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.

Special Report

Photo exhibit at Social Innovation Forum 2018

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Visual Stories

Watch our interviews in a new video series.
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Watch the Interview

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

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April 20, 2019

“I will always be a minority in every country I go to. I’m Punjabi but I was born and raised in Birmingham, England. My parents are both from East Africa, grandparents all from India. If I go to India, I’m a Brit. In the UK, I’m British Indian or British Asian. In Japan, I’m aContinue reading

April 18, 2019April 18, 2019

“I was a single mother in California when my son told me he wanted to study Japanese. So I let him, and after he graduated from high school, we both came to Japan for two months using money I saved up. After that, my mother got sick and died, my son went to college, andContinue reading

You Got This

April 16, 2019April 16, 2019

“I had to go through a lot of disappointment, a lot “no’s”, before getting to where I am in my music career in Japan. I came here after college and it was a total culture shock (even though I used to stay here as a kid since my dad was in the military). I gotContinue reading You Got This

African Festival

April 13, 2019

“I’m from Ghana. It’s in West Africa. I’m here on official business, to find investors who would be interested in helping develop my country. We’re rich in agriculture. I’m also here to visit family. My sister is married to a Japanese man. She’s been living here for 29 years. I hope to build ties withContinue reading African Festival

Social Stigma

April 13, 2019April 13, 2019

“I’m surrounded by successful people in my family and it’s tough because there’s this expectation to be great. Then I come to Japan, put on a suit, and I’m trying my best, but I don’t know, the pressure to be something is a lot (especially being African American). I came here with no expectations, butContinue reading Social Stigma

Isshin Aoi

April 12, 2019

**日本語訳は下にあります**“I’m a singer and songwriter, and my dream is to perform live at Kōhaku Uta Gassen (a popular annual New Year’s Eve television special in Japan). I write mostly love songs. I know, it’s such a cliché. I’m kinda embarrassed to say I’ve yet to experience grown up love. My longest relationship lasted only sixContinue reading Isshin Aoi

My Bungu Box

April 9, 2019April 12, 2019

“Before Marie Kondo sparked joy on Netflix, I was already minimizing my stuff, selling them off, giving to charity, or just ridding myself of my belongings. I had this idea in my head that the less stuff I had the easier it would be for me to go anywhere. And I’ve wanted to live overseasContinue reading My Bungu Box

Generations of Friendship

April 9, 2019April 12, 2019

**日本語訳は下にあります**“Our moms had been friends even before we knew each other. Back in the 1960s, her mom, Ruri (a Japanese national), visited Sydney. She met my mom there, and together they promised they would stay friends for life. Every year we received letters from Ruri and her husband, including pictures of their two children. IContinue reading Generations of Friendship

TOKYOManiacs

April 5, 2019

“I’m from a poor family in East Germany so people didn’t think I could make it to Japan. Yet here I am, doing what I do best. I make videos about Japan for a German audience. At first, we were just talking about our own experiences. But then viewers started asking questions like, ‘How doContinue reading TOKYOManiacs

Accepting Failure

April 4, 2019

“Growing up in Vietnam, I was so afraid of not getting into a good school. There was pressure from my family, teachers and friends. So when I didn’t pass the entrance exam of a university where I wanted to study, I cried for a whole day. Looking back now, it wasn’t the end of theContinue reading Accepting Failure

Ten People, Ten Colors

April 4, 2019

“Pakistan’s society is very patriarchal. You get defined as somebody’s wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, or mother. Although things are changing, I think it’ll still take more time. Now I live in Japan. When I moved here, my husband told me about this Japanese proverb: Ten people, ten colors, which means ‘we’re all different and that’s okay’.Continue reading Ten People, Ten Colors

Model United Nations

April 4, 2019

“We’re students from Indonesia and Vietnam. We host mock conferences and tackle global issues at our university club activity. It’s a great way to bring international and Japanese students together and help us understand each other better. It feels like a small community, too, where we can help members navigate through tough and challenging situations.Continue reading Model United Nations

For Art’s Sake

March 29, 2019

“My parents didn’t really support the idea of me pursuing art professionally back home in Indonesia. I guess because they were concerned about my future. But they were supportive of me coming to Japan, since they knew how much I love drawing ever since I was a kid. And it’s pretty big in Japan, withContinue reading For Art’s Sake

Size Doesn’t Matter

March 29, 2019

“My whole life, I have been body-shamed for being too small for my age. After graduation, I had an interview with a radio station, and it went well. But then they told me the position wasn’t available to someone like me. They said I was too small. At first, I thought they were referring toContinue reading Size Doesn’t Matter

I’ll Be Back

March 27, 2019

“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs these past two years. My girlfriend got sexually assaulted, I lost my grandfather and my aunt, my dog got taken by people who probably eat dog meat, and my E-commerce startup didn’t make it at a business competition. But early on, I’ve developed the kind of mentalityContinue reading I’ll Be Back

Coming Out of My Shell

March 27, 2019

“I was very reclusive in my first year in Japan. I didn’t have many friends and didn’t go out much. I only focused on studying. I also kept coming up with reasons not to interact with people so I could stay in my personal space. I remember thinking it was OK because people have differentContinue reading Coming Out of My Shell

Global Talent

March 27, 2019March 27, 2019

“My family got a lot of media attention while me and my seven younger brothers were growing up in Hiroshima. Maybe it’s because our father is Australian, our mother is Japanese, and there weren’t many big multicultural families (if any at all) in that remote part of Japan. We were on a TV show thatContinue reading Global Talent

Blanket Terms

March 13, 2019

“Being a Japanese-American woman in Japan, there are times when I feel like I’m constantly being underestimated, or my behavior is under a microscope. When I say or do things in a certain way, some people say, ‘That is so American’ or ‘You’re so gaijin’. But other times they say, ‘Oh so Japanese of you’.Continue reading Blanket Terms

Off Limits

March 9, 2019

“I came to Japan to sing on a Disney tour, met a guy the first week, married him three months later, then found out we were pregnant the next day. It was a big leap and I know it was a hasty decision, but I’m rewarded for it every day. Now I’m just learning howContinue reading Off Limits