ABOUT THIS SITE...

Who is the Incredible Talking Monkey?

Zachary Piper, but you can call me Zach.

Where do you live?

I am currently living in Kochi City, the capital of Kochi Prefecture, Japan. Kochi can be found on the southern side of the island of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four major islands.

Where are you originally from?

Reading, a dull little town in Massachusetts.

What are you doing in Japan?

Officially: I came to Japan on the JET Programme as a coordinator for international relations (CIR). When I entered the program in August of 2001, I lived in a small mountain village called Umaji, and then transfered to the "big city" in August, 2003.

The reality of the situation though, is that I have no idea what I'm expected to be doing, but I'm having a great time mooching off of the Japanese tax-payer until I have to find a real job.

What's your job like?

When I was in Umaji I taught weekly English classes at the local elementary and junior high schools, and took part in community events and festivals, all in the name of "internationalization" at the "grass-roots level". I also spent huge amounts of time on the internet.

Now I work in the World Peace and International Exchange Section of the General Affairs Department in Kochi City Hall. I still spend a lot of time wondering what I'm supposed to be doing, but every once in a while I do some translating or interpreting.

Why are you a monkey?

Sometimes living in a foreign country feels like being an animal in the zoo. People stare, poke, prod, and make comments they wouldn't dream of making if they knew that you spoke their language. However, unlike the monkeys in the zoo, I can understand and even speak with the locals and they seem to think that that's pretty incredible. Then again, they'll tell you that right after you say "konnichi wa", so I don't put too much stock into it.