自己紹介 Self introduction

１９５６年、アメリカ合衆国イリノイ州シカゴ生まれ。父はドイツ系アメリカ人で、母はスェーデン系。ウイスコンシン州で育ちました。子供の頃から、読書が大好きで、特に、歴史、戦争もの、SF小説を読んでいました。高校卒業後、日本に来たきっかけは、山口県岩国基地での勤務でした。２年間働いて、国際キリスト教大学に通い、それ以来東京に住んでいます。

日本人と同じように働きました。日本の会社で、サラリーマンとして働いたり、展示会大工の仕事もしたりしました。幕張メッセの展示会、国際フードフェアのデンマークの展示を工事監督しました。

２０年以上俳優をしています。映画、テレビ、CM、劇場に多数出演しました。ナレーションやゲームキャラクターの声も多数行いました。英語、日本語だけではなく、ドイツ語、フランス語、それと、少々のロシア語も話します。

１９９９年からは、キリスト教の結婚式牧師も行っています。東京及び関東地方のホテル、レストラン、結婚式場で行いました。 結婚披露宴の司会も行いました。イベントの 司会も行っています。デパートやパーティでサンタクロースの仕事もやり、子供達にプレゼントを渡します。

２００６年１０月ー２００７年１２月、東京MXテレビ「モーニングサプリ」に毎週月曜日、ニュースコメンテーターとして、生放送で出演していました。

２００３年１０月から、山梨県甲府市富士屋ホテル専属牧師です。神楽坂のフレンチレストラン「ラリアンス」でも、結婚式牧師を行っています。

在日米国商工会議所(ACCJ)の会員で、Government Relations Committee,　Membership CommitteeとTravel IndustryCommitteeに入っています。

興味があるのは、船、鉄道、飛行機などの乗り物です。動物園へ行ったり、ハイキングをしたりして、気持ちをリフレッシュしています。今環境問題に関心があります。大相撲を見るのが、大好きです。

日本大好きアメリカ人として、日々感じた事を書いていきたいと思っています。ネット、新聞、本、雑誌、テレビなどで、情報を得て、勉強しています。

Hello. I was born in 1956 in Chicago, in the United States. My high school years I spent in the swamps of central Wisconsin. Since I was young, I have read every book I could get my hands on the subject of war. Also, I am a big science fiction fan. After graduation from high school, I first came to Japan, I spent 2 years in Marine Air Station Iwakuni, where I served as a United States Marine. After that, I came to Tokyo, and entered International Christian University.

I then became a normal salaryman in Japanese firms, selling Japanese electronics to Thailand, and importing an American ice cream franchise, “Whirla Whip”, to Japan. I also worked many years as a trade show carpenter building displays in such places as Makuhari Messe exhibition hall in Chiba. I even made it to foreman, I was in charge of building the Denmark exhibit at the International food fair at Makuhari one year.

For the last 20 years or so, I have been an actor in Japanese TV, films, commercials and theater, also doing a lot of commercial narrations. Not only do I act in English and Japanese, but I also speak German and French, and a little Russian.

In 1999, I was ordained as a Christian wedding Minister, and I have performed many weddings in Tokyo and the Kanto plain at various hotels and restaurants. Also, I have performed as a Master of Ceremonies for wedding parties at hotels. For those of you who do not understand Japan, these are very highly choreographed, very formal affairs. As the MC, you sweat a lot.

And almost every December I am a department store Santa Claus. One of the most terrifying experiences of my life was facing 100 kids of preferred customers at a Japanese department store, for a one-hour question and answer session. How do you respond to an 8 year old who comes up with, “Santa, why do you always run around in that dorky red suit?” Well my off the cuff answer was that the North Pole is covered with snow, and if my reindeer need to find me, well it is easy in a red suit. Again, you sweat in events like this.

From October 2006 to December 2007 I appeared every Monday morning as a News Commentator on MX televisions “Morning Supli” morning news program. MX television is Tokyo prefectural television. It was a great experience, the show as always live; again, you have to think on your feet. I still make occasional appearances on the show.

Since October of 2003, I have been the primary wedding pastor at the Kofu Fujiya hotel in Kofu city, Yamanashi Prefecture, and at the French restaurant L’Alliance in the Kagurazaka district of Tokyo. They are both very enjoyable places to work, and I have probably performed well over two thousand marriages.

I am also a member of the American Chamber of Commerce Japan, and I am active in the Membership, Government Relations, and Travel Industry committees.

I truly love Japan, and consider it my home. Yet being born an American, I have a different perspective on things. I see both America and Japan from a different viewpoint than most people. In this blog, I will be commenting on military affairs, global warming, peak oil, and other agents of coming social change. I welcome the comments of my readers to express your opinions on these subjects.