Tim Romero is a Tokyo-based innovator, author, and entrepreneur who finds speaking of one’s self in the third person to be insufferably pompous.
So I’m going to stop.
My dreams of being a rockstar never worked out, but over the years I’ve managed to have fun, make friends, fall in and out of love, sell a couple of companies and bankrupt a couple of others. At 55, I’m still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up.
I believe in Japan and the startup community here. Japan’s best days are ahead of her. If you listen to the founders and creators here, you hear a very different story than the one the politicians and academics tell. I participate actively as an investor, founder, and mentor. I’m the Head of Google for Startups Japan. I’ve worked with TEPCO and other large Japanese firms to use new technology to create new businesses, taught corporate innovation at NYU’s Tokyo campus, and I’m a an active contributor to several publications. In my copious spare time, I publish Disrupting Japan, which is a labor of love.
That’s me in a nutshell, but if you really want to know, let me just open this bottle of wine and I’ll tell you …
My Life Story
On September 17, 1966 in Washington D.C., I came into this world naked and confused, kicking and screaming. My outlook on life has changed little since then. My parents were too young to take care of me and put me up for adoption by a wonderful couple (aka “Mom and Dad”) who would treasure me, feed me, and move me from my cosmopolitan Georgetown home to the Virginia suburbs.
I had a boring childhood. I recommend a boring childhood if you have the option. Like all eldest sons, my treatment of my two little bothers fell into that grey area between play and abuse. We fell out of trees and caught tadpoles in the creek. I once cracked my skull open trying to jump my bicycle over the Leoni’s driveway. I required stitches, but somehow emerged from childhood without significant brain damage.
When I was 13, I started my first money-making venture. I planted tomato seeds and when they sprouted, I went around our neighborhood selling the plants. It was not a scalable business, but the money was good for a 13-year-old boy in Virginia.
I wasn’t one of the cool kids in high school. I had friends, but as an overweight kid with glasses and bad skin, my social options were limited. The fact that I sold tomato plants probably did not help. I was on the debate team and spent most of my free time playing Dungeons & Dragons and programming my Commodore64.
In my sophomore year, I noticed that girls liked boys who played guitar. I learned to play guitar. Girls liked it. I was onto something. I lost weight and got contact lenses. Things began to look up.
College and Southern Rock
Before I started classes at the University of Virginia, I wanted to be a lawyer. I attended the first meeting of the pre-law student union and realized I was mistaken. Fortunately, Carl Sagan and my high school physics teacher had given me a fascination and awe of astronomy, and I ended up majoring in physics. Physics and cosmology engross me to this day.
I took only one computer science class, Introduction to Pascal. After the first month, my professor strongly urged me to drop his course. He claimed I had a bad attitude. In retrospect, he was probably right, and when your professor suggests you drop his class, it’s usually a good idea to do so.
I was still poor, but being poor doesn’t really matter in college. I paid for school with a mix of part-time jobs, a few debate and public-speaking scholarships (yes, that’s a thing), a $3,000 gift from my grandfather, and by playing cover music in bars and clubs throughout Virginia and the neighboring states.
A lot of people were telling me I had talent. I was at least good enough for people to pay me to play, and that’s what mattered. My bands and I played some rough bars. A few biker bars. Bars with metal detectors and gun lockers. We once played on a stage behind chicken-wire. I still nurse a grudge against our bassist David for not having the guts to play Rawhide.
But even in the worst bars, the audience was wonderful. The South is like that. Music is special. We played some Creedence, a bit of the Allman Brothers, and a lot of Skynyrd. My God, so much Skynyrd! If I never hear Freebird again, I will die a happy man.
Tokyo and Pop Rock
By graduation, music had become far more interesting than physics. A strange series of coincidences resulted in me being signed by a Japanese record company. I received my diploma and flew to Japan to be a star. My music career was brief, even by Japanese standards. A month after my arrival, the company unilaterally canceled my contract and wished me the best of luck on whatever I thought I could do about it.
No one knew it at the time, of course, but the end of the eighties in Japan was the peak of the biggest economic bubble the world has ever seen. Salaries were high, and everyone was in a party mood. I spent my days writing speeches for Japanese businessmen, my evenings playing music, and my nights dancing at Julianna’s until the first train.
Two years later, both my music and professional careers had stalled. I decided to move to Los Angeles to give music one more shot.
Los Angeles and Rock Bottom
The rock and roll lifestyle involves far less sex and drugs and far more macaroni and cheese than most people imagine. I played coffee houses, parties, in back-up bands, and did a bit of studio work. The problem, however, was that I was an undifferentiated product. I was good, but not significantly better than thousands of other singer/songwriter/guitarists taking up space in Hollywood. A famous producer once told that I was too “goofy looking” to be successful as a singer. I was still not one of the cool kids.
Two years later, I was 26 years old, $35,000 in debt, and effectively living in my car. I was done. I cut my hair, read a few books on database programming, and landed a job programming dBase at an import/export company called Limousine International. The business had nothing to do with cars. The Japanese founder had simply liked the feel of the word. He pronounced it slowly and with unconcealed satisfaction.
Starting Things Up In Japan
Limousine International transferred me back to Japan. I built and maintained a distributed inventory management system for them and tried my hand at being a wholesale buyer. I traveled around North America buying jewelry, building materials, vintage sports memorabilia and (I swear this is true) used cowboy boots. By 1997 I had paid off my debts. This new Internet thing seemed promising, so I quit my job and began freelance web design and programming.
After a series of projects that never gained traction, I started Vanguard in 1999. Vanguard was an e-commerce ASP (“ASP” is what we old-timers used to call SaaS). Over the next eighteen months, Vanguard grew to more than $1 million in revenue, 16 staff, and marginal profitability. I sold Vanguard to Digital Garage as the dot-com bubble burst around us.
The dot-com crash was the Cambrian extinction of Japan’s startup ecosystem. Many well-known startups and VCs folded, and the impact left a smoking crater where a vibrant, overfunded startup community had once thriven. As in all mass extinctions, however, the fit and adaptable survived to rise up and fill the ecological gaps that had opened up.
Between 2002 to 2007, I launched a dozen projects and two actual companies in domains including document classification, inventory management, web-tools, and customs clearance. Most had customers, some were profitable, but none could scale into a billion-dollar business.
Digging up Roots
A subplot that wound its way through this period of my life was the search for my birth parents. I never thought much about them when I was young, but I began to realize that they probably hadn’t forgotten about me. I didn’t really have any questions for them, but I wanted to get in touch to let them know that I turned out alright. I was happy. They didn’t need to worry or wonder about me anymore.
The search itself took over two years, but the time was mostly spent waiting for various agencies and organizations to get back to me. Our reunion was more casual and less emotional than any of us expected. It turns out both of my birth parents are lifelong serial entrepreneurs. My birth father died of cancer a few months after our little reunion. I am deeply grateful I had the chance to meet him. My birth mother and I still send email and Christmas cards.
I Almost Cut My Hair
Back in Tokyo, I was working 60-hour weeks but none of my projects were gaining real traction. I began questioning the entrepreneurial path I was on. The questioning felt familiar. Walking away from my startups hurt deeply in the same way that walking away from my music did over a decade before. I spun down or sold off my projects and started building software for other people. The pay was better. The stress was lower. Life was good.
In 2008, I married a wonderful Japanese girl named Ami. I got along well with her whole family. I’m thankful for that. Too many mixed-race couples have hostile in-laws on at least one side.
Within a few years, I was, by all external measures, thriving in my new role as a responsible member of society. I was now running software development for Zurich Financial in Japan. But something was horribly wrong. Before I could figure out exactly what it was, my story and everything else in Japan was interrupted by …
The Tohoku Earthquake
On March 11, 2011 a massive 9.0 earthquake and several large aftershocks slammed into Japan. What I saw in Tokyo that afternoon demonstrated the absolute best aspects of both Japanese society and the Japanese people themselves. All public transport had shut down. Phone networks were overloaded and useless. No one really knew what was going on or if their loved ones were safe. Electric power was spotty.
I joined the throngs on the packed sidewalks as we all tried to make our way home. People were obviously stressed and worried, but everyone was unfailingly polite. Displaced and anxious office workers and students were waiting for the green light at intersections, asking and answering questions on how to navigate Tokyo’s labyrinth of surface streets, and patiently queuing to buy supplies at convenience stores. No shouting. No pushing No one telling anyone else what to do.
After a major disaster, five million people calmly walked out of Tokyo and went home.
It would not have happened like that anywhere else on the planet. I knew Japan would be OK. She would get through this earthquake. She would find a way through the current economic slump.
You Can Take a Founder out of the Startup but…
The shaking had stopped, and I was back at work at Zurich. This was the job everybody is supposed to want. Stable company, high pay, short hours, supportive company culture, (mostly) friendly co-workers. But I was miserable, and I felt guilty for feeling miserable. I had to change.
I made some calls, set up some meetings, and worked out a plan to bring Engine Yard (an American cloud-computing company) into Japan. Just thinking about the new job and the new challenges got me excited.
Explaining this to Ami was harder. She really tried to understand, but there was no rational way to explain why I wanted to take a job at an unstable company where I would work much longer hours for much lower pay. In the end, I think she just accepted that this was something that would make me happy.
I tore into Engine Yard like it was my own. I recruited a truly amazing team, and after two years Japan was accounting for 9% of new revenues and 15% of new customers globally. Sadly, in the fall of 2014, headquarters pivoted out from underneath me. Globally the company was not achieving the explosive growth startup investors demand, so the decision was made to consolidate around a core team in San Francisco and shut down the Japan office. There was talk of moving me to headquarters, but I felt like my place was in Japan.
I went back into project mode. Over the next few years, I built market entry strategies for US startups, worked with Japanese startups on PMF, and taught corporate innovation and entrepreneurship at New York University’s Tokyo Campus. I also managed to achieve 15 minutes of global fame by shutting down my startup and became Japan’s first professional podcaster.
I then got an offer I could not refuse.
Back to Enterprise
Yeah. I couldn’t believe it either. TEPCO is Japan’s largest power utility and one of the most conservative companies in the world. I hesitated to accept a role helping them spin up an innovation group. But I’m very glad I did.
Energy is an industry ripe for disruption. I represented TEPCO at international innovation conferences and helped to launch several pilot programs. I was once almost booed off stage for saying that putting cryptocurrency in smart meters was “a horrifically stupid idea”.
We launched a series of energy innovation meetups with Japan’s startup community and several universities.
I was making plans on how I was going to reshape Japan’s energy markets when a Google recruiter reached out. “We love what you are doing in Japan’s startup community. Would you be interested in doing that at Google?”
Well, yes. That does sound interesting.
I joined as the Head of Google for Startups Japan at the start of 2020. Six weeks later the pandemic struck. Plans were shelved. All in-person events were canceled. As we head into 2022, Japan is reopening, and we are blowing the dust off our original plans.
I rode out the pandemic easier than many. I am heavier and hairier, but otherwise healthy.
What’s Next?
Updating this page over the years has taught me that you never know which events will shape your life until years later.
I eventually would like to leave this world a slightly better place than I entered it, and I’m still figuring out the best way to make that happen.
Leading Google’s outreach to startups in Japan is an exciting and overwhelming opportunity. And it just might be a bully pulpit to help Japanese startups and innovators change Japan, and perhaps the world, for the better.
So that’s me. Tim Romero. A work in progress. If you decide to get in touch, you won’t be talking to a stranger.
Thanks for sharing, Tim.
I enjoyed reading your story.
Makes me want to get back to Japan ASAP.
Thanks Scott. I’m never sure if I’m over-sharing, but I am so tired of reading the four-line, packaged, corporate bios, that I decided to run to the other extreme. 🙂
There is a lot of exciting things going on in Japan right now. It’s much easier for foreigners to get involved or startup their own business than it ever has been.
Hi Tim Romero,
I arrived here to your interesting autobiography just following a link from this blog that you have posted at LinkedIn some days ago.
Like Scott said above, I enjoyed reading it too! 🙂
It seems that we have something in common (love for this wonderful country, married to a Japanese woman, computers, rock music – I’m just a singer for myself – etc) so I hope to meet you someday around here in Japan.
Best Regards,
Wilson Pardi Junior
(living in Numazu, but working in Yokohama 😉
PS. I wonder if you have some family link with Cesar Romero, the American actor that used to portray “The Joker” in the Batman TV series (I loved it!) 🙂
Wilson,
Thanks for the kind words. No relation to Cesar, George A, or any number of famous Romeros. But I still think Adam West was the best Batman! Hope to see you around Japan.
Tim
Always interesting and to some extent motivating to read about other peoples journeys in that amazing country. Yes, thank you for sharing Tim.
Makes me want to get back there as well.
Ken,
Thanks for reading/listening. Hope you make the trip back some time. Travel in Japan is easier than it’s ever been.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for doing what your doing.
I listen and enjoy Disrupting Japan podcast at home, work or the commute inbetween. I find every guest on your show to highlignt something new, appealing,interesting and darn right fascinating. I try as I must to figure ways to relate things with teaching English my real job so to speak.
Thanks,
Mitch from New Mexico and living in Nagoya
P.S. IF your ever in Nagoya come for a visit!
Mitch,
Thank you so much for the kind words. There really are a lot of amazing founders with great stories to tell.
Tim
P.S. Where are you from in NM? I have an aunt and uncle in Albuquerque.
Hi Tim-
Enjoying your blog and list of resources. Fellow Wahoo here and we likely crossed paths in the late 80s in C-Ville. Used to sling beers at the Mineshaft – don’t know if you played that venue. I have spent a bit of time in Japan on and off and will be returning soon for personal reasons and may need to situate myself in Tokyo for 5 -7 years legally in 2016 before heading back to the US. I’m intrigued by the Investor Visa and recent reforms pushed by Abe, but not really interested in attempting another business start-up solo (went through the process once a few years back). Is there a place (web or venue) you could recommend where I might connect with entrepreneurs who need backers / partners / angels with resources. Bottom line – I would fund the necessary 5MM Yen or more in exchange for a silent role in the company, start-up, etc, and investor visa status. More funds possible depending on right situation and potential for more active role. Still exploring legal side of course, but need to find the right horse (s) to back.
Thanks for any thoughts.
Scotty,
Sure, I played at the Mineshaft! That really takes me back. Without knowing more about the specifics, the Hacker News meetups are a great place to start. After that, there are a lot of more focused groups for startups in various sectors EdTec, IoT, etc — especially if you speak Japanese.
Tim
No, I don’t think selling used cowboys boots in Japan is strange at all: I used to sell Americana in Japan back in the 90’s but never thought to do boots. I got to experience the tail-end of the Bubble – what good times those were!
Dirk,
That was an amazing time to be in Japan. I think I cried the day they closed Juliana’s.
Hi Tim,
I enjoyed reading your “ongoing” autobiography and hope you are still enjoying being a serial entrepreneur in Tokyo.
Would you be able to recommend me some links or articles about the entrepreneurial scene in Kyoto? I am taking a year off and moving to Kyoto in October and would love to get to know the scene a little bit if possible.
Cheers,
Jose
Jose,
Thanks for listening. I don’t spend much time in Kyoto and don’t know the startup scene well there. Kyoto University has some strong entrepreneurship programs and a lot of founders come out there, so it would be a good place to start.
Tim
Tim, you’re a beacon to people interested in the Startup & Tech scene here in Japan, Tokyo, especially those not yet already embedded in it, and a mentor young Japanese folks with ideas and energy can and should reach out to any way they can.
Thanks for that, and for sharing so openly above. Catch you around, all the GoodPeople!
Jason,
Wow. Thank you. That means a lot to me. I love every minute I spend working on Disrupting Japan (OK, maybe not the audio editing) and I’m delighted that so many people find it valuable.
Tim
Hi Tim,
Really enjoyed your bio, very entertaining. Just a couple of points – you have a couple of spelling errors here:
Displaced and anxious office workers and students were waiting for the green light at intersections, asking and answering questions on how to navigate Tokyo’s labyrinth of surface streets, and patiently queueing to buy supplies at convince stores.
It needs to be ‘queuing’ and ‘convenience’.
Also if you were born in 66 you should be closer to 50 now.
All the best,
Murvin
Murvin,
Thanks for pointing those out. I’ve got them fixed now. It’s funny every few months am observant reader will find another spelling or grammatical error on this page. You would think we would have found them all by now.
And yes, I turn 50 in September. I need to update this page. Now that my new startup is starting up, I’ve got some new info to add.
Tim
Hey Tim,
Interesting life journey. It sounds that you’re doing fine and that you’ll continue to do so.
It appears that the other sites and links identified on Disrupting Japan are focused on tech startups – is that accurate? I just began communicating with JETRO and JICA to search for a venture capital/business partner and that’s how I gravitated to your site.
Good fortune with your next endeavor.
Cheers,
Sutt
Steve,
Most of the links here are indeed focused on tech startups, but the bulk of the startups here have a strong tech component to them. There are some pretty cool things going on in agriculture as well, but I haven’t been able to get them on the show yet. Feel free to drop me email directly at tim @ you-know-the-domain if you want to ask about a specific project.
Tim
Tim
Hi Tim,
Just finished reading this page – wow, what a ride! Very interesting story. You’re lucky to have such a diverse life – perhaps, a bit too diverse to my taste, but who cares about my taste…? 🙂 I came to this page after having read your excellent analysis (podcast transcript) on Uber and AirBnB. How I got to that page – I accidentally ran across your LinkedIn profile and followed you there. I wish you good luck and look forward to learning from you.
Best wishes,
Aleksandr
Hi Aleksandr,
Thanks for getting in touch. It seems all crazy and chaotic when you condense 50 years into 4,000 words. There were plenty of boring times too, but it’s no fun writing about those. I am now planning my new and (seemly crazy) next step. News to follow in the next month or two.
Tim
Thank you, Tim, for such an interesting story! Really helped me to put things in perspective.
I listened to my first 2 episodes of your podcast yesterday, and enjoyed it a lot too. Friendly, informative and to the point.
Hopefully, the day will come and I will have an opportunity to cooperate in some way with you or your guests 🙂
Thank you again, and wishing you all the best!
Hi Taras,
Thanks for listening and thanks for getting in touch. If you are in Tokyo, I hope to see you around. It’s an exciting time to be here now.
Tim
Hi Tim,
I came across this site while looking up some folks from the old neighborhood. I really enjoyed reading about your life’s journeys after leaving Fairfax. You never struck me as one who followed the beaten path and sure enough you continue to challenge yourself and use your success and experience to help others.
On a somewhat humorous note, I distinctly remember the stern bicycle safety talk I got by my parents after the Leoni driveway incident. Also, you were far and away the best dungeon master we ever had and somewhat of a mythical figure to my kids when I explain to them why gaming was so much better in the 80’s. Their eye rolls never get old!
Best regards to you and your family,
Carl
Carl,
Wow. Great to hear from you after all these years. Sometimes I think I was born 20 or 30 years too early, since computers and gaming as actually cool now. Of course that bicycle stunt would have been idiotic at any age. What are you up to these days? Feel free to continue this thread by email [email protected] or Facebook or LinkedIn.
Tim
Dear Tim Very interesting story about you.Really enjoyed. I have also lived and worked as a Coordinator for International Relations in Aichi Prefecture from 1997 to 2002. Still holding PR Status for Japan but at present living in U.K. Hope to see you one day in Japan. Regards Kuldip Singh Chahal
Hi Kuldip,
Thanks for getting in touch. Japan can be a great place to live. I’ve spent my whole stay in Tokyo, and don’t know much about life in Aichi, but it’s beautiful.
Tim
Thanks you for sharing your story in the ABOUT section which I expected to be a short bio written in the 3rd person as if it was written by someone other than the founder. It made it a lot more interesting and captivating.
Thanks for listening and thanks for getting in touch.
I’m glad you enjoyed the story of my life. It’s been (mostly) enjoyable for me as well.
I think the world would be a much more interesting place if we were all more open about who we are and what we are dreaming about.
Tim
Nice article!
Thank you
What a amazing life, Tim, and the adventures still continue. Love listening to your podcast and aim to move to Japan too in the next couple of years to experience life there. Hope to catch you for a beer / coffee / other beverage of choice.
Hi Parikshat,
Things have been pretty interesting so far. Thanks for listening and thanks for the kind words. Japan is a really exciting place to be starting startups right now. Hope we get a chance to talk in person when you move here.
Tim
Thank you for being so generous with your about page. I enjoy your podcast very much. I’m also fascinated with the startup culture in Japan. As a transplanted San Franciscan, I love this country and believe that innovation and entrepreneurship may very well save her. Keep up the good work!
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks for listening, and I’m glad you enjoy the show. I agree it’s a great time to be in Japan and involved in startups and innovation.
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thank you so much for sharing the story! I just heard your talk in Japan-US Innovation Award, got interested in who you are and what you do. As a non-native English speaker, it was pretty long I have to say, but I really enjoyed it as well as your podcasting!
I am a Japanese and I have spent most of my life in Japan however it is hard to realize the beauty of Japan without people who know a lot about other countries telling me. Thanks again and looking forward to listening more of your podcasting!
Mizue
Hi Mizue,
Thanks for listening. I’ll be releasing the talk at Stanford as a special bonus episode in about a week. It turned out pretty well. Sometimes my answers get a little long. I have a bad habit of being asked a very simple question and then spending 15 minutes answering and trying to explore all the detail I see behind the question. lol
I’m glad you enjoy the show. Please keep listening, and if you enjoy it be sure to tell people about it. There are some really amazing things going on in Japan right now.
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thank you for sharing your story. I didn’t expect it to be so long, but actually I liked it!
I’m a French translator (English/Japanese >French), in love with Japan but stuck in France for now. I love reading about foreign entrepreneurs living and working in Japan. It’s good to have fresh and sound information from there.
I just came across Disrupting Japan today, thanks to some post on the “French Tech Tokyo” LinkedIn group. I’ll try to catch up with 5 years of podcasts… X_x’
Good luck, keep going and I’ll keep listening! 🙂
Ameline
Hi Ameline,
Thanks for listening, and I’m glad you enjoyed the story and the podcast. I love putting them together. There are so many amazing things going on in Japan right now.
Tim
This is absolutely the best article. I won’t 100% forget this article forever …
Hi Taka,
Thank you so much! It’s just my personal story, but it makes me happy to know that others enjoy it.
I need to update this article now that I’ve joined Google. I’ll add it to my to-do list.
Tim
Thank you so much for sharing your story Tim. As someone with no business background, I struggle with starting my own business and reading your story and listening to your guests is very encouraging. I’ve made it a point to share your podcast with my students, (adult businesspeople in Tokyo) and enjoy every episode.
Keep up the great work!
Hi Michael,
Thanks for listening, and thank you for sharing. I genuinely love putting the show together. I’m glad I didn’t know how much work podcasting was before I started because I might not have launched the show. Disrupting Japan has been one of the most rewarding projects I’ve ever done.
Tim
Konnichiha, my name is Diego, and I live in Mexico, I’ve been active in communities and events based on Startups for almost 10 years in Tokyo, Mexico, and San Francisco CA. Some of the Events I have assisted in Tokyo where supported by Disrupting Japan. Hajimemashite.
I speak fluent English, Spanish and created groups to study Japanese for Hispanic markets using Bots on Telegram.
I would like to be in contact with you to start new Events and support entrepreneurs based on the new generation of people using the current Social Networks around the world. They have already a different mindset and want to be part of more Global Economies based on Technologies.
どうぞよろしくお願いします。
Hi Diego,
Thanks for listening. It would be great to have more sincere people helping startups in Japan. I look forward to hearing more about your project.
Tim
Hi Tim,
I have really been enjoying your Disrupting Japan podcasts, especially the ones concerning women entrepreneurs. Keep up the good work. I also enjoyed your personal profile, which leads me to ask, what is your favorite Lynrd Skynrd song to perform?
Thanks
Paul Tanner
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
Hi Paul,
Thanks for listening. I’d glad you enjoy the podcast.
I actually like most Skynyrd songs. It’s just that one I never want to hear again. If I had to list favorites, I’d say maybe “Gimme Three Steps”, “Call Me the Breeze”, and “What’s Your Name”. (God, those were some good times!)
Tim
Hi Tim,
Thank you very much for this very authentic About Me page. I’ve been enjoying your Disrupting Japan podcast for a while, but reading this will make my commute listen a bit more of a personal touch. Your latest podcast with Chiemi-san was quite interesting as well- looking forward to more of women x going global (or shall we say, “global, starting with the Japanese market”?).
Have a great GW!
Koshu, from Paris
Hi Koshu,
Thanks for listening. I’m glad that you enjoy the show. I love putting it together. There are going to be even more inspiring women founders on future episodes.
Tim
Hey Tim,
I have known your name for long – thanks to you disrupting Japan so much.
And then we got connected on LinkedIn as well.
Well, so your site is not new to me, and I have been knocking on its door time and again, but not sure how the heck I missed reading “About Tim” 🙂
But, I would say that it was good that I missed it and got to read it today – one of those days when things don’t seem to go the way you wish them to be. And yes, this one made the day.
One of the best pieces. Loved reading it, and loved my own smile reading it 🙂
Cheers
-Himanshu
Hi Himanshi,
Thanks for listening.
I’m glad you enjoyed my “About Tim” story. When I first wrote it, I was a bit nervous about sharing so openly on the Internet, but the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
Tim
Hi, Tim
I did enjoy your story a lot.
My son in law works for TEPCO. He is an engineer, specializing in electricit transmission. I can never forget his look when The Earthquake happened and TV showed the Power Plant in destroy. He works now in Niigata for Kashiwazaki Power Plant.
I happened to run two tiny companies and one NPO
for offering cross cultural training to the expats, when I learned a lot how different Japanese is different from European languages in the ways of thinking, actions and habbits.
What has interested me through meeting lots is how they can cope with their identity in the entirely different world.
I hope we could have you one day as a lecturer in the meetings of the groups I run and join.
I am sure you will be a fascinating inspiration to us.
Thank you.
Yasuyo T.
Hi Yasuyo,
Thanks for listening.
I had the pleasure to work with several people at TEPCO who were directly involved in the earthquake and Fukushima response. It was a very difficult time for most staff. While there were unquestionable mistakes that the company was responsible for, there were also so many people dedicated to making things right and keeping things running.
I greatly value the years I spent at TEPCO. I learned so much while I was there.
Tim