Hi Tanya, it'a very nice to meet you here at Jref!
I'm also a new member, but there are so many friendly and good people here, I already feel it's a good site for me!
You've been to Japan quite a bit, haven't you? That's great
I also spent a while living in Japan, and loved it too (but the first year was very hard for me, until I got used to many things.)
Well, i'm very interested in Russia, and i'm sure many other members are too. But it's such a large nation, may I ask which region you come from? I visited Moscow and St Petersburg (then Leningrad) in 1988 - an unforgettable trip for me!
Again, welcome to Jref, and I hope you'll spend a very happy time here, and make lots of posts