With so many former pupils spread across the globe, we decided to find out more about life in their adopted homelands. First up in this monthly series is Emily Dow, class of 2011, a former Head Girl and now Private Wealth Manager in Tokyo, Japan.
Emily, it’s been over a decade now since you left The Academy. Do you miss it?
Yes, I do! I have rather fond memories of my time at The Academy. I was there from the ages of 3-18, so a huge portion of my life was spent effectively growing up at The Academy. I miss the different activities on offer and the strong sense of community the school offered. I made some wonderful life-long friends. Unfortunately moving abroad and the pandemic has made it much harder to catch up.
What do you remember about your first day at The Academy?
To be honest, all I can remember is being excited about the sandpit (laughs).
Was there any one teacher who had a particularly positive influence on your time at the school?
I was lucky to have a lot of great teachers at The Academy that really helped me grow and develop in lots of different ways. Mr Gwynne and his Outdoor Education program has had a lasting impact on my life, long after leaving school. From snowboarding in the Cairngorms to rock climbing in Spain, the experiences he led sparked my love of exploration and adventure. Working as a team in often adverse conditions was also extremely valuable. To this day I still go trail-running and rock climbing whenever I can, and I’ve been fortunate enough to experience some of the most epic mountain top views in Japan. Those experiences in my school years are something I’ll be forever grateful for.
Where and what did you study after leaving school?
I went to Exeter University to study biological sciences for undergrad and then stayed on to do a Master’s degree, studying the effects of chemical pollutants on specific genes related to human reproduction.
Why Tokyo?
I kind of ended up here by accident. I started working for a company which sent me out to Shanghai in China. Although I really enjoyed it there, the pollution at the time was pretty awful, so when my boss mentioned a position had opened up in the Tokyo office, I jumped at it. Also, my Mum is Japanese and having never lived here before I thought it would be a good opportunity to get in touch with my Japanese side. I had only planned to stay here for 12 months, but that very quickly turned into 5 years and counting.
What has surprised you most about life in Tokyo?
When I first moved to Japan, I was amazed at how easy it is to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city. Just an hour on the train in different directions can take you to either a beach or a ski slope.
What is your favourite thing about life in Tokyo?
Everything is very convenient and very clean, local infrastructure is so efficient – which might not sound terribly exciting, but you do notice the difference when you go elsewhere. Other than that, the food is incredible and there is a particularly vibrant and international social scene.
Any mishaps adapting to the culture?
There were a lot when I first got here, but I think the most embarrassing thing is the reverse culture shock when you arrive back in the UK. In Japan, the taxi doors open and close automatically, in fact taxi drivers get quite annoyed if you try and close the door yourself. When I came back to Glasgow I got out of a taxi and left the door wide open behind me. Needless to say the driver wasn’t impressed.
Any drawbacks?
Japan is obviously very far from home and with pandemic-related travel restrictions it has been very difficult to get back to Scotland. In fact, right now is the first I’ve been home since 2019.
What is your favourite thing to do in Japan that you can’t do in the UK?
‘The Onsen’ (public baths) are a great way to relax after a busy week.
Have you managed to explore the country much?
At the start of the pandemic Japan closed its borders, but did introduce incentives to encourage domestic travel whilst cases were still low. I was lucky enough to get to places like Okinawa – a tropical island in the South – and the ski resorts of Hakuba, which were uncharacteristically empty given no tourists were allowed.
What advice would you give to someone visiting Japan?
There is definitely something for everyone, but do some research into what you want to see and do before heading over. Japan is very seasonal, so what time of the year you go will make a big difference to your experience.
Where do you see your long-term future?
Glasgow will always be home, so I’ll definitely be back. Eventually!