I have two home countries: the Philippines, where I was born and raised; and Japan, where my parents are from. My cultural identities lie in both cultures: I grew up with a clear sense of my Japanese heritage, but also identify strongly with Filipino culture. I have also been learning about my Ryukyuan heritage through fieldwork trips to Yoron, Japan.

After I left the Philippines at the age of 15, I have moved around quite a bit. I lived in Kobe, Chiba, and Tokyo in Japan, and Pittsburgh and Honolulu in the US. Every single place I have lived in has contributed to my complex cultural and linguistic identity.

I speak Japanese, Tagalog, and English. Japanese is my first language, and I speak both the Tokyo and Kansai varieties. Tagalog is my second language (or second first language). Because English is one of the official languages of the Philippines, I was always exposed to it, but I did not become really proficient at it until I learned it much later at school. These three languages are the only ones I can use flexibly in various situations, but I have enjoyed learning many more languages along the way and I look forward to learning more in the future.