Introducing... Makayla S.

Kanto member Makayla S. is a pottery artist.

Let her introduce herself: "My name is Makayla and I am a Bulgarian who has lived in Japan for 25 years. My greatest passion is pottery and I have been fortunate to live in a country that has such a rich tradition in ceramics. I also love to travel and allow the beauty and culture of each place I visit to touch and inspire me. Then reflect that in the pottery I make."

You can follow her on her Etsy Shop...

Introducing... Amy Nakazawa

You can follow member Amy Nakazawa, a long term Tokyo resident, online on her blog, twitter, etc.

These days, she blogs about Japanese cooking, life as a mom, etc.

Enjoy !

Introducing Regina Altherr, ceramic artist

Shiga member Regina Altherr is a Swiss ceramic artist. She has been working in Japan for over 30 years, exploring her creativity in different ways, such as ceramics, vessels, sculptures and glass works.

She will be showing her latest Ceramic and Glass Work in Tokyo for her first exhibition at Glass Gallery KARANIS.
The exhibition will be held from July 2nd to July 10th. Open from 11-7 ( also open on Monday.)
The artist herself will be at the gallery on July 2, 3, 4 and 5 from 12noon to 7pm.

Gallery contact information:
Glass Gallery KARANIS
FROM 1st 2F (name of building)
Minato-ku , Aoyama 5-3-10 tel/fax: 03-3406-1440

You can follow Regina on her homepage:
http://www.smaral.com/

Introducing Cornelia, artist

Kanto member Cornelia (Connie Koyama) is an international-minded Swiss artist specialized in printmaking, who has lived in Switzerland, US, Germany and Japan.

She is participating currently in an exhibition at The National Art Center in Roppongi, Tokyo.
She received an 'Award for Excellence' for one of the two prints on display there.

Art Mirai International Art Exhibition
The National Art Center, Tokyo
June 23 (Wed) - July 5 (Mon), 2010
10:00-18:00 (final day 10:00-12:30)
closed: June 29 (Tue)

1A Exhibition Hall & Out-door exhibition
Roppongi 7-22-2, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-6812-9921
Web http://www.nact.jp/english/index.html

You can follow Cornelia on her homepage:
http://www.corneliasart.com

Introducing Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto

Kyushu member Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto is an English teacher, teacher trainer and author.

She is co-author of a children’s English textbook series called Let's Go. 

You can follow her on her blog or her wiki, where she shares information about teaching and learning English as a foreign language.

Introducing Jane Joritz-Nakagawa, writer and poet

Chubu Tokai member Jane Joritz-Nakagawa new book of poems, titled "incidental music", was just published by BlazeVOX.

It is now on sale at Amazon USA.

Congratulations !

Introducing Sheila M. Asato, Coach

Overseas member Sheila M. Asato is a certified Embodied Imagination coach and a Dream and Art Facilitator. She also teaches at the Monkey Bridge Arts Center in St. Louis Park, MN, USA.


As Sheila writes on her homepage, "the emphasis is on how dreaming connects us more deeply with the creative process for healing and spiritual development."

You can find more information on her homepage and follow her on her blog.

Introducing "Action English Eniwa" School

Hokkaido member Vicky K. teaches at her own English school and blogs about life in Hokkaido.

You can follow her on her blog and school homepage.

Introducing Gabriele K, flower designer

Kanto member Gabriele K. is originally from German. She is a very talented flower designer, knitter, crafter, etc. She blends her experiences and inspirations from both her German roots and her life in Japan into beautiful pieces of art.

Follow her on her blog, Etsy shop or homepage.

Introducing "Working Mom in Japan" blog

Kanto Member Amanda (Mande) Y. reports about her busy life as a working mom in Japan in her blog.

She was recently featured on another blog. You can check the nice interview here.

Introducing "Book Ideas" blog

Kanto member Birgit Z.S. started in August 2006 with her daughter and is heading the "Book Ideas Community Service" in Fuchu, Western Tokyo, that organizes a free foreign book lending service. 

More information here.

 

Book Ideas at Momijigaoka Bunka Center in Fuchu

Members assisting other foreigners in need

Kanto Member Emily Homma has been assisting Filipino nurses and caregivers who came to Japan under the Economic Partnership Agreement of Japan (EPA). She helped them with Japanese language support, clothing donations (Japan is much colder than The Philippines) and others.

You may have heard of this program through local news. Having seen with her own eyes the situation from the nurses' side, Emily wishes to let people in Japan and overseas know their truth and their feelings.

You can read here what Emily wrote:

Introducing Suzanne Kamata, writer

Kansai member Suzanne Kamata is a talented writer that is being recognized not only in Japan, but also worldwide. Her books are available on Amazon (some of them also as Kindle books).

Her latest book Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering (Wyatt-MacKenzie Press, 2009) was named to The Japan Times' best books of 2009 list!

Suzanne earlier works include Losing Kei (Leapfrog Press, 2008). She was also the Editor of Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs (Beacon Press, May 2008) and The Broken Bridge: Fiction from Expatriates in Literary Japan (Stone Bridge Press, 1997)

You can follow Suzanne on her blog, where she write about motherhood, writing, and disability issues as a foreign wife in Japan.

Writing for "Being a Broad" Magazine

Several of our members have been writing for or featured in Being a Broad Magazine, a magazine for and about foreign women living in Japan, created by Caroline Pover. It is a part of the "Being a Broad" network that includes "Being a Broad Book".

AFWJ Kanto member and writer Louise George Kittaka wrote an article in the January 2010 edition of Being a Broad Magazine (p.13). You can read it online here or here (older editions also available).

PS: Caroline Pover has recently written a book, "Guide to International Schools in Japan". More information on its site.