I’m a Canadian resident of Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. I’ve always been interested in English language pedagogy, budo and Japanese culture. My budo and teacher training started simultaneously in 1992 when I began training in Ninpo Taijutsu and volunteering as an English conversation teacher at the University of British Columbia‘s International House. When I finished my BA there in English literature and language, I received ESL teacher training at Vancouver Community College and taught immigrants and visiting students in Vancouver ESL institutions before coming to Japan on the JET Program in 1999-2000.
I’m on my second sojourn in Japan (2003-), and until 2010, mostly teaching in Tokyo private high schools, taking some courses in the Temple University M.Sc. Education in TESOL program. This year, I’m working with Kashiwa City Board of Education as a program coordinator for elementary school English education.
See you at Hombu and Shihan’s training. 頑張りましょう!
Hi Liz,
just happen to surf the web and entered this link…
I send my e-mails out to Japan after the Earthquake/Tsunami destruction.
I received an error message back on your e-mail.
I hope you are well.
Torsten from Vancouver
Hi Torsten! Glad to hear from you! I’ll send you email this evening. I’m doing okay. Kashiwa Shrine lost its gate, roof tiles came off, and people got rattled, and the radiation hotspots is the topic of conversation. But mostly life is relatively normal here. I hope that you and your family are all well.
Liz,
Hello there its Jess Attilli from Ohio. We met last year when I was in Japan. I will be back next week and was looking for some sight seeing ideas this trip. I tried to contact you thru FB, but that does not seem to be working. We are book up with training, but I was hoping to have some time to look around.
Thanks,
Jess
You have a great blog; hopefully you will post more in the future! Best.