Naomi Addyman

Naomi has strong connections to Japan that go back to her childhood. She was born in Tokyo, where her British parents have owned an English language school since the mid-1970s. Naomi's primary years of education were divided equally between local schools in Tokyo and Oxford, England. Later as an undergraduate, specialising in East Asian Studies, at the University of Leeds she also attended courses in Japan at Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka and in China at Tianjin Normal University.

Since her undergraduate days Naomi's passion for travel has taken her around the world to Australia, Canada, Guatemala, South America and London. Her career, both in formal work and as a volunteer, has included leading tours on horse back through the rain forests of Queensland, Australia and through the Canadian Rockies; earthquake relief work in Pisco, Peru; and working for a charitable organisation providing education to children living on the garbage dumps in Guatemala City.

After four years away from her first home Naomi returned to Japan in January 2010 and joined Walk Japan in the following March. Besides leading tours she also works behind the scenes at Walk Japan developing new tours and on the community projects in Kunisaki.