My name is Paul Durant
I am an executive and cross-cultural coach, Real Estate consultant, tour guide, and writer and TV producer on the side. These are my passions, along with running, skiing, playing the bass, and living in Japan.
I am an American expat living in the village of Hakuba in the Northern Alps of Japan. 15 years ago I boarded a plane bound for Nagoya in the land of the rising sun. I wasn’t the typical expat. I left a 20 year career as a television producer in Hollywood to follow a vague dream that had existed inside of me since my youth.
My wife, a native of Nagoya, and I had always considered life back in Japan, but leaving a career, family and an ocean view LA condo made that decision difficult. That is, until one day in April 2011 it wasn’t and we embarked on a journey that would redefine our lives.
It wasn’t always easy. Adjusting to a new culture, new surroundings, new friends and a new lifestyle can be challenging and sometimes, even now, I still push back! But the pros so vastly outweigh the cons that my wife and I and now our son have never looked back.
My passions stem from a single desire to tell stories – my own and others – and to provide the experiences that make stories come to life. That is why I went into television to begin with, and why now I enjoy coaching, and guiding people through their own experiences so much.
I also love architecture, nature, tradition and culture, and here in Nagano I’ve found a place where all of these passions intersect. But we don’t only live a hermits life up here. We still spend a lot of time back in Nagoya, Tokyo and even Los Angeles.