Taro recently transferred his membership to the Rotary Club of Montecito. Read the interview below to learn more about our newest member.
Please tell the Club a little bit about your life: where you were born and grew up, how you met your spouse, about your children, and what you enjoy doing as a family when you're not working.
I was born in Nagoya, Japan, which was the third biggest city in Japan. I went to college in Tokyo for BA, and came to UCSB for my MA more than 30 years ago. I taught Japanese language at UCSB for one and a half years after graduation. I met my wife, Zelda at Bethany Congregation Church, and we celebrated our 30th anniversary last summer. We are blessed with two children; Justin (22) and Emily (18). I moved to Santa Barbara 6 weeks ago after selling my business and I am currently exploring my options for my next job. I love watching movies, travelling, and various sports.
Tell us about your work - what you do, how long you've been doing it, and what you find interesting and satisfying about it.
I took over my father's company which makes underwear in China and wholesales it in Japan. I worked for this company for 27 years. Now I am hoping to join an organization which helps children going through difficult times. If that doesn’t happen, I will go back to teaching Japanese at City College or UCSB.
Please share a couple of other things about yourself that you think we would find interesting and may not know about you.
I am very excited about being a part of the Rotary Club Montecito and really hope that I can contribute somehow to this club and our community, maybe by sharing my culture and business background.
We meet the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the month at 12:00 PM 
