Lance E. Lee Podcast from Tokyo

Every day starts with meditation and gratitude for life. Midori Kaneko stays true to her parents' teachings and values the connection with great minds throughout her illustrious career in finance and other industries. Newly appointed as the director of group marketing at Sun Frontier Fudousan, Co. Ltd., Midori spearheads a three-year plan to create a marketing team, the first ever in the company's...

Want to educate yourself about the only continent-nation in the world? Adam Cunneen enlightens us about Australia's geography, economy, history, education, and population. His national pride comes through as he passionately speaks of Australia's pursuit of the gold standard and the egalitarian optimism that is a hallmark strength of the nation. Adam has devoted a decade to the push for Victoria to...

Tom and Kozue Dunn are a dynamic couple, each pursuing their life passions while maintaining a harmonious marriage. Kozue is invested in helping people find happiness and fulfillment as they search for properties. Tom is in equity sales trading, and the world of finance has sparked a strong interest in childhood. Life in Japan is good for them and gives them joy. As Tom says, "I have a puzzle to s...

Sam Gilbert of Club 360 (episode 169 guest) interviews me on his podcast! I enjoyed going through the questions and having a chance to reflect on my experiences and talk about the origins of the I CAN program. Sam and I also exchanged stories about raising children, teaching children, and keeping them focused and motivated despite the time limitation (ex-pat families stay in Japan on average for 3...

Sam Gilbert, co-founder and owner of Club 360 joins me today and talks about his life experience as well as the makings and future of his successful fitness club. Sam has a background in karate and studied physiotherapy at university. He met Nathan, his business partner (also his brother-in-law), and together they fulfilled their goal of delivering a holistic fitness and wellness service that cate...

Terri MacMillan is cherishing life and feeling blessed, having recently overcome a medical condition and is on her way to healing. Terri is a songwriter, singer, writer, and illustrator with a passion for creating art. In the late 1980s, she managed "Pizzicato 5", a Japanese pop-music band, which led to her coming to Japan with the entrepreneurial mindset of bringing cool music and art from abroad...

In this enlightening episode, world-renowned "legend of the synths and keys," Philip Woo, joins me to share his 50+ years of experience in the music business, alongside luminaries like Roy Ayers, Ashford & Simpson, Patti LaBelle, Frankie Beverly, Maze, and other outstanding artists. Philip's stories are brimming with inspirational highlights, from his childhood prodigy days to being a fixture...

Few know as many people in this community as Nick Masee, and being in his circle has been a privilege. Nick resides in Malaysia and maintains the ties nurtured in the Tokyo ex-pat community. Starting as a teenager, interning for a local freight forwarding company in Vancouver, Nick established a career in the moving business. Having built a solid portfolio, Nick was recruited to join Asian Tigers...

After retiring from the US Marine Corps, Colonel Jonathan Christopher Goff, aka Chris, established a consulting firm with his wife and later joined Raytheon. Chris debuted his motorcycle skills on Easy Rider's recent Hokkaido tour 2022! Coming from a proud heritage of faithful service to the Marine Corps (his father and uncle), Chris followed his destiny and attended VMI with a Marine Corps schola...

A fellow "Easy-rider," Peter Thomas, joins me today after an exhilarating 5-day tour around Hokkaido. As a teenager, Peter was into sports, bikes, motorcycles, and his band. With an engineering and coding background, Peter found employment in California that suited his skill set until a soccer teammate recruited him to work for Aladdin Systems. When Peter and his wife decided to move to Connecticu...

Saxophonist/musician Glenn M. Ray came on for the second time, promoting his recently released single "Gets Me Started." It was a pleasure to touch base. Glenn divulges about his music training, life as a musician in Japan, and an awesome experience being recruited to tour and play in several Hyatt hotels, resorts, and clubs throughout Asia.

TELL celebrates its 50th year next year. Executive director Giles Duke came on today and enlightened us about the inner workings of the non-profit organization that provides mental health lifeline and clinic services. Giles was born in Santiago, Chile, and his family moved to Japan for his father's diplomatic posting, where Giles attended the NIS and YIS. Giles returned to Japan during the "bubble...

Sako Cunneen, a padel enthusiast, is bright and bubbling with laughter as she tells her life story. Leaving Japan at 18 to travel the world, Sako fulfills her goal of experiencing life in the US. After four years of studying English, she returns to Japan and meets her husband, Adam. They move to Australia, his home country, and raise a family. Sako spends most of the week playing padel, and she is...

Shin and Mimi Yano get along well as siblings, and it seems they have grown to be comfortable and respectful of each other's boundaries. It is a treat to have a sit-down with my former gymnastics students! They are forthcoming about their families (birth and adoption), schooling, hobbies, effects of COVID times, gender and sexuality, and plans. At 19 and 21, Mimi and Shin are taking on their respo...

Stephen Murphy, an animation artist/producer, describes himself as an "invisi-kid" in school, always into video games, cartoons, and movies. This sparked a passion for Japanese anime, and Stephen pursued an art degree at university. He applied for teaching opportunities in Japan and finally made it to Japan. After investing eight years in teaching English, Stephen meets Arthell Isom, CEO of the fi...

Mark Jones, model, and actor, shares how he is self-reflecting and "connecting the dots" about his younger years that shaped his life journey. Recognizing the challenges of his disjointed childhood in foster care, Mark has found creative outlets through music, acting, and being around inspirational people. The conversation was heartfelt, reminding me of the importance of soul-searching to improve...

Mark Jones, model, and actor, shares how he is self-reflecting and "connecting the dots" about his younger years that shaped his life journey. Recognizing the challenges of his disjointed childhood in foster care, Mark has found creative outlets through music, acting, and being around inspirational people. The conversation was heartfelt, reminding me of the importance of soul-searching to improve...

Photographer/translator/TV talent Mance Thompson is a 22-year resident of Japan. At a young age, he was drawn to Asian studies, particularly Japanese ones. Several self-generated trips to Japan led to Mance's return for good. He began working closely with the widow of Masayuki Miyata, a renowned Kiri-E artist (Japanese paper-cutting art), while establishing his photography portfolio and his own co...

"Working with the Guinness Book of Records and Thomas Tank Engine was the best fun in my life," today's guest Frank Foley reflects with a mirthful gleam in his eyes. Frank moved to Australia from South Ireland at age 14 and attended Griffith University, majoring in modern Asian studies, specializing in Japanese. Frank worked with Hitachi, Harpers Collins, News Corp, and HIIT entertainment. Frank r...

John lives his "good life" in the forests of Chiba, connecting to the cycle of nature through the songs of the uguisu in spring, spotting the Hotaru in the summer, and enjoying the beautiful seasonal foliage. He has been an established speechwriter specializing in gaijin CEOs of Japanese corporations since 2001, upon his return to Japan. John tells stories of his childhood and family in Canada, hi...

Antonio Villasmil, TAC Nihonbashi Service Manager, joins me today to talk about his life experiences. Having found his calling at age 18, Antonio furthered his education in hospitality for the service industry. He worked with several hotel franchises in and outside of Venezuela before bringing his cumulative training and expertise to Japan in 1999. Antonio has been an invaluable member of the TAC...

A throwback to the late 1970s, Shannon Gandy (William Shannon Gandy) made me giggle with anecdotes from the ASIJ teaching days. Shannon’s unforgettable stories about his childhood in Memphis, living and working in LA, family ties, and coming to Japan gave me insight into how the 8-year-old student at the ASIJ continued his journey, defining his character. While writing music and researching castle...

This comprehensive episode is a true "memoir" with Greg's Story of the Dale Carnegie Institute of Japan. His recount of the past, family lineage, academic achievements, karate mastery, and career path is remarkable, with illustrative stories abound. Childhood in the Australian bush built resilience as Greg worked hard beside his father. In his teens, he became hooked on karate and accomplished an...

My admiration for Kirsten O’Connor and her sensibilities as a professional has been with me since we first met at the BST in 2001. Her love and passion for teaching, planted as a seed at age 7, are the driving force behind Kirsten’s accomplishments and endeavors in her field of expertise. She takes us through her childhood, education in Kent, teaching career, life-changing experiences in the Londo...

Over the years, Preston Lofton has been a great advocate of my activities, and as humbled as I am, it brings me joy to share the podcasting experience with him as a guest. Originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, Preston served in the USAF for over two decades, and he has been in Japan since retirement. He is an engineer, a cook, and a counselor to his fellow airmen by trade. Preston is an avid...