The ICSEB’s Japanese division.

Published by ICSEB at 13 November, 2014

Here at the Institut Chiari & Siringomielia & Escoliosis de Barcelona (ICSEB), we would like to introduce our contact person for Japanese patients.

Yuka Takahashi was born not so many years ago in the Chiba Prefecture, very close to Tokyo. She graduated in Japanese philology and specialized later on in in teaching Japanese as a foreign language.

The ICSEB can be proud to count since 2012 with one of the best “receptionists” to be had. The concept of being a “receptionist” is a little different to how we perceive it in the Western world; for a Japanese it is something difficult to translate, there are many nuances to it.

It is only fair to admit that the first Japanese patient that we had the privilege to treat here at the ICSEB, came to us thanks to her.

Other than receiving Japanese patients, Yuka also translates all the documents that they provide and that are created in the aftermath of a consultation and accompanies her fellow countrymen and women in every step of the care process once they arrive to Barcelona.

She shares with us that she misses her food a great deal; that sometimes she feels irresistibly like having some real Japanese food, which is very hard to find in Barcelona.

The Japanese, even though the cliché might state otherwise, are also very passionate. Her two little dogs occupy the first place of her weaknesses, and she admits that it is when they run to meet her in the park that she feels absolutely happy.

Music is one of her interests we were not aware of – did you know she expert baritone horn player?

Yuka explains an expression that we had never heard before: kuuki ga yomenai, the literal translation would be “to not read the air”. For the Japanese harmony is very important, also respecting the elderly, behaving well educated with whom you are talking to, being able to listen. Of course it is unnecessary to say that Yuka Takahashi “reads the air” perfectly…

And yes, it is true: the Japanese do not touch each other!! Yuka however allows us, her colleagues from ICSEB, to give her a hug when she leaves for her holidays…