Life in Japan - Alison Harada '87

We are delighted to share our Global Lives feature, for a light and fun exploration of living and working in different cultures and countries. This time we are heading to East Asia!

Let's visit Japan with Alison Harada class of 1987 as our guide:

Alison Harada '87 with her Japanese husband having dinner in a traditional Ryokon inn

A Mount Holyoke alum, Alison Harada reflects on living in Japan, where she moved for love, and where she now enjoys a successful professional life in banking

1)  Tell us a bit about yourself!

I am the Japan COO for an American bank’s Japan franchise. I have lived in Asia since a year after graduation, mostly in Japan.  My children were born and brought up here and are very bi-cultural.

2) What first brought you to Japan and what made you stay?

A high school exchange program first brought me to Japan, my Japanese husband kept me here in the beginning and my career keeps me here (for now)

3) How did your MHC experience help shape your life or dreams?

MHC gave me the courage of my convictions and the ability to write a good email back to headquarters!

4) What’s something surprising or special about living in Japan that people might not expect?

Commuting is much easier than in the USA; trains and buses may be crowded at peak times but they are frequent, clean and non-chaotic.  Domestic airplane travel in Japan is a revelation if all you are used to is domestic air travel in the USA.

5) Favorite local tradition, food, or custom you love?

I love Japanese local festivals (‘matsuri’); they are a great way to learn something about the location and experience a community event.  I also like going to off-the-beaten-path Buddhist temples; I love the calm spirituality that hundreds and hundreds of years of prayers give to a space.

Women's parade at a traditional ceremony

6) What’s a “typical day” like for you — and what part of it feels extra Japanese?

I work in financial services so no day is the same as the prior one.  That said, each day starts with checking news sites to see what fresh hell happened overnight, personal emails to see what is new out there and work emails, so that I know what is awaiting me when I get to the office. This is maybe ‘extra Japanese’ because Japanese people of my generation have a tendency to work long hours, from early morning to late in the evening.

7) What’s one small thing about daily life there that you truly appreciate?

Being able to grab food at a 7/11 convenience store and having a fresh, healthy, well priced lunch.

8) What are your top 3 reasons for staying in Japan?

•     My job (I have somehow ended up a Japan specialist for US financial services firms, which means that job opportunities are mostly here in Japan)

•    At this point, it is hard for my husband to get a job outside of Japan and I like living in the same country as him!

•    The food is amazing

Joey loves exploring the parks during cherry blossom season!

9) Do you miss anything from your home country?

 I miss my children, who moved to the USA for college* and have stayed there and I miss my friends and family.  This will bring me back to the USA after I retire from my job.

*Editor's note: Including one recent MHC alum!

10) Do you have a special tip for alums who wish to visit Japan?

Get off of the tourist triangle of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto and get out into the countryside. 

You will have a more authentic experience and have some tasty meals!

Traditional Japanese architecture

11) Any additional comments about your experiences abroad that you wish to share with our global alum community?

I am grateful to MHC for giving me a strong foundation on which I could build a career spanning three countries and almost four decades.  When my company transferred me to the Tokyo office for a ‘few years’, I did not know where it would lead me but I have enjoyed every step along the way.  I love the experience of living outside my own culture and country; so much history and culture to absorb.  I probably would not have lasted so long if it were not for technology changes over the year.  When I left the USA, there was no email, no FaceTime, no WhatsApp or any of the other technology conveniences that have become my necessities. Younger people just starting on their global journeys are supported by knowing that family and friends are just a click away.  With that barrier gone, I hope that many young alums will give global living a shot!

Answers collated and edited by Elizabeth Ta'eed '09

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Please get in touch if you would like to share your country, or would like to suggest a feature!