When meeting Jon Heese for the first time, you could be forgiven for thinking you¡¯ve run into Bill Clinton. He often jokes that his resemblance to the former U.S. president is what won him his first election in Japan. However, Heese hails from farther north: the vast plains of Saskatchewan, Canada.
¡°I grew up in a small village where I could see the horizon 50 kilometers away,¡± he says. ¡°Saskatchewan residents joke that they can see their dog running away for three days.¡±
Ibaraki is lush by comparison. Heese, 62, gushes about its flowers in spring, plus locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables all year round. ¡°Tsukuba is especially beautiful with more than 400 parks as well as majestic Mount Tsukuba guarding our city.¡±
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