About Tokyo Tales : My Journey
Suzy Cohen Okubo, a young Israeli woman just released from the army, decides to travel to the far east – first to Thailand, and then to Japan. Although this trip was mainly to unwind and relax after the military service, as many Israelis do, she found herself building a new life away from her home and country.
In this book, Suzy delicately describes the story of her acclimatization In Tokyo: Her first job as a bar hostess, her marriage to a local businessman, and her attempts to adapt to the Japanese culture, which was so very different from what she knew from Israel.
This is an important and interesting story which gives the reader a glimpse into the intricacies of the Japanese culture and mentality – not from the “common tourist” perspective. Suzy’s journey resembles a speeding roller coaster going up and down the tracks, as she faced many difficulties along the way – including battling cancer, the stock market crash, the tsunami events, and the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Yet, she did not succumb to despair and found an opportunity for growth and woman empowerment after every crisis.
Suzy grew from an innocent young woman living in her husband’s shadow to a successful, fully independent businesswoman.
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Learn More About The Author
Suzy Cohen Okobo went on a trip with the aim of escaping the life she had in Israel, not knowing where the trip would take her. On the way she met people who led her to Japan, where her life changed. Following love, she decided to stay in Japan and build her life there. In the book, she describes the difficulties and cultural differences as a woman, as a mother and as a business woman. For 30 years, Suzy overcame many obstacles and learned that the right way for her is to accept each culture as it is and enjoy the jumps between cultures. After many years in which she faced financial, marital, family and health difficulties, she learned to take the best of the two different cultures and realize that this is actually her strength and today she lives in harmony between them and feels the need to bridge the two, through the profession she chose.