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“I left my job looking at the world through numbers, charts, and the stock market. All I did was work, which got me burned out. And although I was given a promotion, there was this void inside of me, telling me to go out there, do some volunteer work, live outside office walls, and be in touch with reality. So I quit work and got involved in social impact projects. I also went back to school to do my master’s in public policy, since I have a huge passion for development and politics. . “I'm in Japan and it’s hard because the first conversation begins with, ‘Social problems are real and these people exist. They're not just part of some plot in a drama.’ Then the next challenge is how not to let empathy stop at the level of pity. How do you go beyond seeing yourself as a feeding hand? Don’t just say, ‘We got money, we donate this money. You kids in Vietnam be happy.’ It’s a very one-way kind of approach. Development and social impact can also be about better mental health, so it can be beneficial to Japanese people. But they don’t acknowledge the problems. You even have politicians who say there’s no need to prevent suicide among LGBT youth because there aren’t that many. . “But I’m thankful to be part of a community that’s frustrated with the status quo, one where a lot of resources, time and attention go to pure money-making activities with little or no social good. We believe you can work and earn a lot and still have empathy to help other people at the same time. We’re determined to prove that it’s not an either/or world where these two things (money and doing good) can’t go hand-in-hand. And through this I’ve met so many wonderful people who understand the importance of living your life, being happy and fulfilling your needs, while also caring for others.”. . (Cindy helps connect talented people who have professional skills, or graduates from top business schools, with social institutions or NGOs that need their expertise. Get to know her on https://www.cindyfransisca.com). . . . . . #humansoftokyo #tokyointerlopers #外人 #外国人 #インドネシア人 #gaijin #humansofjapan #tokyo #東京 #Japanlife #lifeinjapan #インドネシア #portrait #chasingemotions #socialimpact #Indonesia

“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 my goal is to help people with disabilities. I love Japan and big cities like Tokyo. Sometimes I feel like I’m still on vacation here. People in general are polite and keep their distance. In Israel, everybody behaves like they’re part of one big dysfunctional family. In Japan, everything’s easy. Going to the municipal office with no Japanese language skills is still easier for me than back home.”. . . . . . #humansoftokyo #tokyointerlopers #外人 #外国人 #インド人 #gaijin #humansofjapan #tokyo #東京 #Japanlife #lifeinjapan #イスラエル #portraitphotography #chasingemotions #イスラエル人 #Israel #Japan #Jew #Jewish #diversitymatters #tokyolife #gaijinlife #diversityandinclusion #diversity #mystory #attacktheshot #hsdailyfeature #ユダヤ人 #thisismylife #bigcitylife

“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, I couldn't participate in sports, and now when I look back at things, I can think that I have really fought throughout my life. “Early on in life, I decided to make the best of what I have. Instead of playing sports, I went to the gym to keep myself fit. I was able to get into the best engineering college in my country because of the special quota they had for people like me. Believe me, I am living a very comfortable life now. . “I never thought I’d be fortunate enough to end up in Japan after graduation, especially since this place is one of the best places to accommodate people with special needs. Every station has an elevator, if not, an escalator. Roads are well maintained, places are clean as many a times I have to walk barefoot. I could finally go scuba diving this year. My friend, if life gives you lemons, don't think about it. Just make some lemonade.” -- Story & photo by @arpitjain099 . . . . . #humansoftokyo #tokyointerlopers #外人 #外国人 #インド人 #gaijin #humansofjapan #tokyo #東京 #Japanlife #lifeinjapan #インド #portraitphotography #chasingemotions #portrait #India #Japan #Indian #disability #diversitymatters #tokyolife #gaijinlife #diversityandinclusion #diversity #mystory #attacktheshot #hsdailyfeature #障害者 #indianinjapan #IAMABLE

“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 am from and where I wanna be. I think this is true for anyone who has lived in a different country than where they are originally from. We really don't know which place to call our home. . “It gets even more irritating when people come up with all kinds of stereotypes. `Oh you are an Indian, you must be good at math and you would eat curry everyday’. Coming from Dubai, most people think I am filthy rich, but I am not!”. . Story & photo by @arpitjain099 . . . . . #humansoftokyo #tokyointerlopers #外人 #外国人 #インド人 #gaijin #humansofjapan #tokyo #東京 #Japanlife #lifeinjapan #インド #agameofportraits #chasingemotions #ドバイ #India #Japan #Indian #globetrotter #diversitymatters #tokyolife #gaijinlife #diversityandinclusion #diversity #urbanromantix #attacktheshot #hsdailyfeature #Dubai #visualsoflife #globalcitizen

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 knew from early on that I wouldn't stay there forever. I ended up moving to the states, met my wife, and now consider myself a global citizen with American and Japanese nationalities. I ended up moving back to Japan as an expat when Looker, the company I work for, decided to set up a Japan office. As someone who understands Japan, one thing that frustrates me is the way Western media puts forward the startup scene in Japan. They say that Japan is a dying economy with little entrepreneurship, when this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, data from 2015 show that Japan had more startup funding than any other European country. Also, while there are many tech articles translated from English to Japanese, there’s virtually none the other way around. As a result, the Western audience just doesn't know about the latest and greatest coming out of Japan. To change this, I started working on a blog (Innovators in Japan) outlining the latest in the Japanese startup ecosystem in English for the non-Japanese crowd. What began as a hobby is now a 50+ article publication, and I’m learning something new about Japan every day. Story & photograph by @arpitjain099 -------- URLs Looker: https://www.facebook.com/LookerData/ Innovators in Japan: https://link.medium.com/YfpwfmUEvS #humansoftokyo #tokyointerlopers #外人 #外国人 #アメリカ人 #gaijin #humansofjapan #tokyo #東京 #Japanlife #lifeinjapan #ハーフ #agameofportraits #chasingemotions #Japan #diversitymatters #gaijinlife #diversityandinclusion #diversity #globalcitizen #mixedrace

“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, and we get a bad rap for being so privileged or a ‘bad patriot’. Here in Japan, it’s what’s visible about me that they use in order to understand me. They see me and hear me speak, and I’m reduced to my appearance, ethnicity, and gender. They’d be like, ‘Oh you look more Japanese than Indonesian’ or ‘You speak really good English’. I know Japan hasn’t been very open to the outside world for long, and it’s scary for them to deal with so many things foreign in their own home. But it terrifies me that they need to put us into boxes that they can recognize, even when they don’t fit. And it’s a problem for me because I really like Japan. I see myself being here for a really long time. So my hope for Japan is to have diversity in thought, not necessarily an increase in the number of nationalities for the sake of diversity.”. https://www.cindyfransisca.com. . . #humansoftokyo #tokyointerlopers #外人 #外国人 #インドネシア人 #gaijin #humansofjapan #tokyo #東京 #Japanlife #lifeinjapan #インドネシア #agameofportraits #chasingemotions #streetphotography #Indonesia #Japan #Indonesian #womenstories #diversitymatters #秋 #gaijinlife #diversityandinclusion #diversity #urbanromantix #attacktheshot #womenportrait #autumn #visualsoflife #globalcitizen

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