May 17 - Today's guest blog is by Yoshika Okamura who works in the Administrative Section of the American Consulate in Fukuoka. On my recent visit to Kyushu, I was so impressed by her driving skills and by her impeccable English that I asked her to write about her work at the Consulate for my blog readers.

Jim

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What I’ve Learned as Mission Japan's First Female Driver

Last August I was hired to work at the American Consulate in Fukuoka. As a member of the Management Section, I work as a driver behind the wheel of an official vehicle. When I started working here, I was told that I would be the first female chauffeur at the American Embassy and Consulates in Japan.

As a Consulate driver, my main responsibility is to drive our Principal Officer wherever he goes. I am also in charge of chauffeuring guests and VIPs in an official vehicle in areas covered by the Fukuoka Consulate. Whenever I take someone out, I have to check the traffic routes in advance and calculate how long the trip will take.

It was not until I started working here that I realized that there are hardly any female VIP chauffeurs. Wherever I go, not only the local people but also the male drivers working for other foreign consulates are surprised to see a female chauffeur like me behind the wheel of a U.S. Government official vehicle. Since this sort of job is probably handled by men in most cases, I feel it can be tough for a woman, both physically and mentally, to work in an occupation dominated by men.

In early February of this year, I had a chance to visit the United States to attend a training course for security driving with VIP drivers from other posts around the world. I felt deeply honored when I heard from one of the instructors that I was only the third woman to take the training course since the training program was launched. In the training session, I learned what a difficult but important job it is to drive an official vehicle with VIPs on board.

During the week-long training course, I became aware that the work of a chauffeur is not limited to driving a car, and that the world of VIP driving is characterized by stern professionalism. The training course really changed my attitude about my career as a professional chauffeur.

Yoshika Okamura