Diane Hawley Nagatomo was born in the UK and lived in Nebraska, Spain, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and California before coming to Japan in 1979. She is a semi-retired professor from Ochanomizu University and has written extensively on issues concerning gender, culture, and education. While not teaching or writing, she and her Japanese husband of more than 40 years spend time with their six grandchildren. The Butterfly Café is her first work of fiction.

How do teachers, who have chosen to settle down in one country, manage the difficulties of living and teaching English in that country? This book answers this question by investigating the personal and professional identity development of ten Western women with Japanese spouses who teach English in various educational contexts in Japan.