“I was demoted at work when I came back from maternity leave. My superiors didn’t seem to think I could still handle a job with responsibilities while raising my daughter. Instead, they had me answering the phone, photocopying papers, and sending faxes, which is unfair considering I used to do sales and marketing for moreContinue reading
“I work the night shift at a convenience store. I show up for work at 10 pm then clock out in the morning at 6 am. Because they can’t hire young Japanese people, lately there are more foreigners like myself doing this kind of job in Japan. Not gonna lie, it’s tough. Especially the language.Continue reading
“We’re volunteer staff for today’s Vietnam Festival. It’s the biggest we’ve ever been to. Sometimes it surprises us how big the Vietnamese community is in Japan. We’re the third-largest group of foreign residents here. I’m from Huế (left), she’s from Danang (right), and we made a Japanese friend (center) today, who’s even wearing our traditionalContinue reading
“We’re Vietnamese. Been living in Japan for a year now. I came with my brother to work. Life is tough. We barely speak English or Japanese so we have to stick together if we’re going to make it in this big city. Although we’re from Ho Chi Minh City so we’re big city girls ourselves.”Continue reading
“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
“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
“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
“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
***日本語訳は下をご覧ください*** “People think we’re a couple but we’re actually business partners. She’s from Vietnam, I’m from Thailand, and we met in university while I was a student and she was working in the admissions office of our campus. At first I was just helping out, making promotional videos for the university when it suddenly hitContinue reading STEQQI
**日本語訳は下にあります** “This is where my story starts. It’s Saigon 1975 and there were huge events happening. In America, there were many people protesting the war in Vietnam. For the Vietnamese like my mother and father, they were trying to find any way to find a better life. So my dad decided the only way toContinue reading Setting Sail From a Safe Harbor
“I was born in a refugee camp in Kuala Lumpur. My parents were Vietnamese war refugees. They escaped by boat to Malaysia after the war. My mother, who was pregnant with me, was only 19 at the time. Luckily, the Red Cross was managing the refugee camp and we were sent to Geneva, Switzerland. That’sContinue reading Water Crisis
“I’ve been away from home for over 10 years. It’s kind of hard for me. I still have a connection with my family. But in order to live overseas you need to work. Money is important, but it’s not the most important thing. Staying here in Japan is my choice because it’s easy to liveContinue reading Second Home
