Meet Your Neighbor: Hiroko Ikegami

Growing up in the north of Japan, Hiroko Ikegami said she never imagined living in the U.S. But now after more than 20 years in Maryland, this Darnestown resident says America feels like home.

Ikegami moved to Bethesda in the late 1980's with her two young children and her husband, who works at the World Bank. She said she was pleased to find so many international neighbors in Bethesda, but had a hard time finding people raised in the U.S. So in 1995, Ikegami and her family moved to Spring Meadows, where she has met and befriended many American neighbors.

For this week's Meet Your Neighbor, we stopped by Ikegami's home to learn about her life and transition from Japan to the U.S.

Thankfully, Ikegami reported she has heard all her family in Japan are safe following last week's earthquake. Though she said the situation has been frightening for all.

"It's so tragic," Ikegami told Patch. Her family told her the initial earthquake lasted 3 or 4 minutes, but they have felt two to three aftershocks each day since Friday.

Is there a local you would like to get to know? Recommend them for next week's Meet Your Neighbor. Email jillian@patch.com.