Nationality: Japanese American
Time living in Japan: About 17 years (Since around 2005)
Employer(s): Workday
Current Job Title: Director, Sales Strategy & Business Operations
Area of Expertise: Project Management / Business Process Re-Engineering Operations / BPO Change Management / Sales Enablement / Data-driven Analytics / Communication
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (University of Washington) and Computer Science (Eastern Washington University)
Language Ability: Fluent in Japanese and English
Bio:
Alex is a second-generation Japanese American from Washington State. He first came to study in Japan (Nara) during middle school and fell in love with the culture, people, food, and Judo. Outside of work, Alex enjoys golf, boxing, cooking, eating, and drinking wine and volunteers in his spare time to help out in the local community. He particularly cherishes the quality time he spends golfing with his daughter.
Over the past few years, Alex has spent time building a house in Yamanashi, where he is able to appreciate the slower pace of the location and spend lots of time with his family.
Alex hopes to be a part of the change in Japan going forward and is excited to see how foreign culture will change for the better in the future.
Favorite Thing About Japan:
The dedication to perfection as well as the way people go out of their way to make others feel comfortable.
Favorite Place to Visit in Japan:
Yamanashi prefecture, similar to my hometown in Washington, also known as “the fruit kingdom,” or the Ehime prefecture, along the ocean, with really good fish, especially snapper.
Favorite Place to Visit Outside Japan:
Montana or Poland
What has kept you in Japan:
Settling and building a home in Yamanashi.
What he has noticed has changed throughout his time living in Japan:
Covid has helped companies with digital transformation by forcing more old-fashioned Japanese companies to let people work from home. It has helped change perspectives of having to be confined to an office to do work, as well as dressing down becoming more common. Overall, Japan has come a long way in accepting and being understanding of different manners of business.