Finding diversity and inclusion

Breaking down barriers one post at a time

Stories of People

Tokyo as seen through the lens of foreigners. Snapshots of individuals who make up the gaijin community. Immigrant workers, trainees, expats, international students, visitors, Japanophiles and others.

Visual Stories

Watch our interviews in a new video series.
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Humans of Tokyo

Dubbed as the Tokyo version of “Humans of New York”
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Watch the Interview

The story behind Tokyo Interlopers. Continue reading “Watch the Interview” →

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Postdoc

December 16, 2018December 17, 2018

“I’m from Israel and I came to Japan with my Japanese girlfriend, but then we broke up a year after we moved here. We were together for 13 years. We’re still friends though and I’ve moved onto a new relationship. Right now I’m doing my postdoctoral research in neuroscience. I study motor skills and myContinue reading Postdoc

Making the Most Out of Life

December 13, 2018

“I was born with a disability called inherited clubfoot. It’s a chromosomal abnormality in which a person’s feet are bent from birth. Imagine your feet pointing towards each other, rather than facing front. But I have never let it become a hindrance in my life. Growing up, kids used to make fun of me, IContinue reading Making the Most Out of Life

Where Do I Belong?

December 11, 2018December 11, 2018

“There is no distinct native culture for people who were born and have been brought up in an international environment. As an Indian who grew up in Dubai, I find it very hard to identify a place where I are from and where I wanna be. I think this is true for anyone who hasContinue reading Where Do I Belong?

Finding My Place

December 10, 2018December 10, 2018

“I grew up in Miyazaki. As a hafu (Half American, Half Japanese) growing up in rural Japan, I didn’t quite fit in. Despite having a strong economic base, people in Miyazaki tend to be more relaxed, and family bonds seem stronger than that in Tokyo; life is good! Though I liked it there, I knewContinue reading Finding My Place

Global Citizen

December 5, 2018December 18, 2018

“I identify myself as a global citizen. My identity is not bound by nationality just because my passport was issued in Indonesia and I’m a second-generation Chinese Indonesian. I have a friend with whom I share values with that go beyond perceived differences. She’s Russian-American. However, it’s hard to find people who are also cosmopolitan,Continue reading Global Citizen

Stick to Your Guns

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018

“I’m a bit of a control freak. But for someone who needs to plan everything, I just went with the flow when I came to Japan. I was considering two options after finishing university back home in Spain: unpaid internships that may lead to an actual position or go abroad and learn languages. I remember thinkingContinue reading Stick to Your Guns

Foster Family

November 18, 2018

“My parents wanted me to be a public lawyer back home in India to help people who can’t afford legal counsel. But I was kind of selfish and even fickle minded. I took the biggest risk of my life by dropping out of law school and leaving the family business just to be back inContinue reading Foster Family

Accepting My Incompleteness

October 31, 2018October 31, 2018

I hated being mixed race until a couple years ago. It was the bane of my existence. I thought everything about myself was chutohanpa, which means ‘incomplete’ in English. Based on experience, in the U.S., maybe 9 out of 10 people see me as full Asian and usually aren’t able to tell that I haveContinue reading Accepting My Incompleteness

Adversity to Victory

October 12, 2018October 12, 2018

“I came to Japan from Russia when I married my Japanese husband 17 years ago. I was just 21 then. Now we have two kids, but we’re divorced. Back then, I had no chance to be employed in a good company because I lived very far from the city. The only work available was beingContinue reading Adversity to Victory

Sclerotic and Antiquated

September 12, 2018

“The job-hunting process in Japan is so outdated. It’s especially hard for foreigners. There’s only a small window of time to do it, which usually starts in the second semester of your junior year. You have to follow a schedule, otherwise you fall off the radar of prospective employers. In my case, I was inContinue reading Sclerotic and Antiquated

Twist of Fate

September 6, 2018September 6, 2018

“Whenever people ask me if my life in Japan is tough, I tell them it is when you don’t have money. But compared to when I was growing up in Nepal, life here is cushy. We didn’t have water, electricity or gas on the mountain where we lived, and I used to walk for twoContinue reading Twist of Fate

The Odd One Out

September 5, 2018September 5, 2018

“Being Japanese and Malaysian Indian is what makes me who I am. Before, I used to think I’m just Japanese and it just so happens that I am half Malaysian. For a long time, I knew nothing about Malaysian Indian culture. Now, being Malaysian Indian is a stronger part of my identity, even though IContinue reading The Odd One Out

Single Ladies

September 5, 2018

**日本語訳は下をご覧ください** “It’s perfectly okay to be single. As women, we are supposed to marry, maybe have a kid and manage the office as well as the house. But that comes later on, why do you want to waste these precious years cribbing over someone or something which you didn’t have much control over anyway. JustContinue reading Single Ladies

Foodie Tours

August 31, 2018August 31, 2018

“I had difficulties finding a job in the beginning and I knew it would be tough for me to fit in a Japanese working environment. One problem being my nose piercing. At my first job, my superiors didn’t appreciate me working in customer service with a nose piercing. So I had to go through ridiculousContinue reading Foodie Tours

Inquisitive Disposition

August 30, 2018

“My dad always used to say, ‘Be competent in whatever you do, don’t worry about the result, be it marks, money or whatever’. I sincerely believe that curiosity is maybe the best thing which can happen to a person. I used to be a very inquisitive kid from 5 to 15. I regret losing thatContinue reading Inquisitive Disposition

Spare Capacity

August 23, 2018August 29, 2018

**日本語訳は下をご覧ください** “When I moved to Tokyo two years ago, it took some adjusting. It was the first time to move far away from family and close friends, and I also got out of a relationship. I kept telling myself that I’m fine, but really, I just avoided having time alone. I told myself that theContinue reading Spare Capacity

Pay it Forward

August 16, 2018

“My first time abroad, I got robbed. I was doing an internship in France when I decided to go to Pamplona to see Spain’s bull run. Coming from India, I’m always careful with my wallet, but just not that day. I instantly regretted it after a thief used a blade to slash open my pocketContinue reading Pay it Forward

Cacophony of Chatter

August 6, 2018

“It’s kind of strange that a Greek guy came to Japan thanks to Japan-Sweden relations. I was studying in a Swedish university and somehow by stroke of luck, we got a chance to visit Japan and we liked the place. We applied for a job here, and to be honest, the company had never interviewedContinue reading Cacophony of Chatter

Same Love

August 3, 2018August 3, 2018

“I was heartbroken and a bit bored of my finance job in London so I decided to do some soul-searching while exploring the world for a couple of months. I found myself in South East Asia then Japan. A week before leaving, I met an Indonesian girl at a bar after she noticed I hadContinue reading Same Love

Staying True to Yourself

August 2, 2018

“When my husband got a job offer in Japan, I was working in advertising as a designer and account manager in Mexico. It was super cool that he found a great job at good company, doing what he loves. But while I supported the decision to move here, what about me? What am I supposedContinue reading Staying True to Yourself