A guide holding fourth dan in karate, while one interpreter is a passionate cyclist.
We have a professor in our midst, alongside an artist and a fan of Marilyn Monroe.
And there are many more reasons to choose JapanPorten!
Mai started studying the Swedish language at the University of Osaka and continued at Gothenburg and Stockholm University after moving to Sweden. Mai travels extensively and is fascinated by culture and languages.
Mai often interprets around Sweden at business meetings and even weddings. Born in Fukuoka, southern Japan where samurai were once strong. She is Jerker's right hand.
Jerker started the company in 1990 in Osaka, moved back home and changed the name to JapanPorten in 1998. He worked at trade shows in Tokyo for Swedish companies and is now our administrator and temporary guide.
He has taken lessons in floral arrangements and tea ceremonies. Jerker is the man to ask about the best coffee shops in Osaka, knows a lot about volleyball, Miss Monroe and, as a native of Lapland, he of course loves to ski.
Matsuhiro is happy to sing karaoke at any Tokyo bar. He is an expert on subways and trains and always finds the best bus stop. Tani is an active football referee and loves all sports.
After living a bachelor's life, he can help you find the very best out-of-the-way restaurants and bars! Originally hailing from Osaka, he lived for a year in the county of Värmland in order to study Swedish and also speaks a little Spanish.
Tokie is a specialist in Japanese tourism, holding a Japanese license as a tour guide and delivering tours all over the country - she knows Osaka and Kyoto like the back of her hand!
Tokie lives in Osaka and also speaks a little Spanish, traveling the world in her spare time. When she is on her adventures, she always finds time to send photos of herself parachuting out of planes, hiking through ravines, climbing to mountain tops, rambling in forests and sailing the sea. Her personal best in the marathon is 3 hours 53 minutes and she loves playing tennis and football.
Ryoko is very busy during the summer guiding Japanese tourists in Stockholm. In between, she writes translations. She came to Sweden as an adult and prefers to speak Japanese even though learning Swedish is of course going very smoothly!
Ryoko has enjoyed studying history, religion and philosophy since high school. She comes from northern Japan, knows a lot about samurai and plays many different musical instruments.
Mikael is a professor of Japanese History at the University of Cambridge where he is Head of the Department of East Asian Studies. He originally comes from Kalmar and has studied in Stanford and Kyoto.
Mikael has written books on Buddhism, warriors and monks. He has been a volleyball coach in Uppsala and Gothenburg and prepares decent “kroppkakor”, a local Swedish dish. Mikael gives lectures across Europe, Japan and North America.
Born and raised in Nara. After university, she travelled the world, living in Australia, Canada, and Ireland before settling in Tokyo. Studying early childhood education and exploring different countries showed her how deeply culture and education are connected.
Having lived both overseas and in Japan — experiencing life in Kansai and Kanto regions — she loves sharing insights on their unique differences. Akari is a total foodie, so feel free to ask her about the best restaurants or healthy Japanese recipes!
Ulrika grew up in Sweden and came to Tokyo in 1989 to train in karate. She sometimes shows up on Japanese TV as an expert in the Nordic countries and she has published a book in Japan on parenting. She also interprets in courtrooms.
Ulrika is an excellent travel companion with whom to see the country and is a particularly sociable woman who knows where good food is served in the giant city of Tokyo. Yes, she has a 4th dan in karate.
Kasumi was born in Tokyo and although she has spent much of her life travelling the world,
her love for her home town remains as strong as ever. Kasumi’s work exemplifies all the best characteristics of “Japanese service”. She has worked extensively in hotels, for Thai Air and on cruise ships.
Kasumi worked in Australia for several years, wishing she could speak Swedish as well as English. She solved the problem by marrying a lucky Swedish-speaking Spaniard after nine years in Malmö.
Aki is a Japanese-English interpreter with extensive experience across various industries, including construction, automotive, and transport infrastructure development. She studied in Tokyo and London and holds a Master’s Degree in Phonetics & Linguistics.
Aki is passionate about cycling and has explored Gotland and the Danish island of Bornholm on her bike! She lives in Stockholm with her Italian husband and their two lovely (and very naughty!) kids.
Sofie is our youngest team member and spoke both Japanese and Swedish throughout her childhood. She grew up in Sweden and her favorite school subjects were languages. This continued. at Kungsholmen's high school with the addition of French, Latin and Italian.
Sophie's interests include anime, reading and music. She is now studying French at the University of Stockholm.
Sofia loves politics and holds a Bachelor's degree in Asian languages and cultures. She organizes events about Swedish politics for a Japanese audience and highly values democracy and accessibility.
Sofia is also engaged in technology and AI, as it allows her to focus on the important and enjoyable aspects of her job instead of administration.
Fumiyo has lived most of her adult life in Australia, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Despite such great influence from other cultures, Fumiyo remains true to her humble Japanese roots.
She is a gym instructor and particularly enjoys yoga. She is honest, caring and responsible. We know she loves wine and while in London she majored in the subject!