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By Yoko Mizui
Daily Yamiuri Staff Writer
To realize a dream, it is necessary to make
continual efforts without giving up along the way. This
is what Eiko Brumfield, managing director of the publishing
company Windows Inc. did and still does.
As a child, she dreamed of visiting foreign
countries and wanted to learn English for that purpose.
However, English lessons in middle school were disappointing
"because the Japanese teacher of English favored a few students
and always called only on them," she said.
Because she hated the English lessons so
much, she didnt even open her textbook during class.
Instead, she attended an English-language school in Sendagaya,
Tokyo, on Sunday mornings. "That was the only place I studied
English. I really enjoyed attending the school because teachers
there told mc about the interesting experiences theyd
had overseas. It wasnt just about teaching English
grammar," she said. At home, she watched many foreign movies
dubbed in Japanese on television, stirring up her longing
to visit foreign countries.
When Brumfield entered high school, she
joined an English club and devoted herself to acting in
and directing English plays, including some Shakespeare
plays. "I immersed myself in English in high school. I also
attended an English conversation class for adults on Sundays,"
she said.
Her strong aspiration to visit foreign countries
led her to work rather than enter university after high
school, in order to earn money for travel overseas. She
was the only student in her class who chose not to go to
college.
Brumfields unyielding challenge started
from this point. Although she got a job at a leading securities
company, she quit 10 months later. Why? "I couldnt
find enough time to study," she said.
She entered a Japanese junior college and
also worked part-time as a betting clerk at a horse racing
track in Tokyo to save money to go to the United States.
After graduating from the junior college, she finally headed
overseas. She entered a community college in Minnesota and
studied there for a year.
"At first I couldnt understand what
people around me were saying. Since I also couldnt
follow what was being said during classes, I recorded lectures
and listened carefully to the tapes," she said.
She wanted to continue studying in Minnesota
but circumstances wouldnt allow her to do so. On her
way back to Japan, she traveled around Europe for four months.
While in Spain, she had a rare chance to speak with then
Crown Princess Michiko.
"When I went to the Aihambra Palace in Granada,
it was under tight security. I wondered what bad happened
and learned that the Japanese crown prince and crown princess
were visiting. When I lined up with the other tourists,
Crown Princess Michiko spoke to me, asking where I was from,"
Brumfield said, adding, "I was shabbily dressed at the time."
Upon her return to Japan, she got a job
at a trading company and worked for 10 years. "In those
days, womens jobs at companies were to assist male
employees. It was a well-paying job and I felt comfortable
there, but I wanted to do something more challenging," she
said. The company, for instance, didnt give female
staff name cards even after 10 years of service.
"The job was the same, regardless of whether
you had worked for two years or 10 years," she said.
Brumfield quit the company and took a job
at the Tokyo Journal, an English-language magazine. It required
English-language skills and gave her the opportunity to
improve her English, though her salary was much lower than
what shed been eaming before.
While working for the magazine, she married
an American who was working as a technical writer in Tokyo.
Soon, the couple decided it was time for a change.
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Eiko with an armload of Lonely Planet Guidebooks
Photo
by Yoko Mizui
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"We decided to start our own company," said
her husband, Hunter Brumfield. Together, they launched Windows
Inc. in 1989. "From that point on, Eiko basically took over
all of the administration activities, working with our accountant.
She found our office location, leased furniture and equipment,
and worked with the vendors."
He discovered that his wife was not only
hard working, but also had a hidden talent as a businesswoman.
She has found new clients for their company and encouraged
staff to work hard, taking the initiative in order to get
things done on time.
"I have a masters degree in business
administration but shes better at it than I am. Eiko
has incredible capability," her husband said with a smile
of admiration.
Brumfield said, "Everything was a new experience
for me and it was fun. I had to do this and that and I found
that if I try, I can do anything."
The trading company she once worked for
is now one of their clients. The company calls on her regularly
to ask for help preparing English documents, publicity materials
and bilingual Web sites. Other clients include Sumitomo
Metal Industries, Alpine Electronics, Sanyo Electric Co.,
Dentsu, Hakuhodo and Sumitomo 3M.
At the moment, Brumfield is producing Japanese
translations of the Lonely Planet travel guides for Media
Factory, Inc. She says the project is fun but requires hard
work under deadline pressure. [To date, Windows has published
seven titles for Lonely Planet, including Hawaii, California,
Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, Provence France and Australia.]
"I especially like Thailand," she said upon
reflecting on her favorite places. "Ive visited the
country more than 10 times and each time I go, I like it
more. I feel at home there."
Although editing the thick travel guidebooks
is a painstaking process, in a sense it is her ideal job,
because it allows her to combine her knowledge of English
and Japanese with her lifelong love of travel.
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Editor's
note: This column in The Daily Yomiuri features interviews
with businesspeople who must use English in their jobs,
as well as with language experts, in the hope of offering
insights into learning the language.
Update:
As of Nov. 2004, Windows had published nine different
Lonely Planet Guidebook titles.
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