Japanese Women in Canada Vol. 9 Emi Ueyama

What do you like about Vancouver?

Perhaps it is because it is a multi-ethnic country, but I think it is a friendly city that accepts everyone.

I like to travel. I have been to many countries. This is the first country among them that I wanted to live in. The fact that the food is delicious is also a high point. (laughs) You can eat food from many different countries. There is an abundance of Japanese food, so I don’t get homesick easily.

Also, since I snowboard, the mountains are close by and easy to get to.

What brought you here?/How long have you been living here?

I came to Vancouver on the working holiday program in July of 2013. It’s been eight years this year.

My family’s policy was to go on an international homestay program when I reach high school age. My sister and I both went to Perth, Australia for two weeks when we were freshmen in high school. The memories of that time were so enjoyable that I always wanted to live abroad. 

I never gave up on this desire. After working at a travel agency for four years, I came to Canada on a working holiday visa. I thought that if I didn’t go now, I would never be able to go. It was the right decision.

I am now living a life that I would not have been able to live if I had stayed in Japan.

What have you been doing?

After graduating from college, my friends and I went backpacking around Europe for a month. It was a lot of fun! In Italy, the first country we visited, I was pickpocketed, my wallet was taken, and I was instantly broke! I fought, but I couldn’t get it back… I got by with my friend’s credit card and some cash I had stashed in another place (lol).

It’s a good memory now.

Traveling and walking around in different countries, getting to know people from different countries, eating and drinking with the people I met along the way. I realized how exciting and fun it is to do everyday things in a different country, and it made me want to see more and more countries.

After my trip to Europe, I was offered a job at a travel agency in Japan. I wanted to work at a travel agency because I love to travel. However, I couldn’t go on trips even though I was working for a travel agency. (laughs) I was too busy. During this period, I was only able to go to nearby countries like Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand.

After working for a travel agency for four years, I took the plunge and quit my job to come to Vancouver for a working holiday visa. My initial plan was to stay for one year, but with the support of the restaurant where I was working at at the time, I was able to work on a Work Visa and get my immigration status. I am now working full time at a cafe.

What is the hardest thing you have faced living in Canada and what have you learned from it?

When I was working 6 days a week at Work Visa to get my PR card.

I thought, “Why did I stay? What am I doing?” I felt like I was going to lose my mind. I was volunteering at West Point Gray Japanese Language School on my day off. It helped me to purify my mind. (laughs). The children were so cute.

What I learned is that no matter the situation you are in, you have to find your own way to make it worthwhile.

In my case, I was in the customer service industry, so I decided to improve my communication skills with the goal of getting to know my customers! I tried to be polite to customers and talk to them more, and the number of regular customers increased. Looking back on it now, I have gained a lot of useful information that lead me to my current job.

What do you do now?

I’m working at a cafe that serves delicious coffee, which I’ve always wanted. I’m training to become a barista.

I’ve always wanted to work at a local cafe, so now that I’m doing the job I want. I’m really enjoying it and learning a lot. Coffee is much deeper than it appears. My coffee preferences change depending on the time of the year, but right now I like the fruity, light-bodied Ethiopian. I like to drink it straight with Pour Over rather than a latte.

I volunteer at West Point Gray Japanese Language School once a week. I’ve always liked children. I have a lot of respect for the teacher, Ms. Kashihara and her educational philosophy of “letting the children think and value their independence.” 

What do you like to do?

I like working in cafes. I like to interact with people. This is why I’ve chosen to work in the customer service industry. I believe that the more polite you are to people, the more they will respond to you. For me, interacting with people is an exchange of feelings, and when I interact with people, I can learn information that I could not learn by myself. I feel like my world is expanding.

I like snowboarding in the winter, hiking and camping in the summer, eating out, and touring Breweries with friends. I also love to spend time alone enjoying movies, books, and manga because it calms my mind.

What would you like to do next?

After gaining experience as a barista in Vancouver, I would like to work at a café in Japan. I would like to compare the difference between Japanese and Vancouver cafe. I want to experience it.

Also, I would love to travel all over Japan and enjoy my life in both Japan and in Canada.

Lastly, what is your belief/motto?

“Do what you love.” That’s it.

While doing what I love, I want to cherish the relationships I have with people, my family, my friends, and most of all, I want to cherish the time I have to enjoy myself.

Editor’s Comment

Emi is enjoying her life very much. This is the perfect description of her. 

She is full of life and I feel a sense of familiarity with her. I’m sure she must have grown up with a lot of love and affection from her families and friends around her.

Emi is a woman who does what she says and does what she loves. Her kindness in cherishing relationships with others and her resilience in finding fulfillment even in hard times keeps her doing what she loves.

I’m sure that her sparkling smile will bring all kinds of happiness to people and to her life. By continuing to do what she loves to do, I feel that she has shown me the process of growing into an attractive woman with depth of personality without knowing it.

I am looking forward to how her “favorite thing” will take shape in the future.