This month's #BlackEye, in the spirit of Kwanzaa, looks at two power couples of African descent who have focused their skills, talents and wherewithal on introducing the unique tastes of the West to Eastern palates.

The Seals

The Whitakers

Having both launched their endeavors in 2015, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate the success they have found thus far here in Japan. The first couple are Sasha and Henry Seals, the founders and proprietors of Yumm Cupcakery, a home-based bakery in Chiba that delivers treats all over Japan. In addition to cupcakes, the company specializes in cakes and cookies. The two of them met in Japan (he’s a 41-year-old American, she a 34-year-old Jamaican). Sasha came to Japan 10 years ago as an English teacher initially but that wasn’t for her so she bounced around a bit. She would work in recruitment and a number of other jobs before meeting Henry. Henry had been in Japan off and on since 1994 so he knew his way around. He’s fluent in Japanese and currently works in marketing for AIG. They fell in love, got married and gave birth to their first child back in 2010. They could afford for Sasha to be a stay-at-home mom, but she was raised differently.

“I tried to be a homemaker for a few months but it wasn’t for me,” says Sasha.

To read the rest of their remarkable rise, as well as the Whitaker's advice on how to get things done in Japan, read the Japan Times article: HERE Enjoy your holidays!! Baye PS: Sign-up for my Locohama Newsletter and you'll be the first to know about upcoming stuff, be kept up on happenings in this part of the world, and a lot of exclusive content as well...