Masaki is an expat from the United States who has lived in the Kansai region of Japan for over 32 years and worked as a teacher, labor union activist, project manager, and translator. His experiences include entering a Buddhist monastery, training in a karate dojo, and studying various traditional Japanese arts. After living for 15 years in Kyoto, he moved to Nishinomiya where he enjoys tennis, wine, and the occasional Cuban cigar.