Sensei Tim Migaki was born and raised in Oregon and is a fourth-generation Japanese-American. After becoming interested in Japan, Sensei Tim began studying Japanese in 2003 and has been doing so ever since. He attended Willamette University to study Japanology and upon graduating, he went to Japan in 2010 to teach English with the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. Living in rural Fukushima Prefecture, Sensei Tim survived the Great East Japan Disaster of March 2011, but decided to continue on with his work in Japan despite the hardships. After five years, Sensei Tim returned home to the United States and began tutoring for the Tigard-Tualatin School District with the AVID and TRiO Upward Bound Programs. Sensei Tim joined JAMS Portland in the summer of 2016.