Why I Love Japan

When I was only six years old or so, while waiting for the school bus to pick me up, I was flipping through the channels to see what was interesting on TV. Then I saw a channel that had the Fuji TV news at 7 AM. I found the news from Japan very interesting, and that’s basically how my interest in Japan all began.

On a Monday in 1995, when I was flipping through the channels, I saw the opening sequence of an animated program called Sailor Moon. I said, “Hmm, this is interesting,” and watched the first show. That’s how my interest in Anime all started.

I’ve been involved with Extreme Anime Radio, an internet radio station, since finding it in the fall of 2002. I started doing bumper and intro recordings that December, and in 2003 I was named to the station staff.

My involvement with the radio station gave me the courage to open up my own Internet radio station dedicated to Sailor Moon music. After a year and a half on Live365, I closed it down, and Kei offered me a show of my own. And so started the “JRHorse Side Project”, a weekly radio show that features my favorite Anime and J-Pop music and artists, all with a “New York Twist.”

I am happy to say that I’ve explored Japan four times, visiting in June 2004, October 2008, September 2013 and October 2017. I am hoping for some more trips to Japan during my lifetime 🙂

I am, by no means, an “expert” on travel to and within Japan, as some people have claimed. I do research Japanese culture and travel on a regular basis, though. So if you have any questions about traveling to the land of the rising sun, let me know. I’ll do my best to help you out!