INTERVIEWS

I want to create a reality where foreign actors can play ordinary roles in Japanese.

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: itokuhashi@myeyestokyo.com   Reina (UK) Voice actor/actress Born and raised in London, we first met Reina in the spring of 2014, when she was an audience member at Swedish rakugo performer, Johan Nilsson Björk’s show in Tokyo. We heard about her story after the event and we got interested in her activities as a voice actor. We decided to interview her right after she got her first big break – costarring with Japanese big names and performing only in Japanese in October 2016. We looked for an opportunity to interview her to show

INTERVIEWS

I confirmed that I wanted to come and live in Japan as a singer.

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com   Katy Phillips (Australia) Singer/performer One day our friend told us about a female singer who was singing near Harajuku Station. “She continued to perform for 2 hours and didn’t stop singing and performing at all even though just a few people looked at her.” That singer is today’s interviewee, Katy Phillips from Australia. We were moved by what we heard and became interested in her. We decided to hold the “Interview in public” with her since our friend who introduced her to us said that he had a space for

INTERVIEWS

I will create a culture which encourages both profit generation and contribution to society.

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com   Kaoru Joho Entrepreneur One day we happened to find an interesting app on Facebook timeline. It enables you to give school meals to children in developing countries by booking seats at restaurants, bars, izakayas, etc. in Japan. The app is called “Table Cross”, which implies “Cross any boundary, connect with each other through food and make the world happier”. This app is not an interesting app, but it’s really helpful. You can make a difference in the world if you book seats at restaurants – maybe you’ve done it at

INTERVIEWS

If I made an unfunny joke, I could say, “I guess it’s ‘cause I’m from Sweden”. Do you know why?

Interviewed & written by Isao Tokuhashi Mail to: info@myeyestokyo.com   Johan Nilsson Björk (Sweden) Rakugo Performer   We have introduced to you Kimie Oshima, a Japanese “English-rakugo (落語)” performer before, but now we have another. This time from… Sweden! His name is Johan Nilsson Björk, a.k.a Borubo-tei Ikeya. “Borubo” means Volvo, the Swedish automotive company, and “Ikeya” refers to IKEA, the world-famous Swedish furniture retailer. A professional rakugo performer gave him such a great stage name. Johan discovered rakugo in Japan and decided to settle in the country after going back home once. His reason Because he fell in love