Johnny studied Japanese in Japan and lived there for ten years. He married his native Japanese wife in a traditional ceremony at a Shinto Shrine near her home there soon after he arrived in Japan in 1974. In addition to teaching English in Osaka, he performed weekly at local bars as a solo singer-guitarist.
He translated Japanese manga to English for Kodansha, a large Japanese publishing company, years before they became popular in the west.
From 1995 to 2021, he was a Japanese Language Qualified Flight Attendant for a large international airline. He retired in 2021 after 25 years at the age of 71.
