Hometown: Miami
In Japan: 19 years
Identity: General Manager and RN at Bliss Plastic Surgery Clinic
“I feel more Japanese than American now!” Michele laughs. Michele has lived in Japan nearly 20 years, and now runs Bliss Clinic with her husband and college sweetheart, Dr. Toyokazu Tajiri (a plastic surgeon with over 10 years of experience). Michele spent her teenage years on the US military base on Okinawa, and after a brief flirtation with college in the US, found she couldn’t stay away. She soon returned to learn Japanese, and in two years achieved the highest level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. This allowed her to pursue her dream of studying nursing. This is obviously hard enough in one’s native tongue, but Michele achieved one of Japan’s most respected nursing accreditations, the Public Health Nursing License – one of the very few foreigners to do so. It is rare to find someone so intelligent, yet strikingly warm and genuine. “I really want to help the women of Fukuoka feel good about themselves,” she told us passionately, “to help their confidence shine through.” Full interview and photos on our website! www.fukuoka-now.com/michele-tajiri
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Interviewed May. 12, 2015.
Why did you decide to come to Japan?
My father was in the US air force, and when I was a teenager we were moved out to the military base at Okinawa. My mother was actually Japanese, so I thought it would be pretty neat to learn about her culture, but it was still a big adjustment.
After graduating the base’s high school, I returned to America for a year, but the lure of Japan was too strong, and I ended up taking a year out of the University of Miami to study Japanese in Okinawa. I then decided to stay another year, and attained the N1 (the highest ranking in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test). One thing led to another, and now I’ve been living here for 20 years!
I applied for nursing school in Okinawa because I’d always been interested in medicine, and had known from an early age that I wanted to help people. Nursing really allows you to get close to your patients, so it seemed like a perfect fit for me. I was the only foreigner on my course, probably in the history of the school at that point. I then studied the fourth year required to attain the Japanese public health license; I guess that makes me pretty rare.
How did you meet your husband?
I met my husband at a party co-hosted by the nursing school, and the local med-school’s baseball team. My friend had asked me to go with her because she was interested in one of the guys from the team. At the party, my husband-to-be sat down across from me, and I remember thinking, “This is the guy I’m probably supposed to marry.”I could see a future with him before I’d even got to know him. My friend never got her guy, but I found mine.
Was it difficult to adjust to life in Japan and a Japanese husband?
I now feel more Japanese than American; I’ve lived here for longer than I ever did in the States. It’s strange because I always imagined growing up that I would marry an American man, have American kids, and live an American life. But in the end I loved Japan too much. It can be difficult; you’ll always be treated as special when sometimes you just want to fit in, but the Japanese are so welcoming and considerate. I stand out, so sometimes I still get handed English menus in restaurants; I used to get offended. When I was trying so hard to learn, I would think, Why do they still treat me like this? But now I just laugh. From the bottom of my heart I just really love being here, so nothing really offends me anymore.
Western men and Japanese men perceive women very differently. Both have their family’s interests at heart, but at first it was difficult to adjust to the Japanese’s suppressed way of showing affection; now I think it’s a deeper and more special way of expressing your love.
What had you heard about Fukuoka before you arrived?
My husband is a Fukuoka Freak: he’s 120% Fukuokan. He always told me wonderful things about this city, and he obviously couldn’t wait to get back. So when we got married straight out of college, he applied for a job here. My mum was actually from Fukuoka, so I knew that if two of my favourite people loved this city, I would too.
And have you come to love Fukuoka as much as your husband?
Yes! Fukuoka is perfect in every way: it’s the perfect size, the people are so warm, the food is delicious, and it’s wonderful for raising children. This last point is important to me as I have two kids. You live in a city, but on the weekends it’s only a short drive to the mountains, or the sea, or the natural hot springs. But perhaps my favourite thing to do in Fukuoka is take my kids up to the play area on the top of Hakata station and watch them ride the train.
Fukuoka is also the epitome of everything I love about the Japanese: everyone is so friendly, and they’re kind for the sake of being kind, not because they want something. It’s so harmonious and respectful.
We moved around a lot for my husband’s work (when he was working at the Fukuoka University Hospital, he would be sent out to work at its sister hospitals), but it was always such a huge relief to come back to Fukuoka. I feel so at ease here. I think that, more than anything else, shows me how much I love this city. Setting up the clinic means that we now have a permanent home here, and we’ve never been happier.
What do you feel is unique about Bliss Plastic Surgery Clinic?
“My husband’s been a plastic surgeon for ten years, and is a qualified specialist. Be it tattoo removal, eyelid surgery or liposuction, you’ll be in the safest of hands.”
I’m also confident in our range of treatments, particularly our IV Therapy treatments: we have the largest range of drips in Fukuoka, and – I believe – the nicest environment. It’s set out with a café-style menu, luxurious chairs, and a great view through the wall-to-wall windows.
I also think we’re special because my husband and I run this clinic as a team: he has the technical knowledge, but I’m the voice in his ear helping him to see things through his patient’s eyes. We take especial care to connect with our clients: we can make their coffee the way they like it, we ask about life changes they mentioned in their last visit, and we don’t just give the stock replies. That last point is important to me, because we are eager to show the client they are welcome and wanted. We want the patient to have a magical experience. I’m very proud of our holistic approach: he looks after the body and I take care of the soul. Perhaps the most unique thing about our clinic, however, is our approach to plastic surgery. We believe that changing the outside helps women feel better on the inside.
There’s such a stigma, especially in Japan, about plastic surgery. I hate it because there’s nothing wrong with women (or men) wanting to change something, if they’re unhappy. If you feel that whenever anyone looks at you, all they see is the mole on your cheek, then getting it removed will help your confidence and true personality shine through. For me, it’s like going to the hairdressers: you go because you want to look your best, to take care of yourself. And once you feel better you act better: you’re a happier, brighter version of yourself. It’s not about fixing anything, it’s about helping people become who they want to be, both inside and out.
That’s why I’m putting together Bliss Club: women will be able to take classes on how to walk elegantly, how to talk about wine, how to use the hundreds of forks at fancy restaurants. It’s a bit like a finishing school. The aim is to make women feel more comfortable by resolving their insecurities. For our Japanese members I’m also planning to offer free English lessons, so they’ll feel more confident to travel independently and in business with foreign clients. I want to create something for the women of Fukuoka.
Visit Bliss Plastic Surgery Clinic and meet Michele yourself:
• 3F Tengood Bldg. 1-9-20 Kiyokawa, Chuo-Ku Fukuoka City.
• Friday – Tuesday
• 10:00-18:00
• Tel: 092-791-1441
• Web: http://www.bliss-clinic.com
