My history with Australia goes back to the 80’s when I first joined a school program to home-stay in Woolongong.

Everything from breakfast to the changeover of daylight saving time, drama class at school to jamboree and backyard dining, it was all a new and refreshing experience to a Japanese high school student.

I felt apart of my host family from day one and I found three sisters that I’d always wanted. Then going back home after only three weeks of our stay, my desire to shorten the cultural gap I had between the two countries became greater.

When I went home I studied English and Japanese language teaching. After study I came back to Australia as a working holiday maker and then as a student to be a qualified translator and interpreter.

Now here I am, a happy Melbournian who loves its charm and multiculturalism.

It is a privilege to be able to go to the beach (cold but beautiful!) on the weekend with my husband to enjoy surfing, to eat fresh veggies from the veggie patch in our back yard, enjoy live music around town and to have so many choices of cuisine to eat out or even cook at home!

At the same time, there are so many similarities between Melbourne and my home town Shinjuku, Tokyo; the greenery within the city, the mix of posh restaurants, casual diners, sophisticated bars and grungy pubs, festivals and arts all around the city (I would also like to mention that Victoria and Tokyo both have beautiful mountains and the ocean!).

I am so lucky to have such great places as my two home towns.