Pam Woldow & Doug Richardson

A Lifelong Love of Japan

We are both “recovering lawyers” who, after our initial careers practicing law, built a long track record of successful collaboration--first as legal consultants to law firms and legal departments around the globe, and now as bloggers united in our deep love of Japan.

​

Pam: A "Japanese Encyclopedia"

​

I blush when someone calls me “a Japanese encyclopedia,” but I have spent decades trying to live up to that label. I first came to Japan when I was 20,  after a devastating knee injury ended her career as a principal dancer in New York. To escape my disappointment and misery, I sought a distant and utterly foreign setting for healing and employment. Japan became my revelation.

In the course of a busy career as a trial lawyer and globally-recognized legal consultant, I returned to Japan time and again, each time feeling as if I was coming home. I have  lived, worked, and studied in Tokyo, Himeji, and Kyoto and have avidly explored Japan's geography, history, and diverse culture, always wanting more and never getting enough. 

​

I have studied Japanese language in both the U.S. and Japan, and remain entranced by Japan's  diverse food, architecture, performance art, and contemporary trends.

​

Doug: Counterpoint and Complement

​

In our travels and writing together, I serve as Pam's complement and counterpoint, providing the practical perspective of an experienced world traveler who is still learning--often the hard way--how to navigate the unique challenges of Japanese and language. 

A  former federal prosecutor and nationally-recognized executive coach, I was an award-winning Dow Jones columnist for over 20 years before embarking on my current career as a novelist. .My debut novel won a 2023 Literary Titan award and five other literary awards,  and I have now completed three more novels, each enhanced by my experiences in Japan.