Matthew Owens​

Matthew has lived and worked in Japan since 2011 in a variety of positions, with a focus on English language instruction and translation. Matthew was educated at Cambridge University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences in 2009, before completing a CELTA teacher training course in teaching English to speakers of other languages, and relocating to Japan.

After arriving in Japan, whilst working in a variety of schools and universities teaching English, he developed a firm interest in learning Japanese and quickly passed all levels of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) completing the top level (N1) in 2017.

Following this Matthew obtained work as a translator at JEOL, a firm specializing in the manufacture of medical instruments whilst continuing to work as an English instructor and translator for a variety of schools.

After becoming more knowledgeable about the Japanese judicial and law enforcement system in Japan, and especially some of its more severe aspects compared to many western countries, he decided to become a paralegal and researcher at the invitation of Rie Nishida, founder of Shinjuku International Law Firm.

He hopes to grow his knowledge and develop his expertise in the legal field aiding all the diverse clients the firm represents, though he particularly hopes to be of help to fellow foreigners in Japan who have found themselves caught up in the idiosyncrasies of the harsh Japanese legal system.