EP 81 Writing Memoirs and Aging well in Japan
What does it mean to age with purpose, curiosity, and conviction — especially while living in another country?
In this episode of Don’t Be Caged By Your Age, I sit down with Robert W. Norris, a 75-year-old Vietnam War conscientious objector, longtime resident of Japan, retired university professor, and author of multiple novels and memoirs ... two of which he wrote in his seventies.
Robert shares his extraordinary life journey, from growing up in Northern California to refusing to fight in the Vietnam War and serving time in a military prison, to settling in Japan in 1983. We talk about what it’s really like to age as a foreigner in Japan, how older adults are viewed, and the realities that exist beyond the romanticized version many of us imagine.
We also explore the power of writing later in life, the influence of his mother on his memoirs, the importance of staying physically active and socially connected, and why intergenerational relationships matter so deeply as we age.
Robert’s story is a powerful reminder that aging isn’t a closing chapter ... it’s an invitation to keep showing up fully.
To learn more about Robert's wonderful memoirs, please visit his website here.
If you found inspiration from this conversation, please rate, review and share this episode.
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Author
Robert W. Norris is a 75-year-old Northern California native. He was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War and served time in a military prison for refusing his order to fight. In his twenties, he roamed across the United States, went to Europe twice, and made one journey around the world. In 1983, he landed in Japan, where he eventually became a university professor and retired as a professor emeritus.
Norris is the author of three novels, a novella, two memoirs (written in his seventies), and over 20 research papers on teaching. His first memoir, “The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise: Pentimento Memories of Mom and Me,” was a tribute to his mother and covered both her life and his own. His second memoir, “All That We Are: A Vietnam War Conscientious Objector’s Reflections on His Years (1992-2016) of Peace Education Activities and Relationships in Japan,” tells the story of his years of teaching at a Japanese university, engaging in peace education lessons and activities, and working together and corresponding with a variety of Japanese journalists, activists, authors, documentary producers, and scholars in the fields of peace and literature. “All That We Are” will be published in autumn 2026 by Foreshore Publishing, an indie publisher located in London.
Norris and his wife live near Fukuoka, Japan.
