What inspired you to work in Japan?
During my time as an exchange student at a university in Kyoto, I got to experience Japanese daily life and culture in a way that really stayed with me. It deepened my curiosity about Japan and made me want to do more than study it from the outside. Working here felt like the natural next step: a chance to challenge myself in a new environment and see what I was capable of. I wanted to keep growing professionally, and to become someone who could contribute in a meaningful way wherever I ended up.
In what ways do your language skills and cultural background come into play?
I grew up in the United States, but I have Japanese roots. Learning the language and understanding the culture was not something that came naturally. It took real effort over many years, and that process has become one of my strongest professional assets. I can look at things from two angles: the perspective of an international guest, and the perspective of someone who understands how Japan works from the inside.
That comes up a lot in my day-to-day work. When I create social media content, I am always thinking about what our international audience does and does not know about Japan. Things that feel completely ordinary to someone living here can be genuinely interesting to someone encountering them for the first time. A post I put together about tatami flooring got a great response from overseas followers who said it was fresh and informative. That kind of feedback is a good reminder that our content does more than promote the brand. It introduces people to Japan in a way that is accessible and real.
What gives you the most satisfaction in your work?
As Marketing Manager, what I find most rewarding is knowing that something we have put out into the world has actually connected with someone. When a person comes across one of our posts, blog articles, or YouTube videos and feels genuinely drawn to stay at MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS or eph Hotels, that is what makes the work feel worthwhile.
I do not often get to meet guests in person, but comments and messages can have the same effect. Hearing that someone enjoyed their stay, discovered something they did not expect, or simply wants to visit, reminds me that the work reaches people in ways that matter.
What has kept you motivated throughout your time here?
I am coming up on 10 years with AJ. Looking back, what stands out is that my role has kept changing. It has never felt like doing the same job on repeat. Each stage brought something new to figure out and a reason to keep developing.
When I joined, I had no background in hospitality. What I did have was confidence in my ability to communicate with people from all kinds of backgrounds, handle things as they came up, and help make someone’s trip genuinely memorable. My own experience traveling in Japan, and the care and attentiveness of the hospitality I received, left a strong impression. I wanted to offer that same quality to others.
I started in Guest Services, but at the same time I was teaching myself Illustrator, writing website copy, and helping get the company’s Instagram off the ground. Designing in-room guides and guest materials became part of my work too. Those contributions were noticed, and over time I took on more responsibility. Eventually I was involved in building out the Marketing department, and today I lead the team and oversee the brand as a whole. The reason I have stayed is straightforward: there has always been something new to work on and room to grow.
How do you approach building a strong team?
Communication is the most important thing for our team. That means staying in close contact not just within the Marketing team as we are a remote team, but with team members in other departments, such as Reservations and Guest Services. Sharing information openly and keeping everyone on the same page is what allows us to work well together.
The international make-up of our team also helps to create a strong team. When people come from different backgrounds and bring different points of view, it tends to produce better ideas. That variety shows up in the quality of what we offer our guests. If someone checks out and is already thinking about coming back, I think the range of perspectives on our team has something to do with that.
What are you hoping to achieve going forward?
Looking ahead, I want to grow the MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS and eph Hotels brands on a larger stage and explore expansion into new regions. The goal is to help more travelers around the world discover what machiya living is about and feel motivated to experience it for themselves.
I am also interested in how AI and social media can go beyond marketing and play a direct role in improving the guest experience. Things like real-time multilingual support, travel recommendations tailored to the individual, and digital concierge features built into our website and in-room materials.
I am also looking forward to expanding the MACHIYA LOCALS platform. Right now it is primarily for guests who are staying with us, but I would like to see it develop into something useful for any traveler coming to Japan, a resource that helps people connect with Japanese culture in a way that feels approachable and genuine.
