Join me for a lively hour-long interview with someone who usually does the interviewing. Our guest is Louise George Kittaka, who writes for the Japan Times, Japan's leading English-language newspaper, and contributes to a variety of other platforms, including BBC Storyworks, CNN, and The Michelin Guide. She works with Japanese government tourism organizations and corporate clients, including Toshiba and Mazda. As a freelance writer and editor for Japan's educational publishing sector, Louise has contributed to numerous textbooks, study courses and national English exams. Louise teaches in the Department of Comparative Studies at Shirayuri Women's University in Tokyo. She is also an independent cross-cultural training consultant, working with international families coming to Japan on corporate assignments and Japanese nationals moving abroad.

We took a deep dive into Louise's background. We learned what inspired this accomplished writer, who is fluent in Japanese, to develop such a successful career in Japan while raising three children in a cross-border family. Louise generously shared many practical tips about what it is like to live and develop a career in Japan.

Real Gaijin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

As Louise writes extensively about Japanese destinations and is an avid traveler, she ended the discussion by sharing some of her hidden gems that you probably won't find in most Japan guidebooks. So, please stay until the end.

Key Takeaways

* Insights into Developing a Writing Career: Follow along as Louise shares details of her own story and how she became a frequent contributor to the Japan Times. Hint: Write what you know.

* Life Hacks for Raising Children While Developing a Career in Japan: While Louise certainly benefited from the ongoing support of her husband, a native of Japan, she had to improvise for long stretches when he was away-both because of long hours at the office and because he was literally stationed far from home for years at a time. Somehow, Louise not only managed to raise three successful children, but also became an accomplished writer! Hint #1: Sleep is overrated! Hint #2: Tapping into your support network can go a long way.

* Practical Advice for Foreigners Who Want to Make Japan Their Home for an Extended Period: Learn Japanese, have a "mindset of abundance," and "find your tribe.

Timeline

Substack does not yet have the functionality to allow you to use a link to jump to a specific section, like YouTube's "chapters." So, please just refer to the times listed below to navigate through our hour-long conversation. Thank you for your understanding.

Key Contacts

* The Japan Times - Louise George Kittaka: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/256/louise-george-kittaka/

* Women Building Community With Women (AFWJ): https://afwj.org/

* Savvy Tokyo: https://savvytokyo.com/

* 5-day JR East Pass (Tohoku area): https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/eastpass_t.html

* Retire Japan:

#LouiseGeorgeKittaka #JapanTimes #BBCStoryworks #CNN #TheMichelinGuide #ShirayuriWomensUniversity #foreigner #橘高ルイーズジョージ #白百合女子大学 #ジャパンタイムズ #ミシュランガイド #外国人 #外人

PS: If you enjoyed what you’re reading, consider hitting the “Like” button. It’ll help more people find this article.

You could also show your support—by recommending Real Gaijin to others.

Here’s how you can do this:

Go to your Dashboard.

Find Settings.

Go to Recommendations.

Go to Manage recommendations.

Add “Real Gaijin.”

Thanks for your consideration. - Mark

Please note that you can subscribe to Real Gaijin for free. If you are so inclined, you can also purchase an annual subscription for a relatively small fee.

However, I understand that even the lowest level of annual subscription allowed by Substack may seem too high for many. If you just want to buy a coffee for Real Gaijin (or maybe a green tea), you can also make a small donation here:

https://buymeacoffee.com/realgaijin

All levels of support - including just liking a particular article and/or leaving a comment - are very welcome. Thanks again for reading.

While Real Gaijin lives in Substack, you can also find Real Gaijin on a few other platforms (listed in alphabetical order).

https://bsky.app/profile/realgaijin.bsky.social

https://www.instagram.com/real_gaijin_on_substack/

https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_on_substack

https://www.tiktok.com/@real.gaijin

https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_

https://www.youtube.com/@RealGaijin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kennedy-5b50b71/