Once I Managed Supply Chain. Now I Move Languages as a Bilingual Writer.

Most writers are not aware of the true power of language

Before leaving the corporate world, I worked as a supply chain specialist at an American pharmaceutical company. When the firm was expecting a new product for the Japanese market, I set up its shipping mode and route with colleagues and forwarders, which make cargo bookings and clear the customs.

The supply chain job was stressful for sure because pharmaceutical products are expensive and any accidents during shipment can cause a serious amount of loss. Nobody wants boxes of medicine with a scratch or a dent, especially in Japan.

When airline staffers mishandled our refrigerated container and sent it somewhere else far from Asia, I couldn’t sleep worried about the potential loss of tens of millions of dollars.

Nevertheless, I was proud of being part of the medical industry. Patients were dependent on the products to sustain their lives, and that gave me enough motivation to work on troublesome projects. Supply chain management wasn’t my passion, but I felt fortunate to have a rewarding job.

With the changing needs of my child, becoming a freelancer changed everything. It wasn’t my initial plan and I felt adrift from a successful career path. I started tutoring English online while doing ad-hoc supply chain consulting and translating.

At first, these jobs seemed inconsequential compared to the former job, and my self-esteem level hit the bottom.

I spent days like a retired man in his 60s. What was even more of a shock to me was that I didn’t own any specific assets that I can monetize outside the business sector after investing so much time and energy. What were all those stressful but exciting years for?

Something was missing in my new day-to-day existence. In my spare time, I have been writing articles since writing — specifically, the English language— is my obsession. But even after starting Japonica as editor-in-chief, I couldn’t be proud of myself.

I was always afraid of receiving negative comments and wrote essays with numbers and rationales as much as possible to develop solid support expecting an argument.

One day, an editor of one of the most influential print media in Japan reached out to me on social media. He was looking for a Japanese/English bilingual writer and I was a fit. He asked me to write a story for the newspaper, and I suddenly got an opportunity to work with professional journalists.

My first assignment topic was about mansplaining. He found a piece that I complained about it and thought it could be worth trying. I was terribly afraid of getting backlash, so my first draft was monotonous and lecture-style without dialogue examples. Then, the editor gave me something to chew over after checking my draft:

You’re a friend talking to a bunch of people who are learning Japanese. Why don’t you educate them?

It was eye-opening. I never imagined that I could teach Japanese, let alone design someone’s conversation. But it was obviously very important to spread useful, gender-neutral phrases to keep our daily conversation less condescending and more fruitful for all.

Finally, one simple fact struck me. Bilingual speakers and writers connect people and cultures through languages and even design their communication. I wasn’t fully aware of my skills as a Japanese/English user.

When the article came out in both digital and print, I was still nervous. But I was determined to go back to the supply chain field; this time, not importing and exporting any specific goods, but moving language that would shape more inclusive communication.

Now, I make a little money writing such articles, and I feel proud of myself again. Even correcting students’ essays is more fulfilling after this incident because they are new sailors and pilots who are going to travel this world with the English skills that I have assisted.

I still ponder what I can do as a writer and editor regularly, but devoting my workday to supporting the supply chain management of languages seems to be my lifetime passion.

Words shape our mindset and language enables us to connect. Then, why don’t we update people’s communication to seek a better society as a writer?

If you enjoyed this article, discover other works of the author at Japonica.

Follow Yuko for more stories about cross-cultural topics, travel, business, parenting, and equality. You can also subscribe from the referral link, which Medium uses a portion from followers for author support without any additional cost. Mediumの購読は、こちらのリンクからどうぞ。