My Fond Memories of Asahi
Saturday had a special meaning to me back then. While I very much enjoyed my weekdays at Rolling Hills High School, deep down in my heart, I was perhaps feeling like an outsider. But on Saturdays, I would feel at home: At Asahi, I would meet up with my friends, who understood both the Japanese and American culture, let alone the language. And thanks to our highly enthusiastic teachers, we were able to receive Japanese education, as if we never left our home country. I used to exchange diaries with my Asahi girlfriends then. When I read the entry ranging from fashion to (puppy) love, fond memories of the happy days at Asahi come flooding back. Although we unfortunately do not have the chance to see each other very often, the Asahi connection remains strong, and when we do meet, our strong friendship is immediately felt.

Smith College
While many of my Japanese friends returned to Japan for college, I decided to remain in the U.S. I thought I would be able to receive good education at a small liberal arts college in the East Coast. I was particularly drawn to one of the Seven Sisters, Smith College. When I left California for Massachusetts to live on campus, I became homesick, but that feeling was soon replaced by the pure joy of studying at a beautiful yet intimate (the faculty-student ratio was 1 to 12) setting. I majored in political science and minored in German, which I had started in high school. I spent my junior year at the University of Hamburg (Germany).　　In order to keep up my Japanese, I worked as a teacher’s aid for a Japanese professor and taught Japanese at Smith College as well as at Mount Holyoke College (another Seven Sister college in the neighborhood).

Law School
It was hard to decide what I wanted to do after college. Perhaps as a result of having been exposed to a litigious society such as the U.S., I became interested in legal studies and attended Cornell Law School. Cornell is located in Upstate New York, close to the Canadian border. The campus is beautiful with many gorges, but it was extremely cold during the winter. I had never seen so many people who studied so hard (including my roommate with whom I shared a small dorm room). In order to keep up with them, I studied night and day, except when I was sleeping or eating. Although that was not easy, I also very much enjoyed studying case law, as they depicted, in a sense, the “true America.” While I attended law school straight from college, half of my law school classmates had 3 to 4 years of work experience. I do not think there is necessarily one college major that would later help in the study of law - my classmates had majored in various subjects, ranging from music to economics. However, I do believe that it helps to have some work experience before going to law school in order to better understand the law.

International Lawyer
After graduating from law school, I decided to take the California bar. California is known to have the lowest passage rate of around 50%. This may seem relatively high, but given that one can only take the bar after graduating from law school (after studying law for 3 years), I do not believe it is necessarily that high. Before the bar exam, I studied as never before. Fortunately, I passed the bar exam, and I entered an international law firm, in its Newport Beach (California) office. At that time, many Japanese companies (such as Mitsubishi Motors and Mazda) had their U.S. headquarters in Orange County, and I thought I would be able to work with Japanese clients. However, the U.S. economy was poor at that time, and there was nothing but litigation matters. I therefore initially worked as a litigator where I tried some small cases during my first year in practice. I quite enjoyed going to court and arguing a case in front of the judge. After a couple of years in Newport Beach, California, I worked in the firm’s Hong Kong, Tokyo and San Francisco offices. There, I mostly worked on cross-border projects (such as joint venture projects). In 1999, I became a partner within the firm. I dealt with Japanese clients from time to time, and made efforts to speak proper “business Japanese” by studying through Japanese newspapers and books.

Itochu Corporation
In 2000, Itochu Corporation, a Japanese trading company (sogo shosha) gave me an offer to join them as their corporate counsel (in-house lawyer). I had been in San Francisco at that time, but decided to return to Japan to join Itochu. Legal work within a Japanese trading company is truly exciting. There are so many different types of projects all over the world, and I am never bored. One day, I may be working on an acquisition in the U.S., and another day I may be working on a Brazilian lawsuit. Our legal department is very international and both English and Japanese are spoken on a daily basis. I also draft and negotiate agreements in both English and in Japanese. The work environment of a U.S. law firm and a Japanese company is completely different. While with the firm, my salary was higher, but I had little time to my self and I worked mostly alone. Now, while I do not have a big office to myself, I enjoy the teamwork and also the free time to pursue my other interests.

Diversity Program
Aside from working on legal matters, I am also active in the company’s diversity program. Compared to other developed countries, the extent of women’s participation in corporate management in Japan is quite low. Itochu has started a diversity program 3 years ago, in part aimed to promoting more women within the company. In this connection, we started a “mentor program” where a more experienced female employee serves as a mentor to junior female employees. Studies have shown that one who has a mentor is more successful in her organization that one without a mentor. In order to encourage our female employees, we felt that the mentor program could play an important role. In recent years, other Japanese companies have also been active in promoting diversity, thanks to the influence of foreign firms in Japan and the demographic change in the Japanese society.

Outside of Work
I also try to get involved in non-work activities outside the company. This gives me the opportunity to meet new people and to gain new perspectives and ideas. I currently teach U.S. law at Keio Law School and Hitotsubashi Business School. On Sundays, I sing with the choir at St. Alban’s Church, an English-speaking Anglican church near Tokyo Tower.

Message to Asahi Students
Having lived in the U.S., people expect you to speak English fluently. On the other hand, if your Japanese is not perfect, they will immediately think that that is because you grew up abroad. In fact, it is not an easy task retaining your Japanese while perfectly mastering English as a new language. You all are given a wonderful opportunity to be completely bilingual, and the education at Asahi Gakuen can play a key role in this regard, and I hope you will take advantage of that. I wish you all the best, and very much look forward to meeting you in person in the not too distant future.