Skip to content
PodParley
Tokyo Alumni Podcast podcast artwork

PODCAST · education

Tokyo Alumni Podcast

by Nickolas Harris

Interviewing international school alumni from the Tokyo region, the podcasts hope to shed light on the various paths internationals school graduates took to get to where they are today.The podcast is intended for current international high school students and parents to gain a deeper insight in regards to life after high school. The host, Nickolas Harris, attended the American School in Japan (ASIJ) from 1989 to 2005, and is currently an educator teaching at an international school, the Korea International School Jeju (KISJ).

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Mar 25, 2023 · Source feed

Subscribe · 0 Bookmark

Episodes

  1. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 95 - Lois Lowry - Two-Time Newbery Medal Winner (ASIJ 1948-1950)

    Episode 95 features two-time Newbery Medal winner Lois Lowry, author of The Giver and Number the Stars. In the late 1940s, Lois arrived in post-WWII Tokyo as an American military kid. She remembers a city still recovering from war. Cars ran on charcoal burners. Kids were told not to eat ice cream...

  2. Tokyo Alumni Podcast - Episode 94 - Don Lee (ASIJ) - Guggenheim Fellow, Award Winning Author

    Episode 94 features Don Lee, a Guggenheim Fellow and award-winning author whose novel Country of Origin won both the American Book Award and the Edgar Award. Don also edited the literary journal Ploughshares for nearly two decades. Don grew up as the son of a US State Department officer in Tokyo...

  3. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 93 - Fred Schodt (ASIJ 1968) - Tezuka's Translator & The Man Who Brought Manga to the West

    There are very few Westerners who knew Osamu Tezuka, the god of manga, personally. Fred Schodt is one of them. Fred arrived in Tokyo as a teenager in the 1960s and went on to become the godfather of English-language manga translation, the person who introduced the medium to the West with his 1983...

  4. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 92 - Adam Platt (ASIJ) - Former NY Magazine Chief Restaurant Critic

    In Episode 92 I sit down with Adam Platt, chief restaurant critic at New York Magazine for 22 years, James Beard Award winner, and son of a US diplomat who grew up eating across Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo before landing at ASIJ in the mid-1970s. We get into how he fell into food...

  5. Tokyo Alumni Podcast - Episode 83 - Joshua Thomson - Content Creator (Former CAJ)

    In episode 83 of the Tokyo Alumni Podcast, I had the pleasure of welcoming Joshua Thomson, a model, actor, and content creator who has hundreds of thousands of followers across various social media platforms. Joshua's videos, which have garnered tens of millions of views, resonate deeply with...

  6. Tokyo Alumni Podcast - Episode 82 - Justin Novak - Seattle Mariners Bullpen Catcher (ASIJ 2014)

    Welcome to Episode 82 of the Tokyo Alumni Podcast. Today, I'm excited to have Justin Novak join me. A standout alumnus from the ASIJ Class of 2014, Justin has made significant strides in the world of professional baseball. He's currently the bullpen catcher for the Seattle Mariners, a role that...

  7. Tokyo Alumni Podcast - Episode 81 - Steve Harris (ASIJ Faculty 1997-2014) - Former Faculty

    There is no way Steve Harris could have predicted he would spend 43 years in Japan. Born in San Francisco, California, on Halloween in 1958, his family would soon cross the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County, where they settled in the city of San Rafael. His first encounter with foreign language...

  8. Tokyo Alumni Podcast - Episode 80 - Taeuk "Richard" Kang (KISJ 2022) - Stanford University Student (CS Major)

    Taeuk Kang (KISJ 2022) Stanford University student Taeuk Kang was born in Gyeongnam but moved to Jeju, where he attended Korea International School, Jeju Campus for 11 years. He plans to spend the next four years at Stanford University, CA studying Computer Science. He was awarded the Talent…

    more

  9. Tokyo Alumni Podcast - Episode 79 - Amelia Juhl (Seisen 1998) インター卒業生ポッドキャスト - Design Research Director

    Amelia Juhl (Seisen 1998) Design Research Director Amelia is a Design Research Director at IDEO Tokyo. She brings more than 20 years of experience leading creative projects of all sizes. At IDEO, she has worked on projects such as redesigning medical products for the elderly, new beauty…

    more

  10. Tokyo Alumni Podcast - Episode 78 - Alexande Redhead (SMIS 2003) インター卒業生ポッドキャスト - Portfolio Manager

    Alexander Minami Redhead St. Mary's International School (2003) Today our guest is a Portfolio Manager at Montrachet Capital. Today our guest attended St. Mary's International School for 13 years (Class of 2003), he later went to study at Tufts University where he earned a dual degree in...

  11. Tokyo Alumni Podcast - Episode 77 - Lina Yamashita (ASIJ 2004) - Nonprofit Director

    Lina Yamashita (ASIJ 1997-2003) *Graduate of ISM (Philippines 2004) Program Director at VIA (Nonprofit) Lina Yamashita is Program Director at VIA, an international education nonprofit based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she develops programs that promote cross-cultural understanding…

    more

  12. Christopher Harris (EIS 2015) - Honduras, Northeastern, Banking, Escuela Internacional Sampedrana

    Christopher Harris (EIS 2015) Associate at The Early Stage Banking Team He is an American National born and raised in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. ​During his time in Honduras, he attended SERAN Bilingual School, Escuela Internacional La Lima for and graduated from Escuela Internacional Sampedrana…

    more

  13. John Mikton (Former ASIJ Tech Coach 2000-2005) - Deputy Principal at the International School of Luxembourg

    John Mikton (Former ASIJ Tech Coach 2000-2005) Deputy Principal at the International School of Luxembourg I am a bi national Swiss-American born and raised in Switzerland, in the Nyon area, and grew up in a bilingual home with an American father and Swiss Mother, and was educated in Switzerland…

    more

  14. Andrew Melton (ASIJ 1994) - Educator

    Andrew Melton (ASIJ 1994) Educator I am from Arkansas. I grew up overseas in Riyadh and Tokyo. My parents became international school teachers in the 1980’s which gave me the bug to do it. I attended ASIJ from 1991 to 1994. At Berklee College of Music I studied film scoring, and my instrument was...

  15. Tokyo Alumni Podcast: Episode 73- Dr. Minako Abe, M.D. (ASIJ 1988) - Director of Tokyo Cancer Clinic

    Minako Abe, M.D. (ASIJ 1988) Director of the Tokyo Cancer Clinic Minako Abe is the director of the Tokyo Cancer Clinic in Japan. She attended ASIJ from 1976-1988 and after graduating, attended UC Berkeley for her B.A. and earned her M.D. at SUNY Stony Brook. She has dual U.S. board certifications...

  16. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 72: Harald Gjerde, MD, FRCSC (St. Mary’s 2006) - Doctor - Pediatric Ophthalmologist

    Harald Gjerde, MD, FRCSC (St. Mary’s 2006) Physician – Pediatric Ophthalmologist ​ Harald is a Canadian national who is ethnically Norwegian and Chinese, who was born and raised in Tokyo. He attended the now-closed Santa Maria International School, later transferring and graduating from St.…

    more

  17. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 71: Kazuna Yamamoto - Entrepreneur, Activist, CAJ

    Kazuna Yamamoto (CAJ 2015) Entrepreneur Kazuna was born in Hong Kong, raised in Singapore and Japan, and currently resides in Chile. She is the Founder and President of Voice Up Japan, an organization with a vision of a society where anyone can raise their voice, in hopes of creating an equitable...

  18. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 69: Ellen Richards (ISSH 2018) - George Washington University Student

    Ellen Richards University Student (George Washington University) Ellen Richards graduated from the International School of the Sacred Heart in 2018, where she spent the last two years of high school. Prior to that, Ellen lived in the UK and the US for a combined 15 years. Ellen will graduate from...

  19. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 68: Jason Chung (Zama 2005)

    Jason Chung (Zama 2005) Educator Jason was born in 1986 and is originally from Honolulu, HI. Due to being an Army family, his family moved around stateside and to Korea before landing a long-term residency in Japan. Camp Zama to be exact. Jason attended John O’ Arnn Elementary School located in...

  20. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 65: John Hong - Air Force Officer, KISJ, Military, Interpreter, KISJMUN

    John Hong (KISJ 2016) Bio to come soon, for now, check out the introduction at 1:03. TIMESTAMPS 1:03 - Introduction 3:09 - Being an Air Force Interpreting Officer 4:06 - Did having an international school background help you get to where you are today? 6:21 - What is the difference between…

    more

  21. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 66: Elliot Waldman (ASIJ 2005) - Senior Editor at WPR, Drummer, Vietnam, Politics, ASIJ

    Elliot Waldman (ASIJ 2005) Senior Editor Elliot Waldman is the senior editor of World Politics Review. Prior to joining WPR, he spent five years as a news producer at the Washington, DC bureau of Tokyo Broadcasting System, Japan’s oldest and largest commercial television and radio network. In…

    more

  22. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 64: Sam Shobeiri (St. Mary’s 2007) - Expedia, SkyScanner, St. Marys, Crypto

    Sam Shobeiri (St. Mary’s 2007) Born and raised in Japan, Sam is a graduate of St. Mary’s Class of 2007. Unlike many of his peers who attended international school for most of their K-12 education, Sam attended Japanese elementary school until middle of 6th grade. After graduating high school, Sam...

  23. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 63: Mayumi Daigo (Former ASIJ Staff) - Athletics, ASIJ, Staff, Blogging, English acquisition

    Mayumi Daigo（Former ASIJ Staff) Administrative Assistant of Educational Institution / Blogger Mayumi was born in Tokyo and raised in Chiba, Japan. She was interested in English language and its culture since she was a child despite none of her family members understands English. In 1990, she…

    more

  24. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 62: Raymond Strack - Shasta Grown CEO, Florida, US Embassy, Digital Domain, ASIJ 2005

    Raymond Strack (ASIJ 2005) CEO - Shasta Grown (March 2021) ​ Ray was born in Queens, New York City, he attended elementary school there, middle school in Florida, and attended high school at the American School in Japan where he graduated in 2005. Upon graduating from the University of Florida…

    more

  25. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 61: Tokio Takai (St Marys 2017) - Bowdoin College Student, Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, Equity Research

    Tokio Takai (St. Marys International School 2017) Bowdoin College Student Tokio Takai graduated from St. Mary’s in 2017 as a 12-year veteran and currently studies Government & Legal Studies at Bowdoin College, where he is expected to graduate in May of 2021. Upon graduation, Tokio will return to...

  26. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 60: Natsuki Uemura (Former Aoba) - Vegan Youtuber, Yoga, Healthy Living

    Natuski Uemura (Former Aoba International School) Vegan Youtuber ​ Before I entered Aoba Japan International School as an ESL student, I spoke no English and my only experience abroad was a vacation trip to Guam (my parents didn't and don't speak English and have never lived abroad). After...

  27. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 59: Shinji Yamasaki (ASIJ 2003) CEO for RE:ERTH, healthcare, ASIJ, weight lifting, whiskey and cigars

    Shinji Yamasaki (ASIJ 2003) CEO for RE:ERTH ​Born and raised in Tokyo, he attended ASIJ from Nursery Kindergarten, and graduated in 2003. He completed his Undergraduate Degree in Boston, then received his Masters in London. After working in top capital cities like New York, London, and Tokyo in...

  28. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 58: Yu Hayami (Former ASIJ) - Singer, Actress, ASIJ Parent, Theater, Kouhaku, "Kikokushijo", SDGs

    Yu Hayami 早見優 (ASIJ 1984) Singer and TV Actress Hayami is a J-pop singer and TV actress in Japan. In 2011, the Japanese music television program Music Station listed her as the 50th all-time best-selling idol in Japan, with 2,850,000 records sold. Yu Hayami was born in Atami, Shizuoka, and was...

  29. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 57: Dr. Gwen Thornton - Emergency Veterinarian, Runner, ASIJ, Australia

    Dr. Gwen Thornton (ASIJ 2009) Emergency Veterinarian Gwen is an Emergency veterinarian working in Melbourne, Australia. Gwen grew up in Kobe and Tokyo and after graduating from ASIJ in 2009, completed her Bachelors and Masters of Science in Zoology from University College London in 2013. She…

    more

  30. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 56: Wookie Kim (Former ASIJ) - Lawyer, Civil Rights, ACLU, St. Paul, ASIJ, HKIS

    EPISODE 56 Wookie Kim (Former ASIJ) Lawyer Wookie attended ASIJ from the fifth to the eighth grade (1997-2001) before completing high school at St. Paul's School, a boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire. Wookie then attended Yale University, receiving a B.A. in Ethics, Politics and Economics…

    more

  31. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 55: Natasha Kostek (ASIJ 2004) St. Johns, Psychology, TCK, Brazil, ASIJ

    Natasha Kostek (ASIJ 2004) @ New York, NY Doctoral School Psychology Candidate Natasha joined the ASIJ community in 2000 and spent all four of her formative high school years there. Growing up as a first-generation Brazilian-American in a homogeneous Connecticut suburb, Natasha had often felt...

  32. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 54: Ben Carr (ASIJ 2007) - Owner of Innovative Fitness North Vancouver, TCK, Brazil, Costa Rica, Japan, ASIJ

    Ben Carr (ASIJ 2007) Owner - Innovative Fitness North Vancouver Ben Carr graduated ASIJ in 2007. Originally from the US, was raised on the international school circuit. Born in Northampton MA, lived in Tanzania, North Carolina, Brazil, and Costa Rica before moving to Tokyo in 2003 when his dad…

    more

  33. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 53: Karuna Shinsho (ASIJ 1986) - News Anchor, CNN, NHK, Jazz Vocalists, Hawaii, Zimbabwe

    Karuna Shinsho (ASIJ 1986) Jazz Vocalist ​ Karuna Shinsho was born and raised in Hawaii until she moved to Tokyo in her early teens with her Japanese parents. After graduating from ASIJ in 1986, she attended Sophia University in Tokyo, where she majored in Political Science. While a junior at the...

  34. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 52: Hugh McGuire - Marketing Intern, Outreach Sports, Northeastern Univeristy

    Hugh McGuire (ASIJ 2020) Marketing Intern Hugh is a recent graduate of the ASIJ class of 2020. Before graduating, he attended ASIJ for 13 years, joining the community back in Kindergarten. He was born in London, England, but moved to Japan soon thereafter at the age of 4. He is the son of a...

  35. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 51: Nancy Kroonenberg - ASIJ, WASC, International Teaching, Administration

    Nancy Kroonenberg (ASIJ High School Assistant Principal 1996-2013) Educator ​ Before wending my way to ASIJ, I lived in the United States, France, The Netherlands, and Hong Kong. ASIJ was my third international school. Pre-Covid we were inveterate travelers with trips to Machu Picchu, Uzbekistan,...

  36. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 50: Interlude - Why Tokyo Alumni Podcast and where is it going?

    Interlude episode After 50 guests from 11 countries, and over 100 hours of podcasting. Nick reflects upon the podcast of far, and where he hopes the podcast will be going. Episode Summary 0:05 - Introduction 2:15 - Why did I start the podcast? 7:37 - Where is this podcast heading?

  37. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 49: Bruno and Miguel Ortiz - Olympians, Brothers, University of Michigan

    Miguel Gen Ortiz-Cañavate Ozeki (St. Mary's 2009) Miguel graduated from St. Mary’s in 2009 and holds a Bachelor's in Economics from the University of Michigan and a Master’s in Hotel & Restaurant Management from Eastern Michigan University. In 2016, Miguel completed his professional swimming…

    more

  38. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 48: Japan Historian, Harvard, Yale, Researcher, Mito, Writer, Runner

    Michael Thornton (ASIJ 2006) Historian (Post Doctoral Research Associate) Michael Thornton is a historian of early-modern and modern Japan, with a particular interest in urban history. In his dissertation, “Settling Sapporo: City and State in the Global Nineteenth Century,” he analyzed the…

    more

  39. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 47: Frank Striegl - Ramen Expert, Stock Broker, SMIS, Wrestler, Tech

    Frank Streigl (St. Marys 2002) President and Owner of Finom K.K. Frank is the owner at Finom Inc., operating the brands Tokyo Ramen Tours and 5 AM Ramen. Essentially, he has one of the best jobs in the world. He eats ramen for a living. After St. Mary's, he majored in Sociology and minored in Law...

  40. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 45: Robin Lewis - ASIJ, Social Innovator, MyMizu, Tohoku Earthquake, Volunteer, Consultant

    Robin Lewis (ASIJ 2006) ​​ Co-founder/CEO of MyMizu Robin is the Co-founder of mymizu - an award-winning initiative to reduce consumption of single-use plastics. He is also the Co-founder & Director of Social Innovation Japan - a platform for social good focusing on the UN Sustainable Development...

  41. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 46: Anna Novik - Educator, Runner, Writer, Translator, St. Maur

    Episode 46 (Episode 45 delayed to next week) Anna Novic (St. Maur 2008) International Educator / Writer / Runner Anna was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1989 to a US Navy family. After spending the first 18-months of her life between Seoul and Vermont, her family moved (back) to Japan (her family had...

  42. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 44: DJ Taku Takahashi from M-Flo (St. Marys 1993) - The start of M-Flo, Music industry in Japan, offline-online, "innovation" in music

    DJ Taku Takahashi (member of M-Flo) (St. Marys 1993) Musician and Producer Taku Takahashi is a Japanese hip hop recording artist, DJ, and record producer who debuted in 1997 as a record producer of the hip hop group M-Flo. The group rose to prominence in the early 2000s, with hit singles such as...

  43. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 43: Steven Lobianco - Teacher, Coach, American School in Japan, American School in Japan, Economics, AP Stats

    Steven Lobianco (Former ASIJ Faculty 1998-2013) International Teacher Lived the first 18 years of my life in Dubuque, Iowa. Then attended the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where I played tennis for four years and graduated with a Bachelors in Mathematics with an emphasis in...

  44. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 42: Kari Kohl - Motherhood, midwifery, TCK, teacher

    Kari Kohl (ASIJ 1986) ​​ Kari Kohl was raised by an IBM family in and around Westchester County, NY and Paris, France. She came to Tokyo in 1984. She then stayed in Tokyo for a year and enrolled in Sophia University’s Intensive Japanese Language program. Kari then returned to the US where she...

  45. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 41: Ahmad Shiina (SMIS 2005) - IT, Startup, CTO, Timers Inc, DENA, Forbes 30 Under 30

    Ahmad Shiina (St. Marys 2005) CTO and Head of Products at Timers inc Ahmad Shiina is the co-founder, CTO, and Head of Products at Timers inc, a startup based in Tokyo. He was born and raised in Tokyo and graduated from St.Mary's International School in 2005. He then entered Waseda University's...

  46. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 1: Taka Kaneko (YIS 2004) - MC, Musician, Tik Tok, Youtube

    Taka Kaneko - MC Born and raised in Yokohama, went to St.Joseph International School, transferred to YIS from 8th grade. Graduated in 2004, went to Chapman University in California, graduated in 2008. Upon graduating, he returned to Japan to work for a trading company. 2013年より世界最大のバンドコンテスト、...

  47. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 1: Rafai and Mika Eddy - International School Couple, ASIJ, Stanford, Division I Soccer, Johnnys Jr., Healthcare

    Rafai Eddy (ASIJ 2007) Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality Design Rafai was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan and graduated from ASIJ in 2007. He majored in International Business at the University of San Francisco (USF) and was a division 1 intercollegiate athlete on the men’s soccer team. Rafai...

  48. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 39: Tats Fujioka - Educator, Japanese Teacher, Basketball, ASIJ, American School in Japan, Japanese Cultural Exchange

    藤岡先生は渋谷区原宿で生まれ、大学卒業後東洋大学京北中学高等学校で教師 生活をスタートした。６年間後、ASIJの中等部日本語科専任教諭として奉職 することに。在職中は７年生と８年生の担任としてアウトドアエデュケーショナル プログラム（鳩ノ巣、三宅島、北海道・長野・苗場スキー旅行、広島旅行、伊豆旅行） の企画立案及び引率に従事する。また、冬季シーズンのバスケットボール部、春季シーズン のベースボール部のコーチを１７年間務め、数多くのASIJアスリートを育て上げた。 大病を患った母親を看病するためにASIJ を退職後、２年間家業の不動産業を継ぎながら...

  49. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 37: Raymond Wong (SMIS 1985) - Finance, SMAA, Bear Stearns, Meryl Lynch, JP Morgan

    Raymond Wong (SMIS 1985) Representative Director and President of Wells Fargo Japan After graduating SMIS in 1985, Raymond Wong studied in University of Pennsylvania with BA in Math and BSE in Finance. Born and raised in Japan, he carried Taiwanese passport until age four, before naturalizing to...

  50. Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 36: Akshaj Alex Mody (SMIS 2012) - Engineer, Finance, Fintech, Career Change

    Akshaj Alex Mody (SMIS 2012) Software Engineer Akshaj graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelors in Economics, an emphasis in International Finance and a Business Minor in Financial Analytics. During his time at University, Akshaj interned at Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace,...

View all 80 episodes →

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

Interviewing international school alumni from the Tokyo region, the podcasts hope to shed light on the various paths internationals school graduates took to get to where they are today.The podcast is intended for current international high school students and parents to gain a deeper insight in regards to life after high school. The host, Nickolas Harris, attended the American School in Japan (ASIJ) from 1989 to 2005, and is currently an educator teaching at an international school, the Korea International School Jeju (KISJ).

HOSTED BY

Nickolas Harris

CATEGORIES

education

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Tokyo Alumni Podcast have?

Tokyo Alumni Podcast currently has 80 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Tokyo Alumni Podcast about?

Interviewing international school alumni from the Tokyo region, the podcasts hope to shed light on the various paths internationals school graduates took to get to where they are today.The podcast is intended for current international high school students and parents to gain a deeper insight in...

How often does Tokyo Alumni Podcast release new episodes?

Tokyo Alumni Podcast has 80 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Tokyo Alumni Podcast?

You can listen to Tokyo Alumni Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Tokyo Alumni Podcast?

Tokyo Alumni Podcast is created and hosted by Nickolas Harris.
URL copied to clipboard!