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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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“The job-hunting process in Japan is so outdated.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

Muay Thai

July 28, 2018August 11, 2018

**日本語訳は下をご覧ください** “I’m a very shy person. I’m so self-conscious. In my head I always think, `Oh I shouldn’t have said that,’ or `what if this person doesn’t like me?’ But now with Muay Thai, I feel like I can accomplish anything. I have focus when I step into the ring. I stop worrying about whoContinue reading Muay Thai

Great Expectations

July 26, 2018July 30, 2018

**日本語訳は下をご覧ください** Being pregnant three times in Japan, I felt a lot of societal pressure. It’s not unusual to have to quit your job and take time to prepare to become a mother, so that your central focus can be your child. In New Zealand, where I’m from, you can be pregnant, give birth, have yourContinue reading Great Expectations

Disability in Japan

July 25, 2018July 25, 2018

**日本語訳は下をご覧ください** “My daughter has a physical and intellectual disability. She looked fine when I gave birth to her, but her development was really delayed. The doctors said her head’s really small, but we couldn’t really tell during the first 10 months so we had to wait. Later on we found out she had microcephaly, whichContinue reading Disability in Japan

Homogeneous Culture

July 12, 2018July 13, 2018

“I’m half-Japanese, half-American and I still get frustrated by the same questions from people, who may have intended it in a nice way, but is touching upon this microaggression. Just the other day, my Japanese grandmother’s sisters and their friend who’s literally known me since the day I was born, said, ‘Oh you’re so gaijinContinue reading Homogeneous Culture

I Got Your Back

July 4, 2018July 4, 2018

“I want to help my own people because I’m noticing there’s two systems at play in America, where I’m from. It’s set up to reward those who have connections. It’s not what you know, but who you know. So, you can be the best of whatever field but they’re always going to go with someoneContinue reading I Got Your Back

Stay Grounded

June 29, 2018July 3, 2018

**日本語訳は下をご覧ください** “Living abroad got me thinking about what it means to be Tunisian. Am I African, a Middle Easterner, or part of the Mediterranean Sea countries? I often have to explain where Tunisia is because not many people know, and so being in Japan has made me reflect on my roots. It’s also made meContinue reading Stay Grounded