014 A Conversation with Yokohama Yankee Author Leslie Helm

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

In this episode, Nick speaks with Leslie Helm, author of Yokohama Yankee: My Family’s Five Generations As Outsiders In Japan.

The Helm family’s connection with Japan begins with Mr. Helm’s German great grandfather, Julius, who traveled to Japan as a young man in 1869, looking to make his way in the world. Julius would go on to found Helm Brothers, a company with diverse interests related to what would become Yokohama’s booming port economy. From there, the book’s narrative winds its way through four further generations of the Helm family. Mr. Helm recounts not only the family’s participation in major historical events, but also offers a frank assessment of the personal and intra-family struggles each generation faced while living in Japan. Together, these two aspects make for a compelling read.

Mr. Helm was born and raised in Yokohama and left Japan in the early 1970s to attend university before returning as a journalist to cover Japan for Business Week and the Los Angeles Times. He currently lives in Seattle, where he is the editor of Seattle Business magazine.

To learn more about Leslie Helm, including a list of upcoming talks and book signings, please visit www.lesliehelm.com. Also, check out this great article about Josh Powell, the book’s designer.

If you are interested in purchasing Yokohama Yankee, and supporting the podcast, click HERE. I also recommend these other great books from Chin Music Press:

Shiro: Wit, Wisdom, and Recipes from a Sushi Pioneer, by Shiro Kashiba and Ann Norton

Otaku Spaces, by Patrick W. Galbraith