Japan is a very special place for me. Not only is it where my mother grew up, but it’s where the rest of her family, including my cousins, aunts and uncles, still live.

When I was in graduate school, I spent one semester studying in Niigata Prefecture on  Japan’s main island of Honshu. It was an amazing experience. Not only did it provide insight into my mother and her culture, but it also marked the beginning of an expat life that eventually brought me to Basel. Continue reading →