Customer Stories: Ara Family

How MatchaCaring Keeps Japanese Culture Firmly Rooted In the Daily Life of a Busy Vancouver Family

When you’re committed to maintaining your Japanese culture in a busy Canadian lifestyle, MatchaCaring is your solution.

Customer Stories: Ara Family

How MatchaCaring Keeps Japanese Culture Firmly Rooted In the Daily Life of a Busy Vancouver Family

When you’re committed to maintaining your Japanese culture in a busy Canadian lifestyle, MatchaCaring is your solution.

“Ayami understands that each and every moment is unique. In fact, her mission statement, “Ichigo Ichie”, means just that…She approaches childcare in the same way. Every moment is cherished. Every lesson is valued. She is always committed to our family and kids from the moment she arrives at our house.”

— Dean Ara

Early parenthood is a busy time for any young family. Add to that the responsibilities of running a thriving business — and life is hectic, to say the least.

As the parents of two young children and Principals of a busy Vancouver-based digital marketing agency, Total Product Marketing, Dean and Makiko Ara know a thing or two about juggling a constantly busy schedule.

Outside of school activities, their children, aged 7 and 9, also have a very active extra-curricular schedule filled with regular violin and cello lessons. Meanwhile, Dean maintains his life-long passion for Kendo as the coach for Team Canada, while Makiko is also highly active in the sport.

To put it lightly, the Aras are a busy, passionate, and thriving family.

Honouring Japanese Roots in a Vancouver Lifestyle

Woven throughout their busy lives, is the family’s Japanese roots. Whether at home, or on the go, the Aras are committed to raising their children with a deep awareness and connection to their Japanese culture.

Growing up, both Dean and Makiko were raised with a deep understanding of their Japanese heritage — Dean is a first-generation Canadian born to Japanese parents while Makiko was born in Japan and raised in Canada. Now with two children of their own, the couple is determined to raise their kids in the same manner (ensuring Japanese language and cultural lessons are infused into daily life), while also juggling their busy professional lives.

“We have a dual-value system. Being Canadian, born and raised, and living in this wonderful country is a blessing and privilege. We embrace Canada’s openness and diversity. That said, I also want to ensure our kids understand their Japanese roots — including the country’s culture, language, arts, history, nuance, mannerisms, and etiquette. Each of these cannot be simply picked up here in Canada, they must be taught. Japan is a part of us now, and I hope forever,” says Dean.

Ayami Tsuboi, CEO of MatchaCaring

To help them out, Dean and Makiko turned to Vancouver-based Japanese homecare provider, MatchaCaring. Catering to Japanese-Canadian families like the Aras, MatchaCaring provides full-scale in-home care, nanny, language, and tutoring services designed to provide families with Japanese culture, in their Canadian homes.

For the past four years, the Aras have been working with MatchaCaring’s CEO Ayami Tsuboi as their nanny. Over the years, Ayami has become a critical support to the Aras and ally in reaching their family’s cultural goals. Throughout the day, Ayami speaks to the children in Japanese, teaches them regularly about Japanese culture — infusing both into their casual time, as well as their formal academic studies and music lessons.

Beyond her cultural support, Ayami also helps the family juggle their busy lives — helping the family with various chores while also remaining flexible to accommodate their hectic schedules.

一期一会 Ichigo-Ichie

(One Chance, One Opportunity)

“Ayami understands that each and every moment is unique. In fact, her mission statement, “Ichigo Ichie”, means just that. This statement is derived from the traditional tea ceremony, where it’s understood that every tea that’s poured is a particular moment that will only happen once,” says Dean. “She approaches childcare in the same way. Every moment is cherished. Every lesson is valued. She is always committed to our family and kids from the moment she arrives at our house.”

Through Ayami’s services and support, the Ara children have been taught a variety of lessons, including:

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Japanese calligraphy

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Table etiquette

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Mathematics approaches

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Cooking and food techniques

(everybody loves Japanese food!)

And even ‘regular’ things like Japanese pop culture and humour (after all, life is about balance too).

To learn how MatchaCaring can serve your family, please reach out to us today.