Hi, I'm Mioko! I'm 29yo licensed pharmacist in Japan and planning to stay in Toronto, Canada with my working holiday visa starting from this JUL2023. I was born in Nara (Japan) and moved over to St.Louis, Missouri(United States)when I was 6-9yo so I have an experience living in other countries.
I love to communicate with new people because it helps me to gain fresh perspectives, and knowledges. (Of course I just LOVE to speak with people because its fun to BE with people!!)

I love my home counrty Japan but, at the same time I know that Japan is pretty much an "isolated" country, so I'm looking forward to see/feel/lookout for unique experiences that I can only experience at an openminded countries all over the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I didn't know about CS until my friend recommended it, but the more I heard about it the more interested I became, so I decided to give it a try.
When you travel abroad and stay in a hotel, you can only go to the tourist destinations and places you choose. However, by using CS I felt that you can be connected with people living in that country and experience their culture, perspectives, and values, which you wouldn't be able to understand just by researching on your own. I found it fascinating that you can also potentially become friends with the hosts and maintain a connection in the future as well.

Having living in both Japan and the United States, I understand that there are some cultural and value differences that you can only see by actually living in a place. I have traveled to several countries before, but I realized that I didn't have many opportunities to interact with the locals and gain insights into their culture, values and ways of thinking. With CS, I thought even if I can't live in those places, I can still learn about their values and ways of thinking by talking to local people while traveling. I find that aspect very appealing.

I'm also interested in the atmosphere and the way people interact in different countries, and I believe that by experiencing different ways of thinking and values, my own perspective and ideals can change. I'm excited about the idea of learning and having a more enjoyable experience than just staying in a hotel.

I want to visit 50 countries or more, so I hope to use CS to make my future travels more enjoyable!

Interests

• coffee
• japanese food
• movies
• traveling
• music
• sports
• baseball
• tennis
• nature
• english
• friends
• manga
• dog
• family
• kids
• animal
• ramen
• japanese
• japanese culture
• pharmaceuticals
• cardinals

Music, Movies, and Books

music: Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5
books: Harry Potter series
movies: japanese animes

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

There are many things, but one thing that comes to mind is when I climbed Mount Fuji and saw a breathtaking sunrise.
When we meet in person, I would love to share the journey of climbing Mount Fuji showing you photos as well!
Of course, I would be happy to share other amazing things as we talk.

Teach, Learn, Share

Learn: I absolutely love learning! I enjoy listening to people's stories and experiences, so I'm eager to learn about anything and everything!
Teach: If it's about Japanese language, culture, things we do in Japan, or recommended travel destinations in Japan, I'd be happy to tell you about it:)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I'm talkative.
I love tasty food, and I'd like to try the local food of different countries (although I might have a hard time eating something that looks gross or grotesque...).
I'm not good with alcohol; it makes my face turn red right away. But I don't dislike it; I just can't handle large amounts.
I also love coffee!

I'm not particularly skilled at cooking, but I can make Japanese home-cooked meals while looking at recipes together.
I've been playing tennis for over 15 years (recently about 1-2 times a week), so I think we can have fun playing tennis.
I regularly keep my body active, so I also enjoy sports and outdoor activities.

I love animals and have a pet dog at home.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Guam, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States