About

I’m a Taiwanese-American lab tech/writer with a passion for Japanese culture.  I became interested when I visited a small town in the Miyagi Prefecture through a Sister Cities exchange program. That led to my participation in the JET Programme for a year.  Nowadays I write about Japanese entertainment for Resonance Media and continue to help out with my hometown’s Sister Cities program.

Originally I started this blog to present a multifaceted view of Japanese culture. When I was living there, I discovered that many people are only familiar with some aspects. An ALT (assistant language teacher) may be familiar with life in the Japanese countryside but not the style of lolita fashion whereas a self-proclaimed otaku in the U.S. may be able to name anime voice actors but not any of the prefectures.  The desire to bridge these gaps in understanding became the premise for this blog.  I wanted to give you the whole picture of Japan, as well as my personal experiences.

Recently my focus has changed. I don’t want this to be just another Japanese pop culture blog or even a JET blog. One of my favorite posts is my countdown of “Japanese 90s alt girls” in response to a list that was lacking in women of color. I want to be able to highlight an interesting group or individual. Moreover, I want to bring attention to how we can create a better world through the exchange of cultures. While I will still pass along tidbits of wisdom I gained as a JET and talk about entertainment, I aim to make this blog more socially aware. My goal is for every reader to walk away learning something that they can’t easily find on Wikipedia or another page.

The name for this blog came from my JET days. After seeing photos of my cosplay of Kyoya Hibari from Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, a couple of my students called me “Hibari” (behind my back). A fellow ALT said that they still should have addressed me as “sensei” and that was how the idea of Hibari-sensei came to be.

Disclaimers:
-This blog reflects the views of only one individual and not any associated organizations that may have been mentioned (unless an article has been linked).
-Photos of my students are intentionally blurry as to protect their privacy.  I always ask cosplayers permission to take their picture, and credit is always given to photos taken by others.
-I do not tolerate bigotry or negative remarks about specific individuals.  Criticism on fashion trends, songs, and traditions is, but comments targeting one person’s appearance, beliefs, or lifestyle will deleted.