Yuka Aoki was born in 1972 and grew up with a taste for art. Eventually she graduated from Japan's Tama Art University with a degree in textile design, and like most Japanese graduates, her mind turned to thoughts of traveling abroad. Taiwan, however, never even entered the race. "It's so close, it can wait till I'm older," she thought.

By 2001 Aoki had visited 35 different countries, but only then did she make her first visit to Taiwan. First she ended up mad for the foot massages, then she fell so hard for Taiwanese tea she was beyond all help, and eventually she totally fell in love with this tiny island that had for so long slipped under her radar.

What she most loves about Taiwan is the vibrancy of the night markets, because "there's all kinds of unusual food in them," like her favorite snacks: pearl tea, onion cakes, and stinky tofu. While there are night markets in Japan too, they only pop up for a couple of days around festivals--not like Taiwan's year-round ones, where you can try all kinds of foods, Eastern and Western, in a lively, bustling setting.

Working in the design industry, Aoki is always on the lookout for opportunities both in Taiwan and Japan. Through her sketches, designs, photographs, and other means, she strives to find ways to promote her beloved Taiwan to Japanese magazines, hoping to "help Taiwanese make a bit of Japanese cash." She's now settled in Taiwan and has started studying Chinese, taking on a few regular design jobs from Japan to help her make her living.

Last year Aoki had a Japanese-Chinese bilingual book called Okashii ne [How Strange!]: Taiwan through the Eyes of a Japanese Woman. The book contains a look at Taiwanese life from a Japanese perspective, and is full of wry humor and illustrations, pointing out the differences in habits and hobbies in the two countries. Every part of the book--writing, illustrations, and cover design--is Aoki's own work.

An example of her observations is the difference in approach to karaoke. In Taiwan, karaoke is a free-for-all, with a bunch of people just singing whatever they want, not caring what others want to sing or do, and with no-one paying any particular attention to whoever's singing. In Japan, though, they strive to maintain their habitual politeness and decorum. Another example is how when walking down the street, Taiwanese people tend to dawdle and not show any concern for the traffic behind them. The Japanese, on the other hand, walk like they were ninja--always on their guard. Plus you can see red-and-white-striped plastic bags everywhere around you in Taiwan, which she calls the "national bag."

The book's humorous, occasionally slapstick style has earned it a lot of attention across Taiwan, though some more "patriotic" older readers disapprove, calling it a stereotyped view of Taiwan. But the ever-sharp Aoki responds that she's never had any interest in those "Oh my God, I love Taiwan soooo much" kind of books. The differences between Taiwan and Japan are glaring as far as she's concerned, and they made her think "Taiwan's a weird place," but it was exactly this that enamored her of the island.

Now Aoki's "gone native"--when she's arranged to meet up with someone, she'll sometimes be a bit late; she goes to Tihua Street each Chinese New Year to pick up some specialty products; and she knows to head to Yungle Market to pick up lining for her picture frames. At the end of her book is a short piece called "One Day as a Taiwanese," which describes her everyday life in Taiwan and her feelings about trying to learn Chinese. From first falling in love with the place to becoming a long-term resident, Yuka Aoki has done her best to adapt to her strange new life, believing that one day, it will finally be like a real second home to her.

Freelance author Yuka Aoki's sense of humor shows through in her pictures, photographs, and words, which record her love for her life in Taiwan.

Freelance author Yuka Aoki's sense of humor shows through in her pictures, photographs, and words, which record her love for her life in Taiwan.