“Ah, I’m glad that you asked! The J stands for James, and is what I usually go by while in London — at least where academia is concerned.

“As you well may know, I come from a mixed heritage background. My father is Japanese and my mother is British. As with most things, they fought over what to name me for weeks. He wanted a good, strong Japanese name; she wanted a good, strong, English/Christian name. Papa won in the end, but Mum got her own small victory in compromise. 

“It’s not likely that you’ll hear me referred to as James around Tokyo, though; it’s quite difficult for the Japanese to pronounce. Almost as difficult as it is for the English to pronounce ‘Saguru,’ which has led to some very frustrating teasing from my classmates…”