Counting the years, I've lived in the U.S. for a total of 50 years of which I've been a resident of Manhattan's Midtown West Side for 33 years. I still work as a freelance Japanese/English interpreter and translator.

In the past seven years, I've taken up beading. It began as a visual creative outlet after working with my two languages for so long, and has evolved into something much more. Please check out www.toppinyc.com on FB and Instagram toppinyc.

My schedule allows me time to travel. In recent years, I've been to Italy and France, twice each. I travel to Japan about once a year, especially now that my son, Gene (30), lives there. Although born and raised in Manhattan, he's taken interest in the Japanese language and culture, as I did. I was born in Tokyo and came to Larchmont at age nine. As an adult, I lived in Japan for 10 years.

It took years to get over feeling caught between two cultures. Knowing now that I can bridge divides, I undertook a major project last year. I befriended pediatrician MaryLouise Patterson while raising Gene. She and her childhood friend compiled and edited 40 years of letters exchanged between their civil rights activist parents and Langston Hughes. Letters from Langston: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Red Scare and Beyond was published by U of CA Press in 2016. I coordinated what turned into a 20-day lecture tour at 6 universities and one Buddhist temple in Kyoto. Our reception was incredibly positive.

It was also a change from art-related translation and interpreting work I've done over the years. One example is www.hitoshinakazato.com.

During my high school years, I was fortunate to have Mrs. Posk (Patty Bellantoni) as my art teacher. She set me on my art direction for life. In 2011, I visited her in Venice Beach, CA and when I saw her again the following year, I was able to show her my then fledgling necklaces. Throughout high school I sewed costumes for theater productions. After so many years of living within walking distance of Broadway, I am now enjoy going to the theater. Some playwrights I like include Horton Foote, Athol Fugard, and Lynn Nottage. I find my life enriched by the arts that were introduced to me back then.