Hello, I'm Geri!

I’m Geri Coady—a designer and illustrator from St. John’s, Newfoundland—now living in Nottingham, UK. Join me as I share my lifelong passion for Japanese culture, language, and travel through illustration.

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Japanese Study Techniques: How I Passed the JLPT N3 Exam
Japanese Study Techniques: How I Passed the JLPT N3 Exam

Last year I wrote a fairly… optimistic, shall we say, blog post about how I planned to study for the summer JLPT N3 exam in London. Having the N5 and N4 certificates already under my belt, by early 2018 I was ramping up my study schedule ahead of a five-week stint in Japan…

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お知らせ：3月に東京でジェリー・ドローズ・ジャパンのグッズは発売されます！
お知らせ：3月に東京でジェリー・ドローズ・ジャパンのグッズは発売されます！

日本人の友達とフォロワーのみなさん！2月27日から3月30日まで東京に行きます。その時に販売しているアートプリント、エナメルピン、ステッカー、ワッペンなどを持っていくつもりです。もし手渡しでもよしければ会ってお渡しします。

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2018年のレビューと新年の抱負
2018年のレビューと新年の抱負

新年は目前に迫っているので2018年を反省するのは当然です。なんとなく私は今年は時間が経つのが遅く感じました。もちろん浮き沈みがあったけど、今年は楽しくて特別な経験も多かったです。

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Tokyo Coffee Guide: Part One
Tokyo Coffee Guide: Part One

Not only is Tokyo my favourite city in the world, but it’s my favourite city for cafe hopping. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge coffee nerd, and while many people might associate amazing coffee with cities like Melbourne, San Francisco, and New York, I believe Tokyo is the best in the world—not just in coffee quality, but in attention to detail, customer service, and cafe atmosphere. This blog post is the first in a series where I’ll talk about my favourite cafes across this wonderful city. Here are my first top five!

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Japanese Study Techniques: How I’m Preparing for the JLPT N3 Exam
Japanese Study Techniques: How I’m Preparing for the JLPT N3 Exam

Just as we’re all different people with different preferences, our study techniques shouldn’t be the same. What works for one person isn’t necessarily going to work for someone else. Just because someone on the internet claims that they can learn 2000 kanji in a year just by reading flashcards doesn’t mean that another person…

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How to Make Osaka Okonomiyaki
How to Make Osaka Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a gorgeous comfort food, far removed from the more refined washoku and delicate sushi folks usually associate with Japanese cuisine. The word "okonomiyaki" can be broken down as お好み (o-konomi) meaning “preference” or “choice,” and 焼き (yaki) can be translated is “grilled” or “cooked.” The name alludes to the fact that you can choose whatever ingredients you want to add to the batter or topping, making it a highly personalised and fun dish to eat. 

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(19/30) Tabei Junko 田部井淳子 First woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest . 世界で初めてエベレストおよび七大陸最高峰への登頂に成功した女 (1939年9月22日–2016年10月20日) . ある男たちは彼女と登山するのを断り、また他の男は彼女がクラブに参加した理由は結婚相手を探すためであると思いました。 . Tabei Junko found an interest in mountain climbing at age ten during a class trip. As her family did not have enough money to help Tabei with her newfound hobby, she only climbed a few times throughout her high school years. . In 1969 while studying at university, Tabei joined the mountain climbing club but later founded the Ladies Climbing Club (LLC) as a result of the misogynist treatment she often received. Some men refused to climb with her, and others thought she joined the club to find a husband. . In 1975, Tabei was joined by 15 other women to attempt to summit Mount Everest. Although she received last-minute funding from the Yomiuri Shimbun and Nippon Television, most sponsors refused, and she was often told that women “should be raising children instead.” . After being struck by an avalanche, Tabei lost consciousness and was saved by her Sherpa. Twelve days later she became the first woman to reach the summit of Everest. She went on to become the first woman to complete the Seven Summits—reaching the highest mountains on all seven continents.
(18/30) Misora Hibari 美空ひばり Singer, actress, and cultural icon . 歌手、女優 (1937年5月29日–1989年6月24日) . ショーを観に来ていた熱烈なファンから塩酸を顔にかけられ、病院に緊急搬送されて入院しました。奇跡的に顔に傷は残りませんでした。 . Misora was born in Yokohama, Japan, and her musical talent was noticed when she sang for her father at a send-off party for World War II. Although just a fishmonger, he believed in his daughter’s talent and invested a portion of his family savings in helping her begin her career. At eight years old, she debuted at a concert hall in Yokohama, and just a year later appeared on an NHK broadcast. In the two years following, she was touring the country and selling out concert halls. . Misora began recording at the age of 12 and starred in her first film, which shot her to national fame. Her first single, Kappa Boogie-Woogie, sold 450,000 copies. She went on to star in 166 films, recorded 1500 songs, and sold 68 million records. . In 1957 during a show at Asakusa International Theatre, Misora was attacked by a fanatical girl who threw acid in her face. She was rushed to a hospital but miraculously did not suffer any facial scarring in the incident. . In 1989 at the age of 52, Misora died from complications from pneumonia. Her last words were “Thank you. I’ll do my best.” Her death was mourned across the country, and 42,000 people attended her funeral in Tokyo. Although it was conferred after her death, she was the first woman to receive the People’s Honour Award recognising her contribution of giving the public hope and encouragement after World War II.
(17/30) Okuyama Reiko 奥山玲子 Animator . アニメーター、版画作家(1936年10月26日–2007年5月6日) . 男性社員に女性のアニメーターに原画は難しすぎると言われ、中割りのフレームを描くことだけに制限されました。 . Okuyama Reiko spent much of her childhood battling a series of illnesses. She developed an interest in drawing, and after graduating from mission school, she ran away to attend university in Tokyo and joined the animation company, Toei Doga. . Okuyama’s time at Toei Doga was a constant battle against sexist behaviour right from the start. She noticed that other women working at the company were forced to sign contracts stating that they would quit after having children, and were confined to drawing “inbetween” frames under the excuse that key animation would be “too hard” for them. Nevertheless, she persisted, and her go-getting attitude saw her climb the ranks in the company. . When Okuyama married a co-worker, they had a child, and she took maternity leave. Upon return, she was asked to switch to contract work. She refused, and her rank and bonus was pulled, and her husband was threatened to be fired due to his late arrivals of driving their child to daycare. This method of raising a child was uncommon in this time in Japan, and their courage to test it meant they paid the price. . Thanks to the establishment of a union, working conditions straightened out at Toei Doga and Okuyama went on to work on Horus, Prince of the Sun and was second only to Miyazaki Hayao in her rank. Eventually, she earned the position of head animator, went on to teach animation, and produced animation until she died in May 2007.
(16/30) Akiyoshi Toshiko 秋吉敏子 Pianist, composer, arranger . ジャズピアニスト、作曲家、編曲家、ビッグバンドリーダー(1929年12月12日–) . 彼女は14回ノミネートされていて、NEAジャズ・マスター賞を受賞した最初の日本人でした。 . Akiyoshi was born in Manchuria to Japanese emigrants. When they lost their home, they returned to Japan and lived in Beppu, where a local record collector introduced Akiyoshi to jazz. She was hooked immediately and started her studies. When she was discovered by pianist Oscar Peterson, she was offered a record deal by influential producer Norman Granz. . Akiyoshi spent a year requesting permission from both US and Japanese officials to study jazz at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. The founder, Lawrence Berk, then offered her a full scholarship and plane ticket, and Akiyoshi became the first Japanese student at this prestigious school. . Akiyoshi’s style is known for its Japanese influence and use of Japanese themes, harmonies, and instruments such as kotsuzumi, kakko, and tsugaru shamisen. To date, she has received fourteen Grammy nominations and was the first woman to win influential Down Beat magazine’s Best Arranger and Composer award. In 2007, the US National Endowment for the Arts named her an NEA Jazz Master.
(15/30) Kusama Yayoi 草間彌生 Contemporary artist . 芸術家(1929年3月22日–) . 彼女は自分のアイデアを盗んで利益を得た男性の芸術家たちに失望しました。彼女の家族は彼女の作品を深く恥じており、彼女は何度も自殺をしようとしました。 . Kusama was born in Nagano to a family who did not support her creative efforts. Her mother was physically abusive to her and took away her artwork to discourage her. She sent young Kusama to spy on her father who was frequently involved in extra-marital affairs, instilling in her a fear that developed into a lifelong contempt for sexuality. At age ten, she started experiencing hallucinations—ones she described as a series of flashing lights, fields of dots, talking flowers, and fabric patterns springing to life. . Her traumatic childhood and hallucinations are said to have influenced the themes of her artwork for the rest of her life. She began painting canvases, floors, walls, and even naked models with “infinity nets” of polka dots. Frustrated with the ideals of Japanese society, describing it as "too small, too servile, too feudalistic, and too scornful of women,” Kusama moved to America. She quickly grew close to the New York art scene and worked herself to the point of hospitalisation. . Kusama became frustrated with male artists who copied her creativity and profited off it. Her art was often overlooked, and she struggled to make ends meet. Her family were deeply ashamed of the nudity she incorporated into her work, and on numerous occasions she attempted suicide. In 1973, Kusama returned to Japan and a few laters later, she entered a hospital for the mentally ill, where she has been voluntarily living ever since. . After leaving America, Kusama’s work was almost forgotten until a revived interest in the late 1980s. Today, she has become one of the most famous and recognisable artists in the world. In 2006, she received the Praemium Imperiale, one of Japan's highest honours for internationally recognised artists, making her the first Japanese woman to do so. As of 2012, her work has the highest earnings of any living woman artist.
(14/30) Mori Hanae 森英恵 Fashion designer . ファッションデザイナー(1926年1月8日–) . 「1940年代に日本女性は必要な場合以外に働くことはなかったが、いつも私の指を折り数え味噌汁を混ぜる以上のことができると思った。」 . Mori Hanae is a Japanese fashion designer, and one of only two Japanese women to present collections on the runways of New York and Paris. After graduating university, she attended dress-making school and opened her first studio in 1951 where she designed costumes for movies. In the 1970s she opened a haute couture showroom in Paris, and she was appointed as a member of La Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne—the first Asian woman to be selected. . In addition to her high fashion collections, Mori designed uniforms for JAL flight attendants and the official uniforms for the Japanese team at the Barcelona and Lillehammer Olympics. Her clients included Crown Princess Masako, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan and Grace Kelly. She was given the Order of Legion d’Honneur by Francois Mitterrand in 1989 and received the Order of Culture from Emperor Akihito in 1996. . Mori vowed to change the way Japanese design was perceived in the west. She stated, “Back in the 1940s, women didn’t work unless they had to, but I kept counting my fingers and thought that they were meant for a lot more than just stirring miso soup.”