When the Great East Japan Earthquake 東日本大震災struck northern Japan on March 11, 2011 I was curled up in my bed sleeping off a night shift.  The natural and nuclear catastrophe affected lives around the world, and in a much more micro sense it changed mine.  Until then writing had only been a dream, something I had enjoyed as a kid in Buffalo, New York but forgot about during my dramatic move to Tokyo, Japan during my teenage years.  I could barely string together enough words to form a sentence, much less create moving narratives about the world I witness around me.  So when I was recruited to the national publication The Japan Times and subsequently Reuters Television in Tokyo the direction of my life was incomparably changed.     

In under five years I have travelled to over ten countries on four continents, crossed the Pacific over 30 times and interviewed a diverse collection of people from SlumGOD break dancers in Mumbai, India to A-list celebrities on the Oscars red carpet.  The years I spent in silence, unable to communicate with the world around me because of language barriers formed my views of the world and developed my empathy in ways I have still yet to fully unlock.  From shy bookworm to Tokyo party girl and now international news journalist, if you're reading this and trying to find YOUR path just remember "Never settle.  You HAVE time."  Follow my day to day on Twitter or long form commentary on my blog.  よろしくお願いします。

Favorite INTERVIEW

Sarah Wayne Callies

OCCUPATION

Working Mother

Location

Tokyo, Japan

“It's hard and every working mother I know feels a thousand more times guilty than every working father I know.  It's interesting that you know, we're trying so hard for equality but... Andy and John, my two leading men, they both have children too and they seem to be able to do their job without going home at night and going "UH!  I have to cook and clean and be perfect because I was just away and I'm a terrible person for being away.”

Mariko Lochridge

Follow @MarikoLochridge