Welcome back to Behind the Yellow Curtain! In this episode, "From Hong Kong to Tokyo: Finding Identity as a Multicultural Japanese," host Jess talks with her friend and former colleague, Kiwa.

Born in Tokyo and raised primarily in the international city of Hong Kong, Kiwa always felt a step removed from her Japanese roots. Hoping to finally connect with her heritage, she made the decision to move to Tokyo for university. But what happens when your "home" country sees you as different?

In this first chapter, "The Hidden Pressure of Being a Kikokushijo," Kiwa shares the complex reality of being a "returnee" in Japan—feeling neither fully part of the international community she grew up in, nor the Japanese society she longed to join. She opens up about the unspoken expectations and the search for a true sense of belonging.

Is identity about where you're from, or where you find your people? Kiwa's story is a candid exploration of navigating the in-between spaces of a multicultural life.

🎬 Credits

Creative Director & Host: Jessica Lin

Producer: Mutsumi Gustavich (Mt.MELVIL)

Production Manager & Editor: Ayumi Watanabe 

Designer: Lucy

Behind the Yellow Curtain is a podcast featuring honest, bilingual conversations with women navigating cross-cultural lives.

New episodes drop every Tuesday at 8 AM (JST)—subscribe and stay with us for more.

This time on Behind the Yellow Curtain, we have a special episode! Our host, Jess, steps onto the couch to answer questions from you, our listeners, in a special Q&A session.

Jess opens up about her identity as a Taiwanese American, born in Taiwan and raised in the US. She also shares her passion and philosophy as a Creative Director at an advertising agency.

"Where do you feel most like yourself?" "What was your childhood dream?" "How do you overcome creative blocks?"... From her personal journey to the reasons she started "Behind the Yellow Curtain" and the vision she has for its community, Jess shares her own roots, her present, and her hopes for the future in her own words.

Find out why she treasures "personal stories" so much in this unique and special episode.

🎬 Credits

Creative Director & Host: Jessica Lin

Producer: Mutsumi Gustavich (Mt.MELVIL)

Production Manager & Editor: Ayumi Watanabe 

Designer: Lucy

Behind the Yellow Curtain is a podcast featuring honest, bilingual conversations with women navigating cross-cultural lives.

New episodes drop every Tuesday at 8 AM (JST)—subscribe and stay with us for more.

📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btycpod/

📍 Language: English — Japanese subtitles available by turning on CC

Episode 4 From Tourist to Dad: Parenting When Love Meets Culture ClashWelcome to the fourth episode of Behind the Yellow Curtain!In this episode, host Jess chats with Rob Walbers, a Belgian photographer who has captured world-renowned artists on camera.Having built a successful career in music photography shooting the likes of Madonna, The Rolling Stones, and Lady Gaga, Rob made a life-changing decision at the age of 30: to move to Japan.Why did he leave behind his established life in Europe to start anew in a country with a completely different language and culture?How did his perspective and photographic lens shift as he expanded his work from music to fashion and lifestyle in Japan?While achieving success in commercial photography, what drives him to remain dedicated to his personal projects?This episode delves into the journey of a photographer who constantly seeks new perspectives, offering inspiration to embrace change and passionately follow one's own creative path.

🎧 Guest: Rob WalbersRob Walbers is a Belgian photographer who moved to Japan at the age of 30, expanding his work from music photography into fashion and lifestyle. He studied photography at Karel de Grote University College in Antwerp and built his freelance career shooting for magazines, music labels, and live venues. His subjects have included world-renowned artists such as Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, Morrissey, and Radiohead. While earning recognition in commercial photography, he remains dedicated to personal projects, leading to numerous publications, exhibitions, and awards.📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btycpod/⸻🎬 CreditsEpisode 4Creative Director & Host: Jessica LinGuest : Rob WalbersProducer: Mutsumi Gustavich (Mt.MELVIL)Production Manager & Editor: Ayumi Watanabe Designer: Lucy⸻Behind the Yellow Curtain is a podcast featuring honest, bilingual conversations with friends navigating cross-cultural lives.New episodes drop every Tuesday at 8 AM (JST)—subscribe and stay with us for more.📍 Language: English — Japanese subtitles available by turning on CC

Welcome to the fourth episode of Behind the Yellow Curtain!

In this episode, host Jess chats with Rob Walbers, a Belgian photographer who has captured world-renowned artists on camera.

Having built a successful career in music photography shooting the likes of Madonna, The Rolling Stones, and Lady Gaga, Rob made a life-changing decision at the age of 30: to move to Japan.

Why did he leave behind his established life in Europe to start anew in a country with a completely different language and culture?

How did his perspective and photographic lens shift as he expanded his work from music to fashion and lifestyle in Japan?

While achieving success in commercial photography, what drives him to remain dedicated to his personal projects?

This episode delves into the journey of a photographer who constantly seeks new perspectives, offering inspiration to embrace change and passionately follow one's own creative path.

🎧 Guest: Rob Walbers

Rob Walbers is a Belgian photographer who moved to Japan at the age of 30, expanding his work from music photography into fashion and lifestyle. He studied photography at Karel de Grote University College in Antwerp and built his freelance career shooting for magazines, music labels, and live venues. His subjects have included world-renowned artists such as Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, Morrissey, and Radiohead. While earning recognition in commercial photography, he remains dedicated to personal projects, leading to numerous publications, exhibitions, and awards.

📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btycpod/

⸻

🎬 Credits

Episode 4

Creative Director & Host: Jessica Lin

Guest : Rob Walbers

Producer: Mutsumi Gustavich (Mt.MELVIL)

Production Manager & Editor: Ayumi Watanabe 

Designer: Lucy

⸻

Behind the Yellow Curtain is a podcast featuring honest, bilingual conversations with women navigating cross-cultural lives.

New episodes drop every Tuesday at 8 AM (JST)—subscribe and stay with us for more.

📍 Language: English — Japanese subtitles available by turning on CC

Welcome to the third episode of Behind the Yellow Curtain!In this episode, host Jess chats with Ai Futaki, the world's only "Aquatic Expressionist" and a freediver who holds two Guinness World Records.Growing up in a liberal elementary school in Kanazawa, Ai was unconcerned with nationality. That changed when she entered a Japanese public junior high school, where she felt a deep sense of unease with its rigid, uniform rules. Unable to fit into the box of "normal," she ventured abroad in search of a place where she truly belonged. Dreaming of becoming a documentary filmmaker, she moved to Cuba, only to hit a major wall and face despair. Exhausted by everything, she returned to her hometown, where a single intuition saved her: "I must return to the water."How did her painful experience of not fitting into society lead her to a one-of-a-kind form of expression? Why did she—a diver who melts into the aquatic world with nothing but her own lungs—find her true self not on land, but "in the water"? This is an episode that touches on a supple yet powerful way of life, living in harmony with nature.🎧 Guest: Ai Futaki Aquatic Expressionist (Suizoku Hyogenka). Ambassador for the Ministry of the Environment's "Mori-Sato-Kawa-Umi Project." mymizu Ambassador. Holder of two Guinness World Records in freediving. As the one-and-only Aquatic Expressionist, she works on the world stage to act as a bridge between the underwater and terrestrial worlds. Diving without an air tank, she immerses herself among marine mammals on a single breath to become one of them. As both a subject in front of the camera and a photographer behind it, she expresses her core message: "We are a part of nature, and we live with nature."📸 Follow us on Instagram: / btycpod

Episode 3　First Step: Be Kind to Yourself.

Welcome to the third episode of Behind the Yellow Curtain!

In this episode, host Jess chats with Ai Futaki, the world's only "Aquatic Expressionist" and a freediver who holds two Guinness World Records.

Growing up in a liberal elementary school in Kanazawa, Ai was unconcerned with nationality. 

That changed when she entered a Japanese public junior high school, where she felt a deep sense of unease with its rigid, uniform rules. Unable to fit into the box of "normal," she ventured abroad in search of a place where she truly belonged. 

Dreaming of becoming a documentary filmmaker, she moved to Cuba, only to hit a major wall and face despair. 

Exhausted by everything, she returned to her hometown, where a single intuition saved her: "I must return to the water."

How did her painful experience of not fitting into society lead her to a one-of-a-kind form of expression? 

Why did she—a diver who melts into the aquatic world with nothing but her own lungs—find her true self not on land, but "in the water"? 

This is an episode that touches on a supple yet powerful way of life, living in harmony with nature.

🎧 Guest: Ai Futaki 

Aquatic Expressionist (Suizoku Hyogenka). Ambassador for the Ministry of the Environment's "Mori-Sato-Kawa-Umi Project." mymizu Ambassador. Holder of two Guinness World Records in freediving. As the one-and-only Aquatic Expressionist, she works on the world stage to act as a bridge between the underwater and terrestrial worlds. Diving without an air tank, she immerses herself among marine mammals on a single breath to become one of them. As both a subject in front of the camera and a photographer behind it, she expresses her core message: "We are a part of nature, and we live with nature."

📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btycpod/

Welcome back to Part 2 of our conversation with Richard! In this episode, Jess continues her chat with Richard, a Tokyo-based author, diving deeper into his journey of self-discovery. Richard shares how moving from London to Tokyo was a "shedding" process, allowing him to peel back layers of his old self. They discuss how his perspectives have evolved since publishing his book, how his views on society and himself have matured, and the advice he’d give to his younger self. Join us for the conclusion of an honest, thoughtful conversation that reminds us that finding our authentic self is a continuous journey.📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btycpod/🎧 Guest：Richard GrahamRichard (Graham) is a self-published author of British and Japanese descent, based in Tokyo and working in the creative marketing industry.He has long reflected on the fundamental questions of identity, articulating his ideas in his book BAND—A Philosophy, a work shaped by his experiences growing up biracial, and enriched with social, psychological, and spiritual perspectives on who we are and why we exist.A passionate believer in the unifying power of music and culture, he continues—steadily but surely—on his journey to live as a full expression of his authentic self.His book is available here:https://amzn.asia/d/hvvvymy

A new season of Behind the Yellow Curtain continues—welcome back!

In this episode, Jess chats with her friend Richard, a Tokyo-based creative working in marketing, who’s also published his own book. With British and Japanese roots, Richard opens up about growing up between two cultures and how that’s shaped his thoughts on identity.

They talk about his book BAND—A Philosophy, the big questions like “Who am I?” and “Why are we here?”, and how those questions don’t always have neat answers.

It’s an honest, thoughtful conversation that reminds us identity isn’t something you define once—it’s something you figure out along the way.

📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btycpod/

🎧 Guest：Richard Graham

Richard (Graham) is a self-published author of British and Japanese descent, based in Tokyo and working in the creative marketing industry.

He has long reflected on the fundamental questions of identity, articulating his ideas in his book BAND—A Philosophy, a work shaped by his experiences growing up biracial, and enriched with social, psychological, and spiritual perspectives on who we are and why we exist.

A passionate believer in the unifying power of music and culture, he continues—steadily but surely—on his journey to live as a full expression of his authentic self.

His book is available here:

https://amzn.asia/d/hvvvymy

🎬 Credits

Episode 2

Creative Director & Host: Jessica Lin

Producer: Mutsumi Gustavich (Mt.MELVIL)

Production Manager & Editor: Ayumi Watanabe 

Designer: Lucy

Social Media Caption: Thea Mizuhara

Intro Sequence

Creative Director & Host: Jessica Lin

Producer: Mutsumi Gustavich (Mt.MELVIL)

Videographer & Choreographer: Chikako Takemoto

Editor: Mizuho Yonemoto

A new season of Behind the Yellow Curtain is here—welcome back!This episode features Jess in conversation with her close friend Sara, a Colombian woman currently living in Japan. Together, they talk about cross-cultural identity, navigating daily life in Japan as a foreign woman, and the quiet moments that shape our sense of belonging.If you’re interested in stories about immigration, cultural adaptation, or what it means to live abroad as a woman, this episode is for you.
⸻Behind the Yellow Curtain is a podcast featuring honest, bilingual conversations with women navigating cross-cultural lives.New episodes drop every Tuesday at 8 AM (JST)—subscribe and stay with us for more.

A new season of Behind the Yellow Curtain is here—welcome back!

This episode features Jess in conversation with her close friend Sara, a Colombian woman currently living in Japan. Together, they talk about cross-cultural identity, navigating daily life in Japan as a foreign woman, and the quiet moments that shape our sense of belonging.

If you’re interested in stories about immigration, cultural adaptation, or what it means to live abroad as a woman, this episode is for you.

📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btycpod/

⸻

🎬 Credits

Episode 1

Creative Director & Host: Jessica Lin

Guest : Sara Osorio

Producer: Mutsumi Gustavich (Mt.MELVIL)

Production Manager & Editor: Ayumi Watanabe 

Designer: Lucy

Social Media Caption: Thea Mizuhara

Intro Sequence

Creative Director & Host: Jessica Lin

Producer: Mutsumi Gustavich (Mt.MELVIL)

Videographer & Choreographer: Chikako Takemoto

Editor: Mizuho Yonemoto

⸻

Behind the Yellow Curtain is a podcast featuring honest, bilingual conversations with women navigating cross-cultural lives.

New episodes drop every Tuesday at 8 AM (JST)—subscribe and stay with us for more.