All interviews have been edited for publication. Interviews may be reproduced solely for educational purposes, not for commercial purposes.
JUNKO KOSHINO (Fashion and Design)
Junko Koshino is an artist and fashion design icon, known for her participation in the Paris Fashion Week for over 22 years, fashion exhibits all over the world, and for her costume designs for operas, musicals, and the World Expos of 1970 and 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
“Fashion has no nationality. No matter which country it comes from, it’s about sensibility and beauty. It doesn’t depend on the specific characteristics of a particular country. It’s about the people.“
– MS. JUNKO KOSHINO
“The character for “delicious” in Japanese (美味しい) literally means “beautiful taste.” So, we eat with our eyes as well. Japanese beauty is not just about satisfying hunger; it’s about enjoying a meal beautifully, including the presentation, the utensils, and the overall experience. That is what makes it truly delicious.”
Ms. Yumi Arimura (Hospitality)
Ms. Yumi Arimura is the CEO of ryokan Ayu-no-Sato, in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture. With an undergraduate degree in accounting from the U.S., Ms. Arimura has dedicated herself to hiring workers from diverse cultural backgrounds to work in a traditional inn, an innovative initiative in Japan. Ryokan Ayu-no-Sato employed over 22 people from 8 different countries at the time of this interview.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re Japanese or international staff, but you need to have lots of communication (…) so that we have less mistakes and less misunderstandings, and to become a better organization. So good relationships equal good communication. A lot of communication.“
– MS.YUMI ARIMURA
“Accept other cultures, accept the people there, and learn, and be flexible.”
Interview with Ms. Yumi Arimura conducted in English on January 4, 2025.
Ms. Mariko Oi (Journalism)
Ms. Mariko Oi is the first and only Japanese speaking on-air reporter for the BBC. With a career in journalism spanning over 20 years, Ms. Oi has covered major events for the BBC including the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the Tokyo Olympics, and Shinzo Abe’s assassination.
“I would encourage students to go abroad, even for a short while, just to get out of your comfort zone, because I think that’s something that you would have to experience in your professional life anyway, so the younger you experience it, the better.“
– MS. Mariko Oi
“As long as you have something to say that people want to listen to, then it doesn’t matter whether your English is perfect. That’s the mentality that I think is quite important for Japanese students.”
Interview with Ms. Mariko Oi conducted in English on June 19, 2025.
Ms. Emi Takemura (Business / Education)
Ms. Emi Takemura is Representative Director at Learn by Creation and at FutureEdu, and a Co-founder and Advisor of Peatix.com. Having previously worked at various international companies such as Amazon and Disney, Ms. Takemura also focuses on education by advocating for more creative learning environments, where students can develop a sense of purpose and self-efficacy.
“I felt that the make-or-break factor of somebody actually acquiring culture and language after a year or not hinged upon grit. (…) It’s surprising how natural ability is not the determinant of success when it comes to international communication.“
– MS. Emi Takemura
“Every mistake is a learning opportunity.”
Interview with Ms. Emi Takemura conducted in English on December 20, 2024.
Mr. Koichi Iwasawa (Business)
Mr. Koichi Iwasawa is the CEO of Key Message International. From a journalism background, Mr. Iwasawa has extensive experience in communication and public relations, and around 16 years of experience working internationally and interculturally in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
“Contrary to communicating in English, I think that using these other languages (the main language of the country I was posted to or the organization I belonged to) helped me to gain the respect and trust of my colleagues and business partners.”
– Mr. Koichi Iwasawa
“In this field, there are certainly guiding materials such as culture maps, but I think it is important to look at various differences, such as individual differences, social differences, language differences, gender differences, and job position differences, in a complex and comprehensive manner.”
Interview with Mr. Koichi Iwasawa conducted in Japanese on December 15, 2024.
Ambassador Yasushi Sato (Diplomacy)
Ambassador Sato has worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan for 40 years, spending 23 years in overseas posts. He is currently the Japanese Ambassador to Venezuela.
“I think that flexible thinking and being able to accept change more readily, (…) having a broader range, is important.”
– Ambassador sato
“I definitely recommend that first of all, even if it’s just for a short while, you just go and see the world.”
Interview with Ambassador Sato conducted in Japanese on January 20, 2025.
Mr. Zenji Kitamura [pseudonym] (Business)
Mr. Kitamura worked in business operations (technology, automation, sales, management) for over 30 years.
“That’s what effective business communication is – can you explain how you came to a conclusion logically?”
– MR. KITAMURA
“What is the definition of global jinzai? (…) Good presentation skills, good English. Businesses only emphasize skills, and they say that you should improve those skills, like presentation skills or English. But that’s not it; those are skills, not the goal of becoming global jinzai.”
Interview with Mr. Kitamura conducted in Japanese on October 9, 2024.
Prof. Yuichi Nakagaichi (Sports)
Professor Yuichi Nakagaichi is a former volleyball coach and player, and Appointed Professor at Fukui University of Technology
“Learning English is the start.”
– Prof. Yuichi Nakagaichi
“As people, mentally, they grow. I still believe that.”
Interview with Prof. Yuichi Nakagaichi conducted in English on May 31, 2024.
Dr. Chiaki Mukai (STEM)
Dr. Chiaki Mukai is an astronaut, physician, and Specially Appointed Vice President at Tokyo University of Science
“You cannot learn from the same idea. You can only learn something new from a different idea.”
– Dr. Chiaki Mukai
“No matter what the language is, no matter what the culture is, the strategy for science communication is ‘the simpler, the better’.”
Interview with Dr. Chiaki Mukai conducted bilingually on December 1, 2023.