If you’ve ever scrolled by Instagram or TikTok and located your self deep in a rabbit gap of “What do Japanese people REALLY think…?” movies, you’ve most likely seen “Riki With Japan Mates.”
He’s the Osaka-born, Tokyo-based creator who approaches whole strangers with a mic, a smile and an uncanny means to get folks speaking — even when they don’t plan to.
We lately filmed a behind-the-scenes video with Riki to see how he truly works on the road, the place he chooses to movie, how he approaches folks and what occurs when somebody says “no.”
Spoiler: it occurs rather a lot
Who Is Riki_With_Japan_Mates?
Riki spent almost two years overseas in Canada and the U.S., a chapter of his life that sparked his fascination with bridging Japanese tradition and the remainder of the world. Today, he’s in Tokyo balancing two careers: content material creator and enterprise proprietor.
His channel, Riki_with_japan_mates, focuses on interviewing each Japanese locals and foreigners residing in Japan. His aim is to share sincere views about every day life, cultural gaps and the moments of confusion and pleasure that include residing right here.
He says avenue interviews weren’t a grand creative selection, however merely matched his persona:
“Talking to people and drawing out their real thoughts was always one of my strengths from my sales and recruitment days,” Riki instructed us. “I was too shy to film alone in front of the camera.”
Sometimes the best origins take advantage of genuine creators.
Street Interviews in Japan Aren’t Easy
Stopping strangers on the road and sticking a digicam of their face takes a daring persona — particularly in Japan, the place individuals are famously cautious about privateness and meiwaku (inflicting hassle).
“Getting rejected is the default,” says Riki, “So my rule is just to keep asking and never give up (laughs).”
Behind that joke is a reasonably cautious system. In Japan, you can usually movie in public areas, however utilizing somebody’s picture in a video — particularly for a channel or enterprise — falls into the grey space of shozoken, or picture rights. In follow, which means:
- He all the time asks clearly for permission earlier than recording.
- If somebody appears hesitant, he doesn’t push it.
- If somebody modifications their thoughts later, they’ll lower the clip.
Moreover, he has to think about the place he’s filming. Private property, like shops, malls or sure plazas, could require permission from the power, and he avoids capturing in locations that really feel too intrusive (for instance, instantly in entrance of faculties, clinics or folks clearly on private enterprise).
Rather than carrying round a stack of scary authorized varieties, Riki depends on clear verbal consent and being very clear about how the footage will probably be used.
If somebody says no? He smiles, thanks them and strikes on. But folks typically open up as a result of they don’t really feel tricked or pressured. Sure, which means a lot of no’s, however loads of laughs and the occasional surprisingly deep dialog with a complete stranger.
Riki says Japanese communication emphasizes avoiding rudeness or disrespect — particularly when interacting with strangers.
“But once you become friends? Japanese people can talk endlessly.”
Representing Japan and Shifting Attitudes
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