Meet the MarMar members! Kazuno - back from Switzerland, and thinking about parenting environment in Japan
まるまーるの多彩なメンバーをご紹介
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 Kazuno, back from her eight years in Switzerland.
Kazuno
Born in Japan, and lived in U.S., U.K., and Switzerland.
Strong DNA from her mother's family in Okinawa, she is often thought as a natural born Southeastern Asian and she loves it.
She loves warm places, and has that Okinawan thought of "everything is gonna be alright"!
[ what she likes ] changing furniture settings in her home
Q: What brought you to join MarMar?
When I returned to Japan in 2021 after living in Switzerland for eight and a half years, I wanted to connect with people from overseas backgrounds.
Q: Did you live abroad for many years？
My first time abroad was in the United States between my 7th. grade and 10th. grade. I call it the "dark period of my life" because I suffered from the triple handicap of not being able to speak, hear, or write English.
Q: It must have been really tough, being at the age of puberty, when it is often difficult to express thoughts and feelings even in a native language. Did you live in Japan after that?
Yes, I lived in Wales for 10 months for work. I lived in Wales, England for 10 months for work when I was 25 years old after graduating from college.
I then changed jobs, got married, lived in Kamakura, and moved to Zurich, Switzerland when my husband was transferred. I lived in a German-speaking area for eight and a half years.
I love living in Japan, but I also love the "eye-opening" experience of being exposed to a foreign culture and having my common sense overturned.
Q: Did you give birth in Switzerland?
Yes, I have a son and a daughter. I gave birth to them in Switzerland.
I understand how difficult it is to raise a child abroad while trying to come to terms with the differences between your own culture and the local culture, so I am participating in MarMar projects in the hope that I can be there for people who are going through the same thing.
When chatting with foreign mothers, Kazuno's nods and words, backed by her contemplation, ingenuity, effort, and experience abroad, have a special weight and warmth.
This is her interview with Yanli from China, for one of our "My Story" series.
She has launched her own "seno atelier" to publish wimmelbuch, which she met in Switzerland.
Q: After returning to Japan, what do you think about the environment surrounding child-rearing and children in Japan?
I think there are good and bad points.
I think Japan has a wonderful environment for emotional education in childhood. We are blessed with the essentials of life: abundant nature all year round, a wonderful food culture, and safety. Many people who live abroad bring their children back to Japan temporarily, even if only for a few weeks, to enroll their children in Japanese kindergartens and elementary schools. They come back to Japan to improve their Japanese language skills and have experiences that they can only have in Japan.
On the other hand, children in Japan seem to be excessively attentive compared to other countries. Hence, children lack opportunities to express themselves and cooperate with their surroundings.
However, every country has its good points and bad points.
There is no one country that is the best. I would like to encourage foreign nationals raising children in Japan in a way that allows them to fully enjoy the advantages of Japan. Raising a child in a foreign country can be difficult, both physically and mentally, in terms of establishing identity and language, but I hope to support them with a positive approach.
Q: What does MarMar mean to you?
I run my business under the name of seno atelier, which is a place for me to express myself and engage in creative activities.
MarMar is a place where I am involved with the hope of contributing to society through my experiences, even if only a little. However, as a result, it is a place where I can share the joys and pains of living abroad, the difficulties of returning to Japanese society, and an awareness of social issues.
Thank you for your read!
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