Gekkan Gaijin: Mike Charron

My ancestors came over during the famine. My mom’s side is all Irish and on my dad’s side, there’s French somewhere along the way, hence my surname. On my first trip to Dublin 30 years ago, people were saying, “Oh, you’ve got such a beautiful Irish name” but I think they misheard me and thought it was Shannon (laughs). You opened your first bar, Michael’s Pub, nine years ago in Tenjin 5-chome. What led you to move on from that? I was so far off the beaten track at the time and in the spring time it rained every day. People wouldn’... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Aonghas Crowe

Tell us about your life before Japan. I was born in Los Angeles and when I was ten my father was transferred to Oregon. At university I majored in Bio-chemistry and was thinking of becoming a medical doctor. I was thinking of transferring to graduate school and doing four years of medical school but the odds that I would be able to pay for it were slim and none. So I decided to look for other avenues. I thought about doing international business at a graduate school in Arizona but they wanted all their students to have international ex... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Lars Martinson

American cartoonist Lars Martinson has a long history with Japan, having lived here as a high school exchange student, a JET Programme assistant English teacher, and a calligraphy student at Shikoku University. This experience comes across on the pages of his graphic novel, Tonoharu, which follows the lives of several foreigners living in Fukuoka. Readers may recognize local landmarks in the panels of Part One and the recently-published Part Two of Tonoharu, and identify with the protagonist’s fumbling attempts to acclimatize to life in Japan. ... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Magno

On a Tuesday night between 8 and 8:30 pm, you may have found yourself moving to some smooth Latin tunes played on Love FM radio (76.1 MHz). For the past 13 years, the person behind the dial keeping Fukuoka up to date with Latino sounds is Magno. In Fukuoka, you might get the chance to see him play live, fusing Latin jazz, rock pop and classical tunes on one his ten guitars! Read below to find out more about Magno’s career! In Peru I was playing in a band when I was 19 years old. I won first place prize in a contest and I went on tour ... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Jean-Christophe Blot

Hometown: Joinville Le Pont, France In Japan: 10 years Identity: Pastry chef and owner, Aux Delices Interview and text by Alanna Schubach Jean-Christophe, originally from Joinville Le Pont, France, has lived in Japan for ten years and has been pastry chef and owner of Aux Delices in Yakuin for six. Fukuoka Now met with him to talk about creating French sweets, the unique challenges and pleasures of being a chef in Japan, and introducing Japanese customers to original dessert creations. Video message from Jean-Christophe Ho... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Dr. Ronald Schlemper

Interview and text by Veronica Ku Dr. Schlemper opened the International Medical Clinic near Tojinmachi subway station six years ago and is the only foreign doctor with his own clinic in southern Japan. Fukuoka Now had the pleasure to chat with Dr. Schlemper about how he managed it all, the interesting differences in two very different medical cultures and some easy steps to staying healthy. Read the full interview below. It was not my intention to be a medical doctor here. I wanted to master certain endoscopic techniques, Endoscopic ... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Matthieu Bardiaux

Interview and text by Veronica Ku As director of the Institut Franco-Japonais du Kyushu, Matthieu is responsible for promoting French culture and language in Japan. Located in central Akasaka, the Institut is a hub of French culture. Offering language courses, a media library and an art gallery, it is a great resource for anyone interested in French culture and exchange programs. Passionate about French food and, having lived in Holland, Serbia and Hungary, Matthieu can confirm that the pastries in Fukuoka are just as good as in Europe – but... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Gunawardhana Ravindra

Gunawardhana Ravindra makes entrepreneurship look easy. 'Ravi' started up his third business venture last year when he brought two fellow Sri Lankan cooks to Fukuoka and opened his restaurant Pol Pol in Tenjin. With authentic Sri Lankan flavor, Polpol offers a taste of his homeland as well as an opportunity to explore Sri Lankan culture. Ravi came to Japan as an exchange student in 2001. He moved to Fukuoka in 2005 and started up his first company offering I.T. services the following year. Business was good, but he didn't stay idle, he expanded i... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Christian R. Baudat

1,052 rooms, three wedding chapels, 15 restaurants and bars as well as large convention facilities - the Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk is now the largest Hilton property in Asia Pacific. Located near the Yahoo! Dome and formerly managed by JAL, the hotel was re-branded and launched on June 1st. The man at the helm of this formidable enterprise is Swiss native Christian R. Baudat. Bringing 25 years of experience to the table, he says that to successfully run a hotel, “you have to understand who your customers are and offer them something they want – in ... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Miguel Fernandes

A former member of the Portuguese national rugby squad, Miguel is a man with a vision - to cultivate design and creativity in the Daimyo area as a way of improving city life and benefiting the economy. Entitled "Daimyo Design District", the initiative forms part of his master's degree in Sustainable Architecture for which he received a government scholarship. Miguel's interest in Daimyo dates back to when he first came to Japan as an exchange student in 2006. Spending two months in Tokyo and four in Fukuoka, he realized that Daimyo had a characte... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Dominic Walker

Bringing us the soundtrack to Fukuoka's weekend as the host of Love FM's Top 40, Dominic initially came to Japan to teach English on the JET program. Based in Kumamoto, his career has since taken many interesting turns. Whilst remaining in the field of English education, he has also pursued his other passions of food, wine and communication. He is a reporter for Kumamoto Asahi Broadcasting's show, Satabura, and loves to introduce viewers to the high quality produce Kumamoto has to offer. Dominic set up the organization "Just Drink Wine" in 2007 w... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Vincent Lefrançois

Based in Fukuoka for the past 18 years, Vincent Lefrançois is a freelance illustrator whose main focus is comics - a passion of his since childhood. After studying plastic arts in Paris, he was sent to Fukuoka by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in lieu of completing obligatory military service. Initially employed by the Institut Franco-Japonais, he embarked on his career as an illustrator in 1995 with a publication in Avanti. Since then, he has worked for the likes of JR Kyushu, Asahi Weekly, NHK and this very magazine. In 2003, he set up ... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Dan Hoisington

An FAA-certified [Federal Aviation Administration of the United States] flight instructor, Dan is set to begin teaching his own classroom-based aviation course here in Fukuoka. We met the Californian to discuss the time he spent in Indonesia as a child, the interesting turns his career has taken over the years and what brought him to Fukuoka. Let’s go through your background story. I was born and raised in Indonesia. My dad was a pilot there with an organisation that provided transportation for missionaries – maybe over 100 families who had no... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Andrew Crowne

These days, Pilates is well known throughout the fitness world and is taught at gyms and private studios across the globe, including here in Japan. But when Andrew Crowne first visited Japan more than ten years ago, he found that the method he had fallen in love with in his native Toronto, Canada, had barely begun to take off in Tokyo. Drawn in by Japanese culture such as taiko drumming and aikido, and with a dedication to helping guide people down the path to individual well-being, Crowne settled in Fukuoka to teach and is now known as a true pi... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Mark Gänsicke

Originally from a small town in the German countryside, Mark has come a long way in his 26 years. The young software developer first came to Japan as an exchange student at Oita University. He was struck by the beauty of the place and returned soon after completing his studies, eventually finding himself in Fukuoka. Mark is the creator of what many consider to be the finest Japanese-English dictionary application available on the iPhone and iPod touch, aptly named "Japanese". An easy-to-use interface facilitates navigation of its multitude of inn... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Soraya Jayne Matsuda

Soraya Jayne studied in a Russian ballet school between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. She then performed with the Israel Ballet for five years. Initially, she came to Fukuoka to visit a fellow dancer but she soon found herself in great demand due to her popularity as a foreign instructor. In 1996 she opened her own school and six years ago she moved into her current spacious and beautiful studio near Ohori Park. "Ballet requires discipline, but it should also be enjoyable," she says commenting on how her school has a more relaxed approach to... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Rolf Knecht

A warm welcome to Rolf, Fukuoka Grand Hyatt's new Executive Chef who, despite his young age, brings not only lots of new energy but also a wealth of experience to the hotel and the city. From a family of accomplished chefs, Rolf has worked in an impressive list of kitchens, including his previous post as Executive Sou-Chef at the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai. Already busy developing and refining menus and managing a team of 74 persons, he stays hands-on with an early-morning breakfast shift, cooking guests' eggs one-by-one. "Breakfast is the last meal... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Stephen Crawford

Although mainly a commercial and portrait photographer, Stephen is interested in documentary-style photography. Inspired by Fukuoka's urban design and lifestyle, he explores the city's streets photographing the landscape, buildings, and street scenes. Coming to Japan after living on Australia's Gold Coast subject, where he enjoyed outdoor activities such as surfing, Stephen now gets his exercise by cycling everywhere around Fukuoka - almost always with camera in hand. Bicycles are more than just transportation to him, however. Recently, Japan's b... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Simon Oxley

That's not just any old bird on Simon's hand, that's the original and world-famous illustration you see on Twitter's home page. You'd think that would have been a lucrative deal for him, but in fact Twitter purchased it off iStockphoto.com for less than the price of a hire-katsu teishoku, or $15.00. Simon's not bitter about that as it has generated much attention towards his other work. Originally from Britain, Simon has lived in Fukuoka since 2002 with his wife and two sons. Working from his home, he creates cute and humorous illustrations using... More...

Gekkan Gaijin: Woon Tien Wei

This month FN showcases one of the young Asian artists whose work will soon be appearing in Fukuoka, in celebration of the 4th Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale. Although he hasn't been in town long, Tien's work is sure to make a big splash. If most modern art seems to be trying to grab your attention, Tien's project for the Triennale aims to give something back. As part of Singapore art collective Post-Museum, Tien is working on the "Fukuoka Really Really Free Market" (FRRFM). "We're going to work with volunteers to create 'free zones' around Fukuoka,... More...
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