Sarah Coomber is the author of The Same Moon (Camphor Press, 2020), a memoir about what happened when she traded out her wrecked Minnesota life for two years in rural Japan. The Same Moon is possibly the only book about the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) experience written from a woman’s point of view. Sarah joined JET in 1994, when the government-sponsored program was in it’s infancy.
In this episode of the Books on Asia Podcast, she talks about being a single woman in Japan at that time, expectations at work and gives advice on what women should consider before moving to Japan to teach English.
At the very end of the podcast, Sarah shares with us her top three books on Japan, and why:
1. Shogun, by James Clavell
2. The Accidental Office Lady: An American Woman in Corporate Japan by Laura Kriska
3. A Half-Step Behind: Japanese Women Today, by Jane Condon
(Note: Affiliate links are for Amazon US and may not direct you to the appropriate book for Amazon stores in other countries)
About the Author: Sarah Coomber has since worked in public relations, journalism, science writing and advocacy, and has taught English at the college level. She has an MFA in creative writing from Eastern Washington University, a master’s in mass communication from the University of Minnesota and level four certification in the Seiha School of koto. In Minnesota she writes, manages communications projects, coaches other writers and teaches yoga.
Find her online at her website or sign up for her newsletter. You’ll also find her at the following social media links:
Twitter: @CoomberSarah
Instagram: @sarahcoomberwriter
Facebook: @sarahcoomberwriter
LinkedIn: @sarahcoomber
Correction: In the podcast, we incorrectly identified John Ross as a guest on the Formosa Files podcast. He is a co-host, with Eryk Michael Smith. Apologies!
The Books on Asia Podcast is sponsored by Stone Bridge Press. Check out their books on Japan at the publisher’s website. Amy Chavez, podcast host, is author of Amy’s Guide to Best Behavior in Japan and The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island.
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