Masaki Shimada shares his unique life experiences from being born and raised in rural Japan (Niigata) to attending university in Tokyo where an overseas study abroad experience to Oregon in the US would change his life forever. He talks about his journey between the US and Japan, his life in both countries and why he finally decided to move to the US for good. He has now lived twice as long in the US compared to his home country of Japan. Masaki is truly what I call a “Global-Local.” Someone who has made their host country their home and has become like a local of that country. His journey is cyclic and filled with irony, as he now studies Japanese bonsai and tea ceremony in Portland, Oregon from American teachers!
This is the second video of a new series about “Global-Locals.” Please subscribe to the channel if you are interested in living and things related to Japan.
The first video on Global-locals: Maggie Sensei’s (Margit Yokota)’s Linktree information: https://linktr.ee/magi_sensei?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=e04bccbd-baac-4618-81a1-45b5ea3d0364
Other videos about Japan:
Best Rice in the World: https://youtu.be/QFyfOB6vyMs
Japan Bath: https://youtu.be/tPyJliDAm4Q
Japanese curry: https://youtu.be/FFseCI802R4
Getting to Work in Japan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSr7HATHQF0
YouTube Channel page with #shorts and long format videos:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MikeMatsuno
#americandream #usimmigrant #livingintheus
hi everyone welcome to the man in Japan
podcast show where we enjoy hearing from
unique guests who are what I call Global
locals they’re usually Risk Takers
people who have lived overseas for an
extended period of time and are
immigrated and have basically become
like the locals of their adopted country
thus my definition of global locals
today I would like to welcome masaki
shimata masaki has now lived in the
United States for almost as twice as
long as he’s lived in Japan I invited
masaki to join us today because I
thought he would be able to share some
invaluable Insight on the US Japan
International marriage immigrating and
being bilingual and bicultural masaki
was originally born and raised in
nagaoka city in nigata prefecture
located on the Japan Sea Coast at 18
years old he left nigata to study in
Tokyo at IC the International College of
Commerce and economics which today is
known as Tokyo International University
or tiu at ICC masaki participated on his
first overseas study abroad program to
aamt University in Salem Oregon for 2
months this study abroad experience
would forever change his life so masaki
welcome to the show thank you for
joining us today he it’s my pleasure so
I’m just going to just jump into you
know because I’m sure people are
interested about how you transition from
Japan to the United States or back and
forth you went on that first two-month
overseas study abroad program to W
University why did you decide to go on
that main reason was because you know I
wanted to see the United States I was
attracted by the us since I was little I
love the movies and watching all the the
exciting stuff happening in the US so I
wanted to go to the US before I die and
it was a chance to go by joining ICC you
ICC was not difficult college to get
into so I thought I had a shock also one
of your reasons to go to ICC was they
had this um study abroad program to the
United States yes when I was researching
a colleges my grandpa looked at some of
the brochures and he thought this new
College ICC is different and he really
liked the the founders mission statement
why he made a college and IC had a
sister schore from its Inception which
was W University so I thought if I go to
this college there’ll be a lot of
foreigners you know walking around and
maybe I have a chance to speak to them
and maybe become a friends so when you
in high school were you already very
interested in English or could you speak
English at that point no I liked America
from the movies and music but no my
English score was really low because I
didn’t like to study I just liked
America you know I tried to study very
hard but uh there only limited number of
colleges maybe my academic ability could
get in and IC was one of them the first
time I went to uh ICC and then tried to
join the club I joined the ESS english-
speaking Society Club because I wanted
to improve and you have to go up in the
front and then uh you have to introduce
yourself in English and I only thing I
could say was my name is masaki
shimada and I like movies that was it
yeah that there was a first spring
seminar W exam in the fall of my
freshman year so I prepared studyed
really hard for 6 months and I failed
and then the following February the
group uh left for us and even though I
failed uh I was a runnerup and one of
the participants uh who was a female
students uh declined to join so I got in
I was very lucky so you got in thanks to
someone dropping out yes well if not you
wouldn’t have gone to the United States
exactly and everything is different wow
probably not be talking to each other
right yeah we wouldn’t be here so tell
me about those two months at wamit
university in the United States tell me
what was going on what were you thinking
what were you surprised at just give me
a summary of what your experience was I
remember I think it was a big shock when
I landed in Portland I my image of
America was really big city like LA or
New York Portland was very different
just like a landing on uh Hokkaido you
know just the green and nothing else
when I arrived in Salem town was very
small looked like very conservative
small City and the wam University looked
really old with all the red bricks uh
but it was really beautiful campus and
of course at that time my English wasn’t
that good so everything you know all the
orientations and the instructions went
like you know I was trying to ask my
friends what was going on what am I
supposed to do things like that and of
course the classes uh were not easy for
me but um maybe after two weeks I
started to get used to the sound of
English or the pace of speaking and I
started to understand a little by little
and then I started to really realize the
place wamit is just a wonderful place to
study you know it’s a small school very
friendly people my thinking of just you
know visiting us changed to maybe I want
to come back and become an American
students and the foreign exchange
students studying hard and getting a
degree so that was big transition about
like academically those two months was
it really tough and what about your
socially league did you socialize and
meet a lot of American students although
my English wasn’t that strong I really
like to meet people was my broken
English so I tried to go as many social
event parties Gathering as possible so I
was able to make uh many friends
particularly with what they used to call
counselors uh they are students I think
they are either volunteers or paid a
little bit to uh be like a bridge person
between the uh students from Japan and
the W student so I become kind of close
to some of them you know if you have
more friends you want to talk you want
to share you want to understand so
another motivation that you want to
study English more what about parties
and social life there I really like
dancing when I was young the parties was
great you know there a lot of music
people are just uh talking I didn’t
understand a lot of a conversation but I
just like to dance I like to meet the
people uh I think really helped me to
relax and then again I think it was a
good motivation for me to study more
English so dancing was a key for you to
get to meet a lot of people yeah I was
pretty good you know at that time you
know they call club now but they used to
be called disco so when I was a freshman
preparing uh to take the exam at the T
tiu or I because of the lot of U
pressure and studying so hard I went to
the Disco in Tokyo uh on a Friday night
with my uh ESS buddy and we just danced
danced until you know we dropped so we a
pretty good dancer and Oregon you know
as you know it’s kind of a country state
right we are from a big city in Tokyo
and we knew the like a disco dance so
yeah we had a good time did you get a an
American girlfriend yeah I became a few
counselors uh we became very close uh
one particular one of the female uh
counselors who lived right next to my uh
resin Hall I think she went to Japan
when she was high school she was really
interested in Japan so she was very
friendly and she was trying to help my
English and asking me to go to parties
or you know some uh restaurants uh
during free time so we become close all
of that was a big motivation the dancing
the social life counselor kind of having
like a good friend or almost like a
girlfriend and that was all strong
motivation you for you yes that you
would want to come back to study in the
United States yes so tell me what
happened after two months you go back to
IC and then what happens so I went back
and then six of us uh who went to the
spring seminar we gathered and decided
to go back to bamet we met every week uh
after the class and then we you know
picked up the material uh to study
together and then practice discussions
and yeah we were preparing to go back to
WAM and then about 30 wam students uh
came to IC as part of the wet semester
at the ICC and that one of the
counselors that I became kind of close
she also came to Japan so our
relationship continued in Japan and
that’s you know and she was keep telling
me you know you got to study hard you
should come back that’s what what I did
at that time it was like a double degree
program if I recall correctly it was
like two years at ICC two years at wamit
one year at ICC 2 plus 2 plus one
program is that correct yes I think that
was a unique program in Japanese
University at that time if if you get
scholarship one is a full tuition
payment other one is a half tuition
payment but you get to be supported by
the IC until you get a degree usually
two years they will cover your tuition
course until you graduate which was uh
really good so I was of course was very
competitive but I wasn’t really worried
about it I just needed to do that so six
of you came right so was there like a
lot of people who applied for that
program I don’t think many people
applied maybe 20 30 two got I actually
got a a scholarship from uh actually
from OBET U not from ICC terrific so
from not speaking barely speaking
English when you enter IC going for two
months that changes your life motivates
you you come back you study really
really hard and then you qualify to go
back for this double degree program
which at that time was very Progressive
okay now tell me about when you get to a
lit of course it’s very different now
you’re a degree seeking student compared
to like a tw- Monon almost like fun
experience maybe study program tell me
about the differences between the
two-month program and the real degree
seeking the first semester at wam it
coming back as a transfer students it
was a
hell I was just there only three places
I I moved around my my room classroom
and Library those three points every day
no social life no fun time also so not
so much sleeping time either uh it was
just so overwhelmingly different and
difficult I didn’t not that time know I
was going to survive it was a big shock
tell me about the difference of the
academics in the two-month program and
the academics in the real program the
two month program was designed for
international students English classes
and some of the basic uh American
politics and economics and uh sociology
so the professor
they are very good at teaching and they
prepared well enough and make it easy
enough for a second language learner to
understand but now it is American
University in you know American
classroom situation in American
University with a the native speakers
and the local people it’s totally
different speed is different homework
assignment was different and there a lot
of discussions you have to participate
and otherwise you know you don’t get a
good grade so it was really difficult to
adjust to this new and tough environment
entire first semester was just a hell
was crazy just studying studying
studying yes imagine that you take about
maybe 20 30 minutes to read one page of
the textbook because you have to look up
the dictionary on the new words and if
you have a 20 pages in each class and
you’re taking three or four classes it’s
mathematically impossible to do all the
reading right it is crazy I thought I
was going to I have to give up or I have
to return home with a shame of not
making it how did you get through did
your it was your first semester did you
get through did you pass your classes
there’s one little story the first quiz
I had at the American politics class I
didn’t sleep I studied as much as I can
I borrow the notes memorized and then
prepare for the test so the quiz came
and I did my best and maybe I was able
to answer maybe half so I thought oh no
I’m I’m going to fail I’m going to fail
this is uh not good and when the
professor returning the grade well I I
got C minus were you happy no no C minus
no I have to keep maintain B aage to
keep the scholarship so I was very
disappointed and this professor uh Dr
Kish she said masaki look around there
are lower grade in this test than you so
keep it up and that almost made me tear
up I I saw the light right cuz I I came
I’m not a native speaker and I didn’t
have a good grade but there are native
speakers whose grade was lower than me
that gives me some you know light so I
still appreciate Dr Shay when she said
that and that was my Turning Point
meaning that what then you studied
harder or you were more motivated just
do it don’t give up just keep doing it
and if it doesn’t work out maybe it
wasn’t meant to be but you just do it
just like a Nike commercial it’s just do
it do best you can and then accept the
consequences so did you just do that for
the next two years you did it you just
kept studying like you were studying no
social I was studying and studying and
studying and you remember me and first
thing you told me was masaki you wasting
your life you’re always studying and not
doing anything else yeah gradually and
but steadily I think I started to learn
how to to study more efficiently and and
I was trying to be a perfect but you
cannot be perfect if you get 80% that’s
a b right right so I started to learn
how to survive I think that was
necessary I never studied that hard in
my whole life and then I think that
actually built my backbone I see my you
know confidence you know sometimes a
crisis will reveal your true potential
or your character so that first semester
at W uh I think that was a time that
definitely saw my weakness and um but
also the people around me helped me to
gain my confidence in that uh very
stressful uh environment and then so I
passed all the courses at the end of the
semester and the audience doesn’t know
but you and I actually studyed together
at wamit that’s how we know each other
for many now decades right I wasn’t a
good influence on you at that time but I
was trying you were just always living
in the the library right and I tried to
get you to be more relaxed and not as
serious was that something good for you
no man no you corrupted me man cuz I
didn’t have any choice the other choice
was give up and then you know return to
Japan with a shame and all my you know
dreams aspiration will be gone so I was
a desperate I was desperate after first
semester I started to learn how to study
better and then I started to have a
little more social time more free time
and I Le to enjoy the life as a college
student and then I think you are the one
of the the guys who showed me how to
enjoy American college life okay I got a
little bit credit yeah yeah you taught
me how to enjoy life there was other
things rather than just a studying okay
then I feel honored that you think that
thank you and then you also joined the
fraternity why did you join the beta
theta Pi Fraternity uh I think the the
folks at the beta house they are very
friendly to International students
invited us for the parties and that
system I never knew when I was in Japan
um you know the all the the students
coming from different parts of the
United States living together as a
brothers and then share their time
together and build a A brotherhood uh
relationship I thought that was
something that I cannot experience in
Japan so I wanted to be part of it of
course in the first semester was was
impossible and second semester I started
to enjoy some of the function as a
social member I was invited as a social
member I think end of my junior year uh
I think in January I was asked if I want
to become a member and I was honored and
yeah went through what used to called
hell week right yeah remember I don’t
think people can do that anymore but
yeah that was another amazing experience
that you know it’s a crazy experience
that I don’t think it’s normal uh
academic student might not experience
but in retrospect that was a great
experience too yeah that I remember that
time it was a special exception that
beta theeta P I was also a member that
we accepted you and mitsu the two U ICC
Japanese students and we wanted to make
the the fraternity more International in
a sense yeah I think we were one of the
first to accept International students
um of course you know with all the work
that you folks are studying you know the
academics it was hard that’s why at the
beginning we thought okay social member
would be enough but it wasn’t a full
favor right and I think you know the
difference between you know just going
me not even halfway so I think that was
a really good experience so tell me you
get through the two years okay any
social life any girlfriends well you
know obviously the the girl I went out
uh when I was um two months program uh
we broke up you know I didn’t have any
time no time and then uh we went
separate ways and I didn’t really want
to have a girlfriend because I want to
focus on study but I made this girl when
I was a senior came back from u in
Hawaii uh spending a semester uh like
you suggested and I met this girl she
was actually on her way to go to PLU uh
Pacific Lutheran University in
Washington but her best friend was
studying at wame Brenda do you remember
Brenda I remember Brenda so she was just
visiting and as she came to the mo a
political science class I think it was
American forign policy and I I never saw
her you know well is a small school so I
knew most of the students right but
there was a new student sitting in the
front and I looked at her profile she
was kind of cute so it turned out that
she actually decided to go lit instead
of PLU and then she started to study at
WAM and then we become a good to study
friend and she also joined a martial
arts Club sh Ino we practice on campus
she was first really good uh study buddy
you know good friend yeah I I enjoyed
enjoy the social time in my senior year
I was more relaxed I had a more lead
time one after I graduated went back to
Japan and as she came to one of the
Japanese uh leading universities in
Tokyo area uh International Christian
University ICU she transferred there to
study so our relationship continued in
Japan and eventually uh we ended up
getting married that’s the kind of short
story yeah it’s Su yeah that’s really
interesting she changed the University
at the beginning instead of going to PLU
she went to wamit because you were there
not just me but I thought yeah she got a
same kind of scholarship from wamit no
before we mov there I wanted to ask you
so you finish up your two years at wamit
you survived it must have been a great
feeling that you got through yeah I was
very very tired when I finished and I
know I had a a chance to maybe um well
actually my academic advisor asked me if
I wants to go to grad school but I was
so tired of stud in English I wanted to
go back to Japan and start making some
money so I I decided to go back and then
finish tiu ICC after studying in an
American environment with the rigor you
know the the language difference you go
back to ICC for your fifth year there
must be a huge difference academic rigor
and seriousness and you probably know
this but uh in Japanese University
especially back in old days you finish
uh most of the studies by junior year
and usually senior year is the time uh
for uh finding a job recruiting uh you
know checking the companies and uh
preparing for the the job hunting and
maybe senior thesis just a few classes
so the same situation was my situation
after I return I had a very few classes
to do with andthis and then I was uh
preparing to find a job so not much
studying CIS and maybe Club activities I
was ESS so I did some Club activities
but uh thinking about what I want to do
after graduation you must have been a
big shot on campus then because you’re
one of the few Japanese students who
actually went to America you know uh six
of us went together uh from the spring
seminar and all six of us graduated I
think it was a you know big deal because
up to that point only one or two went to
W yeah we had a big group so we are
futured in the newspapers and stuff
after we return I think uh University
was looking at us you know how we choose
our future jobs at that time these types
of programs are very unusual right when
you go through your job recruitment
which is usually interviews of course
and did you go to many I narrowed down
to four or five that I wanted to work
for and yeah I did some research and
then you know read some books or
contacted Senpai the the senior who
studied in the United States and came
back and got a job at that particular
company I think it was uh Sony Japan
correct Sony and also City Bank City
Bank also offered me a job it was kind
of interesting because I didn’t go for
the interview I went in to ask some
questions I uh just inquiries about the
uh the bank and after my I finished my
questions and the person said I actually
have some question for you Mr shimada
and then ended up he offered me a job
wow in those days that must have been so
unusual that doesn’t happen well I I was
just fraag did I mean I was was
surprised you know I I didn’t go for the
the normal route of U lining up for the
company for the in interview and test I
just went to ask for some questions it
was very interesting experience so that
gives me confidence too I only have some
place that some company want to give me
a job so I I think I was more relaxed
when I applied for other companies so
masaki think about this then going to
the United States and getting your your
double degree in Japan and the United
States had to be a really big plus for
you because you know nothing against ICC
but ICC was not a big school then it was
a quite quite small school all those
seniors they would have loved to work at
a big company like Sony or City Bank but
the chances are they probably wouldn’t
get there but you did do you think it’s
because of the degree you had and the
experience that the companies recognized
I think more or less yes especially City
Bank it’s a foreign bank so they’re
obviously looking for somebody who has
experience in foreign countries or or
maybe American education so City Bank
yeah probably and Sony Sony was
different they they never really ask my
um like transcript it was very different
uh I went on October 1 which was the
opening day of the uh company visit at
that time I lined up you know get on the
early train go to Sunny headquarters and
the line up and we had a group interview
uh and then there was a I think there
was total of three or four interviews
and then there was a exam too but they
never asked uh to submit my transcript
which was very strange and I always went
as the ICC student I never mentioned
from my side that I have a degree from
American University but you know one of
the interview was English and I remember
there are maybe 20 people in the room
and one of the one of the guys were
talking about um his uh study abroad
experience uh spending uh maybe few
months and he looked very
confident in his uh conversation after
he came back from the interview he was
sweating so bad yeah look pale oh no
interview was the uh former Apollo 11 uh
simultaneous interpreter um s Nish who
was very famous person you know Sony
there are so many people who who are
bilingual there be able to speak English
was you know not not something big deal
so I don’t know why they chose me my
English wasn’t that good it had to be
basically based on your English though
if they didn’t have your transcripts so
they didn’t really acknowledge that you
had graduated from an American
University that sounds really strange I
thought that the wet degree helped you
but it didn’t seem to help you so much
wet is very small school if it’s a
Harvard Stanford maybe but you know it’s
it’s a small liberate school which is
you know it’s a really good school but
small so I think they are probably
interested in my stories and maybe saw
some uh potential in the future if they
saw my transcript maybe no I wasn’t
hired like I said I barely made it to
the be I don’t think people realize how
difficult a degree seeking program is
it’s not like exchange it’s not like a
language program I think there are so
few maybe 1% or maybe 1% of the 1% in
Japan that actually do a degree seeking
program and only those people have the
right of passage that they know how
tough it is to really do what the
typical American or Western European
student is doing so yeah kudos to you so
tell me about working you worked three
years at Sony yeah a little over three
years and how was that was a great great
company I still have a very close
contact with my um what we call classmat
class of 81 entering Sony there are
35 of us you know they came from many
different places different universities
some are from different countries it was
a wonderful bunch of guys and ladies
that uh we work together it was a great
experience it it was a great company a
lot of excitement lot of wonderful
opportunities uh I even get to meet uh
then chairman Moran uh I still remember
his uh voice and oh he is a legend a
legend very charismatic yeah amazing
person so what made you decide to quit
then if you have such you had such a
good job you had such good colleagues I
was never really a business person I
think maybe that’s one of the reasons
and um I wanted to start the family by
that time I was already married and uh I
was thinking about family and living in
a Tokyo I don’t think it was the best
environment to raise our kids we wanted
to raise our kids in Hawaii like you I
didn’t see my future there you know when
you look at your company and if you look
at your managers you know 5 years 10
years from now that’s who you would be
like yes it’s a good company and it’s
kind of prestigious too but they’re
always so busy maybe moving to overseas
coming back going overseas sometimes you
know uh difficulty of the uh child
education because of that you know all
those factors uh told me maybe this is
not the place for me to stay too long so
like I said I’m not really I guess
business-minded person I wanted to be a
bridge uh because of my experience and
my um background and I thought maybe I
have a good opportunities in the United
States to do that so you and Sue decide
to of course return back and why did you
decide on Portland Oregon to live why
did you move back there first we went
back to uh clas Falls where she my wife
Sue is from K Falls uh and then after
yeah K Falls and then we uh needed to
find a job so of course the Portland is
the biggest city uh economic Center of
Oregon so I thought it would be a good
place to uh find the job and what job
did you find initially initially I was
uh I find a job working for the uh
travel agency based uh uh Japanese
American company uh they are doing a lot
of U um exchanges and also one of the
project that they were doing at that
time was the helping a Japanese
television crew uh to make a drama in
Oregon called from Oregon was love oron
Yeah Ean and Kino minasan and I think
they had a first uh uh series and then
it was a popular in Japan so they came
back and made a a special for several
years after that and I was uh interested
in that project as well so you were the
support and the coordinator of of of
that whole the production crew and
things yeah it was interesting I was a
non production uh helper or coordinator
meaning that you know moving a cast and
crew or making sure they’re getting fed
things like that and then there was a
great experience working with a Japanese
television crew and then actors how many
years did you work at the travel agent I
worked there for maybe four years other
than that I was doing just a um helping
uh Japanese school Exchange program
coming to Oregon you know junior high
school high school sometimes College in
the summer programs homestate programs I
did a interpreter a few times or
assigned interpreter uh for the clients
I was the operational manager uh for
this company wow so you were kind of
doing what you wanted to do right kind
of being the bridge being the in between
that all kind of fit what you wanted
correct yes okay and I was able to you
know visit Japan uh once in a while um
so that was great so after four years
what made you leave travel agency and
move to what’s your next job what was
your next job again it was lucky because
uh through my job I get to know some of
the uh uh folks from Japan including
people working at the consulate or the
companies and and one day in elevator um
I think it was maybe I Hadad some U
business uh in that building but uh I
was uh with the one of the Japanese uh
Diplomat counil and then he asked me if
I’m interested in working for the
Japanese uh consulate and I was kind of
surprised also at that time uh after
four years working for the agency it was
really busy and I was a little bit
exhausted I thought I maybe can try you
know working for the government you know
something I never experienced and
something new I had an interview and
then I was offered a job how many years
did you do that uh I think about four
years again um at the Portland Council
general of Japan office I was assistant
to the council doing most of the uh
counsel Affairs U business uh the
passport Visa um registration uh
certificate and sometimes we need to go
out and then support the dev
International who are in trouble helping
trials or sometimes unfortunate uh death
and then we have to help family uh of
the deceased coming from Japan and so
forth was interesting experience get to
know many interest in people that also
sounds like something that is really
what you really wanted to do right you
know before be the bridge be help
support people I think so and what made
you leave there and what was your next
job after that so uh when I was uh
working at the counseling one of my uh
favorite professors from oric came to
ask for uh visas for know his students
to go to Japan and he said ICC um now
know tiu they are uh building a small
campus next to wamit and then going to
start the program are you interested so
I said oh wow that’s interesting but uh
I’ll kind of see how this progress of
holds up I said Thank you and then uh I
was asked again by uh executive director
of the program and if I’m interested in
joining the program government job was
very interesting and made a lot of
interesting connections but it’s kind of
not very exciting job got a little
boring except yeah except uh you know
when you’re helping uh actually the
people uh from Japan you know going back
to my alma mother wam that changed my
life is kind of interesting exciting you
know um and maybe I can pay back some of
the amazing opportunities that the
university and the people there know
gave to me so yeah decided to work for
uh Tokyo International University of
America tiua on wamit campus and they
built it right next door to wamit right
I think the land was owned by wamit and
the tiu built resid Hall and classrooms
on that uh land so it was like a joint
teny and the whole idea was to have
exchange and most of the students who
came probably wouldn’t be able to take
regular classes but they would have
their own program and the some that were
really good could do some classes on
wet’s campus and have a roommate
exchange Etc is that right yeah it’s a
you know like a three-step program uh
it’s a one-year program they come in the
spring mainly focus on building their
academic English skills or presentation
skills and then they start taking a
subject matter courses during the
summertime when the wam is closed so
professors available so they can teach
with the uh English faculty supporting
the classes and in the fall uh is the
beginning of the new school year WAM and
then students are able to take regular
wam courses depending on the English
ability and all the cedit uh are
transferable back to tiu so even though
they spend a year in American University
they can still graduate tiu in four
years and like you said some of them uh
have opportunity to apply for the
transfer uh scholarship to come back to
allignment for degree and what was your
position there you were like dean of
students I recall no uh I started as a
academic person uh assistant director of
academic Affairs and then I did the
student affairs and then did both
academic and student affairs and then I
ended up uh focusing more on the student
life and I become a one of the
leadership team to manage the program
how many years did you work there masaki
believe or not 28 years yes super long
man wow it is yeah that’s why I’m so old
now and you were driving like one hour
each way right from Portland right right
I still lived in Portland and I thought
first maybe I would change my job in
four five years like I used to do that
was my pattern before but uh because I
think what I did was uh pretty
interesting and then fulfilling you know
dealing with working with the students
ended up staying too long so I was 28
years commuting from s every day you
know it sounds like that Arena just like
the rest just like the travel agency
just like Sony you were actually being
the in between you’re helping students
which you enjoy I can tell that your
whole personality is is about helping
people supporting people that’s what you
enjoy that that’s you know service I
think is really your your Mantra and
that fit you again perfectly I would
guess that’s why I stayed that long yeah
sometimes you know it’s really tiring
and especially comedian um every day but
uh you know when you see the new
students when you see the some of their
eyes kind of reminds me of you know me
you know like when we young right they
still have a hopes and come to the
different environment different culture
sure you know confused sometimes you
know like disappointed lost confidence
but you know there’s always opportunity
and I think that program also changed
lives of many students and so what made
you end there I I recall it was
something to do with covid what happened
Co came on the 2020 right when the you
know the students come in February so
the 2020 students were already arrived
they’re already here on campus and then
uh there was an of lockdown and maybe
the Japanese airport might also shut
down for a while so I was so unfortunate
that we have to send all the students
back to Japan after spending almost two
months and so we let them go for the uh
last uh chance to see the United States
on the spring break but right after
spring break we heard that at the
beginning of April the airport might
shut down so we scrumbled to get the bus
to bus them to see Seattle to leave for
Japan before the Japanese airport kind
of locked down so uh we are able to do
that and all the students went back and
Al also the president of a tiua a
Japanese Professor went back with them
and uh uh we were doing some remote work
but um without seeing the the future you
know didn’t don’t know how long this
pandemic continues I don’t think the ti
had a any choice but uh close uh
temporarily and then has to um lay off
the faculty and stuff at that point so
we are laid off at the end of April of
2020 I see and then did you officially
retire well I didn’t retire first and I
was hoping that maybe the program will
come back sooner but doesn’t look like
uh that would be the case and then I
started to look for job important area
just to you know get through but that
was another opportunity for me to really
think about my life and uh because of
the lockdown I was home I was doing some
remote uh meetings I started to work on
my garden my yard that I neglected for
29 years and it was crazy really bad and
by working in a yard and then touching
the soil touching the tree fixing a rock
wall trimming a trees really gave me
some comfort you know I really like to
make place I live little bit nicer uh I
was happy that I’m I was very I’m very
close to Portland Japanese garden uh
it’s on the Washington Park uh which is
about 10 15 minutes away from my home
and I really wanted to look at the
Garden you know I thought that Garden
will probably give me some uh Comfort
Serenity peace and through that when I
visited the garden and I felt I was
really close to my home I felt
Tranquility Harmony I realized I really
led the Japanese Garden Culture that I
was not really paying attention for a
long time and then what so what happened
after that I was told that there is a
volunteer opportunity at the Garden they
have a lot of volunteers helping a guest
uh either uh touring or being a dosent
for the exhibit or taking care of the
garden itself as a Horticultural uh
support staff I applied and accepted as
a volunteer so I started volunteering in
June as the um what they called The
Garden monitor uh walking around helping
visitors and EXP explaining some things
about Japan and and I started to really
enjoy that and also I wanted to really
help the garden uh maintaining a garden
make it nicer cleaner uh and then also
learn how to create such a quiet Beauty
so how long did you do the volunteer
part for I still do volunteer I did uh
from the the June
2020 and then following year I was
offered actually a part-time job uh
paying job uh to take care of the bonide
trees displayed at the Japanese garden
and so you took that job so you didn’t
have to go back to work so you’re kind
of semi-retired now well yeah after I
offered the job as a part-time I said
well I’m officially retired I just going
to do volunteer and this part-time job
that took care of the bonai so I guess
they officially I’m retired uh 2021 tell
me about bonai I I you know we met last
uh fall I think it was or last year when
you came for a Bonsai exhibition what
made you all of a sudden become so
interested in bonsai was it that Return
To Nature to touch the soil and tell me
about that I was really surprised the
quality of bonide display at the
Portland Japanese garden even more
surprised those trees are Cared by
non-japanese Bonsai artist I was just
amazed the quality and and I was just
blown away I was lucky to be able to
meet the one of of the uh Bonsai artist
who has a lot of trees there and when I
visited his uh Garden I just felt I
really wanted to do this that’s why I
started to get into Bonsai we are very
lucky in Portland that uh we have one of
the largest U uh Bonsai Club in the
United States called The bsop bonai
Society of Portland we have over 500
membership most of them are local people
you know and they are so enthusiastic
about the bonai and we happen to have
maybe five or six prominent Bonsai
artist in the United States and also
this environment the climate it’s really
um good for growing a bonai you know
even in Japan I’m living in Japan I
rarely see bonai around maybe I’m not
looking but then you came and we went to
Tempo in Kyoto and we went to the
exhibition kind of open my eyes a little
bit so I’m kind of more looking around
for Bonsai but it’s still very uncommon
so is it a dying art in
the art of bonsai I think they have a
problem finding a successor uh many
Bonsai uh nurseries uh artist in Japan I
don’t see its dying art now the reason
is because in the recent years uh many
Asian people particularly from China or
Vietnam some of them are very wealthy
and they also love art of bonai you know
it’s origin originally started in China
many people come to Japan and buy expens
bonze some of the bonze are sold on the
auction it’s over million dollar so it’s
not rare to find a bonai price range
around you know 100,000 200,000 so the
bonai um nurseries who owns lot of a
expensive bonai I think they are
flourishing right now but at the same
time there’s a sort of a concern that
all the good Bon size are disappearing
from Japan I mean they’re being bought
yeah going overseas you know the lot of
bons artist they they love trees right
they want to care so even though they
sell the tree to their clients usually
in Japan so they can still care those
trees because some of the Prof know
people who buy bonide are not
professional bonai artists they want to
display they want to see this you know
uh Beauty and Living Arts they can take
care of the bonai trees after they sold
it but when it’s overseas it’s very
difficult uh to do that and then um I
don’t think many bonite trees are coming
back sometimes people are just using
just like any other art piece want to
have it and then maybe you know they all
survive they might not survive so uh the
industry itself is not doing bad but
again I think as the Japanese art form I
think it’s yeah they need to find young
people to start get interested in Bonsai
so overseas Bonsai are getting popular
but in Japan I think still uh have some
issues getting attention tell me about
bonai okay so like a lot of the people
the audience that might be watching this
video may think like well what is bonai
looks like just a small Min miniature
tree maybe you can give us a short
summary of usually how long it takes and
what the whole process is and give me
some examples of some years how how old
are some of these more expensive bonai
some of the bonai are from the you know
like Shogun era you know by tokuga
Shogun era um that’s how many years 300
and some trees are 500 years old those
trees are usually uh what we call the
Legacy trees passed down to generation
to generation art of bonsai is sometimes
you can create sort of ancient look
trees and styles by applying certain
techniques I know us in America the
bonide are still a new um art form but
the trees in the United States is very
old uh for example like a Rocky Mountain
juniper trees that I see here some are
four or 500 years old being a bonai is
after the trees are you know taken out
from the nature and put into the pot for
people to have a much close contact with
the nature or the Styles so as a bonai I
think in United States maybe 20 30 years
bonai in United States is relatively
young they look ancient because of the
the technique and styles but bonze Japan
uh few hundred years old uh some of
those are very expensive so who is
teaching these who taught these
Americans to continue bonai was it
Japanese immigrants or Japanese
Americans that continue the tradition I
think the bonai become popular after the
Japan lost the war and then the many
servicemen came to Japan and then some
of them are you know just amazed with
the this tiny nature the beautiful art
form living art form in Japan and then
you know there Japanese Americans living
in the United States some of them uh
brought that art form from Japan when
they moved to United States so I think
the first teachers were the Japanese
American folks here and then Japan
started to accept a foreign apprentice
and one of my teachers uh here uh he was
apprenticed early 2000 and then uh came
back and then start uh his own uh
nursery and teaching now there are quite
a few uh foreign studying uh under the
Masters in Japan as a apprentice and so
they learned the the right way and might
take you know three to five seven years
but some of those um who are really uh
committed to the uh bonai they went
through and then and they came back to
United States or other countries and
then they are trying to um teach this
beautiful traditional the out form so it
sounds like bonai is maybe more popular
outside of Japan than in Japan at the
present moment I have a feeling maybe
that is accurate um I think still very
limited people interested in uh bonai
but I think in overseas I think it’s
more popularity uh uh gaining especially
in Portland you know like I said we have
a largest bonai community over 500
people are members the 500 are mainly
Americans oh yeah they all Americans I
don’t see any Japanese national in our
CRA at this point maybe Japanese
Americans but not Japanese Japanese like
me okay and what about the teachers so
how many teachers do you have in
Portland and they have to be American
I’m assuming correct uh like I said
there are five or six very prominent uh
teachers and then in the bonai club uh
has a long history so they are what we
called mentors uh they have a uh
experience long experience maybe 20 30
years experience of uh um carrying a
bonai so when we have a gathering those
mentors tery come and help teach new
folks about the basics and they are
really friendly and also wants to spread
this wonderful artform I see and how
long have you been doing bonai now so um
I started um
2021 three or four years right and are
you enjoying it do you feel this sense
of like in the moment kind of the Ichigo
ich kind of thinking yeah I love I love
working with the trees uh developing a
trees styling a trees and even at the
look looking at our trees you know some
trees have so much history that kind of
speaks to you you know like show that uh
the environment this tree grow up the
nature the severity of the natural
element that’s why this branch is bent
this way or broken this way a living art
form never never same very slowly but
it’s always changing and you also told
me that you are learning tee ceremony or
chop is that correct yes and what made
you decide to do the OA also was it
connected to the bonai I think so uh I
think many Japanese art form are
connected with the the way of tea you
know even Japanese
architecture um some of the Artcraft
connected with the tea lot of a um the
traditional Japanese out form at the
Japanese garden a lot of a cultureal
demonstration and one of them is the tea
ceremony and I was always kind of
interested in that uh traditional form
um in fact when I was in high school I
belongs to the tea Club oh really I
didn’t know that really but my intention
was not pure you wanted to meet
girls well there was a girl uh that I
really liked and she was yeah tea Club
so my purpose was to go and drink a tea
and look at her
yeah but uh so this time um you know one
of the uh teachers te teachers uh she’s
also American uh was trained in Kyoto
for a long time she’s a wonderful lady
she’s she’s like a to me like a lady
Yoda I don’t know she has this yeah Aura
and whenever she makes tea or she talks
about tea it just she grows you know
like Aura like you said Aura and she
knows so much about culture the Deep
part of the Japanese culture but she
make it very interesting and fun too um
you know I thought the tea aligning a
tea might must be really rigid maybe
that’s the way in Japan but right she
make it fun she make it more like it’s
having tea with me this afternoon having
just a tea and chat with me this morning
but it’s part of the lesson I really
enjoy having tea with her in a
conversation looking at the scroll you
know try to interpret how she feels how
I feel look at the chabana the uh flower
and then how you feel about the season
it’s just a wonderful time it’s
wonderful time and each time you know of
course the t bow is different flowers
arrangement is different so like you
said every moment when I have a tea with
her is once in a lifetime and it’s just
just great and because I’m a beginner
there lot of U steps no showa you know
the the way to do things so I really
have to focus and concentrate and I can
block everything else when I was
practicing it’s just a wonderful time
wow so she’s American also correct yes
so the irony of your life right now is
that you are Japanese you immigrated or
moved to the United States and now you
are learning the very typical
traditional old Arts like bonai and OA
probably two of the more older more
traditional type Arts from Americans you
who are Japanese are learning from the
American teachers is that correct that
is correct but you know I don’t think
it’s Unique because my teachers American
whoever Master the art you know whatever
the nationality if you put your time
energy dedication and then become a
master it doesn’t matter who you learn
from yeah I understand doesn’t matter
maybe communicative language is the
English but no it doesn’t matter but
it’s just to me so ironic that you would
come all the way to United States to
learn Japanese art from an American
instead of just learning you know like
most people would just learn in Japan or
would come to Japan to learn but that is
so interesting I wasn’t interested in
those things when I was young you know
that right I was looking at America West
you know disco movies daning yeah and
surfing well surfing is also my therapy
too but mostly looking at the Western
culture and I was admiring the you know
the liess and excitement and then um now
I’m uh started to get settled you know I
have more time to think more time for
myself more time to ponder because I
don’t have to
work um and I think um I find myself
longing for the things I used to be
surrounded or had in Japan and those
things comfort me yeah that is so
interesting that it’s like you’re going
cyclic like you know like they talk
about Zen or whatever the whole Circle
that you left Japan and you did all
those things and then you’re returning
home but in America with American
teachers I mean that’s so interesting
and amazing remember you you know you
like movies Star Wars James Bond Shen G
kle you know you were a movie person
right surfing of course I you know now
to see you go and do bonsai and OA for
me you know I’ve known you for what 30
40 years and are you happy now are you
do you feel centered and grounded and
what you’re doing now very happy I am
very fortunate I’m grateful for what I
am now come to think about it I think I
I probably liked like a Kyoto or
Japanese Garden or tea because in high
school when I was in high school I spent
a month in Kyoto staying at my
relative’s house and I was biking all
around Kyoto not just looking for
Michael son you know but I really like
Tempo quietness and then yeah serenity I
really like the Japanese Gardens you
know when I grew up uh my grandpa was
very successful so we had a a beautiful
Japanese Garden in our backyard we have
two gardens there a waterfall and hills
and then Koi pond and so I grew up in
that environment so maybe something that
you know
unknowingly that I was experiencing or
going through in my childhood is just
coming back they always say life is
cyclic so maybe maybe you’ve done the
complete turn and you’re coming home
almost now I’m going to shift the
subject a little bit so you know you’re
happily married of course you have two
sons correct yes I have yeah two boys
two men they GRE up grew up and tell me
about are you happy that you raised them
in the United States and if so why I
think I’m happy that they grew up uh in
the United States as American uh I think
they had a lot of choices when they
young I think the Portland is the
fortunate place that we didn’t have a a
lot of racial tension at that time and I
think our kids grew up mingling with
many different uh type of people
especially my younger son went to one of
the largest high school with most
diversity in the student body and I
think it was great and both are enjoying
uh what they like to enjoy when they’re
young you know Sports especially or
music and then then they chose their own
path and happiness and then they’re
doing great and most of all they are a
nice people and which made me very happy
only regret I had was that I should have
sent my boys uh to Japan more often when
they were young so they could play and
connect with the uh my relatives in
Japan when they young you know they were
kind of busy even in the summertime on
the sports and then other um interest
but lucky to have two wonderful boys I
think it’s mainly because of my wife I
think she is the rock she is the key no
I wasn’t around around you know I was
working I was working in Salem every day
now tell me something when you when you
communicate do you communicate in
English or Japanese cuz I know Su
Japanese is very very good mostly you
know like a daily conversation just a a
lot of a Japanese word are used but when
we talk about like a more discussion
topic probably English and did you teach
your boys Japanese or did they just end
up speaking English when uh y was born
uh Su and I decided to speak only
Japanese at home because outside is all
English right so his Japanese was really
good when they were when he was young
but once uh he um grew up and they
started to uh play with other kids of
course you know uh the English become
his first language both yo and Kota went
to uh what we call Japanese imagin
school in we lucky to have the imagin
school it’s a public school but half of
the instructions subjects are taught in
in Japanese and they went through the
elementary school kot all the way to
high school Yosi got out from middle
school because he want to play
basketball in terms of the knowledge I
think Kota has more knowledge about the
Japanese but in terms of fluency I think
Yoji his pronunciation is pretty good
they have a base if they have
opportunity to be able to speak I think
they’ll be okay communicating with the
just V Japanese conversation and what
about Sue when I see her in your home
you know she seems to be like a perfect
blend of American and Japanese I can see
a very Japan you know although she’s
from calamate Falls Oregon she’s able to
very Japanese like you know the way she
integrates or interacts with people um
right right how did that happen did she
learn that from you or was it just in
her DNA that she had this because the
typical American person would have a
hard time making that adjustment not
everyone can do that I think it’s a
little bit of a both I think it’s her
character and also maybe life with me
too do you think you had the American
dream where you immigrated to America
and you have all the success and
happiness that you have ever thought
that you would you could have I don’t
know you know it’s people Define a
success different way if the success to
me is to be happy I’m very successful
and I’m very happy I think you’ve you
that’s it I think you’ve found what
everyone most people are looking for and
never attained so after coming to United
States I realized that I didn’t really
know about Japan I mean I thought I knew
but uh maybe I could have stayed in
Japan little longer or maybe traveled to
many different parts of Japan and also
Asia no I never been to any other Asian
countries what do you miss about Japan
in these last 40 years like what do you
always say oh I wish no I could do this
or you know is it like food ofuro ofuro
okay on sand on Sand okay yeah and also
the friends okay and tell me what do you
value the most about the United States
that you’re happy that you moved you
said that your CH your boys had a lot
more choices like maybe they wouldn’t
have those same choices like in Japan
what else you know to focus on
educational I mean critical thinking
being assertive and be able to have your
own opinion I think those are really
good part of American System yeah
Freedom uh freedom to do things as long
as it’s not violating any laws and many
people have a good balance in life you
know not just work work work but uh when
they take a break they take a break and
it’s much easier to take a vacation here
with less money the entertainment
business in America is the best in the
world Sports entertainment only regret
is that I think the maybe you feel the
same way but I think the you know
disparities between Have and Have Not
it’s getting wider and wider there are
more people I think U suffering even in
Portland I think the especially downtown
safety and then environment is maybe
more intolerant sometimes more violent
used to be more relaxed is something is
different you know it’s kind of a
negative vibe I feel more not just in
our but you know maybe world as a whole
you know like a conflict in other parts
of the world just actual war is
happening and yeah I mean even for me
living in Japan I think one of the the
most important things for me to live in
a society is safety right that you don’t
always have to worry about your things
being taken or stolen or you being
mugged or robbed you know somebody being
mean or cruel or or what whatever to you
least Japan overall is still very safe
uh people are honest usually you know
you can still get your things if you
drop or lose them you don’t have to
worry about you know being mugged or
things getting stolen I mean the best
things about Japan I think Japan is a
good country to live when you are older
us is a good country when you’re younger
another question is that if you had a
chance to live this your life over again
would you have done anything differently
I don’t think so I’m pretty happy now
and because of all things good and bad
will led to this moment right I think
I’m very fortunate I’ve been having
great life are you more comfortable in
the United States now more than living
in Japan or are you still more
comfortable in Japan I was more
comfortable living in the United States
before yeah like you said you know Japan
has the safety and also the medical
system welfare social Med it’s a nice
place to to live do you feel more
comfortable speaking English or Japanese
now or are you basically balanced yeah I
feel comfortable in both languages so
when you look back saki on your life
your your whole process of study abroad
and how that one study abroad experience
would change your life and then you’d go
back to study for a degree and then
you’d get a good job at Sony and then
you immigrate or move to the United
States and then you work for the travel
agency and then the culate and then tiua
and now you’re doing volunteer at the
Japanese Garden in Portland as well as
doing Bonsai Ina when when you really
think about it you’ve had a really
complete life it’s pretty amazing that
you’ve gone full circle is there
anything that you would like to share
with the audience you know like you
always said traveling go to different
countries when you have a chance you
know especially when you’re young go out
from your own country or own culture and
then see the different part of the earth
you know and meet people I think it it
gives you a lot of a impact and maybe
will help your life and I you know what
my case that I came to United States and
then I realized a lot of things about
myself I’m very very fortunate I think
I’m blessed with the people surrounding
me my friends family they’re always
supporting me helping me sacrificing for
me to be happy I think a lot of people
know they want to travel but maybe they
think about it when I retire or whatever
but the time you retire it’s a little
bit different if you can do the
traveling when you’re young and get
those experiences it really changes your
whole mindset I mean look at you your
whole life was changed right my life was
changed I came on that wamit program to
IC and look where I am I’m still in
Japan and it’s kind of funny I’m
Japanese American I’m from Hawaii I’m a
fourth generation yon you’re Japanese
you end up in America I as an American
end up in Japan and we both were
influenced by a study abroad program
that would change our life so basically
study abroad travel so when you think of
the magnitude of how powerful uh study
abroad or even living abroad or maybe um
just traveling for a long period of time
I mean short period is fine too but
longer you can travel the better I
always believe because you have more
chance to get to meet the people and
that’s why I like to call this show the
global locals it’s like people like you
or even myself we’re more I like to
believe more Global we can look bigger
because we’ve traveled at the same time
we’ve lived long enough in an adopted
country that we become more like a local
person there kind of like a global local
you know had you not done your travel
and I had not done my travel in this
case it was study abroad but it doesn’t
have to be study abroad it could be
working abroad it could be just
traveling for a year backpacking it
could be you know teaching English in
Spain or visiting your friend in
Argentina you know for a while so yes I
agree 100% traveling builds diversity it
it opens your mind so you don’t have
those dislikes or likes or you don’t
like somebody because they look this way
or they believe this way or whatever you
know I think it really opens the mind
and it’s the best teacher I hope that
more Japanese and Americans would be
able to travel and for longer periods
not just like you know Japanese go for
like four days and come back you got to
assimilate in right yeah you know the
John lenon song Imagine that’s it that’s
the ultimate if the human can achieve
that that’s the ultimate goal so masaki
I want to thank you for being my guest I
have learned so much about you you know
I have known parts of it but today I was
able to hear the whole thing together I
just want to thank you for just being so
kind to give me your time and just being
part of this just so happy that you’ve
reached where you are you know not many
people can get to your point masaki
Thank you again masaki I really
appreciate it and that’s all for today
the man in Japan podcast take care
3 Comments
He's my kind of a guy.😂
Great story, great interview. Loved it! Thank you.
wow‼️My brother is speaking😂✨✨✨✨