Iâd like to introduce Tara Kamiya! Tara is an African American mother from New York, living in Nagoya. Sheâs married to a Japanese man and she has three gorgeous children, two boys and a girl. I first read about Tara and how she met her husband in an article in The Japan Times and I thought it was such a charming story! I was also impressed by Taraâs honest personality and how committed she was to marrying her husband and living in Japan. I decided to get in touch with Tara to see if sheâd be interested in reading and reviewing my book Tokyo Tales. When Tara replied almost immediately, I was more than happy to send her my book and I was delighted when I eventually read her 5-star review on Amazon.
I also discovered Tara loves to share her experiences in Japan on her website and her YouTube channel. Her videos are very popular and youâll enjoy watching every one of them. When you start reading Taraâs blog or if you tune in to her YouTube channel, youâll quickly discover Tara speaks Japanese, she loves living in Japan, she has a wonderful understanding of the Japanese culture, she has a generous personality, and sheâs a devoted wife and mother. Tara is also stylish and fashion-conscious, and she offers really great advice on Japanese brands. Her popular videos such as âWhat to Bring to Japanâ, âJapanese Washing Machine Demoâ and âJapanese Drugstore Skincare Reviewâ are all great resources if you want to find out more about life in Japan and which Japanese brands to buy if you live in Japan or if youâre just visiting the country.
The standout YouTube video for me, which Tara produced, is titled âHow I got my Driverâs Licence in Japanâ. When I lived in Japan, I never had the courage to get my driving licence. It just seemed like an impossible feat. Iâm sure most people are aware of the terrible congestion on the roads in Japan, so I was really impressed when I watched the video and I could see just how dedicated Tara was to getting her licence so she could drive her family around. If you watch Tara’a very popular video below Iâm sure youâll be impressed as well and if you live in Japan it might give you the confidence to get your own driving licence.
Now youâve watched the video, which Iâm sure you all enjoyed, please support Tara and subscribe to her YouTube channel, follow her on Twitter, and find out more about her life in Japan on her fascinating website.
In Zen Buddhism, painting an ensĹ circle by hand is a discipline and Japanese aesthetic that is practised in the attempt to free the mind of all emotions and thoughts in order to produce a true and pure creation. Some people use meditation to try and achieve this state of mind but this Zen discipline of painting a circle to achieve enlightenment or self-realization could be just as satisfying and maybe even more powerful. The ensĹ circle can either be closed or incomplete. The closed circle represents perfection and the incomplete circle represents the existance of an imperfection, a common theme in the Japanese tradition of wabi-sabi. The finished circle can symbolize many things to different people. Popular interpretations say the ensĹ circle resembles universality, strength, elegance, simplicity, beauty, nothingness, or everything.
This ensĹ circle appears on the cover of my latest book Tokyo 2060: Welcome to the Future. When I was thinking about the book cover design, I wanted to use a subject which would represent Japan and the story itself. I also wanted to offer something more substantial and deeper for my readers to think about as they turn each page. Therefore, the incomplete ensĹ circle on the book cover represents a future society which may seem perfect to us in 2015 but may not be so perfect in 2060.
My novelette, set in 2060, is a story filled with futuristic technology and incredible innovations and these may all seem very exciting and appealing to us now. You might even see and experience all these inventions and advancements in forty-five years and when you read about them you might think this is exactly how you would like to live if you were in Tokyo in 2060. However, as you read this story, I hope you’ll connect with the characters, consider the ethical and moral implications, and think about how a synthetic, computerized, and technologically advanced world could impact our lives as emotional human beings who enjoy connecting with other human beings.
As companies in Japan compete with each other to get self-driving taxis on the road and robots in department stores and attractions in time for the Olympic Games in 2020, itâs worthwhile taking a moment to think about the true impact of new technologies, such as androids and robots, and the many ways they will inevitably affect our lives in the future.
Thanks for dropping by! In this blog post, I’d like to share a little bit about me and my books.
TOKYO HEARTS: A JAPANESE LOVE STORY
Tokyo Hearts is a poignant love story that will catapult you directly onto the fashionable streets of Japanâs capital and into the hearts of Takashi and Haruka.
Takashi is a young and popular university student who has fallen in love with his stylish and sophisticated friend Haruka. She is sweet and kind and adores shopping for high-end Japanese and Western brands.
Every week, they meet up in the heart of Tokyo, enjoying each otherâs company, and for Takashi, life is perfect. But the path to true love is never easy. When Takashi discovers that Haruka is seeing her wealthy ex-boyfriend from Kyoto, his life begins to turn upside down.
This coming of age story traces the lives of Takashi and Haruka and their friends as they deal with young love and the ups and downs of growing up in Tokyo â truly one of the most stylish, energetic and exhilarating cities in the world.
Tokyo Hearts is available in paperback, ebook & audiobook from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, Audible, and from more that sixty other retailers worldwide.
TOKYO TALES: A COLLECTION OF JAPANESE SHORT STORIES
Tokyo Tales is an enchanting, life-affirming and inspiring world of Japanese short stories. Youâll love the way the boundaries of each story are stretched to embrace the charm and allure of the Japanese people and youâll enjoy these tales even if you have a limited knowledge of Japan.
These fifteen magical stories include a hellish homestay, ghosts, school bullying, a marriage arrangement and the kawaii culture. These stories will deepen your appreciation of the Japanese culture and provide you with a glimpse into the Japanese mind-set which will stay with you long after youâve read the final page.
Prepare to be enthralled by the illuminating images throughout Tokyo Tales by the renowned Japanese illustrator Yoshimi Ohtani. These charming illustrations will harness your imagination and leave you spellbound.
Tokyo Tales is available in paperback & eBook from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, and from more that sixty other retailers worldwide.
In the year 2060, Poppy and her husband Oliver Montgomery travel to Japan for a six-month stint in Tokyo. Oliver, a recent Cambridge University graduate, canât wait to start working as an executive managing director for a prestigious company specializing in the production of androids. His devoted wife Poppy is looking forward to shopping in the space-age department stores and finding out more about the Japanese culture.
When this British couple begin their new life in Tokyo, they are fascinated by all the cutting-edge technology in Japan and thrilled with the ultra-modern features and appliances in their luxurious new home. Poppy is even more delighted when her husbandâs new company lends her a personal android for three days. Little do Poppy and Oliver know, this state-of-the-art android hides a sinister secret that is about to turn their dreams of a wonderful life in Tokyo into a disaster.
Tokyo 2060 is a riveting sci-fi novelette. This story will fascinate anyone interested in Japan or futuristic technology.
TOKYO DREAMS
THE SEQUEL TO TOKYO HEARTS
RELEASE DATE: 2017
Iâm currently working on the sequel to TOKYO HEARTS. Itâs called TOKYO DREAMS and as everyone would expect, it begins in the middle of the cherry blossom season in Japan.
Takashi and his charming wife Haruka are living together in their new luxurious home in Shirogane but they are finding it difficult to adjust to their newfound wealth. Yuriko is blissfully in love with Kenji but her happiness is thwarted by her violent brother. Masaya asks his girlfriend Momo-chan to marry him but he doesnât get the reaction he anticipated and Akira has returned from the United States with a beautiful blonde who stirs up trouble for the whole group.
Iâm really enjoying the writing process for this book and I canât wait to share TOKYO DREAMS with you.
THE RELEASE DATE FOR TOKYO DREAMS IS 2017.
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AUTHOR BIO
I’m an Australian-born British novelist and writer and I’ve always loved learning about different cultures. I spent six years studying French and Italian and I’ve spent over twenty years studying the Japanese language and the Japanese culture.
After completing a bachelor’s degree at Monash University in Australia, I worked as an English teacher in Japan and Australia for over ten years. I have continued to work with the Japanese for many years as an interpreter, a tour guide, and a business consultant. Over the past twenty years, I have enjoyed visiting Japan six times for work or as a tourist. Several years ago, I can proudly say I also completed an Advanced Diploma of Business Marketing at RMIT University in Australia and at the University of Gloucestershire in the UK. These days, I continue to love reading and writing about Japan but I also like to write about many other subjects. I now live in Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom with my husband and our adorable Siberian husky called Benson.
Below is a photo of Benson when he was eight weeks old and next to it is a more recent photo of him at nine years old. I will completely understand if you feel the urge to leave comments about Benson instead of my books! He’s such a gorgeous furry friend!!
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I hope you’re enjoying my new website designed by IF Consultancy! Please take a look at my new HOMEPAGE and my GUIDE TO TOKYO. I highly recommend IF Consultancy if you’re thinking about updating your website, building a new website, or if you’d like to switch your website from HTML to WordPress. Mention my name and get a 10% discount!
My book covers are designed by Cathy at Avalon Graphics. Please contact Cathy if you’re looking for an experienced and very creative graphic designer for your next book cover.
Iâm so delighted with my amazing new website designed by IF Consultancy and I hope youâre enjoying it as well!
I highly recommend these web designers if youâre thinking about updating your website. Stuart and Thomas at IF Consultancy are incredibly creative, their rates are reasonable, and they get top marks for professional, timely, and friendly service.
Take a look at my beautiful new homepage and my free and exclusive insiderâs Guide to Tokyo. If you love reading youâll enjoy my books Tokyo Hearts: A Japanese Love Story and Tokyo Tales: A Collection of Japanese Short Stories with illustrations by the well-known Japanese illustrator Yoshimi Ohtani.
Thank you so much Stuart and Thomas for designing such a user-friendly, easy to navigate website, with great plugins. I really appreciate all your help to create such a stunning website.
Thanks for visiting my Cherry Blossom Stories Blog!
In Japan, cherry blossoms represent the fleeting nature of life which is characteristic of many Japanese traditions. Their striking beauty appears, lasts for a couple of weeks, then swiftly fades away.
The transient nature of the cherry blossoms teaches us to appreciate and celebrate our time on this magnificent planet. This sensitivity towards ephemera is called mono no aware (çŠăŽĺă) in Japanese. I think this is a very interesting theme and I've tried to weave it into my novels and short stories. You may have also noticed cherry blossoms are a key feature on the cover of all my books.
I try to post at least once every couple of months and I usually write about Japan, especially Tokyo. I will share with you my thoughts on Japan-related fiction as well as a variety of other subjects linked to the Land of the Rising Sun. I also feature exclusive interviews and articles on well-known people who are movers and shakers in Japan and I run competitions now and again, giving you the chance to win signed copies of my books and other cool prizes!
Thanks for stopping by and if you enjoy reading my posts please subscribe to my Cherry Blossom Stories Blog at the bottom of this page.
Buy the Books
If you love Japan and the Japanese culture you'll really enjoy Tokyo Hearts, Tokyo Tales, and Tokyo 2060.
