Building bridges. Breaking down barriers one post at a time.
Photo exhibit at Social Innovation Forum 2018
Continue reading “Special Report”
Watch our interviews in a new video series.
Continue reading “Visual Stories”
As featured in major media publications
Continue reading “News”Inspired by what you’ve read? Share your story or help us find more voices by spreading the word.
You can also help us produce quality content by sponsoring us on Patreon.com
Thank you! We appreciate your generosity!
“Sometimes it’s tough being a single mom, especially when you’re abroad. I came here to be with this guy I was in a long-distance relationship with. I left everything behind, my whole life in Jakarta, to find work in a foreign country and live with him. But after six months, we decided to part waysContinue reading
***日本語は下記をご覧下さい ***“My parents were never home when I was a child. They were always doing volunteer work. Mom spent a third of her life in Nepal and dad was all over the place as a researcher, while someone else looked after me. Because of that, I hated how volunteers were good at helping other people,Continue reading
“We’re shooting a TV commercial today. I’m supposed to get punched in the face so I’m not so excited about that. In the past, I used to get cooler roles, like an oil tycoon from the Middle East. They say I look oil rich with my mustache. I don’t do this full-time. Today just happensContinue reading
“I lost my best friend to brain cancer eight years ago. It was one of the toughest periods of my life. Because of that, I shifted from being an economics major to studying biotechnology. Unlike other cancers, it’s extremely difficult to treat brain tumor with chemotherapy because our brain is protected by the blood brainContinue reading
“I must have done five internships in total before getting hired by my company now. I sent dozens of cover letters and resumes to lots of different hiring managers, telling them, ‘Hey, I’m a foreigner and I can only speak conversational Japanese. But I’m willing to work for free for up to six months.’ MyContinue reading
“I wish I could wear a mask because I’m worried about coronavirus. But I can’t since people won’t hear me when I warn them of incoming traffic. The SSS on my arm patch stands for Safety, Security, and Service and I make sure pedestrians pass by smoothly. I can’t do my job if my mouthContinue reading
“I used to get called ‘dark’ or ‘dirty’ and it would bother me a lot. It made me shut myself inside the house, away from people. You see, my father’s Japanese but my mother is Malaysian, so I look this way. Growing up, sometimes random people would say, ‘She’s a foreigner!’ even though I canContinue reading
“What’s it like to be a new dad? It’s like a whirlwind. It just hits you out of nowhere. I’m really happy and excited. Every little thing she does makes us go, ‘Whoa, that’s something new!’ She’s already six months now, and it’s nice to watch her grow and be able to do all theseContinue reading
“When I was young, I spent a lot of time traveling alone and I loved it. Now that I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown tired of it. From a Western perspective, you hear people say, ‘Traveling alone is good. You discover yourself.’ I totally agree. But it also gets boring and lonely. I realized this whenContinue reading
“I got really sick last summer. I had bronchitis, a lung infection, and stomach flu. The whole ordeal, which lasted four months of anxiety and nonstop coughing, was terrible. They did lots of blood tests on me. They also did ECG tests to make sure I didn’t have heart problems, which is something you don’tContinue reading
Him: “We met at a Christmas party in Taiwan. She was studying Chinese, I was a biochemical science major, and we were members of a friendship and cultural exchange club between Japan and Taiwan. I sat next to her at the party and we became Facebook friends. That’s it. Didn’t speak to each other againContinue reading
***日本語は下記をご覧下さい*** I was feeling sick so I went to see my gynecologist and was told I had polycystic ovary syndrome, which will make it hard for me to get pregnant. My period also stopped. Good thing it got better after two years of treatment. But I wasn’t in good shape. I’d get tired and depressed.Continue reading
“When I tell people I’m Brazilian, they look at me with disbelief. How can someone look Asian and be from Brazil at the same time? But I am. I just happen to have Japanese blood. I’ve been told that I smile all the time, although I’m not always aware of it. Probably because I wasContinue reading
“I’m turning 33 this year. Most of my friends are either married or married with children. I’m kinda hoping this year will be my lucky year. Actually, I met someone online and we’ve been going out. She’s from Argentina. But she’s only here for a year so I better move fast if I wanna popContinue reading
Him: “When I told her I got an offer to work in Japan, she said, ‘You already said yes, didn’t you?’ And I’m like, ‘Umm…yeah.’ That’s how much my wife knows me. We met in college. We took up dentistry, but I work in advertising and she works for the government. She actually had toContinue reading
“I experienced workplace bullying as the first foreign nurse in my hospital and it gave me anxiety attacks. My body would quiver at the thought of going to work. The other nurses would tell me to stop doing my job because I was incapable of anything, that I was a danger to the patients. I’dContinue reading
“He was abandoned by his owners a while back. Right now we’re looking to find him a new family. He’s a little shy because he doesn’t get much human contact, but he’s a good boy. I hope we can find him a new home soon. Otherwise he’ll be put to sleep. That’s why if you’reContinue reading
“This bag has sentimental value to me. My friend from when I was growing up gave it to me. She even made it herself. The seashells have special significance, too. You see, we lost touch and had not seen each other in years since me and my husband moved to Japan from Kenya. I wasContinue reading
***日本語は下記をご覧下さい*** “After having a miscarriage, we decided to try again and now here’s our feisty little one. He’s only six months old but he’s already bigger than your average Japanese baby. Once he learned how to crawl, he started leaving a trail of destruction at home. But he brings so much joy to us, whichContinue reading
“We’re Japanese but we love Kenyan culture. It’s just a hobby but we perform traditional dances wearing traditional clothes, like these. They even have the colors of the Kenyan flag. Hopefully our dance group can spread the message of love. Having lived in Africa and being able to speak some Swahili, we’re trying to beContinue reading
