Meet the MarMar members! Ryoko - "Because I feel it sooooo much."
MarMar is a non-profit organization that focuses on providing childcare support for foreign residents in Japan, aiming to "create a more diverse and inclusive society so that everyone can express their individuality, accept each other, and shine together". The group hopes to make a difference in the world by realizing diversity and inclusion in child-rearing, which is directly related to the future. We also provide various consultation services and accompany foreigners to support their procedures at city halls etc. with interpretation.
Our organizing members are the drive and fortune of the group.
Meet our members and know their backgrounds and charms!
We are happy to introduce Ryoko, who joined us in 2022.
Ryoko
After graduating from college and working for a Japanese company, she accompanied her family on an overseas assignment. After living in three countries for a total of six years and raising two sons, she returned to Japan in 2021. Now she is an active member of MarMar while working full time.
[ What she likes ] Creating, drawing illustrations, drawing on PC. Trying to reduce waste hopefully to zero.
[ Languages she speaks ] Japanese, conversational English, and French. She is good at learning vocabularies of vegetable and fish in English and French - because she wants to taste them！
Q: How did you find MarMar?
After I came back from overseas, one of my friends handed me their brochure, because she thought I would like it.
Raising kids in three different countries over six years
Q: Have you been abroad a lot?
No. Until my husband got transferred to their overseas office, I had lived only in Japan, only in Tokyo and Kanagawa.
After my husband's transfer, we liver 1.5 years in Australia, 1.5 years in U.K., and 3 years in Paris, France. My life there was mainly raising two kids, in three different countries over six years.
Q: So your first experience of living in a different country was as a mom.
Yes. My older son was a passionate football player and he never wanted to leave Japan. So, for him, I wanted to make it something that he would find worthwhile. I was so desperate.
I feel it soooooo much.
Q: How was your life there？
Especially in Australia and U.K., local moms, local soccer moms were so kind and nice to us. We - myself, and my sons did not speak English.
I cannot pay back directly to them, but now that I am in Japan, I want to pay it back to someone in Japan, that needs support with the language.
Q: And does that lead to your involvement with MarMar?
I am not very good at English. My French is even worse. I do not have special skill either. But something I have, is that I feel it sooooo much, when someone has to raise their children though they do not understand local language. I really know how they feel. That is why I have been with MarMar since 2022.
The globe is spinning even in imperfection.
Q: What actions do you want to make?
In my life abroad, I learnt
・the globe is spinning even in imperfection (in Japanese view, it needs to make it perfect and smooth, but it is not. ）
・your aesthetics is what matters. （I think this is so norm especially in Paris.）
・to live as one of the minorities, in a weak position, or in a position that is discriminated….this is something I would like to discuss with someone who has only lived in Japan.
What kind of a group is MarMar?
Q: What is MarMar like?
It is a group of ordinary moms living in Japan.
They love their kids, they are trying hard. They have their roles in society. They know how to take care of themselves. Yet, they hope to help others. They are as great as other moms in different countries in the world.
Thank you for your read!
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