If you haven’t visited Japan for a while due to the Covid-19 pandemic then you might find Japan to be quite different from when you were here last. Our guest is Louise George Kittaka, a writer and cross cultural trainer. Louise has been a proud supporter of Kiwis in Japan for many years and we wanted to introduce her to our growing Jandals community!

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would come and say hi (or Kia Ora or Konnichi Wa!) over on @jandalsinjapan on Instagram.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How Louise came to be in Japan and how she got into writing and journalism here
• Louise’s tips for working with media in Japan
• The generalisations about Japan that are not true today
• How New Zealand is perceived in Japan and the shared values between our countries
• What’s really happening with masks in Japan right now and other changes in Japan since Covid
• Stories about fax machines!

About Louise

Louise George Kittaka is a bilingual writer, content developer, university lecturer and cross-cultural specialist from New Zealand. She writes for various English media platforms, including as a regular columnist and features writer for the Japan Times. Her areas of interest include travel, business, education, environmental concerns, and issues pertaining to the international community. She has contributed to numerous EFL textbooks and study materials for the Japanese market, and conducts cross-cultural training programs for families leaving or arriving in Japan on corporate assignments. She lectures in the comparative studies department at Shirayuri Women’s University in Tokyo.

Connect with Louise

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-george-kittaka-1606581a/

https://www.jarman-international.com/company/ji-core-50/louise-george-kittaka/

Connect with Jayne and Catherine

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jandals-in-japan-podcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jandalsinjapan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jandalsinjapan

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdbd0QSHSLlOSPcpceHOcA