I am a free-spirited individual not confined in boundaries -both in terms of geography and identity.
•Currently on exchange at the University of British Columbia, I am originally from Japan and have lived in the US and Germany during my upbringing. I have travelled to more than 30 countries, for each enjoying the unique cultures of food, people and places, but these experiences also taught me that some aspects of humanity are universal. Hence I am always eager and not scared to travel to different countries regardless of the reputation.
•A singular nationality does not define who I am -there are various qualities inside me that have accumulated amongst the years of living in strikingly different environments and interacting with varying people. I strive to be a strong-hearted, open person who can bring positivity, openness and vitality to other individuals and communities!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I believe that the most important elements for me in experiences of traveling are new encounters, seeing the places from local perspectives and finally learning from the unique values and ways of living. Couch surfing is a great way to do this. There are no other places better to stay than the local residents' houses in order to actively engage with an unfamiliar way of living -anyone's house other than mine are essentially unfamiliar therefore intriguing to me :)

Interests

I am interested in sustainable societies where people could live in harmony with themselves, their community and their surrounding ecology. What also excites me to think recently is how we can change society in a better way, through an interdisciplinary approach -as we know, everything is interconnected, so our mindsets also have to incorporate that multidimensionality.

• dining
• traveling
• surfing
• ecology
• geography

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies -Studio Ghibli (Hayao Miyazaki) films/ Silver Linings Playbook