About Ambassadors
Who are Comfort Japan Ambassador members?
Ambassadors are members from around the world who have been selected because of their diverse and interesting experiences in Japan. They are tasked with providing insight and support to Comfort Japan staff in our communities.
Let's enjoy Japan life together!
Interviews
Please introduce yourself.
When I was growing up in Vancouver, Canada Japanese Canadian friends opened their homes and hearts to my family and I got to know about the language, culture, and traditions through community groups and festivals.
Later, in my university studies, I fell in love with Japanese literature, cinema, and martial arts. At the same time, I prepared for a career in English language education. Japan is where I’ve developed two careers - learning and teaching martial arts.
Pre-pandemic, I spent a lot of time teaching a Japanese martial art to visitors from abroad. While I wait for my students from abroad to return, I’m focusing on professional development in the field of TESOL - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, volunteering with projects to support aspiring foreign English language teachers. In my free time, I cycle a lot to explore the region I live in.
I've been living and working in Japan since 1999. My first experience of Japan, and in fact, my first experience abroad, was a year on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET) where I was placed in a small city. Since then, I've been teaching in private high schools as an English language educator.
Besides my role as a teacher, I also participate in efforts to promote my local community to international visitors through the Chamber of Commerce and grassroots activities.
What brought you to Japan?
What are you into these days?
from USA / Arrived in 2020
Amanda Rewerts
Please introduce yourself.
Hello, my name is Amanda Rewerts, I am 29 years old. I am from Iowa, USA. I have lived abroad in many different countries such as Sweden and Turkey. I studied political science at my university. I love traveling, learning new things and meeting new people. I am so happy to speak with you about everything and anything related to Japan.
What brought you to Japan?
After living abroad in Europe, I wanted a new challenge, my sister lives in Asia as well, teaching English, so I decided to join her as well. I have always loved Japanese culture such as the language and art.
What are you into these days?
Recently I have been getting into learning Japanese, running and training for a marathon, and eating healthy with vegetarian or vegan restaurants. I also have an interest in learning new things such as computer programming.
Please introduce yourself.
Hi. I’m 36 years old, I live in Nagoya, I’m married to a Japanese man. I like cats but I’m allergic. I’m an introvert, I love nature. My favorite places to go are libraries and museums. Yoroshiku!
What brought you to Japan?
It was my dream to live in Japan one day. I worked hard in order to achieve it, it took me 10 years.
What are you into these days?
I’m into herbal medicine and naturopathy. I’ve taken a few online classes in various languages on these topics.
Please introduce yourself.
A strong commitment to plunge myself into the Japanese language is what originally brought me to Japan. In the process I ended up quitting university to create my own study abroad program, and spending two years just studying Japanese. After graduating university I relocated back to Japan for work.
If I am not playing with the kids, you can see me biking and walking around Tokyo. Especially after covid, I've been trying my best to stay off trains and get more exercise outside. More recently I've started to study data science to help leverage data in the workplace to make better (faster) decisions.
I'm generally a goofy guy and a full-time family man. I was born and raised in San Francisco, moved to Japan for the average salary-man life. I've been working the last eight years in the telecommunication industry, doing a variety of jobs from sales to procurement.
What brought you to Japan?
What are you into these days?
Please introduce yourself.
I wanted to learn Japanese. Since my family originates from Japan, I wanted to learn more about my heritage. There were many things that I found both strangely familiar and yet very foreign. Despite living here for nearly 35 years, I still discover new things quite frequently and it keeps me curious.
I have long enjoyed camping and outdoor sports. I have been doing a lot of cycling since I moved here in late March and cycle about 100k/per week. Since my family is still in Tokyo, I have been cooking for myself most meals. I enjoy cooking very much.
I am a Japanese American from California. I've been living in Japan continuously since 1987. I'm currently living in rural Fukuoka, after around 33 years of living in Tokyo. My work has long been related to sustainability and I've been frequently working in areas outside of Tokyo, so I feel quite at home working here in a remote location. My primary employer is a local government. Although there are times when I feel submerged in bureaucracy, I am actually given a lot of autonomy.
What brought you to Japan?
What are you into these days?
Chelsey Winkel
from Netherlands / Arrived in 2015
Please introduce yourself.
That's quite a long story haha! My first, impactful, contact with something Japanese was Pokemon when I was 7 and got my first GameBoy Color with Pokemon Red. Growing up and gaining access to the internet, I learned that all the games and "cartoons" I loved were all from Japan. I started learning more about Japan in general. I've been into rock and metal and got into alternative fashion around 12 y/o. When YouTube went live, someone online from Thailand shared a video of a Japanese Visual Kei band (Buck Tick!) with me, needless to say my mind was blown and I completely fell in love with Japanese language and the Visual Kei genre. Learning more about the culture, the people, the rich history, the country, the language, I decided at a young age that "when I grow up I will live in a penthouse in Tokyo" haha. It was a long and hard road full of obstacles but I have finally settled here comfortably (maybe not in a penthouse though!) and am not planning to ever leave!
Hmmm, I am never "into" something temporarily haha. Since corona has calmed down a bit (for now, at least in Japan), I am trying to take all the opportunities I can get to meet friends and do things I've been wanting to do. If possible I want to go to Hokkaido in February to see the red-crowned cranes' mating dance (丹頂鶴求愛ダンス) in the snow. I love tsuru and animals in general. I've got many hobbies, from reading Stoic works and design books to watching anime and gaming. From weight training and HIIT to playing piano and singing. And of course as a designer I also love creating art, I currently love drawing with watercolors.
Hi! I am Chelsey, a product designer from the Netherlands. I've been living and working in Japan since 2015-2016. As you can tell from my picture, I love alternative fashion and anything creative. I am always working on improving myself. This includes increasing skills, trying new things, and spending time on my hobbies. I might look a bit intimidating but I promise you I am a very positive and energetic person!
What brought you to Japan?
What are you into these days?
Hazim
from Malaysia / Arrived in 2008
Please introduce yourself.
I would say manga and anime, because they really had a big influence on where to further my studies about 14 years ago.
Lately I am into driving and sightseeing. Japan is famous for its beautiful nature, and to be able to enjoy and see it changes from season to season is very refreshing.
Hi everyone! My name is Hazim, and I am from Malaysia. I have been in Japan for almost 14 years, and I am happy to share my experiences here in Japan and hopefully it would be useful to someone in need.
What brought you to Japan?
What are you into these days?
Nikky Chen
from Taiwan / Arrived in ---
Please introduce yourself.
I came to Japan for a gap year to study and try to challenge myself to live in a foreign country and to learn a new language. Push my own boundaries and learn and feel the culture of Japan.
I am currently working in the Tech industry as a project manager, interested in culture exchange and bridging gaps.
My name is Nikky Chen. I was born in Taiwan, raised in South Africa.
What brought you to Japan?
What are you into these days?