[Japanese Interviews: Life in LA] Chiyo Mori, Simultaneous Interpreter

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■ Words Connect the World: Chiyo Mori

“English wasn’t just a subject to study; it was always something close to me.” The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) in Northern California is a graduate school specializing in translation and interpretation. Chiyo Mori serves as an Assistant Professor there while also working as a simultaneous interpreter in various fields, including international conferences and government trade negotiations. We took a closer look at her life journey.

■ Always Close to English

Born in Tokyo in 1973 and raised in Chiba, Mori grew up in an artistic family with an architect father and a pianist mother. Her mother was a Christian, and since her cousins were raised in the U.S., English speakers were always nearby. “Because our home was near Narita Airport, I felt that foreign countries were just a flight away, much like taking a train,” she recalls. Her grandfather, a professor of English literature and translator of medical papers, also influenced her. She never grew tired of watching him consult paper dictionaries and type manuscripts on an old typewriter.

■ Learning Across Four Countries

Mori majored in Biology at the University of Tsukuba. After graduation, she studied in Australia to earn a Master of Education. After traveling around the world twice as a volunteer interpreter for Peace Boat, she decided she wanted to “learn English systematically, not just intuitively.” This led her to the University of Hawaii at Manoa for a Master’s in Applied Linguistics, and then to the University of British Columbia in Canada for her PhD. Loving the academic environment, she finally attended MIIS in California to earn a Master’s in Conference Interpretation. This was the moment her career as an interpreter truly blossomed.

■ A Life-Changing Offer

After her long student life ended, she worked as an in-house interpreter at Honda R&D Americas in Torrance for three years. The daily task of understanding speakers’ intent and translating accurately honed her skills. In her private life, she became a single mother. She intended to raise her child in Japan, but life is unpredictable. A mentor from MIIS offered her a position as a Visiting Professor. Without hesitation, she moved back to the U.S. with her six-month-old daughter. “I spend my days learning alongside students who aspire to be interpreters. Even after all this time with English, there are still words I don’t know. I truly love the moment I learn something new.”