British Man Born And Raised In Japan 🇯🇵🇬🇧

[@takashiifromjapan]

TOKYO GUIDEBOOK takashifromjapan.com/tokyocompleteguide

[@tykykable]

Being born in Japan and living in Japan and speaking fluent Japanese and insisting that you're not sufficiently Japanese to be truly Japanese is the most Japanese thing you could possibly do.

[@94Ninsound94]

3rd generation family on top of that.

[@paullukis3315]

I think us Americans don't really grasp the idea that other countries will never consider you one of them. Even when so many countries have a "come back home" policies in Europe and we think only Asian Countries are racist.

[@IsofitS]

⁠@@paullukis3315What’s “come back home policies”? As a European I’ve never heard of that.

[@paullukis3315]

@@IsofitS From what I have read, certain countries like Lithuania have programs that if you are genetically that ethnicity, can speak the language, and can support yourself you can come to the country and become a citizen again. I have never heard of anyone doing it. But it is something I have debated.

[@IsofitS]

@@paullukis3315 Aha. Thanks for clarifying.

[@NathanDavis508]

I’m so happy that he grew up and felt accepted by his peers. I’m 21 and way back when we were in year 1 in East London (first grade for Americans) this kid from Bangladesh came into our class. He didn’t know any English, just maybe ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ that’s it, and I was assigned as his ‘buddy’ if you want to call it that. Long story short, now we’re brothers for life and just graduated university together (on different courses but still same Uni). It just makes me so happy when people from completely different places, cultures and colours can just view someone for what’s inside, and it reminds me of my brother Mohammed who’s getting married next year. Peace and love everyone ❤️

[@humanbean3]

:)))))))

[@Shaunashares]

💯🫶🏻

[@shawnsmith8558]

awesome anecdote! 😊

[@LinLin-rs2bv]

I like people having a heart of gold

[@LaoSoftware]

This is amazing. More and more people are leaving Europe. They have families in Japan and Korea. Both countries have a modern lifestyle comparable to Europe. I'm waiting for Laos to modernize so I can move there for retirement. I like the warmer, tropical weather in southeast Asia. But the medical care haven't catch up with Europe yet.

[@vanyel6591]

His mannerisms, body language, the way he moves his hands and accent are 100% Japanese. Even his brain has been wired from birth to a Japanese environment. I would say he is Japanese.

[@gungagalunga9040]

Knew he was Japanese before he said a word

[@DJ_TRON]

Not ethnic japanese.

[@murimurimrui]

By japanese law he ain't. He does not have an ounce of japanese lineage on his white ass.

[@Shawieshawsz]

Hell no he's not.

[@pietroscarpa2384]

Yes, but your outside is also a part of you. So he is not 100% Japanese, his heart is, but people will not always see that.

[@Chrzaszczbrzmiwtrzcinie]

It's mindblowing to me that Joshua says he's a foreigner in Japan. I grew up as a black kid in Poland and never felt like I was a foreigner. Well, I thought I was different growing up, but when I left the country and moved to the UK, I understood how Polish I really am. Don't let people tell you you are something that you are not.

[@ScarletEdge]

W Szczebrzeszynie XD Pozdrawiam rodaku :)

[@Dark_Aeon]

It's comforting for me as a Pole to hear that. I know it must've been tough growing up as a black kid in a 99.99% white society. There's a lot of ignorance here and people stare even if they don't mean it.

[@kubasniak]

I'm polish, and I'm so proud to hear that you feel that way. Pozdrawiam!

[@darthvade]

Isnt every country like this? My guess, it is just like the human nature

[@zombievikinggaming4258]

You are a foreigner in Poland though. Just because western altruism protects your feelings, doesn't change reality. You can't accept organ and donations from Polish people if you were in need. You can't get bone marrow transplants from Europeans either. You are a different race. In Asia they aren't blinded with altruism and tell you straight up instead of walking on egg shells

[@heatherleighsunaoka9524]

I’m American and I’ve been living in Japan for 20 years. My daughter was born and raised here (Japan) and it’s nice to see others who feel the same way she does. She says she’s a Japanese girl with an American mother. This was a very nice video.

[@Jonathan-e9q]

Why did you moved to Japan?

[@wpn-k8d]

you are a u .s citizen come out with your real race and ethnicity

[@malunchies4473]

@@wpn-k8d your mother is officially recognized as a citizen of My Bedroom for which she holds a permanent residence

[@meatkurtin9747]

What a beautiful candid interview. He gracefully explains a very complicated experience. I hope he finds the acceptance he deserves wherever he lands.

[@meatkurtin9747]

@powdergatethat’s an interesting take considering he’s being interviewed about himself.

[@elvishassassin1]

It's the experience that all immigrants go through, when they don't look like the majority of people in the new country.

[@joshuainlondon]

@powdergateyou’re just jealous. Get a grip

[@vop4813]

I can imagine a coversation like this: -Where are you from? -Japan -But where were you born? -in Japan -okay but where your parents lived before you were born? -in Japan -no like where were they born? -in Japan -okay but like where do your relatives live, like your grandparents? -in Japan

[@joshuainlondon]

Literally lol

[@Hoppitot]

Yea if you're speaking to a sub 85iq monkey lmao

[@NokeiadkZ]

A lot of western Asians experienced that growing up in their countries such as the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

[@pammurray8020]

I absolutely love this interview. He’s such an insightful, articulate, intelligent man. I appreciate his honesty and openness in sharing his experiences and life. One of your best interviews Takashi!

[@Shaunashares]

Same here! 🫶🏻❤️

[@jhawkins8264]

@pammurray - Having heard many "foreigners" living in Japan describe over and over again how they are never truly, truly, 100% regarded as good as ethnic Japanese, no matter what efforts they make to adapt, my feeling is that it would be good if Japanese people softened a bit on their very exclusive attitudes of ethnic superiority toward foreigners choosing to live legally and respectfully in their country for whatever reason, e.g inter-racial marriage. We are all of the same human race after all, and our world is increasingly becoming a "global village."

[@ik7357]

it’s interesting how much more physically at ease he seems when you guys switch back to japanese lol. his whole body language is more relaxed

[@nolanholmberg311]

I remember this quote from the great Nelson Mandela that rings so true. "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.". You could clearly tell that Japanese is his native language.

[@beulaho]

As a Londoner, I find it incredibly hard to place his accent when he speaks English. If I hadn't known anything about him, as shared in this video, I would've thought he was Canadian or a third culture kid who travelled around a lot 😂 I'd love to hear about the experiences of his parents and grandparents as well. I find it very interesting that they all decided to move and settle there 🤨

[@De_rekening_a.u.b.]

I felt the same way. His accent has many typical English characteristics, while simultaneously carrying a few ambiguous ones (most likely due to his native language being Japanese). Heard some l and r mix up somewhere 😊

[@coolrocksounds]

He speaks like a Japanese person that’s also very proficient in English.

[@maureenwolfe8914]

I am American on the east coast. He speaks like an American from the west coast, imo.

[@optionout]

Same! As an American, he sounds like he's from the Midwest, or Northwest America.

[@optionout]

Yeah, sounds like he could be from Cali.@@maureenwolfe8914

[@pieterjlansbergen6988]

As a Dutchman born in Indonesia from a dutch family that lived there 6 years and grown up in Italy where my parents moved when I was 5 years old this story of yours sounds very familiar to me. Being a resident to Australia for a few years made things even more confusing especially when I was asked “where are you from?”. Although I struggled sometimes in the past with my own identity at the end I came to understand that I simply was who I was. A man blessed by having embraced multiple cultures and being enriched by them. At 69 years of age I now live in Italy and still hang onto my dutch passport, the only one I ever had.

[@miraclefabichan]

Hello, it's nice to see Joshua again on your channel! I was inteviewed by him at Paris because I grew up in Japan until the age of 11 years old, at Shizuoka. He says some very important things this time, I think. My english is not good enough, so, I can't write so much about this topic. But, of course, I completely understand his feelings. It's realy nice that people like us can have more VISIBILITY in japanese society thanks to KZbin! Perhaps, in the future, Japanese people will change their way of seeing foreigners who grow up in Japan (also half japanese) and accept them as a part of japanese society.

[@yo2trader539]

ファビエンヌさん、日本語のインタビューを拝見しました。とても興味深い内容でした。1970年代当時は外国人居住者の数が圧倒的に少なかったので、おそらく東京でも珍しかったはずです。外国人子弟はインターに通う事例が多い時代だったと思います。 静岡で過ごされた幼少期から半世紀近くが経ち、時代の変遷を見てきたと思います。最近では日本で育った日系ブラジル人の子供が公立学校の先生や弁護士などになってます。また芸能界・スポーツ・政治家・アナウンサーでもハーフの人が増えました。ここ10年ぐらいの芸能界ではフィリピンとのハーフの人が増えた印象受けます。 でも共通してる事もあります。みんな日本の教育を受けてます。だからこそ日本社会からは受け入られるんだと思います。（現在の駐日・ジョージア大使は日本で育ち、大学卒業後は日本で醤油会社に勤められてました。）昔に比べたら日本の大学を卒業した海外出身の学生が増えてます。海外の大学で日本学・日本文学・日本文化・日本史などを専攻された学生が積極的に日本企業から採用されてます。 逆に言えば、日本で育ちながらも（或いは親が日本人でも）インターナショナル・スクールに通い、海外の大学に進学した人は、日本社会で生きるのは大変だと思います。中国・台湾・韓国・北朝鮮の民族系学校の出身者も同様です。日本の大多数が受ける教育を受けてないことには、日本社会で共通する言語・文化・習慣に適応できてないからです。 一方で、フランスや欧州などの現状を見るとMulti-Culturalismに対して強い懸念があります。むしろ反面教師だと思います。海外領土・旧植民地からの移民はフランス国籍でありながら、アイディンティがフランス人ではない人が大勢います。また宗教や人種が違うためか、国籍があってもフランス社会から『フランス人』としては扱われないことに対する反発もあるように見えます。増え続ける移民・難民・外国人に対する強い反発と排斥も垣間見ることができます。移民・難民が多い地域の犯罪の増加も社会的な問題です。 個人的には、日本語・日本文化を学び、日本に帰化し『日本人』になる外国出身者に対して大歓迎です。でも日本人になる気持ちや日本人としてのアイディンティを共有できない人に日本国籍を与えることには疑問です。日本人になるのではなく、外国人として日本社会に生きる限りは、長く住もうが配偶者が日本人であろうが、日本ではやはりゲスト扱いの印象を受けます。

[@klara_uferbergen5973]

It's a wonderful interview, thank you!! I had to laugh because he speaks English with a posture like he's been asked the multiplication table and Japanese with a much more relaxed body language :D

[@derekchin6403]

I'm ethnically Chinese, born and raised in the US. I've never been to China and speak/understand limited Chinese. I feel 100% American, I don't care what I look like. I identify with and am proud of my Chinese heritage, and I'm just as proud of being an American and having been raised in a "melting pot" society. I understand there are areas of the country that are less welcoming to minorities, but that likely applies to any part of the world, and doesn't prevent me from being grateful for where I was born and what I am. It pains me to see division amongst people. As my childhood idol once said, "Under the sky, under the heavens there is but one family.”

[@dennisengelen2517]

" I understand there are areas of the country that are less welcoming to minorities, but that likely applies to any part of the world" Here in Belgium, we have areas that are less welcoming to the locals after muslims claimed an area, and me and my husband can't even hold hands in one of (if not the) most welcoming countries for homosexuals because Islam invaders don't like that we exist here even though our families have lived here for centuries and they've been here less than a century.

[@impopquiz]

On thé surface, it’s the law (ie passport) that presents a person on their nationality (sadly). Internally it’s how (values) they grow up with.

[@Laura-kl7vi]

He doesn't feel that way, and it's up to him. He was in high school and said he said to himself "I'm not Japanese, I'm a foreigner". @@jasonwebb41

[@ApricusInaros]

True, we're one race, the human race!

[@derekchin6403]

@@dennisengelen2517 I have to admit that's the kind of stuff that doesn't make much sense to me.

[@u2baccount67]

This interview really helped making sense of my personal issues better. Such a rare but important perspective. Thank you so much for making this interview possible and sharing it here.

[@Vizceral]

I was born in France, but moved away when I was 4 months old and was raised in America until I was 11, before moving back to France and living here ever since. I completely understand his point of view of not quite being one or the other fully, even though I culturally identify as American

[@fromYAHUSHAreborn91]

How old are you?

[@wpn-k8d]

accustomed to

[@samsprague3158]

Something about this video makes me so happy. Maybe it’s a reminder that no matter where you go, or what people look like, we are all just humans making the most of what we have. It somehow helps me believe that we can all coexist and find our own unique forms of happiness if we all remember this.

[@davespriter]

this is true! i found the video uplifting too and you stated the reason better than i could have

[@mariacorbett1159]

Fascinating.

[@amysscentsandsongs]

Takashi-san, you are a wonderful, sensitive interviewer and excellent listener. You always ask what I want to hear about, and are respectful of your guest. I think this man's life has been both beautiful and somewhat painful, and he is a gift to both of his countries. Thank you both for this interview. ❤️

[@falcon2489]

Very much agree.

[@emiliabolsas]

Wonderful interview. Great questions and answers. The concept of “passing” is so well described here.

[@veritablecascade]

i very much agree. i love your interviews!!

[@SIC647]

His body language is Japanese, his way of communicating and mannerissms are Japanese, his intonation is Japanese. So fascinating. The only British things about him is basically his look and his almost-native English.

[@Jmarley11]

His intonation is jarring. So Japanese.

[@JasmineTea127]

Yeah I noticed it right away by his body language!

[@PrecipitationAndCorderoy]

But the way in which he gesticulates doesn’t strike me as being Japanese. Also his use of uptalk? Seems more American than Japanese or British.

[@knifishgames]

He looks more American and his accent is very American. I'm surprised he is Brit😄

[@optionout]

Please explain how his body language, and mannerisms are Japanese.

[@lotusstar347]

I just loved this! I'm an older woman, an American, almost eighty now and have longed to go to Japan and to live amongst Japanese people. I know why now: peaceful, clean, gentle. My family was loud, full of cowboys ( the real ones, not the wanna be's ) and it was not gentle at all. Guns were and are a part of my culture, but not my personal disposition, yet I became a member of the American Rifle Association at sixteen. I was a good shot! However, my grandma was so gently and so loving and I was allowed to run free in the wild, lush landscape of Oregon. I communed with Nature so much that when I encountered Japanese culture, it was like coming home. I feel deep love of the plants, animals, waters and clouds. The Japanese "get" this. I've had students from Japan live with me and I've had to help them through the meanness of American teenage girls and the roughness of our sometimes violent high schools. I taught adolescents for forty-three years and have been fortunate to teach students from many cultures. I'm afraid to travel alone at this point, but, in my dreams I see the beauty of Japan.

[@ApricusInaros]

It sounds you may also enjoy a visit to my country Switzerland, when it comes to peaceful, clean and friendly we do share similiarities. Lots of nature to discover admits the mountains and many lakes. I wish you can find someone to travel with you, to have experiences that bring you joy. All the best to you.

[@keenangan6047]

You should! Japan is really safe

[@leaveittolefty]

girl, find someone to travel with--a grandchild, young strong relative and GO! make it happen. you can do it and you won't regret it. you might, tho, regret not going...so Gooooooo! i am 67

[@bittermiilk]

you must really go visit! its so beautiful, if you can afford it spend quite a bit of time visiting japan because you may need rest days as there is a lot of walking :)

[@Userhandle7384]

Japanese teens are rough and mean too, the bullying is vicious. There’s lots about japan you don’t know. Please don’t romanticize :) it’s a beautiful place but isn’t what you might think it is?

[@IDaiszy]

It's so awesome how Joshua's accent is so mish-mashed- the way he pronounces his Rs very strongly in contrast to most British accents, how his Ls are much further open than many EFL accents, etc. Saw a guy on a Tom Scott video the other day with a Schwizerdütsch-inspired English that gave off a similar vibe of mixed influence.

[@connor1564]

He sounds like a gay Scottish man, I mean no offense by that just a literal description of how I hear him.

[@goeast12]

He sounds American to me.

[@darlenegriffith6186]

​@@goeast12As an American, I agree with you.

[@overthewebb]

@@connor1564 As a Scottish man, he sounds American to me and nothing like Scottish

[@indochinajames3372]

I'm British, he sounds American 100% to me.

[@BWT599]

Well done, incredible interview 👏 I'm Chinese and my wife is Filipina/Japanese so I often think about how my young kids can learn a little bit about their background. We named my youngest son a Japanese name so the question does come up about the reason and origin of his name over here in Canada 🇨🇦 This interview was very unique in all aspects, especially the timing of his grand parents moving to Japan so soon after the war ended. Thank you 😊

[@bettinaiantorno1565]

Thank you, Takashii, for a wonderful interview. I've seen many of your interviews now and I always appreciate your calm and thoughtful demeanor and sensitive questions. Watching your interviews helps me understand my cultural background and values. I was born and raised in the US, but my father is Italian and my mom, though American, is part Spanish. I grew up going to and from Italy, and then lived for many years in Spain. I'm back in the US for work, but will go back to Spain and place my roots. I've always questioned my cultural background and values, and have struggled with it for years, especially in the US. Being bi or tri cultural is incredibly enriching and challenging. I think I'm learning that I don't need to be of one culture, though I feel much more comfortable in a Latin atmosphere. I think this is, like Joshua said, something that changes with you on a constant basis (paraphrase). Thank you again and please continue with your great interviews.

[@illuminatedsoles331]

That conversation at the end was so nice to see. I think a lot of people from other countries interested in speaking the language have the aspiration to relate to japanese people on that level. I also think almost none of those people do. Having a visual for that was both relieving and satisfying. Super cool to watch

[@asokoniso]

You can immediately tell by the way he speaks Japanese that the switches in his brain are wired to being a Japanese. He's natural, calm, confident, and smooth after the switch is flipped.

[@anoncon556]

For those of you that don't know. Japan doesn't acknowledge Joshue as being Japanese because neither of his parents are Japanese, to be considered Japanese both ethnically and nationality, you need to have one parent be Japanese. Duel citizenship isn't recognised either, you have to decide by the time of your 21st birthday whether you're Japanese or not. For those of you talking about him not being British. Due to his nan (grandma) being British, he has a claim and is able to gain recognition as a British citizen, he also has a claim to his Australian citizenship due to this. The reason he doesn't sound British is because he is the second/third generation born in Japan where American English is the dominant variation spoken. Also, if you listen to the way he speaks, he actually makes second language learner mistakes that are common in Japan such as forgetting to use "the" in "the UK" or missing "in" at times. Though his mistakes are actually very minute, you wouldn't catch them unless you listened carefully because they're not frequent! He even mentioned having to "relearn" English, he was probably raised as a receptive bilingual with Japanese being his first language, then having input from his grandparents then learning at public school before going to an international school.

[@somerandomchannel382]

all this is complete rubbish because Japan is a country. Not a race. This poor kid basically got forced to leave due to Asian not being ok with people looking different. If you read what i wrote above, and think, you know you cannot just say 'no'. The funny part is, Japan now, is more mixed them ever before. Many "white" people live in Japan and work there. So I bet he miss the country, and is happy how things has been going in Japan with accepting people not looking "Asian" to still be accepted by "ADULT" generation. Not "GRANDMA" generation.

[@anoncon556]

@@somerandomchannel382 Firstly, don't know what comment you're talking about because I was responding to a wider range of comments. Secondly, Japanese is recognised as being both a race and ethnicity. Their laws, and international laws recognise this, you're applying your own subjective experience and culture upon a country that does not share the same laws or understanding of Ethnicity, Race and Nationality. Joshua himself states that he could identify his nationality as Japanese but in order to do so he'd have to give up his British ancestry which he doesn't want to do and enjoys the freedom of being a permanent Japanese Citizen and having a British passport. Thirdly, he wasn't forced to leave, where did you pull that bs from? He stated that he left to explore his identity, his roots, to discover who he was and where he fits into the world itself and enjoys living and being apart of two cultures. Also, the Japanese population is 98.5% Japanese and 1.5% foreign international residents: most of whom are from other Asian countries so your claim is rather bald and dumbfounds me. You can actually find all this information through papers such as "The Social Construction of Race and Minorities in Japan" by JH Yamashiro. "Japaneseness" Ethnicity, and Minority Groups by Yoshio Sugimoto. As well the Ministry of Japan's website.

[@Tru3n0mad]

​@@somerandomchannel382no, it is a race. The west was convinced of this lie and that is why western culture is going extinct.

[@MoorganHart]

I don't know that anyone was questioning that English was his second language. Grammar is part of the indication, but it can have colloquial differences, making it hard to use that as the sole indicator when ones English is at that level. That combined with the fact that his accent doesn't quite sound like any specific accent common in English speaking countries is what gives it away, not to mention his perfect Japanese. His cadence was off in English, he used soft R's often, and he seemed to be paying close attention to his S sounds, but slurred them a couple times in the middle of words (e.g. "appreciation"). The S sounds were overly sharp in many instances from over compensating too.

[@anoncon556]

@@MoorganHart If you read the other comments on this video, people were commenting on him sounding American and wondering how he learned English whether it was his first language taught by his family. It was less that I was trying to highlight that it's his second language but trying to get people to understand why his accent and speech patterns don't reflect him sounding British because there were a lot of comments saying "I'm so disappointed he doesn't sound British." and such which I thought was ignorant of them. I only watched the video once late at night so I chose to listen to his grammatical choices rather than accent, pitch, and pronunciation. Though, I appreciated reading your comment! Most people wouldn't have noticed those things! 💪

[@theprophet2444]

He speaks English incredibly well, his parents did a great job in raising him bi-lingual. Even though he says it's hard for him to understand he's doing a great job at speaking and answering fluently with his very clean English.

[@cocoaorange1]

I know, I figured he lived in the US for awhile.

[@hientrinhle6160]

😅 Because In Japan they teach " American " in International school so he is a "United Skates" man😊

[@darrylt8502]

This is what many Asian Americans feel and experience being born and raised in America particularly in rural areas. Even if we speak the English language (including slang) so eloquently that you can't tell an Asian person is on the other end of the voice chat, we're still seen as a foreigner because of how we look. Depending on who our friends are, we do feel the same way wanting to look like our friends instead of being different and in some cases being mocked by racist jokes. For some or many, it changes once we reach college and become more comfortable with ourselves because that's when we meet other Asian Americans across the nation or internationally and realize how similar we are and not alone.

[@NadeemAhmad-me7fp]

Your description is so true, and I felt many of those ways you mentioned. Also, you look cool.

[@VKReacts]

The interviewee is literally experiencing the cultural identity that Asian Americans go through

[@darrylt8502]

Thanks, buddy. Have a good day.@@NadeemAhmad-me7fp

[@LeedleLee457]

100% Especially the part about trying to fit in and be more Japanese. As an Asian American who grew up in a very white community, the pressure to be less Asian was insane. People were nice, but they were very close-minded to anything outside of American culture. Kids would bully you if you brought Asian food to school (gyoza, dumplings, chow mein, etc), you'd get bad looks if you spoke anything other than English in public, at any event you'd look to find another Asian person before knowing it's safe to be there.

[@Stephen_Ito]

This is even worse in europe like germany where the pop is 99% white

[@girlplanetboy]

I'm an Englishman who has been married to a Japanese woman for the past 23 years. We had two biracial children born in London and emigrated to Nagoya in 2014 when the kids were 10 and 8 yrs old. We came back to London in the summer of 2022. Whilst in Japan, both my kids, girl and boy, went to the local state schools and just got on with it. Prior to moving to Japan, their mother spoke Japanese and English to them growing up in London, so both kids had a passive knowledge of the Japanese spoken language. They both struggled initially at school with the Japanese pedagogical methodology, especially the written word, but after a couple of years, they became relatively proficient. We are now back in London where the streets are full of pretty aggressive youths, and where the streets are full of litter. It's a disgrace. That aside, both kids have readjusted to being culturally English again, though my son, the younger of the two, was far more immersed in Japanese culture than his sister ever was. Both of them have nothing but wonderful memories of growing up in Japan. Our summer holidays were always amazing - swimming in the mountain rivers, barbecues all over the place, beautiful food, people and scenery etc. They have had an incredible experience, and one which, in some ways, mirrors Joshua's, except that they. never struggled with their identity: in fact it was their superpower. I guess it's a case by case scenario for each non-native or ethnic person living in Japan. Japan is everything that the UK is not and vice.versa. Personally speaking, I had the best 8 years of my life living and working there because of one thing only: I was not under the scrutiny nor pressure that each native Japanese citizen is under. Joshua alluded to it, and that is why he loves the freedom of spirit ones gets when living in the UK. No one gives a monkey about anybody or anything, which is the polar opposite of Japan. I think my kids manifest the best of both countries, and for that, I am eternally grateful to the Land of the rising Sun. X

[@g.s.632]

Beautiful, coming a Persian🤍🏯

[@girlplanetboy]

@@g.s.632 ha ha ha... I really wish I understood your sentence; it sounds nice - coming a Persian.

[@mr.piechipsandbakedbeans7967]

Why on earth would you move back to the UK? The place is sinking. I have a biracial daughter also who is Thai/British, and I have never even once considered going back there to live.

[@girlplanetboy]

@@mr.piechipsandbakedbeans7967 Circumstances and a bit of parental sacrifice, mate. It's not sinking - it's fucking sunk! I hate it more than I can bear, to be honest, but we knew it was going to be hard, so we're just having to accept it on behalf of our kids. Hopefully things will take a turn for the good. Wishful thinking, I know.

[@Ad_Astra2023]

I’m a Korean and my husband is English, we have a biracial son too and his name is Joshua. 😄 What a coincidence! We considered moving to Korea too but I felt worried as I didn’t try hard to teach my son Korean and that might be difficult for him to adapt to Korean culture. I have lived in the UK for over 20 years, never went back in the end. When he was young, I didn’t want him to feel any different from other kids. Now that my son’s all grown up and he’s keen to learn his mother’s culture, I do feel regretful that I didn’t encourage him enough earlier.

[@Moss_piglets]

"I really hated how I look" "I really hated myself" are things I've heard often from 3rd culture kids or mixed race kids like me. I can so relate to everything he said. I, too, struggled with cultural identity. I'm American but came from a muliticultural/multiracial family. Most of my mom's side are mixed. Her family is originally from the Philippines but left after WWII. They're scattered all over after that. Although I was born in NYC and lived in several countries, I spent a good chunk of my childhood in the Philippines. I attended an international school but I felt most at home in the regular public school. I'm only 1/4 Filipina but was never made to feel like an outsider. I grew up in a very Filipino household so it wasn't hard to connect. Even my American father learned my grandma's dialect when he was dating my mom. Anyway, I've never felt out of place until I came back to the US for high school. I was also bullied for being different. I felt I was made to choose sides but not really accepted by Fil-ams either. I wasn't "Filipino" enough. I was just the white looking kid who spoke two dialects and assume I was mormon lol. It wasn't until college that I appreciated my background and realized that not everyone will understand or not realize that interracial marriages/mixed children exists. I'm pretty happy and proud of being part of several cultures. But it was definitely a struggle growing up.

[@anchan15]

I can relate as someone born in Japan. i lived in Japan till my early twenties. Ive had long years of hate and love relationship with being biracial and not having any obvious Japanese features. Just like him, I hated the way I looked different and I wanted to look Japanese. I always envied biraical kids that look more Japanese. I now live in the states and very comfortable not being labeled like i did in Japan.

[@gordonbgraham]

I have 5 kids all born and raised in Japan. My wife is Japanese. I'm Canadian. None of my kids had experienced any kind of racism until I took my son to Canada. I enrolled him in an ice hockey school there. After one practice he asked me "Papa...what's a nip?" He was 8 at the time. You want to know what people call him in Japan? Kenji

[@Laura-kl7vi]

He wasn't describing racism, he was describing how it felt to always be different, to be biracial and to feel like he didn't belong. You defend Japan by giving an example of Canada being racist not Japan to your kids. He wasn't talking about racism, but feeling different. @@gordonbgraham

[@gordonbgraham]

@@Laura-kl7vi “being labelled” implies being “othered” which implies racism when referring to bi-racial Japanese. Being called ハ-フis the same thing as being called tall. It’s not an epithet, it’s a description. If you heard someone say I was labelled as “tall” in Japan you’d say “what?” What do you mean “labelled”?

[@Islandgirl4ever2]

Hi Takashi.. I have been watching your videos for awhile now and I am always impressed with your interviews and the topics you choose.. This one was extra interesting, fascinating, in fact! Excellent job, both fo you! Thank you.

[@christopherivan1790]

Love how how brave and honest this guy is. Also so clear when Takashi edits out the negative, lol.

[@aijustice5465]

This is really interesting. I lived in the United States for the latter half of my life (23+ years) and recently came back to Japan. I was in the US for a long enough time to almost feel like an American person inside, but because I look Japanese and speak Japanese with no accents, people expect me to act and think like a Japanese person (which I can totally understand), and probably partly because of this, I still have sort of "reverse culture shock" experiences all the time.

[@ElwynnForest]

This is so interesting, can you tell us more? Why did you go to US? Why did you go back to Japan? How do you feel now - like an American foreigner in Japan, or Japanese? Do Japanese view you differently?

[@emmett3067]

Great video. The way he describes "The perfect way" about Japanese inflexibility is spot on. As someone who has done business in Japan for more than 20 years it is often so difficult to solve problems with people who cannot and will not think laterally.

[@Alej3880]

This is interesting. What defines someone really varies...birth country, where they grew up, heritage. People will pick what they feel most comfortable with. Though its becoming more common, mixed heritage people still feel like they are in limbo. As time goes on, i think it will be more and more common.

[@MelanaC]

This is a very interesting question. My mum is adopted. She is Greek Cypriot. I am half Greek Cypriot but I was born in England. I have a strong affinity with my Greek Cypriot heritage but it’s confusing because I’ve lived in uk and have no contact with my family in Limassol 😢

[@glowlydays]

Lol been watching Joshua on KZbin and I am always fascinated by his code-switching because it's obvious that being culturally Japanese is his default mode. Code-switching is such an interesting phenomenon. Being born and raised in a port city in Brazil I always had friends of different ethnicities and it's always been clear to me how people have different thoughts on their ethnicities. Because Brazil is like the US (people born here are automatically brazilian) people have vastly different ideas of what their ethnicity means to them from "everything" to "nothing" - and Brazil happens to have the biggest Japanese diaspora in the world so growing up I had friends who barely looked part asian but were deeply involved in Japanese culture and only watched Japanese TV, ate Japanese food, etc. and friends who looked fully Japanese (because that's what they were ethnically) but had 0 ties to Japanese culture. It's very interesting how ethnicity and culture work like that. I wish more people had these kinds of experiences because I believe that would make some people realize how racism is actually very silly and stupid.

[@joshuainlondon]

Hello 👋

[@xporkrind]

Absolutely love all of your videos. Your content is absolutely amazing. As a Japanese American from Hawaii it was fascinating to hear about his experiences. I wish I could meet him some day !!!!

[@thomash2806]

Fascinating and touching when you say you’re more at ease in Japanese; which is perfectly natural, of course. Thank you 🙏🏽

[@csong9940]

As a Taiwanese-American, I remember growing up always being really annoyed that my parents only thought there was one "correct" way of doing something, which was the way things always had been done for centuries in their culture. Obviously, when trying to raise first generation kids in a foreign country, those ways aren't going to work but it was inconceivable for them to try something different. They always just doubled down and did whatever they were doing, just harder. It made for an unhappy childhood.

[@wpn-k8d]

Taiwanese lol

[@takashiifromjapan]

Thanks for watching! If you have any video idea that I can interview someone who have interesting experiences like him, please let know! I have a plan to interview a foreign person who’s been living in Japan since 1986. Stay tuned!

[@rayna463]

Maybe you could interview with someone (a foreigner) on how they got a job in Japan and moved there. Whose not an English teacher 😂

[@JourneyTHistory]

​@@rayna463that would be me as an internal company transfer 😅

[@AliAhmed-is2fr]

I like the fact that you Japanese eat a lot of sea food. I'm waiting for the retard fund. I'm going to eat a Sardine box each 25 days from then and on.

[@somerandomchannel382]

error, I'm interviewing a Japanese person who have ancestors in Britian. If he was born in Japan, he is japanese. If he lived all his live in Japan, he is japanese. The only reason saying he is from britian is because he doesn't look as a Japan who lived for thousands of years in same country. But as children of jewish origin born in america, is american... same here?

[@levy.tom_]

Would be interesting to interview @IciJapon :)

[@wormemc]

Such a great interview. Your channel is so insightful for a lot of people.

[@kernow9324]

I'm British and to me Josh sounds like an American gay guy, possibly from California. He's seems a nice guy. I wish him (continued) happiness.

[@youbyou8148]

I agree. He doesn't sound British.

[@janm.2467]

I am American. I have a California accent. I think he sounds more British with his accent than he sounds American.

[@janm.2467]

Why doesn't he have a Japanese accent???

[@alessandrovandersluis8915]

Nice interview. I am from the Netherlands and have been to Japan 4 times. I think he perfectly explained the feeling of Japan giving off a peaceful, gentle and clean feeling. It’s so refreshing to leave the harshness of Europe.

[@Nomad_Ari]

Great interview. I find it so fascinating learning about people like him, being born and raised in a country that had nothing to do with his ethnic roots. I wish you delved a little more into his parents' upbringing and as to why his grandparents decided to stay in Japan. Arigato for the video.🙏🏼

[@majeedtaouk3038]

His body language looked so relaxed when he spoke his native tongue

[@tomburns7544]

What in interesting man! I would love to hang out with him (and you also, Takashii 😄) and get to know him more. Thank you for another great video, Takashii!

[@chubbieminami3274]

I came back to Japan from NY when I was 8 years old. My first teacher had no understanding of kids like me but my next teacher was great. I realized that the school life was so much better in Japan.

[@KaiOpaka]

How stressful was it? I've heard there's a lot of academic pressure.

[@chubbieminami3274]

@@KaiOpaka I loved the fact that we had so much playtime at school before class begins, after lunch, and after school. Kids have so much freedom because it is safe. There is no kidnapping in Japan. Mom just tells you to come home by 5 p.m. There is no driving your kids around to/from school. Kids go play by themselves by bicycle or on foot. Academically, it was stressful but since everyone is going through the same thing, it was okay. Because of my studies in Japan until high school, when I studied at the university in the States, math and science text books were high school level and it was a big advantage because I already knew it and I was just learning the same thing in English. Japan does a great job in educating the whole population. TV programs are also pretty educational.

[@wpn-k8d]

@@chubbieminami3274 birth tourist product lol

[@michaelattwell7502]

What a fascinating and intelligent interview. Both the interviewer and Joshua are to be congratulated. It’s rare to find such honest and thoughtful discussion. Although he is a complete stranger, I feel very happy that Joshua has come to terms with his dual identity and speaks so positively about both his countries. Very inspiring.

[@joshuainlondon]

Thank you❤

[@calvincheng806]

amazing, it is the most wonderful and memorable interview that I have ever watched from you. thanks.

What a fascinating story! He is fascinating just because of the mixture of cultures he’s been immersed in. I think he feels more comfortable speaking Japanese, like it flows smooth and natural. I think he has to find his own place in the world and that may be anywhere different from Japan or the U.K.. His place in the world is the place where he feels more comfortable in. Someone’s place in the world has nothing to do with where the person was born or raised, or where the parents or grandparents came from. It’s a very personal choice. And I say choice because finding and deciding where your place in the world is a personal journey, and the answer can even change overtime. You can be from nowhere and from everywhere at the same time. You could just be a citizen of planet Earth. Or travel and find where you feel at home. Where you feel you belong.

[@priscillarinaldi2996]

Your English is very international, not british, whereas your intonation and the rhythm of your speech is Japanese. So interesting. Identity is so vitally important to oneself. My children (me a Brit, my husband an Italian, both born in Germany) have very similar feelings living between the cultures.

[@yukiefromoz2573]

Yes that was interesting. Definitely not British. I think more American dominant.

[@Bryan_Kenji_Watanabe]

Na verdade é "his" english. Tô supondo que você seja brasileira.

[@caspianmerlin6434]

⁠@@Bryan_Kenji_Watanabewhy assume she’s Brazilian? She could be addressing her comment to the man directly.

[@Nico_Dica]

It was an amazing interview ! Thank you Takashi and Joshua for sharing this with us ♥

[@soniaminic8904]

He is so much more comfortable with speaking Japanese. The flow is so natural and fits his mannerisms. Ethnically or not, he is much more Japanese thsn British!

[@CMT705]

Great video. Very interesting to hear his different perspectives on the two countries.

[@ShallowSedai]

Love hearing the Japanese native misses in his English. Particularly around his article usage.

[@misosoup8030]

Thank you so much for this interview, Takashii ! I follow both you and Joshua, so I was familiar with him. But I never saw a full in-depth interview with Joshua, so it was very interesting to see this (even though I knew Joshua’s background). I had the reverse upbringing of Joshua, where my grandparents (both maternal and paternal) were Japanese immigrants to America (U.S.). So I am a ‘sansei’ Japanese-American, but unlike Joshua (who learned his ancestral English language), I did not learn the Japanese language of my grandparents & ancestors. Most ‘nisei’ Japanese-Americans did not speak Japanese to their children (my generation) so as a result, we only know (American) English fluently. I always identified as an American of Japanese descent. I was always seen as ‘Asian’ in America, often mistaken for Chinese. Growing up, people saw us as ‘other.’ I am American, feel American, but I am also a little familiar with things Japanese, and always felt proud of my Japanese heritage. My grandparents and parents always made sure we were proud of our Japanese heritage. There’s not much I can do about it, but I do feel a little sad that our Japanese culture will slowly disappear from my daughter’s generation and beyond (in America). I have raised my daughter to be very proud of her Japanese heritage, which she is, but she (like me) is basically American. It’s just like Joshua is basically pretty much Japanese.

[@yo2trader539]

I truly hope there are opportunities for your daughter to learn Japanese language and culture. I've heard that in areas where there are high concentration of Japanese expats and descendants, there are Japanese-language kindergartens and schools. As you know, the younger the easier it is. I've met many Nikkei-Americans, Brazilians, Peruvians. Many of them have successful professional careers because they are bilingual and trilingual, have technical skills, and advanced degrees. They are able to take advantage of their Japanese ancestry and know how to be useful (for both sides) by getting involved in cross-border exchanges and interactions...whether a foreign company operating in Japan or a Japanese company operating in North and South America. You may also wish to look at the current visa requirements for Nikkei 4-sei (日系4世). Unlike the 2nd and 3rd generation, who can live and work in Japan without any restrictions, the Japanese government has placed language requirements for the 4th generation. Even if your daughter has no plans to live and work in Japan, it will be nice to be able to visit and experience the language and culture of her ancestral lands. It is a special feeling to stand in the land where your ancestors have lived for thousands of years.

[@misosoup8030]

@@yo2trader539 Thank you for your thoughts and information. Unfortunately, it’s too late for me or my daughter (age 35). I’m a baby boomer and did attend Japanese school on Saturdays in a big city in California (in the 60s). I did not learn the language because we didn’t speak it in the home. My daughter was raised in a different city & state, and we did not have access to Japanese school here. Also, she had more than enough extracurricular activities that where would we have had the time? I have visited Japan forty years ago and did meet our extended family in Kyushu, the very soil where my paternal grandparents came from. It was surreal and very gratifying. My daughter has only visited Tokyo and Osaka on her own, as a tourist. Because I no longer have my own parents we will not have that connection to relatives (who do not speak English) in Japan again. We have no desire to live in Japan because we feel the U.S. is the best place to be. Plus, we would not fit in (even though we kind of look like them). We’re proud of our Japanese heritage, but a lot of their ways and thinking is not for us. I grew up in the hippie era of the U.S. Joshua is one generation behind me, but we are both 3rd generation in our respective birth country. He had the desire to venture out and be where people look like him, in his ancestral land. He also speaks their language (English). He grew up in a homogeneous society and felt different as he grew older. I grew up in a society where we had access to diversity if we wanted. If I really wanted to be among people that were very similar to me, Hawaii would be the place as there are many Japanese Americans there. One thing that Joshua had mentioned was that In Japan you always had to be presentable & perfect, and they worried too much about what others would think. I did get a lot of that from my grandmother and mother as well, but I could not live in a society where it was constantly on my mind. I do feel much more free in America, in that regard. The nice thing for my daughter visiting Japan in today’s era is that modern technology has made it so much easier. She seemed to get around just fine.

[@BelloBudo007]

That was an incredibly interesting interview. What an insight into his life and how feels about Japan and the UK. I wish him well in life.

[@fetakatsu]

takashi, thanks for your video. it was really touching for me when joshua mentioned about being perfect....it really hit me. my god.... im brazilian with japanese roots and now i am at a process of visiting my internal feelings and undestanding why i behave how i behave. this is something that im working on and once again thanks for sharing such a great story.

[@oliver-pk3xj]

wow so interesting

[@kgrandchamp]

Fascinating insights into the human soul! Thanks so much Joshue and Takashi!

[@memimini9017]

As a Thai citizen born and live in Thailand. This man is a Japanese sole guys. The Japanese is in his heart notvhis look. I appreciate him so much

[@FreedomElliott]

It's interesting that he feels proud to be British because of his grandparents did and he's sort of honouring the family journey...which is a very Japanese way of thinking, he seems to be Japanese through and through, cuz a Brit around his age is not this timid, polite and soft spoken.

[@treehann]

I was going to say he could be defined as culturally Japanese and ethnically British.

[@CalvinMOfficial]

He is Japanese, with British heritage.

[@LexusFox]

@@CalvinMOfficialThis^ these are concept a lot of us latinos are forced to deal with within our countries because we’re so ethnically/racially mixed. My family is culturally Mexican but we’re a mixture of asian, european, native and jewish, but for us for example we just say we’re “Mexican” and we come in every color.

[@hirsch4155]

Yes, ancestors are very important in Japan so the fact that he is very proud to be British is ironically very Japanese, because his grandparents are from the British Isles.

[@FreedomElliott]

@@hirsch4155 Right? Cuz I live in the UK, and I never heard of someone being proud of their roots in the same way as this guy.

[@ceallly]

What a lovely guy, at the end you can tell he is more comfortable speaking in Japanese. He just relaxed and smiled more when he wasn't speaking English.

[@user-bi8ko7kc6h]

I’m an Asian British and I only got a British passport. I had no issues at school because kids don’t care. But after I entered Uni or every time I meet new people they always ask me where I’m from. None of them believe I’m local. I have to explain about my race and my family back in generations. Sometimes I just hope people can stop asking after I said I’m local but majority of them don’t. It’s hard to get over the identity issue for me because no matter where I go I’m always a foreigner to others.

[@h.j7469]

Hi, I am from UK also. This question is incredibly difficult to ask. I think the question is very deeply based on context. As you have a British accent I presume your British so if I asked where your from (it's more like what town and city in UK your from, not your parents or grandparents). If somebody comes up to you and randomly asks you where your from like that, I think that's rude and wrong. But I found in some circumstances, let's say a cultural exchange event, the question was a bit more appropriate maybe. I went to a Chinese language exchange group and I asked a guy who was talking about Hong Kong (Chinese looking guy) if he was from Hong Kong or the UK, and he reacted pretty weirdly to my question, despite the contexts we were in and that frustrated me because he told somebody later. Tbh, I think I am understanding because I am from London, but that question to me is more difficult to ask. I only ask really because I am from London and know that people have stories. My guess if you know a person better then you can ask. I personally don't really care and most people don't take offence to my question tbh. But people are sensitive to that these days. Apologies, about your experience.

[@h.j7469]

My answer probably wasn't good for you,

[@user-bi8ko7kc6h]

@@h.j7469 Yep, just some random dudes approached me on the street, supermarkets or bus station while I was waiting for the bus. I lived in few different counties in England and Wales before, same issues happens to me all the time. It’s understandable that people judging others by their race/look. I’ve asked my neighbours (also non white UK born people), they also face the same issues. So I guess it’s a general thing.

[@h.j7469]

@@user-bi8ko7kc6h can you tell me which part of the UK your from and grew up in? I don't think London is soo bad

[@Prizzy999]

Well, you said it yourself. You're Asian british. British people are not originally asian, actually european people as a whole are not asian, black or arabic, so you need to get used to that question. I'm italian and I'm white and when I lived abroad, from UK to Turkey and even US, I was asked the exact same question, and I never felt offended. I'm proudly italian and if my english accent or my mannerism gives it away, well that's good.

[@eileen635]

I’m so interested in this topic because I’m the exact opposite. A ethnically Japanese person born and raised in Canada. I think having struggles with your identity is a constant no matter where you grow up in. I loved this interview.

[@cooliipie]

That's not rare though. Tons of Asians in Canada

[@ghostassoc]

Yeah Canada is very diverse, so i think its not the same

[@MachineGunMike]

Don’t try to find your identity. You are. Canadian. That’s great. Be proud of that. I’m genetically Japanese, Hawaiian, and British, but I’m born and raised in America. I’m 100% American.

[@shoakimoto2517]

@@ghostassoc it could be similar depending on where he grew up in Canada. There are cities where over 95% of the population is white. In those kinds of environments he can absolutely relate to being looked as not fitting in

[@diskographi]

I grew up learning and speaking Japanese and watching Japanese TV shows so it's very isolating to live in the west and not have anybody know or relate to that stuff (except anything that's been localized to English). I'd love to live and work in Japan but like Joshua said, the work culture has too many unspoken rules and I simply could not adhere to them

[@Raquel6470]

This is sooooo cool and so interesting on so many levels! I can only imagine! He explained so well and your questions were on point. And I appreciate listening to his story! Thanks for sharing!

[@true_aureolin]

I don't speak Japanese. Your dialogue in Japanese sounds very nice. Joshua's English is also very pleasant to hear. It has so much brightness and clarity! Thank you for this video!

[@kattrax9082]

Beautiful interview…thank you from someone who has felt like a “fish out of water” for so long

[@MrShem123ist]

I think I saw a similar interview of that same guy. One thing I noticed, his English accent is somewhat closer to an American accent. Awesome video otherwise, Takashi san! 素晴らしい！

[@denalowry8710]

Probably had British parents

[@richardcoughlin8931]

It’s a Mid-Atlantic accent, though closer to American than British.

[@garethking5322]

He mentioned middle school at an international school, I'm guessing it was dominantly American English speakers.

[@highkingmargo]

He also has a subtle Japanese accent

[@わわ-l8w]

​@@garethking5322 僕もそうだと思います。日本のインターナショナルスクールはアメリカ式が多いです。ブリティッシュやカナダ系の学校もありますけどやはりアメリカ式の学校が一番多い。もちろんその時の先生によってはイギリス人、オーストラリア人の先生がいたりしますけどね。

[@pandaplutten2573]

What an interesting background! I have a similar but the other way around - being 100% Asian (Hong Kong & Japan) but born and raised in Sweden. As a teenager I realised that I will never look Swedish, so I became much more proud of my background and heritage! I also don't mind when people ask me questions directly as I prefer that rather than they keep guessing ... and mostly wrong :) Just like Joshua, I am thankful for what Sweden has given me as a native country.

[@GentleMoth]

Jag hoppas vi är lite mer öppnare än i Japan. Som andragenerationsinvandrare själv så har jag inte sett mig som något annat än Svensk, även fast jag inte har någon släkt i Sverige, och bägge föräldrarna invandrade hit. Förutom lite barnsliga retningar för utländskt namn och utseende när man var yngre så har jag aldrig stött på något som inte har fått mig att känna mig som välkommen. Jag tycker där man är född och uppväxt är landet man har närmst i hjärtat, man delar något med alla andra som växte upp tillsammans med en, även om man ser olika ut. Tycker det är lite synd att Joshua kände sig som en främling i landet han växte upp i, såpass mycket att han ville flytta därifrån!

[@ramieal-hazar2438]

Sweden is for the Swedish.

[@RiverWorksCo]

@@ramieal-hazar2438 It's not up to you to decide. Sweden is for anyone who wants to live there. Literally

[@snubbenz]

@@ramieal-hazar2438this guy just wanna steer shit, don’t bother

[@adrianskog4117]

@@RiverWorksCo asians in Sweden cause no problem I even like them we and we need them as professionals

[@ilionawolfowicz6044]

This interview was so interesting!! Really enjoyed it!!

[@rhondaroberts5604]

I really appreciate this video. This guy is so humble and interesting!

[@MM-mc9ru]

Super interesting 👏 I’m half Japanese, born and raised in Germany, now living in Tokyo, but I can relate to many things Joshua said! Especially that Japan makes you feel special, and on the other hand, back in the UK (in my case Germany) he feels he blends right in and feels accepted! Japan is a unique and wonderful place. Despite my background, I miss Japan more when I’m in Germany, than I miss Germany when I’m in Tokyo. It’s weird 😂

[@eternallylucky]

Germany is a drab racist fk country 😅

[@valdencorr2861]

Western societies are the most open societies in human history. Where else in the world do they say "diversity is our strength"? to which I personally think is a lie and there are multiple studies to prove it.

[@iMuzik3]

He's inspiring. I can't help but feel a little sad at how scared he is to say he's Japanese...but I understand how the ethnically Japanese people treat you when you look different...it's a shame.

[@daisy9910]

I completely understand how he feels, being caught between two cultures. In my case, I look very much like the culture I was born into, but I have never truly felt a part of it. I am first generation, and I have also spoken with other friends who are first generation, and we all feel the same way.

[@Ste_VO]

Insightful. Thanks guys! The world of cultures and where we were born and lived is quite interesting to me after having lived in Germany, Latvia and Russia. Loved hearing about his identity and how he sees himself. Great interview.

[@dylan6550]

日本語でズレた感想かも知れないけど、色んな人が居るんだなって思った。それは人種間や言語間の話だけじゃなくて、同じ言語、人種内においてもそうで、本当に各々が様々なバックグラウンドを持っている「個」人であるということ。当り前の事。我々みんな個だから。しかし、みんな同じ人間という「種」に属しているという事。それは最も拡大した時に同じものとなり、同じものになったとき拡大している。一般概念と個別概念、類、種、個、、、動物、植物、、同一性、差異、、存在、、。

[@Celeste77789]

Amazing interview yet again! Really informative and interesting 😊 Good-looking gentle man You are growing so much more better ❤ God bless

[@jenniferlittlechild5839]

Takashii & Joshua .. thank you both! I loved this interview, it sent me down a ‘rabbit hole’ of other interviews. I have never travelled to Japan, but would love to … two of my adult children have visited & loved it, & plan to return .. either as tourist again, or to work … even for their children to travel & study independently once they’re older. I only ever hear good things about people’s travel experiences to Japan. Thank you for this channel, so refreshing, & so good👍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️

[@TheAirlock]

Wow, so cool! He speaks English with a Japanese rythm (and even makes some small grammatical mistakes that Japanese english learners do) and a kind of Japanese-New Zealand-British accent. Curious that he's not considered Japanese. Here in the states he would be considered American. I used to know a few sansei --100% American. Other than his physical features, he seems very Japanese to me.

[@spartanwarrior1]

what small grammatical mistakes? elaborate.

[@pac1fic055]

@@spartanwarrior13:51 “ I hadn’t spoke” instead of “I hadn’t spoken”

[@eusaboston]

@@pac1fic055native speakers say both . True fact

[@pac1fic055]

@@eusaboston native speakers do get it wrong too.

[@eusaboston]

@@pac1fic055 dude if he’s speaking with any native speaker in the US , people will ask where he’s from . Have you ever been to the us at all ? No one has this accent ! Yes many different accent s but his accent is not standard American accent

[@bunsuke.nihongo]

大変面白く拝見させていただきました！It was such a great interview, I hope you do more long form interviews with interesting people!

[@smoklhoe]

He is intelligent and well spoken and has the best of both worlds! He is a worldly individual!

[@dossantosu7359]

If this dude was born in Brazil I'm pretty sure that he'd never feel what he said. Countries that usually have a lot of immigrants the native people are more open to accept them, I mean in Brazil basically if you like what we like, talk like we talk and even knowing our problems we already accepts you and already considers you a Brazilian.

[@theladiesman.8537]

@@homie3461 I guess that is why open b.orders and replacement im.migration is pushed in Europe by Je.wish and other groups of immi.grant backgrounds while the in.digenous people that protest this are silenced and demonized.

[@dossantosu7359]

@@homie3461 you have a good point but Brazil it's a different case, our laws were made by Brazilian and Portuguese, but that's not the point since our construction as a society a lot of natives and normal people for other countries came to here to work and made their lifes here, and after that begin to marriage with each other. I think we're more accustomed to foreigners because our country "born" like this

[@shaid2130]

I’m a British Pakistani man born and raised in the UK. I was 17 when I first visited Pakistan, and remember that the locals noticed right away that i was not from there. I think it’s because there is more diversity in the UK, but I never felt like I wasn’t British. Instead I felt that the UK was my home first, and that Pakistan was my parents home and my cultural background. I find that white British people try to understand my cultural background, but also seem to accept that I am not a foreigner, but instead a British man with a different cultural background . There have been rare exceptions though, where I have received some racist abuse, but for the most part things are okay here. Love the videos by the way, and Would love to stay in Japan for an extended time. Who knows? I might even bump into you whilst I’m there 😊

[@FIFAFootballer14]

I am very surprised all 4 of his grandparents moved to Japan in the 50s and he isn't any part asian at all. It's pretty cool lol, not only is he born and raised in japan but so are his parents which is extremely rare. 2 "non" Japanese born and raised in Japan raising a 'non' japanese kid in Japan.

[@multilingual972]

His grandparents were Christian missionaries--that is why they moved there. Play the video over🙂

[@FIFAFootballer14]

@@multilingual972 Oh, no thank you. I only watched like 2 minutes of the video.

[@zeeone4492]

British people during the British Empire days tended not to intermarry when settling in foreign countries

[@Prizzy999]

​@@zeeone4492Yes, and that's why he'll never be really japanese. To be japanese you have to look at least half japanese, otherwise you're just someone born and raised there. I'm born in an italian town and my parents are not from that town or region, they moved there for work. Well, I don't feel I belong to that town at all. Mind you. Oh, and my parents are both italians but from different regions.

[@yo2trader539]

His cousin is mixed. She appears in his KZbin channel.

[@akosuakoranteng3327]

So fascinating that three generations of his family have been in Japan! Thank you , so insightful!

[@philipsutton2316]

WOW - what a cool and interesting interview. He seems a very balanced and levelheaded guy who has probably had lots of struggles with identity but seems to have come out on top.

[@rnelson1415]

It's really interesting that he picked up code switching. As a mixed person in the US, I never actually picked up AAVE and never learned code switching, but most of my black friends did. I really feel his struggle about not feeling like he fits in though because I look like a black person, but growing up a lot of black people said I'm "not black enough."

[@miraclefabichan]

Not black enough... So, it's means that black people are racist too. Bullshit world😮‍💨

[@cooliipie]

Dude literally everybody code switches. You think we all talk the same with our friends as we do in a meeting?

[@rnelson1415]

@@cooliipie I think we both know that black people in the US understand the phrase "code switching" to mean masking AAVE around white people. A lot of people might code switch to some extent but this is not a valid argument. It's very racialized in this country.

[@jacquuelinesimpson191]

Hmmm I guess I code swith in Asia as well😅😅😅

[@fclucky910]

As an american, this is a fascinating interview. listening to his talk, i realized he is 3rd generation japanese. whether he is considered 'japanese' by all people or not, he is just as much Japanese as most Americans are American (being several generation). Just as Americans are made to feel like they are not actually "italian" or "irish" or "french" by the international crowd, by the same token, he is very much japanese but culturally also Australian and kiwi. Technicalities of residency aside, I think he is a good example of how nationality and bloodline/family traits transcend land borders.

[@desertkhaat]

thank you for your video, Takashii: I always enjoy your interviews with people & their experience(s) of Japan or foreigners. I was struck by Joshua explaining how his demeanor changes depending on both where he is & the language he's speaking. I think that's part of what's called "code-switching". I think the discussion on identity is interesting as well: even though a person may not be ethnically from a country, if they're born and raised there, they may be culturally from that country....if that makes any sense....or at least internalised a lot of the culture....especially hearing that Joshua felt so much more comfortable speaking Japanese....i think there's something about where one feels lexically grounded language-wise....& being a a dual-culture citizen is not easy to navigate.....particularly when many times bi/multicultural/racial people are expected to *pICk a sIdE*...it's not helpful... this definitely got me thinking- once again, thank you!

[@paulstanton2471]

Takashii & Joshua, thank you both of you for recording this interview, I'd be fascinated to listen to another one if you both feel able to do one. Reminds me of the tine I had social contact with a Japanese College in Reading, UK, and had some social contact with the Japanese people there.

[@calebwhite1999]

That was great! Such a unique experience he has had. Thank you for sharing it to all of us around the world.

[@CoreyChambersLA]

I was lucky to live in Japan for two years. 日本に2年間住めたのは幸運でした。

[@Becoming0ne]

This is so interesting for so many different reasons. What I get from him is that it is easier to be British - due to his ethnicity and the more relaxed culture - but his life experience is Japanese. I personally would call him Japanese but clearly there are advantages to being able to move in both countries/cultures. BTW, as a New Zealander who has raised my children in Australia (and they now tend to call themselves Australian but not always), I find it interesting that he calls himself British, even though only one grandparent is British, one is Australian and two are New Zealanders. His heritage sounds more like NZ/Australian to me. Anyway, this video raises so many topics that can’t be contained in one comment on KZbin, but I think there is so much we could all learn from this.

[@TCJones]

I would guess his dad was British and his dad was British, an it was the mums side that was Nz/OZ and when the uk was in the EU it was probable the stronger of the passports he could pick form.

[@為人民服務-f2m]

While his parental and maternal grandparents are Aussie and Kiwi by nationality, I wouldn't be surprised if they all share the British heritage too

[@Matthew_Ssali]

Most White Australians and New Zealanders are of British extract if you go far back enough.If you were to look at this mans family tree and go back 300 years everyone would be British.Hence why he identifies as British.

[@cmmndrblu]

I'm from the UK, if I met him, I would believe him. His English is perfect BUT he speaks it with the accent of someone who went to an international school, so it's mixed- somewhere between British and American- which is pretty normal for people who grow up in similar circumstances. I'm so glad that the UK has been good at welcoming him. But I also think that where you grow up/where you're from, isn't always the same as your nationality or ethnic background- to me that just seems normal. I think most people judge each other by accent- if you sound like you grew up in the UK, to me you're from the UK.

[@indochinajames3372]

I'm from the UK. His accent is 90% American. Not mixed no where near half.

[@Candy30498]

So if someone sounds British but didn’t grow up there, they would be seen as British?

[@DevynCairns]

In the UK though it's quite normal that someone looking a certain way has really nothing to do with their cultural origin. There has been such a history of immigration back and forth that people who look ethnically British are very often not, and people who don't look ethnically British very often are. Same in Canada, where I'm from, and in the US, etc. In Japan most people do assume that if you don't look Japanese then you aren't from Japan, so it's probably pretty surprising to have the realization when they interact with people who actually are from Japan who don't look it that there's more to identity than just your face.

[@DevynCairns]

@@indochinajames3372 I'm Canadian and I wouldn't say his accent really sounds extremely American, though not British at all really, he has characteristics of a bunch of accents. I think there's sort of a west coast North America base accent under there for most of his pronunciation, but I think he sounds most like people who move here with their families when they're relatively young and so they still have some phonotactic confusion but native level speaking ability.

[@tomtom8786]

@@indochinajames3372 His accent is definitely not fully American. A hybrid between UK and US. From California here

[@jjbsnak95096]

That was a great interview! so interesting. Thank you Takashii and your guest :)

[@novowalace]

Great video! Thanks!

[@aquamom14]

Is it me or even his English sounds like he has a Japanese accent 😮