Rebecca Otowa

Rebecca Otowa: I was born in Southern California and at the age of 12, migrated with my family to Brisbane, Australia, where pilot courses in Japanese language were offered in high school. Intrigued by the idea of writing Japanese characters, I took the course and followed it with a BA (Hons.) in Japanese at University of Queensland. Obtaining a scholarship from the Japanese Government, I arrived in Kyoto in 1978, getting an MA in Buddhist Studies from Otani University, in 1981. The same year, I married Toshiro, the 19th generation scion of a 350-year-old farmhouse in the Shiga mountains. The years since then have been a daily challenge, carving my niche in the village, attempting to live up to my mother-in-law's old-fashioned views of housewifery, and finding beauty and interest in the house and its lovely natural setting. In 2009 I published my first book, At Home in Japan, a collection of self-illustrated essays about my outer and inner life. My second book, My Awesome Japan Adventure, a children's book describing life in Japan from the viewpoint of an 11-year-old boy, was published in 2013. In 2019 I published my third book, a collection of self-illustrated short stories called The Mad Kyoto Shoe Swapper and Other Stories from Japan. I've enjoyed all my stops along the way of becoming an author and illustrator, and I'm grateful for the learning I've done and the people who have helped me. As I sink deeper into my life in Japan, I'm also engaging in self-discovery and learning how to express my true self in this challenging country.