Synopsis

The Japanophile series explores the Land of the Rising Sun through the perspective of those who have made it their home from afar. This installment introduces Isabelle Sasaki, a karate instructor originally from France. She volunteered in Ofunato following the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and eventually relocated there, establishing a branch of the Japan Karate Association. This makes her an uncommon example of a foreign woman teaching karate within Japan. Alongside her m