Mr. Bunch, an American from Oregon, came to Japan in 1992 to teach English at a junior high school in Aichi Prefecture. After returning to Portland in 2000 to attend law school, he graduated in December 2002 and practiced corporate law in real estate and education. By 2008, he transitioned into school administration, and he now works in St. Mary’s as an HR coordinator. “My goal is to make it so that teachers and students don’t know I’m here. They can just learn, study, and teach,” he said.
Though not a classroom teacher, education has always shaped his path. He studied Japanese History at University and later used his legal training to assist schools with contracts, payroll, and compliance. “I am the only one in my family who is not a teacher. My sister, brother, parents, they’re all teachers,” Mr. Bunch explained.
Today, Mr. Bunch serves as a link between administration and faculty, resolving payroll and leave requests while guiding new teachers through Japan’s tax and employment systems. “I act as a bridge between administration and faculty,” he said. He lives in Tottori with his wife and two children and enjoys fishing, baking, and traveling across Japan, with plans to relocate in the spring.