Born in Buckinghamshire, U.K. and raised in the U.S, Diane Hawley Nagatomo, 66, has called Japan ¡°home¡± for more than 40 years. Nagatomo, who retired from her position as a professor at Tokyo¡¯s Ochanomizu University in 2022, has published a wide variety of academic texts throughout her career but has just released her first novel, ¡°The Butterfly Cafe.¡±
1. What brought you to Japan and what has kept you here? I came to Japan for the second time in 1979, following my Japanese boyfriend and thinking I¡¯d stay a year. We¡¯ve now been married for 43 years!
2. You¡¯ve just released your debut novel, ¡°The Butterfly Cafe.¡± What¡¯s it about? American Jessie Yamada is making plans to leave her emotionally abusive Japanese husband. When he is suddenly killed in a traffic accident, she discovers that her marriage had been built upon deceit and lies. However, with the help of old and new friends, she builds a life and a new family for herself in Tokyo.
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