Hello, my name is Dustin Culhane. I currently work as the master of the Canadian-style restaurant/bar “Northern Lights”, located directly south of Niigata Station.
Ten years ago, I came to Japan for the first time on holiday. I travelled to different places around the country, and was impressed Japanese culture, architecture, and nature. That is how my interest in Japan got started. Two years later, in 2000, I came to Niigata as an English teacher. I was soon able to adapt to Niigata because of the delicious food here. In 2005, I opened this restaurant. At the time, I wanted to learn more about business and also wanted to try something new other than teaching English. There were also no Canadian restaurants in town, so I wanted to have a way to bring Canadian culture to the people of Niigata.
People from many different countries often gather at Northern Lights, but the truth is most of the customers are actually Japanese. I want my restaurant to be a place where anybody can come and enjoy themselves. I hope that customers who haven’t yet been to Canada will be inspired to visit someday. Those who have been already can come and reminisce while enjoying the authentic taste of Canada.
My first impression of Niigata was that the people are very friendly. It is often said that Japanese people are friendly, but in Niigata’s case it is really true. I also love nature, so I found it easy to get along with people here, who are able to live so well in harmony with their natural surroundings.
I feel that Niigata today is much different than ten years ago. Then, there were not many foreign residents, and it was a more difficult place to live for those who don’t speak Japanese. However, a lot has changed in the last ten years. The city has become more international with more foreign residents, and people living here can experience many different cultures.
Of course, I hope that my restaurant will become a bridge between Japan and Canada. I think that other important ways to foster good relations are exchanges of students through homestay programs. In order for Niigata to become a major city, I think it should work hard to become a city that people from all countries want to live in.
（2008.3）