Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs)

Nice to meet you!

I’m Anna Gregory and I have been working as a CIR at Sapporo City Hall since the start of August. I am from a small town near Manchester in the UK. Manchester is famous around the world for its football, so maybe you have heard of it. Even though Manchester is on the 52nd parallel (10 degrees more north than Sapporo!) it only snows for about 10 days of the year, so this will be my first time experiencing a proper winter. Wish me luck!

When I was a child, my dad worked in Japan for six months. Upon returning, he brought back lots of souvenirs from, books about and memories of Japan, which he shared with me. Through this, my interest in Japanese culture and history was born. Of course, I also loved the Studio Ghibli films as a child.

At university, I studied mostly British, American and Indian history. However, I was lucky enough to have the chance to study abroad at Waseda University in my fourth year (2021-2022), where studied Japanese language, history and culture properly for the first time. During my year abroad my interest in Japan deepened and I found myself wanting to understand Japan better, so I decided to do a master’s program in Japanese studies afterwards. I studied Japanese studies for two years at Oxford (2022-2024), specializing in Japanese theatre (kabuki and bunraku).

I decided to apply to be a CIR because I felt like I was ready to stop learning about Japan from books and start learning about Japan from experience. Also, I felt like I had already benefitted a lot from the great relationship between Japan and the UK (for example, through study abroad and an internship), so I wanted to contribute to that relationship as much as I could and help to keep providing the same opportunities to others. I am really excited to have the opportunity to live and work in a great city like Sapporo, where I have already met many kind people, had lots of delicious food, and enjoyed some wonderful sightseeing. Thanks for having me!

Guten Tag! (Hello!)Nice to meet you, people of Sapporo.

My name is Vlora and I’m from Germany. As of August 2023, I am working in Sapporo City as a Coordinator for International Relations. I was born in Trier, which is in the southwest of Germany, but my parents are originally from Kosovo, so feel free to ask if you have any questions about Albanian culture as well.

I have been interested in Japanese culture from a young age, which is why I decided to study Japanese at university. I studied Japanese studies and teaching German as a foreign language at Trier University and graduated in 2023. From 2019 to 2020 I had the chance to study at Osaka Gakuin University. I had so much fun living in Osaka, which is why I am very happy to be able to live in Japan again. We don’t have a lot of snow in Trier, so I am very excited to experience winter in Sapporo. I am eager to go to various places in Sapporo, try delicious food, and experience the charms of Sapporo.

Last year Sapporo and its German sister city München celebrated 50 years of friendship; I want to try my best to become a bridge between Japan and Germany to continue this wonderful friendship. I am very excited to be able to learn more about the City of Sapporo and share German culture with the citizens of Sapporo.

I look forward to meeting you!

Nihao! (Hello!)

Hello everyone in Sapporo! My name is Liu Lin, and I come from China. From April 2023, I will be working as a coordinator for international relations in Sapporo City. I am from Liaoning Province in the northeastern part of China, a place with as much snow as Sapporo. .

I have been very interested in Japanese culture since I was in middle school, due to the influence of anime. After graduating from a university in China, I decided without hesitation to study in Japan. In 2013, I enrolled in the master's program at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, where I conducted research on Japanese and Asian languages and cultures.

What I learned in Japan is invaluable to me. After returning to China, I continued to work in jobs related to the Japanese language. Through my work in international affairs, I came to deeply understand the importance of promoting mutual understanding. I am very happy to be back in Japan again, and to work as a CIR for the City of Sapporo.

I would like to make the most of my work experience and language skills that I have cultivated so far and contribute to promoting cultural exchange by eliminating misunderstandings and discrimination caused by preconceptions, as well as broaden my worldview and perspective through international exchange projects.

I will do my best to spread the beauty of Sapporo City to the world and introduce Chinese culture to the people of Japan. I will do my best to become a bridge of friendship between Japan and China!

Looking forward to working with you!

Здравствуйте! (Zdravstvuyte) I am Tatiana Berlizova, the new Russian CIR. Tatiana is my name, but it might be a bit long and difficult to say, so please call me Tanya. I come from Novosibirsk City, which is in the middle of Russia. It is a cold and snowy place. Similar to Sapporo, isn’t it?

I have been interested in various foreign languages since I was a child, but Japanese is the most beautiful and 'magic language' for me, so I decided to study Japanese after I finished school. In 2015 I entered Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management and studied there for about four years. My specialisation was Foreign Regional Studies, so I researched not only the Japanese language, but also the history, economics, politics and culture of Asian countries. After graduating from university, I attended a Japanese interpretation and translation course at Novosibirsk State Technical University for two years.

While studying Japanese, I researched traditional Japanese culture and current mass culture, and my interest in Japan grew stronger and stronger. That is why I wanted to work in a job related to Japan. And finally, I found such job. It was the Tourism and Sister Cities Relations “Siberia-Hokkaido”. The main activities of the centre are to promote sister cities relations between Sapporo and Novosibirsk, and to introduce Japan to Novosibirsk citizens through cultural events and workshops.

Actually, this is my first visit to Japan. I am happy to have the opportunity to investigate Sapporo by myself and get to know the “Real Japan”. I would also like to strengthen mutual understanding and trust between Sapporo and Novosibirsk by introducing meaningful Russian culture and interesting Russian words to the people in Sapporo who are interested in Russia, and by cooperating in events related to Japan-Russia relations. I want to make various interesting events with the people of Sapporo and become friends with them. So, let's make fun and warm memories together!

Annyeonghaseyo!　(Hello!)Hello everyone.

My name is Yang Soomin, and I’m from Korea. I was born and raised in Daejeon city, which is the sister city of Sapporo. I started working as a Coordinator for International Relations in Sapporo from October 2021. I graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in February 2021, and I double-majored in Japanese regional studies and French literature.

When I was 7 years old, I had the experience to be in a Japanese elementary school due to my dad’s job. At that time I couldn’t speak Japanese at all, but I was able to gradually adapt to Japanese society from having cultural exchanges with my classmates, and I gradually fell in love with Japan. Life in Japan made me open my eyes to the world for the first time. I will always be thankful for that experience, because Japan taught me how powerful cultural exchange can be in terms of public diplomacy. For this reason, I always wanted a job in international relations, and I thought it would be perfect if I could do that in Japan. It feels like a dream to be able to introduce myself as a Coordinator for International Relations in Sapporo City. I’m really looking forward to all the new opportunities for exploration and growth that I’ll have in Sapporo.

Sapporo and Daejeon are tied firmly by bonds of friendship. Learning from their relationship, I will do my best to become a bridge between Japan and Korea in Sapporo City, and to show you all the charming aspects of Korea.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Hello people of Sapporo!

My name is Elijah. From August 2023, I will be working as a Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) for Sapporo’s culture department. I’m originally from California, but I lived in Florida for about 10 years. Since I come from a place where it never snows, I am looking forward to the first snowfall of the year. (It will probably become annoying after two weeks)

Ever since I was a kid, I have always like anime and games. Thanks to anime like “Naruto” or “Pokémon,” I was fascinated by Japanese culture. Because of this, after I enrolled at the University of Florida, I started studying Japanese. I originally thought things like katakana or kanji were difficult, but since it was a challenge, I thought it would be a good experience. I joined the Japanese culture club at my university, and I was able to make friends that shared the same interests as me as well as practice my Japanese language skills, deepening my interest in Japan even more.

When I was a senior, I studied abroad for four months at Kansai University of Foreign Studies in Hirakata City. At that time, I was able to make not only foreign friends but also Japanese friends, and together we went to places like restaurants, tourist spots, and karaoke. Among my experiences related to Japan, that is my most memorable experience. I am happy that I was able to study abroad and have many cultural exchanges.

It has been my life dream to live in Japan, and I am looking forward to working in Sapporo. Needless to say, there are differences between American and Japanese culture, but I would like to look at them positively. As a CIR, I would like to help find those differences and help us exchange cultures with each other.

Hello Sapporo! Lovely to meet you!

My name is Lara. I have been working as a Coordinator for International Relations for Tourism & MICE Promotion Department at Sapporo City Hall since April 2022. I was born in Australia, but I have lived from a young age in London in the UK. I guess I see myself as half-British half-Australian, so if you have any questions about either culture, please do not hesitate to ask.

At secondary school, I first encountered Japanese culture through the lens of Hirokazu Koreeda. His delicate and nuanced portrayals of everyday life in Japan, led me to fall in love with the culture at the heart of his films. Subsequently, I went on to complete a Japanese studies degree at the University of Cambridge, where I had the opportunity to study abroad for a year at Rikkyo University..

During my time in Tokyo, I did an internship at WELgee, an NGO that works alongside asylum seekers to help them gain work opportunities, and create a space of mutual understanding with the surrounding communities. As the head of events, I had the chance to act as a bridge between a variety of different cultures, and I immensely enjoyed the challenge of helping people overcome cultural barriers and form international friendships. This experience inspired me to pursue a career in international relations, and I am honored to be back in Japan as Co-ordinator of International Relations in Sapporo City.

I am so excited to deepen my understanding of Japan, while sharing the quirks of British (and maybe some Australian) culture with the wonderful citizens of Sapporo.)