This Japanese American Left the US for Japan
In this interview, we chat with Dustin Ikeda, co-founder of Hashi Media (the leading social media marketing and influencer marketing agency in Japan for gaming, tech, and lifestyle).
Born in Hawaii, he kept little of his Japanese culture & heritage. But a trip to Asia (and Japan) motivated him to learn the language and reconnect with his roots.
I reached out to Dustin for this interview to find out more about his motivations for moving to Japan as an overseas-born Japanese American and what life in Japan is actually like.
Watch the full video to learn more about why he moved to Japan 7 years ago to teach English, career & job advice for foreigners living in Japan, tips for starting a business in Tokyo, and how social media marketing works in Japan!
Timestamps
- 0:00 – Intro
- 0:24 – Why did Dustin move to Japan? His Japanese American roots.
- 1:23 – What’s it like being Japanese-American in Hawaii
- 2:09 – Why did Dustin start teaching English in Japan?
- 2:31 – Challenges living in Japan as a Japanese American
- 4:05 – How can foreigners make friends in Japan
- 5:15 – From Teaching to Entrepreneurship and Learning Japanese
- 9:23 – Resources for foreign entrepreneurs
- 10:35 – How does Social Media Marketing work in Japan?
- 13:08 – Mistakes that foreigners make when entering the Japanese market.
- 15:00 – More about Hashi Media and influencer marketing
- 18:25 – Entrepreneurship in Japan and advice for foreigners
- 20:50 – Career Paths for Foreigners
- 23:51 – Are Japanese companies expanding abroad?
- 25:00 – Differences between Living in the US vs Japan
- 26:10 – Why do foreigners leave Japan?
- 28:02 – Dustin’s future plans and how to reach him
