Toko Anna Okazaki-Pindur’s father used to tell her that she’s not “half,” she’s “double.” He directed her attention to many opportunities that come with her Japanese-Polish background, such as having two cultures to draw from, two places to call home, and two languages to speak and interpret the world with. Maybe thanks to her upbringing, Toko Anna comes across as someone very comfortable in her skin with a strong sense of belonging and a trove of fascinating stories, including one about taking trains guarded by Soviet minders through Siberia in the 70s and 80s to visit her relatives in Japan. 

We discussed: 

• Living in a Japanese home in Warsaw during the time when Poland was part of the Soviet block

Toko Anna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tokoanna.op/

Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i

On social media, Manae Shimizu-Kaczmarczyk comes across as a bubbly influencer with many followers and numerous brand partnerships. But in this conversation, she reveals her thoughtful side, and she tells the story of going from rejecting her Japanese background to embracing it.

We discussed: 

• What sets Manae apart from other social media influencers in Poland 

Manae’s TikTok: bit.ly/3RwCScl

Leo Sakaguchi likes non-mainstream things. One of the few thousand native Esperanto speakers in the world, he DJs internationally, ice skates on a professional level, and advocates for greater renewable energy adoption. 

We discussed: 

• How Leo’s Japanese dad and Polish mom met, and their marriage on the seventh date

Maya Jasmin (DJ LILICAY) has a wide range of professional pursuits that include DJing, acting, and photography. She says it’s only when she can nourish her multiple interests simultaneously that she starts to feel complete. Her versatility extends to the languages she speaks: English, German, Japanese, Polish, and Korean. The emphasis on variety started in her childhood home, where her Japanese mother and Polish father made sure she was exposed to many cultures.

We discussed:

• Reasons behind Maya’s move to New York