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 Travel has been in Gregory Howell’s blood since childhood. He often recalls his early years spinning the globe and stopping his finger on an unknown land and rushing to the encyclopedia to see who lives in such a remote place. Family trips were the highlight in his youth as the goal was to learn as much as possible before boarding the flight and then heading to the streets immediately upon arrival to get the lay of the land. Gregory would report back to the family within hours with a full assessment of what to see and do during the visit. This was just the beginning...the passion would ultimately translate into a academic and professional career capturing the global spirit of people from around the world.
Over the years Gregory has recorded his international travels in journals and photographs which serve as the core of eTraveljournal. Whether you are traveling to Europe, Asia or to an undiscovered area of your backyard, you will find a lifetime of experiences to draw from in planning your next adventure.
Gregory Howell's expertise in the field of Japanese studies serves as a solid foundation for G H A Travel and its core Japan business. He first traveled to Japan during high school through a unique family exchange program. He lived in Japan for six years after college and has a 25-year history with the country. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Asian Studies from the University of California at Berkeley, he served as a technical license agreement liaison for a major steel manufacturing company in Japan. With a strong interest in education, Mr. Howell also served as a consultant, editor and instructor for a major language institute in Tokyo, during which time a series of Japanese language textbooks were published for new students of the Japanese language.
After a two-year tenure, Mr. Howell returned to the U.S.A. to pursue a masters degree in East Asian Studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Upon completion of his graduate studies, Mr. Howell returned to Japan to serve as a Coordinator for International Relations for the City of Yokohama. This special assignment with the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program gave Mr. Howell the opportunity to experience firsthand the Japanese government bureacracy from an insider's perspective and to develop an extensive network of contacts in a wide range of fields.
Just prior to establishing G H A Travel, Mr. Howell served as the Director of Sales for a major Japanese travel organization for three years. His main responsibility was the administration of travel/study programs to Japan. In May 1997, Mr. Howell was selected to represent the City of San Francisco on the 40th Anniversary of the Sister City relationship between San Francisco and Osaka, Japan. A total of 120 citizen ambassadors were chosen to travel to Japan on behalf of San Francisco. These experiences have enabled Mr. Howell to design unique programs to Japan that go beyond your ordinary sightseeing.
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