparison to schools in Gifu, -Strengths and weaknesses of Christian Academy Japan (CAJ) from an alums perspective.

Tokyo Alumni Podcast: Episode 30 ​Mobi Fehr (former Santa Maria and CAJ)  

Mobi was born in New York, USA. He attended Santa Maria elementary school, and the Christian Academy Japan (CAJ) from 7th to 9th grade.   He has been playing soccer competitively from a young age, and played for Tokyo Verdy Youth and represented the USA national team at the U-17 World Cup in 2011 as a teenager. At the U-17 World Cup, he was one of the main players to lead the USA to the final 16 of the tournament.  He has played for numerous professional teams, including H.A. Gia Lai FC, SC Sagamihara, Portland Timbers, and currently for the Las Vegas Lights.   He primarily plays a defensive midfield role, but is also capable of playing central and right midfield positions.  He is a global citizen with three passports, Japan, USA, and Swiss passports, while being bilingual in Japanese and English.  

Mobi talks to Nick about having multiple passports, and how he ended up being scouted to play for the US U-17 team when he was a youth player for Tokyo Verdy.  Mobi explains to Nick about how the footballing culture at the youth level differed in the three countries he played during his teen years, Switzerland, the USA, and Japan. Mobi also talks about how his multi-cultural background has helped him with communication skills on the pitch, and has helped him become an overall player.  Mobi and Nick talk about development for young soccer players, and Mobi explains his positions in regards to "3-sports a year" vs "1-sport a year" for youth level players. Mobi explains to Nick struggles he has faced as a professional footballer and what the most difficult aspect of being a professional athlete is.  The two discuss the philosophical element of sports, whether or not nature or nurture is the driving factor of success as Mobi reflects on his professional career in regards to different players he has encountered in the past.  Mobi speaks to Nick about how his international experience at Santa Maria and CAJ helped him now as a professional soccer player, because it exposed him from a young age to various ethnicities, nationalities, and languages.   Timestamp 0:05 Introduction 0:59 Experience playing at the U-17 World Cup 2:12 Getting scouted at Tokyo Verdy Youth

Megan Gates (ASIJ 1987) (Former ISSH & YIS) Lawyer

Episode 29 Megan Gates (ASIJ 1987) (Former ISSH & YIS)

Anna Lorentz (ASIJ 2009) and Alissa Lorentz (ASIJ 2005)

Episode 28

Episode 27: Ayaka "Faith" Suzuki (ASIJ 2006)  

Faith explains to Nick what triathlons and Iron Man races are, and the two go on to discuss how the demographics of triathlons compare to the demographics of marathon runners. Faith explains to Nick why triathlons have gained a reputation of being a sport for the wealthy, and what type of data has been used to substantiate these claims. Faith explains to Nick that however, it is still possible for someone to participate with a lesser income, but that the main barrier of entry is purchasing a high function bicycle, which many people spend a few thousand dollars on.  ​ Faith explains to Nick her personal experience as a triathlete, and how her participation in triathlons are often not a cheap activity. The events often cost at least $400 per event and flights/hotels on top of that. Faith explains to Nick why the cost of triathlons is more expensive than marathons, and how security, safety, and staffing often increase the cost in comparison to your local home town 5K.  Faith mentions how weight can work for or against you when it comes to biking in triathlon, especially depending on the course's wind and uphill/downhill.  Faith explains to Nick how categorization is done in triathlon, and how she hopes to see more women get involved in the sport, especially in Asia. She is part of a non-profit with a mission to advocate for a higher percentage involvement with triathlons, and why it's so important to not only get a woman involved with triathlons but various minority groups more involved in a sport which has been historically heavily white and male.   

Episode 26 Ian Shimizu (St. Marys 2011) Environmentalist  

WeMori Kickstarter Link https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1065560538/wemori-an-app-to-regenerate-the-earth-0  

Ian explains to Nick what WeMori does, and how their Kickstarter works. He explains to Nick about the two types of the awards backers of WeMori can receive, washi and an "up-cycled" t-shirt. He explains how "washi" is in a sense the world's most "sustainable paper", since its paper you can wash. He also explains to Nick what "up-cycling" is and how the t-shirts created specifically for his Kickstarter backers are made out of this unique system of "up-cycling".  Ian explains to Nick the importance of mindset in regards to understanding why we have the products we do, and to understand what happens to these products once they are used. That we must consider the "story" of products in front of us in regard to where they come from and where they are going. By understanding what is around us, we can then understand how we can change our daily routines in order to live a lifestyle that is more aware of the holistic picture of what makes our everyday life.   Ian's advice in regards to what the average person could do in regards to making immediate changes would include, but not exclusive to; eat less/no meat, use renewable energy, use less disposable bottles, ride fewer planes, and help protect and restore forests.   The two discuss nuclear energy, and how its a very divisive issue without a concrete answer, especially in Japan that has historic trauma in regards to nuclear power, and is in a geopolitically precarious location. ​Ian and Nick then discuss renewable energy. The advantages/disadvantages as well as the general question of whether "alternative energy" alone is a resolution to our environmental issues.   ​Ian explains to Nick the root of where his passion for environmentalism came from, and how it a series of events, from his childhood all the way to the present day, which had molded him to become the environmentalist he is today.  The two discuss "Earthman" (​Article with "Earthman" from France). Ian explains to Nick how "Earthman" started around 6-7 years ago by him, and is now part of any climate March in Japan today walking in the front row.  Ian explains to Nick the importance of education and awareness in regards to environmental issues, and how he has utilized platforms such as 350 and Spiral Club to help this happen.   

Guest: Ian Shimizu Ian (St. Marys 2011)

H is a bilingual environmentalist, educator, and consultant based in Tokyo. Founder of weMORI, an ongoing nonprofit project to build an app that makes protection and restoration of forests around the world fun, easy and accessible for all.  He is a professional speaker with experience giving over +200 speeches and lectures about SDGs, climate change and other topics on sustainability across Japan.  He is a consultant and project manager for various environmental and education projects for clients including The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Currently consulting for an app-based education service launching in March of 2019 for CINRA.Inc.  He helped launch the Japan branch of 350.org, a global grassroots nonprofit while a student at International Christian University, Japan's top liberal arts University. Founder of Spiral Club, a community media platform with the aim of 'making environmental awareness mainstream' in Japan.  Music Credit: Bensounds

Episode 25 Philip Seiji Vincent (ASIJ 2007)

Managing Partner (Japan) - Plug and Play Japan

​Seiji explains to Nick the role of Plug and Play in Japan, and how they help create bridges between the large corporates in Japan, with new innovative startups.

The two discuss the difficulties of bridging the two very different cultures of innovative start-ups and conservative Japanese corporate culture.

Seiji, having spent roughly half of his life in Japan, and half in the United States, a bilingual and bicultural individual feels like his role of connecting startups to large corporations is a perfect fit for him, and for international school graduates who often possess this similar background.

The two discuss how Japan's technology was cutting edge in the 80s and 90s, but how the environment in regards to tech has been rapidly changing the past few decades. And in certain ways, Japan is falling behind, and how slowly but surely this has been leading towards a push by the Japanese government as well as major Japanese companies to begin to invest more in startups and become part of the venture capital culture.

​The two discuss the evolution of what is considered "professional dress", and how Silicon Valley is revolutionizing what it means to "dress as a professional" around the world, as Seiji helps explain to Nick why he keeps seeing Patagonia clothing being worn by tech executives.

Philip Seiji Vincent (ASIJ 2007)

Managing Partner (Japan) - Plug and Play Japan

Phillip is the Managing Partner & CEO of Plug and Play Japan, a subsidiary of Plug and Play Tech Center located in Silicon Valley. He started working for Plug and Play in Silicon Valley in 2014 and headed both the IoT division and Mobility division before moving to Tokyo to start Plug and Play Japan in 2017. Plug and Play Japan is focused on creating the largest innovation platform in Japan connecting startups and larger corporations worldwide with hubs in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Prior to working for Plug and Play, Phillip was an Account Executive for Uniglobe Kisco, the U.S. subsidiary of KISCO, a large Japanese trading company focused on chemicals and materials.

Phillip graduated from San Diego State University. Phillip has spent half of his life in Japan and the other half in the U.S.

Episode 24 Angie Marsh 

Aviation Officer  

Angie explains to Nick the unique inner-workings of West Point, and how it operates. For example, certain grade levels are not allowed to befriend others, and how upperclassmen are allowed to wear civilian clothing and drive, while this is not allowed for the underclassmen, especially the freshman, who are known as "plebes".  Angie clarifies for Nick his query in regards to the "basketball throwing test", West Point has as part of its physical fitness test, and why it exists.   Angie explains to Nick the various type of activities that are offered at West Point, and how the clubs and activities offered are a bit unique, in comparison to the standard four years University. They also discuss how the size of West Point has affected her classroom sizes and learning experience.   Amongst the 17 possible branches of the military, Angie speaks to Nick why she decided to go the route of aviation. She also explains how "posting" and "branching" works in regard to how military personnel is stationed. At the very end of the podcast, Angie explains and encourages current high school students to explore the ROTC system, and why she strongly recommends it.  

Angie Marsh (ASIJ 2016)

Episode 23: Erika Brinley (ASIJ 2005)

Erika Brinley (ASIJ 2005) 

Stay at home Mom  

Erika Brinley graduated ASIJ in 2005, and attended BYU, and during her time here, she spent two years on a mission trip between her sophomore and junior year at Hokkaido Japan. She would go on to graduate from BYU with a Bachelors of Science in Family Studies with a focus in Human Development. She has always been passionate about the cognitive, physical, mental, and emotional development of human beings, and how relationships such as parent to child or husband to wife can affect these components.   Upon graduating from BYU, she worked for the BYU University extension, where she was in charge of training teachers and developing curriculum for the many missionaries who were traveling to fifty-plus countries.  She currently resides in New York with her husband Darin (ASIJ 2008) and her three children (with a fourth on the way). She is a full-time Mom, and also a music teacher from home, and coaching mothers around the world.