I'm having a great time relaxing in Tokyo right now with my wife and kid and in-laws, however i've also managed a little time to catchup up with some tech folks while i'm out here as well. On Monday, i got to meet Gen Kanai (pictured at right) based on a suggestion / connection from Niall Kennedy... thanks Niall :)
Gen is a really interesting guy now working for Mozilla Japan. In addition to being a knowledgeable tech geek, he also has a unique perspective on Japan. As a Japanese-American fluent in Nihongo and living in Tokyo, he's got both an insider's & outsider's take on Japanese culture.
We talked a fair bit about how Nihon is changing lately (both for better and worse) re: the local economy, tech startups, demographics & immigration, and Life, the Universe, and Everything. Gen also recommended a book called Dogs & Demons that i just ordered on Amazon.
Gen was also one of the folks involved in setting up a group a few years ago called HapaJapan, a social network of folks in Tokyo of mixed-race origin. Since i'm now father to a 1-year-old who is half-Japanese i also found this intriguing.
After chatting awhile over sushi, we chilled out with some jazz at Saya's gig at Blues Alley. all in all, a great evening... thanks Gen :)