You can check out all the interviews and the questions at hafu2hafu.org/. I FORGOT TO MENTION and sorry for shouting. You can actually answer the questions yourself on his site. When you go the interviewee's profiles and questions, you'll have the chance to respond.
I'm not Japanese, but some of the questions are really interesting to us other binationals out there too! Like 'does a relationship with another hafu sound attractive to you?' I considered that for a moment, thinking I don't know that many people with my exact combination, before remembering that my fiancé is actually also binational and we share one of our nationalities, lol! And it does create a bit of extra understanding between us.
I think this could have been a main channel episode. Mr. Miyazaki had a lot of good insights and I feel he contributed a lot to your future documentary.
I actually interviewed him on two occasions, watched him interview someone else, plus filmed one of his talks. So, he will actually be on the main, main channel that is the documentary eventually. Probably 90% of what I film for the doc won't be seen before release.
Oh, if you want time codes, here you go: 1:05 Tetsuro Miyaziki introduces his hāfu2hāfu project. 2:44 How can Japanese changing society benefit from your hāfu-ness? 4:09 If for some reason you have to choose, which nationality would it be? 6:57 In what moment did you first realise you were different? 9:55 Would you feel more relaxed in a third country that does not make part of your identity? 12:47 Have you ever met a hāfu with the same roots, but who grew up in the 'other' country? 13:49 What would you tell your younger self? 16:11 What is your first impression of the word 'hāfu'? 19:11 What is in your lunchbox? 20:47 What is being Japanese?
right now I'm looking for some hafu people in Japan for my college research assignment. I know this is very random and sudden, but can I get your email or instagram account? I want to ask you some questions about your life which is labeled as hafu in Japan, your attention is very meaningful for my college research, thank you:)
I enjoyed this video. The book sounds like a great book. I'm Japanese, I was born in California. My dad was Japanese from California. My mom was from Japan.
Excellent guest. What you describe is also what non natives of different countries experience even though they are not half or mixed. Btw, you also look Hispanic or Mediterranean.
Excellent topic! Much thanks for this. Upon watching this video today, I found this topic/interview very intriguing and enjoyable to watch. I can relate towards many of the questions posed regarding mixed identity as a whole. Although, "Being Japanese" or, for myself "Being Canadian born of Japanese decent" poses similar/numerous questions about, what my culture is to me and how one distinguishes themselves towards others heritages globally. I look forward to watching & listening more about all your future endeavours and hope your documentary about "Being Japanese" gets released very soon.
I love this video, because it hit home on so many levels. It was not an easy journey growing up half Korean, half American. I not only understood his feelings on the matter, but also sympathize with his stance on every question.
Wow, what a great interview. I love how Miyazaki answered these questions, especially the last question. Keep up the good work Greg. I'll check out Miyazaki's work too.
I have a couple of hafu friends in college, born and raised here (philippines). One of them, a senpai in our fraternity, told me that he really sees himself as a filipino, as if it was his world and the other one is a faraway world that he doesn't fully comprehend. He showed japanese values in terms of our activities in college and the way he motivates us (his juniors), and he was a hardcore judo guy. But everything else: humor, way of life, street smarts,tastes, he is filipino. I would say what dictates the dominant half is the half that nurtured and supported you in your life. Your blood maybe mixed, but your environment more or less provides your identity.
Thanks for this excellent documentary... Again! ☺️🙏 I find these questions are relevant for someone living in a foreign country too. I don't think you are always what is on your passport. It reveals a tiny part of who we are and its administrative value doesn't always truly shows our complexity as some countries don't accept multiple citizenship. My husband and I are French, and have been living in the UK for about 10 years. Our children were born and for now are raised in the UK, their family is French, they have both citizenship. I find important they equally know about both cultures regardless of where we may choose to live in the future. My husband feels closer to the British culture and wants the citizenship (he can have both). I feel French but with a lot of British influence. So things are more complex than what my passport says. In the UK I think people see me as a French who has settled. When I go to France I clearly see I have changed culturally and while I am still French on paper and at heart, I realise through my way of doing things and thinking about things that I have actually become a mix of both cultures. One of my friends is Austrian. She was born and raised in Austria. She has been living in the UK for a number of years now. She intends to spend her life here. But she will never ask for the British citizenship because she would have to give up her Austrian citizenship (Austria doesn't accept dual citizenship). For her it would be denying her origine, heritage and family.
Wow, what a great interview, Greg! I think it is very practical that his answer to "Who are you" is what is your passport. That kinda recapitulates what your "Who Am I" video was about. Of course it is a little more complicated than that, but not that much. The other thing that struck me was the question about what would you tell your younger self, and the spot on answer was "don't try so hard (to fit in)" and that is great life advice. Young people struggle to gain acceptance, often on dubious criteria, and the fact is, when you do that you are letting other people control your life. Nobel laureate Richard P Feynmann was fond of saying, "what do you care what other people think (quoting his father)", and we should remember that diversity is nature's way of perpetuating itself. I would tell my younger self to discover all the things you love to do and get as good as you can at doing each of them. The synergy will lead to a remarkable life (and probably be very remunerative.)
In my opinion, Japan puts too much importance on someone's appearance as a requirement for membership in Japanese society. In the UK I'm called Japanese. And in Japan, I'm called British. It's quite frustrating.
I'm a Japanese American from Seattle yet living in Kuala Lumpur. I totally agree that you are the passport you carry. If people ask me what are you I say I'm an American and proud of it.
At the end of the day, ethnicity, nationality, age, ability etc are ways of categorising people who are all humans who at the end of the day who have the same emotions. Categories are a way to divide and conquer us. ✌️
That was really interesting, I had friends for years that were half Bahraini and half English and they had to deal with allot of this stuff all the time, he's prespctive was somewhat close to theirs.
I think the idea of being two nationalities and being brought up in a third country would be interesting to explore. Do these people identify with the third country? Or do they identify more strongly with one of their halves or are they equally identifying?
It is different for each person. Sometimes yes the third country becomes the country / identity that they identify most as. This can happen if both parents decide that this new country becomes their home. It gets more confusing if parents decide to stay in a third country only for a limited amount of time.
My wife is Filipino, and I am mixed race (kind of a mutt, lots of nationalities, but predominately caucasian). My wife was born and raised in hawaii, and we now live where I was mostly raised in Oklahoma. I find this interesting due to my children. My wife's family refers to them as "happa" meaning half white. There is less culture clash, but it is still there sometimes.
Hi. In the U.S. we have a presidential candidate Andrew Yang who warns we should be ready for artificial intelligence and robots taking over many of our jobs. Would you please consider making a video of what you have seen in Japan in terms of A.I/robots replacing humans? Thank you
I think one thing that is very japanese is never stick out in a crowd. That means a certain degree of passive aggressiveness or prone to it. My friend who was born in Japan and racially Japanese but has citizenship here since 7 years ago. There are still some things that he does that are so Japanese still even though he hates me pointing them out. And one of them is don't stick out and never let strangers hear your opinions. Don't chit chat with cashiers, it inconveniences them. He thinks bluntness is the worst too.
@@rachelk2457 yeah is just they prioritizing group mentally over individual desires kinda worked for them to quickly respond to arguably common natural disasters and social ones Of course there's many things that should change but decide which are necessary regardless the cost is difficult for a foreigner to determine Ps if you are more of an extrovert and you're looking for a youthful energy south Korea is a good choice
17:35 oh my god. This sounded so robotic and unnatural, so Japanese. I love this guy. 17:35 made me feel something. Sorry I’m not very good at putting things like that into words, plus my English is lacking, but that moment on 17:35 made something click and video became hundred times more real. And reality was kinda scary and kinda painful
Is there any scope for architecture in Japan. I know that my question is not regarding to the video but I just had a doubt about it. By the way your videos are mind-blowing. More and more I watch your videos more, more I fall in love with Japan.
@@LifeWhereImFromX Yeah, what do you mean by "scope"? You can see very much a difference in architecture between Japan and Okinawa (used to be a separate entity in case you didn't know) but also the various regions of Japan.
@@LifeWhereImFromX Actually I want to become an architect and I love Japan so much, but I don't know that is there any demand for architects in Japan. 1st I thought that definitely there would be a demand for them but later I thought that Japan's a developed nation therefore it already has fantastic infrastructure. So I'm asking that is there any demand for architects in Japan today ? If there is, then do you think that architects will have demand in the future also?
@@ojasadhikari8486 I have two friends (actually one more but recently passed away {RIP, Eddie!} and grew up in Tokyo) who worked as architects in Japan. One is still with PAE, the other works for a RE investment firm so doesn't do architectural work but used to work with the other friend. It's possible, but start learning Japanese.
Greg, I think that this guy has some interesting points, but I think he is categorically wrong in saying that your nationality is “what’s on your passport”. What? What kind of answer is this? As a half Japanese (half American), born in Japan and spent my childhoods summers there, I am really disappointed in this answer. A person is not merely what is written on their passport (which is just a piece of paper). To say so is naïve and borders on ignorance. I am Italian, but I do not hold an Italian passport. Does this void my experiences as a person? After all, experiences are what make up a person. Does not having an Italian passport destroy my lineage? Does it void all the time I spent with my family on my Italian side? Similarly, under Japanese law, I will one day come to an agonizing choice in which I will “have” to choose nationality. If I choose American, does this automatically nullify my summer in Japanese elementary school? Does it nullify my most treasured relationship, to my grandmother? Does it make my passion to learn Japanese and live there insignificant? Does it disown me from my grandfather, who directed the construction of the Chiba Monorail, which helped steer me towards studying engineering? I think that this answer was not a well thought out one, and I hope that this man changes his beliefs. A person is not simply what a piece of paper says. I hope that you recognize that half children, especially in Japan where they aren’t always accepted, will one day come to agonize over identity. If one side of our heritage says we don’t belong to them, then who are we really? It makes us rethink our place in the world, for worse.
Interesting insights. I grew up Irish/Maltese. Not racially diverse, but culturally and linguistically very different. I still don't know where I belong as I feel different in both countries. I have no idea how it feels to belong to one place.
I want to come at with a bit of respect but Mr Miyazaki is just plain wrong. Nationality is far more complex than that. Maybe it's his bias from living a less complicated life, but it can be hard to even prove who you are in some countries.
@@camila_costa12 You don't understand ethnicity. Are all Japanese of one ethnicity? If you say 'YES', you don't understand ethnicity. There's NO country on the planet that has only one ethnicity of people.
Sorry, it is just very hard to look at him and think "Asian! Japanese!" He looks about as much of a white dude as one would. Maybe his Japanese side (visually) was more prominent when he was a kid, but seems hard to believe. If his parents just called him Belgium he probably wouldn't have made a distinction himself, as there wouldn't be between him other children anyway.
Being a Swedish/Finnish Hāfu I notice that when I talk to Swedes I identify more as a Finn, and when I talk to Finns I identify more as a Swede. But in reality I'm just a spud boy, looking for that real tomato.
You can check out all the interviews and the questions at hafu2hafu.org/. I FORGOT TO MENTION and sorry for shouting. You can actually answer the questions yourself on his site. When you go the interviewee's profiles and questions, you'll have the chance to respond.
I'm not Japanese, but some of the questions are really interesting to us other binationals out there too! Like 'does a relationship with another hafu sound attractive to you?' I considered that for a moment, thinking I don't know that many people with my exact combination, before remembering that my fiancé is actually also binational and we share one of our nationalities, lol! And it does create a bit of extra understanding between us.
I think this could have been a main channel episode. Mr. Miyazaki had a lot of good insights and I feel he contributed a lot to your future documentary.
I actually interviewed him on two occasions, watched him interview someone else, plus filmed one of his talks. So, he will actually be on the main, main channel that is the documentary eventually. Probably 90% of what I film for the doc won't be seen before release.
Oh, if you want time codes, here you go:
1:05 Tetsuro Miyaziki introduces his hāfu2hāfu project.
2:44 How can Japanese changing society benefit from your hāfu-ness?
4:09 If for some reason you have to choose, which nationality would it be?
6:57 In what moment did you first realise you were different?
9:55 Would you feel more relaxed in a third country that does not make part of your identity?
12:47 Have you ever met a hāfu with the same roots, but who grew up in the 'other' country?
13:49 What would you tell your younger self?
16:11 What is your first impression of the word 'hāfu'?
19:11 What is in your lunchbox?
20:47 What is being Japanese?
I loved this show. You did a terrific job interviewing Mr. Miyazaki and his answers were interesting and profound.
As a hafu, these questions were and still are very difficult to answer. Thats why this video is so important. Thank you!!!
right now I'm looking for some hafu people in Japan for my college research assignment. I know this is very random and sudden, but can I get your email or instagram account? I want to ask you some questions about your life which is labeled as hafu in Japan, your attention is very meaningful for my college research, thank you:)
@@rahelna6604 hey there! Unfortunately I don't live in Japan :( hope you can find hafus living in Japan for your research
I enjoyed this video. The book sounds like a great book. I'm Japanese, I was born in California. My dad was Japanese from California. My mom was from Japan.
He is fluent in at least 3 languages
Wow his voice is so soothing. I love this project!
Excellent guest. What you describe is also what non natives of different countries experience even though they are not half or mixed. Btw, you also look Hispanic or Mediterranean.
Yes, he is! If your really want to know my background, I made a video about it th-cam.com/video/89tYsu2IQEw/w-d-xo.html
Dude, your work is top notch! I always look forward to watching your posts :)
Excellent topic! Much thanks for this. Upon watching this video today, I found this topic/interview very intriguing and enjoyable to watch. I can relate towards many of the questions posed regarding mixed identity as a whole. Although, "Being Japanese" or, for myself "Being Canadian born of Japanese decent" poses similar/numerous questions about, what my culture is to me and how one distinguishes themselves towards others heritages globally. I look forward to watching & listening more about all your future endeavours and hope your documentary about "Being Japanese" gets released very soon.
I love this video, because it hit home on so many levels. It was not an easy journey growing up half Korean, half American. I not only understood his feelings on the matter, but also sympathize with his stance on every question.
loving this topic! I hope there will be a good accurate subtitle/CC in nihongo...for all the hafus that grew up in Japan. Thank you!
Wow, what a great interview. I love how Miyazaki answered these questions, especially the last question. Keep up the good work Greg. I'll check out Miyazaki's work too.
I have a couple of hafu friends in college, born and raised here (philippines). One of them, a senpai in our fraternity, told me that he really sees himself as a filipino, as if it was his world and the other one is a faraway world that he doesn't fully comprehend. He showed japanese values in terms of our activities in college and the way he motivates us (his juniors), and he was a hardcore judo guy. But everything else: humor, way of life, street smarts,tastes, he is filipino. I would say what dictates the dominant half is the half that nurtured and supported you in your life. Your blood maybe mixed, but your environment more or less provides your identity.
They are not real Japanese. Better stay in Philippines
Thanks for this excellent documentary... Again! ☺️🙏
I find these questions are relevant for someone living in a foreign country too. I don't think you are always what is on your passport. It reveals a tiny part of who we are and its administrative value doesn't always truly shows our complexity as some countries don't accept multiple citizenship.
My husband and I are French, and have been living in the UK for about 10 years. Our children were born and for now are raised in the UK, their family is French, they have both citizenship. I find important they equally know about both cultures regardless of where we may choose to live in the future. My husband feels closer to the British culture and wants the citizenship (he can have both). I feel French but with a lot of British influence. So things are more complex than what my passport says. In the UK I think people see me as a French who has settled. When I go to France I clearly see I have changed culturally and while I am still French on paper and at heart, I realise through my way of doing things and thinking about things that I have actually become a mix of both cultures.
One of my friends is Austrian. She was born and raised in Austria. She has been living in the UK for a number of years now. She intends to spend her life here. But she will never ask for the British citizenship because she would have to give up her Austrian citizenship (Austria doesn't accept dual citizenship). For her it would be denying her origine, heritage and family.
Wow, what a great interview, Greg! I think it is very practical that his answer to "Who are you" is what is your passport. That kinda recapitulates what your "Who Am I" video was about. Of course it is a little more complicated than that, but not that much. The other thing that struck me was the question about what would you tell your younger self, and the spot on answer was "don't try so hard (to fit in)" and that is great life advice. Young people struggle to gain acceptance, often on dubious criteria, and the fact is, when you do that you are letting other people control your life. Nobel laureate Richard P Feynmann was fond of saying, "what do you care what other people think (quoting his father)", and we should remember that diversity is nature's way of perpetuating itself. I would tell my younger self to discover all the things you love to do and get as good as you can at doing each of them. The synergy will lead to a remarkable life (and probably be very remunerative.)
i don't expect his answer gonna be that wide and so open 0_0
In my opinion, Japan puts too much importance on someone's appearance as a requirement for membership in Japanese society.
In the UK I'm called Japanese.
And in Japan, I'm called British.
It's quite frustrating.
It's changing as more haafu and other mixlings (I've met a few 3/4 Japanese people in Japan) these days are "Nihonjin".
This is so awesome. Why is this on the X channel? His answers were super interesting and insightful!
This was a very nice overview thank you very much
Thanks for sharing. Know I know my kids are hafu!
I'm a Japanese American from Seattle yet living in Kuala Lumpur. I totally agree that you are the passport you carry. If people ask me what are you I say I'm an American and proud of it.
But why be proud of something you are born into? It's certainly an advantage to be born American but that's something no one can control....amirite?
Very insightful! Thank you
Love your videos. You could do a video about the Koseki and the discrimination the Burakumin and Okinawans face.
At the end of the day, ethnicity, nationality, age, ability etc are ways of categorising people who are all humans who at the end of the day who have the same emotions. Categories are a way to divide and conquer us. ✌️
Very interesting, I never knew this terminology existed ...... Thanks for educating us
Be a bit of different things is fantastic as long as you feel like a whole!
That was really interesting, I had friends for years that were half Bahraini and half English and they had to deal with allot of this stuff all the time, he's prespctive was somewhat close to theirs.
Hafu: The Mixed-Race Experience in Japan was a great documentary of 10 years ago.
"HafuFilm"
He should have created a podcast with all of these people
Excellent video
You guys are all okay after the typhoon...was a bit worried
I think the idea of being two nationalities and being brought up in a third country would be interesting to explore. Do these people identify with the third country? Or do they identify more strongly with one of their halves or are they equally identifying?
It is different for each person. Sometimes yes the third country becomes the country / identity that they identify most as. This can happen if both parents decide that this new country becomes their home. It gets more confusing if parents decide to stay in a third country only for a limited amount of time.
My wife is Filipino, and I am mixed race (kind of a mutt, lots of nationalities, but predominately caucasian). My wife was born and raised in hawaii, and we now live where I was mostly raised in Oklahoma. I find this interesting due to my children. My wife's family refers to them as "happa" meaning half white. There is less culture clash, but it is still there sometimes.
Hapa not a leaf (happa, which is also slang in Japanese for weed or Mary Jane). ;) Do you like balut?
Hi. In the U.S. we have a presidential candidate Andrew Yang who warns we should be ready for artificial intelligence and robots taking over many of our jobs.
Would you please consider making a video of what you have seen in Japan in terms of A.I/robots replacing humans?
Thank you
I think one thing that is very japanese is never stick out in a crowd. That means a certain degree of passive aggressiveness or prone to it. My friend who was born in Japan and racially Japanese but has citizenship here since 7 years ago. There are still some things that he does that are so Japanese still even though he hates me pointing them out. And one of them is don't stick out and never let strangers hear your opinions. Don't chit chat with cashiers, it inconveniences them. He thinks bluntness is the worst too.
Not all Japanese are the same with regards to that...
@@bobbyclemente21 really? Are you Japanese born and raised in Japan for at least 28 years? Or were you born and raised in the in a western culture?
Yeah most people I meet in my exchange were like that and I don't know if is the fact I'm a introvert but I loved them all
@@lapatafc618 well I think there is a saying in Japan he told me. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down in Japan.
@@rachelk2457 yeah is just they prioritizing group mentally over individual desires kinda worked for them to quickly respond to arguably common natural disasters and social ones
Of course there's many things that should change but decide which are necessary regardless the cost is difficult for a foreigner to determine
Ps if you are more of an extrovert and you're looking for a youthful energy south Korea is a good choice
17:35 oh my god. This sounded so robotic and unnatural, so Japanese.
I love this guy. 17:35 made me feel something. Sorry I’m not very good at putting things like that into words, plus my English is lacking, but that moment on 17:35 made something click and video became hundred times more real. And reality was kinda scary and kinda painful
Is there any scope for architecture in Japan. I know that my question is not regarding to the video but I just had a doubt about it. By the way your videos are mind-blowing. More and more I watch your videos more, more I fall in love with Japan.
I've seen you ask this a couple times now. Sorry I never answered before because I don't quite know what you're asking. Are you able to elaborate?
@@LifeWhereImFromX Yeah, what do you mean by "scope"? You can see very much a difference in architecture between Japan and Okinawa (used to be a separate entity in case you didn't know) but also the various regions of Japan.
@@LifeWhereImFromX Actually I want to become an architect and I love Japan so much, but I don't know that is there any demand for architects in Japan. 1st I thought that definitely there would be a demand for them but later I thought that Japan's a developed nation therefore it already has fantastic infrastructure. So I'm asking that is there any demand for architects in Japan today ? If there is, then do you think that architects will have demand in the future also?
@@ojasadhikari8486 I have two friends (actually one more but recently passed away {RIP, Eddie!} and grew up in Tokyo) who worked as architects in Japan. One is still with PAE, the other works for a RE investment firm so doesn't do architectural work but used to work with the other friend. It's possible, but start learning Japanese.
@@bobbyclemente21 thank u so much
Interesting topic :)
Are you one of the people he interviewed for his book?
Nope! I'm not part Japanese :-) I am of mixed roots though, just different ones.
@@LifeWhereImFromX You look part Asian, any Pinoy in there?
Bobby Clemente He has a video on this, already! Take a watch :)
@@enigma4526 Yah, I saw it after I made my comment. ;) Thanks though.
👍👍👍👍👍
Greg, I think that this guy has some interesting points, but I think he is categorically wrong in saying that your nationality is “what’s on your passport”. What? What kind of answer is this? As a half Japanese (half American), born in Japan and spent my childhoods summers there, I am really disappointed in this answer. A person is not merely what is written on their passport (which is just a piece of paper). To say so is naïve and borders on ignorance. I am Italian, but I do not hold an Italian passport. Does this void my experiences as a person? After all, experiences are what make up a person. Does not having an Italian passport destroy my lineage? Does it void all the time I spent with my family on my Italian side?
Similarly, under Japanese law, I will one day come to an agonizing choice in which I will “have” to choose nationality. If I choose American, does this automatically nullify my summer in Japanese elementary school? Does it nullify my most treasured relationship, to my grandmother? Does it make my passion to learn Japanese and live there insignificant? Does it disown me from my grandfather, who directed the construction of the Chiba Monorail, which helped steer me towards studying engineering?
I think that this answer was not a well thought out one, and I hope that this man changes his beliefs. A person is not simply what a piece of paper says.
I hope that you recognize that half children, especially in Japan where they aren’t always accepted, will one day come to agonize over identity. If one side of our heritage says we don’t belong to them, then who are we really? It makes us rethink our place in the world, for worse.
Wow he's cute. My mom was hafu too.
Interesting insights. I grew up Irish/Maltese. Not racially diverse, but culturally and linguistically very different. I still don't know where I belong as I feel different in both countries. I have no idea how it feels to belong to one place.
Claim them both! :)
I want to come at with a bit of respect but Mr Miyazaki is just plain wrong. Nationality is far more complex than that. Maybe it's his bias from living a less complicated life, but it can be hard to even prove who you are in some countries.
Are you confusing "nationality" with ethnicity?
nationality # ethnicity no matter what you think
@@camila_costa12 You don't understand ethnicity. Are all Japanese of one ethnicity? If you say 'YES', you don't understand ethnicity. There's NO country on the planet that has only one ethnicity of people.
i subscribe.
Sorry, it is just very hard to look at him and think "Asian! Japanese!" He looks about as much of a white dude as one would. Maybe his Japanese side (visually) was more prominent when he was a kid, but seems hard to believe. If his parents just called him Belgium he probably wouldn't have made a distinction himself, as there wouldn't be between him other children anyway.
Anyone thought of Inuyasha when they hear the word Hafu?
No, otaku! :)
Being a Swedish/Finnish Hāfu I notice that when I talk to Swedes I identify more as a Finn, and when I talk to Finns I identify more as a Swede. But in reality I'm just a spud boy, looking for that real tomato.