Welcome!
I was born in France, criss-crossed Europe, visited China, lived & worked in the USA then South Korea before settling in Japan. I love Japan for its peacefulness, nice people, various beautiful landscapes, outdoor hot springs, endless surprises… and I vividly remember a breathtaking starry sky in Kushiro, a night in Shirakawa-go village, a sunrise from the top of Mount Fuji, the volcanic lake of Mount Kusatsu-shirane, the gigantic sand dunes of Tottori, Sapporo snow festival, the mangroves & jungle of Iriomote island, the Earth Celebration on Sado island, the frozen sea at Cape Nosappu, the whale sharks of Okinawa island, my first Ainu meal, making jewellery from gold…
In Asia for 14+ years, I live in the Japanese countryside (Machida city west of Tokyo metropolis) and work for the Japanese travel agency (and media company) Japan Travel in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward as Community Development Manager. There, I hope I can help promote Japan and make people who like Japan happy 🙂 I will probably be learning many things from my colleagues and from the community membres!
I am always learning new things 🙂 Studying psychology, management, engineering, and computer science (focus on virtual reality & smart clothes) in English, French and Japanese, I obtained 3 master’s degrees in France and a Ph.D. at the Japanese university Sokendai. More recently, I graduated from the Japanese Business School of Travel Industry and obtained Japanese certifications as tour conductor, tour guide and lifesaver (e.g. CPR). See my curriculum vitae for details 😀
I meditate daily, walk much, cook vegan/vegetarian food and French cuisine at home, and often eat Japanese traditional cuisine or halal variations at restaurants (for work). These days, I prepare a “Buddhism Through English” certification by the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Buddhism, meet friends not seen for years, organize storytelling tours, help Japanese film-makers create video archives and establish a film location service for Chiyoda ward… Learn about these in my blog 🙂
I plan to see my parents & grandmother in France in December 2018, apply for permanent residency in Japan, tour Japan during 2 years, enter the Amazon rainforest, see pyramids… and I want to join projects related to ecotourism, renewable energies, environmental protection, or sustainability because I want to make a better world, because I feel that we wrong the planet and because I worry about the impact of climate change & ecological issues on world peace and on everybody’s daily life.
You like Japan? Come live here, enjoy the Japanese culture & nature every day, and make a better world the way you choose! To know what is going on in Japan, you can check my Japanese calendar, vegan restaurants in Tokyo… Follow http://sebastien-duval.com/contact if you want to contact me 🙂