This episode features Maya Cumins, a bilingual Japanese–English professional who studied and built her career in Japan. She shares the challenges of adapting to Japan’s exam-based university system, navigating workplace culture, and finding her voice as a young professional. Maya also explains why she left the corporate world to pursue freelance project management and how being bicultural shaped her choices.

今回のエピソードは、弟キュテとの会話から生まれた「子どもに多言語をどこまで求めるべき？」というテーマの振り返りです。 ホームの言葉があることで、子どもは安心して“自分らしく”いられる。 そして、言語の数よりも、文化を深く理解し、人とのつながりを築く力の方が、ずっと大切かもしれない。 そんな視点から、 アイデンティティ文化理解言語を学びたいと思うタイミングについてお話ししています。 AIが完璧に翻訳する未来では、「人や文化を理解する力」がより大きな価値を持つのではないでしょうか。 This episode looks back on a conversation with my brother, Kyutae, exploring the question: How much multilingual ability should we realistically expect from children? Having a “home language” gives children a sense of security and allows them to be ...

This episode is a reflection on my recent conversation with my younger brother, Kyutae Kim. It’s an English summary of our discussion from last week about language, identity, and belonging. Though we grew up together across four countries and speak three languages, we have both come to believe that for our children growing up in the U.S., having one true home language—English—matters more than speaking many. three reasons why: Identity and expression come from deep fluency in one language.Cul...

We often assume that being fluent in a language means belonging to its society, but in reality, knowing a language doesn’t necessarily mean being able to live in or feel a true sense of belonging within that community. *This episode is the 2nd half of the conversation with Kyutae Kim, continuing from the previous episode. The summaries in Japanese and English will be posted next week. [KOR] 언어를 할 수 있다는 것은 곧 그 언어의 세계에 속한다는 뜻일까요? 실제로는, 언어를 안다고 해서 그 사회의 일원으로 살아갈 수 있는 것은 아닙니다. * 이번 에피...

English: In this episode, we explore how language shapes identity and belonging. Language is more than communication. It connects us to emotion and culture. Together with Kyutae Kim, we talk about raising multilingual children and the role of language in an AI-driven world. Ultimately, it’s not how many languages we know, but how deeply we can express ourselves in one. Korean: 이번 에피소드에서는 언어가 정체성과 소속감을 어떻게 형성하는지에 대해 이야기합니다. 언어는 단순한 의사소통의 수단이 아니라, 감정과 문화를 이어주는 다리이기도 하죠. 김규태 씨와 함께 다언어 환경에서 자...

** New episode of Voices Across Borders Designer Ayumi Ostrowski shares her journey from Tokyo to San Francisco — crossing cultures, languages, and creative boundaries. We talk about studying design in the U.S., the contrasts between Japanese and American work culture, and how she blends her love for design and food through Gomashio Kitchen. Listen now and explore how creativity connects across borders. 新エピソード公開 デザイナーの アユミ・オストロウスキー さんが、東京からサンフランシスコへ。 文化・言語・クリエイティビティの境界を越えた旅について語ります。 アメリカ...

Between the Lines: A Designer’s Journey Through Culture & Corporate America デザイナーのアユミ・オストロウスキーさんが、東京とサンフランシスコを行き来しながら、カルチャーとクリエイティビティを融合させた旅について語ります。現在はフリーランスとして、デザインと料理の新しいつながりを探求中。アメリカでの美大進学のきっかけや、日米の企業文化の違い、そして創造性が国や文化によってどう変化するかを掘り下げます。 Designer Ayumi Ostrowski shares her journey from Tokyo to San Francisco, blending cultures, creativity, and design. Now freelancing, she’s exploring how art and food intersect. We discuss her path to U.S. art school, the contrasts between Japanese and ...

In this very first episode of Voices Across Borders, host Mina Kim Mok shares why she started this podcast and her own story of growing up and building a career across cultures and boarders. Discover what it means to navigate identity, belonging, and ambition when your life stretches beyond one country