Have you heard of Ohio? It's a state in the middle part of America and it's where I grew up.  My older sister, my parents and I enjoyed living there, but all of us moved to Philadelphia which is a large city on America's east coast. After my sister grew up, she moved to California. I liked visiting there so much that I decided to move there too.  Living in San Francisco where there are so many cultures and many Japanese people encouraged me to expand my interests beyond America.

　My lovely wife Yuriko and I met each other in San Francisco and have been married for more than 10 years. Yuriko was born and raised in Kisakata and for that reason we decided to move here. We have one daughter who is now in Kisakata Elementary School. She is fluent in both Japanese and English.

　Thanks to my wife and her excellent cooking skills, I have come to love and appreciate Japanese cuisine. Every day is a learning experience for me and sometimes I am frustrated by my difficulty with the Japanese language. Nonetheless, the kindness and patience of the Japanese people I have met has made a big impression on me.  I have much to learn about Japanese culture and the Japanese language. I am certain that I am fortunate to experience living in Japan. I love it here!

　My favorite hobby is riding my bicycle and if you live in Kisakata, you are living in a fantastic place to ride a bike. Riding up Mt. Chokai is my favorite thing to do and I feel blessed that I am living in a place where I can enjoy nature's beauty without having to travel a great distance. You may see me riding about town and if you do, please wave or shout hello. I promise to wave back!

　　I grew up on a pig farm in Canada.  I have two younger sisters who are teachers and a younger brother who is a musician.  You can listen to him at: www.myspace.com/mikeedel.   In the middle of college I spent a year teaching English in Asia.  After that I knew I loved learning about other cultures – and especially eating their food.  I worked at a juku (tutoring agency) for 3 years and then decided to take a masters degree in TESOL.  At this time, I also began teaching immigrants to Canada.  I enjoy the classroom a lot. 

　　My family is a big, big, big part of my life.  My wife and I have one daughter, Naomi, and she is our princess.  Because we love her, we call her names like “monkey” and “turkey”.  Do you call little kids these names in Japan? I like playing with her in the park.  She loves slides.

　　Besides my family, I enjoy sports.  Hockey, golf, baseball, volleyball, soccer, and martial arts are some of my favorites.   I like cars too.  I had a Mazda Protégé 5 in Canada and it was a great car!  Be careful if I’m driving past your family’s car.  Canada drives on the opposite side of the road!  Oh my goodness.

　　I'm from the small island town of Anacortes, Washington. My older brother and I grew up in a loving home, with cats, dogs, and a horse.

　　I came to Kisakata 10 years ago as a high school student with the Sister City Exchange. It was my first trip abroad, and I loved the area so much, that I made a promise to return to Kisakata someday. My experience in Japan sparked a curiosity to visit other countries.

　　I attended Johnson & Wales University for 3 years, graduating with a bachelor's degree in International Business. The last trimester of my freshman year was spent in Gothenburg, Sweden. I transferred to the American University of Paris in France for my junior year. During my time in Europe, I was able to travel to many European countries, seeing and experiencing cultures so different from my own. After graduating, I decided that it was time to return to Japan.

　　My hobbies are horseback riding, paper cutting, traveling, baking, and swimming. My major goal in life is to pursue an organic and natural lifestyle. When I have time, I enjoy learning about other cultures and languages. I have been studying Japanese so I can become more immersed in the culture and lifestyle. There are so many wonderful people I have met who have enriched my life in Japan, and I look forward to those people who I have yet to meet.