Through Yonsei Eyes
Mika Osaki is a Yonsei originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, who grew up deeply involved in SF’s Japantown community. She initially relocated to Tottori city, Japan as an English teacher with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, and currently resides in Yokohama, Japan. She can be reached at sydnieosaki@gmail.com. The views expressed in the preceding column are not necessarily those of the Nichi Bei News.
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THROUGH YONSEI EYES: Summer
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In this cold and lonely winter, I can’t help but dream of the picture perfect Japanese summers I enjoyed during my time in Tottori. It seems like forever ago that […] READ MORE
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THROUGH YONSEI EYES: Spring
Mika Osaki, Nichi Bei Weekly Columnist
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My recent column painted a pretty bleak picture of my life in JET in the age of COVID-19. However, these past two years have given me some of the greatest […] READ MORE
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THROUGH YONSEI EYES: DEAR ASIAN AMERICANS: An open letter and guide-in-progress on being a productive ally to African Americans by a devastated and outraged Asian American
Mika Osaki, Nichi Bei Weekly Columnist
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Are you also devastated and outraged? You should be. That’s just the start. So, what’s next? How can the Asian American community mobilize to be productive and supportive to the […] READ MORE
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THROUGH YONSEI EYES: Life as I knew it
Mika Osaki, Nichi Bei Weekly Columnist
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They say you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. You don’t know you’re riding a high until you come crashing down. I always knew my JET (Japan Exchange […] READ MORE
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THROUGH YONSEI EYES: Friendsgiving
Mika Osaki
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Many English teachers in Japan have a tough time during the holidays. It’s times like these when we realize how much we need each other here. I look around the room and become overwhelmed by how deeply I love the people around me. READ MORE
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THROUGH YONSEI EYES: The virtue of goodbye
Mika Osaki
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Late March and early April are times of great change within the Japanese school system. In March, the students have their graduation ceremonies. They are serious affairs filled with tears and stoicism. It’s difficult to move on from a middle school. READ MORE
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THROUGH YONSEI EYES: School lunch
Mika Osaki
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Like many things in Japan, school lunch is a ritual. It’s not cafeteria-style like in the states. Students will spend their entire day, including lunch, in their classrooms, and teachers will rotate every period. After the fourth period bell rings, several students will don ridiculously adorable white aprons and hats, and go down to the… READ MORE
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THROUGH YONSEI EYES: Welcome home
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I tried to take in the reality of my circumstances. I had just moved from the metropolitan Bay Area to rural Japan to teach English. I didn’t know any Japanese. I didn’t know anyone in Tottori, the least populated prefecture in the country. I had no Internet and no cell service, which meant I couldn’t… READ MORE
