When British art-rock group Black Country, New Road made its Japan debut at Fuji Rock Festival last summer, it was significant in more ways than one.
For May Kershaw, it was a homecoming of sorts: The keyboardist and vocalist was born in Yokohama (¡°kind of in the countryside¡±) to a Japanese mother and maintains close ties to her maternal roots. Despite growing up in Cambridge, England, Kershaw speaks Japanese, too. ¡°Although my Japanese is very limited to household chatter,¡± she says during a video call with The Japan Times. ¡°I struggle with keeping up with the news or anything specialized.¡±
While she was growing up, Kershaw¡¯s family returned to Japan for the winter holidays, and she spent short stints at a local school. ¡°The culture is quite different,¡± she says. ¡°There¡¯s a lot more bowing! And it¡¯s really amazing that all the kids tidy up every day. I think everywhere should do that.¡±
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