My Passion for "China Real Talks"

I host and produce a podcast titled “China Real Talks”, which introduces Chinese life, culture, art, and business through the real-life experiences of people who have been directly involved with China.

The podcast first launched in Japanese in March 2025, and an English-language series began in August of the same year. Each episode features a guest interview in a conversational format.

As of January 16, 2026, I have spoken with 61 guests from 11 different countries (including episodes already recorded but not yet released).

Our guests range widely in age—from university students in their early 20s to an 81-year-old guest born during World War II. Their backgrounds are equally diverse, and the paths that led each of them to engage with China are truly unique. Personally, every conversation has given me new insights, learning, and encouragement.

I have written a separate blog post explaining why I chose podcasting as the medium, so if you are interested, I warmly invite you to read it.

My Personal Journey with China

To be honest, I did not originally have a positive image of China. I never imagined living there, nor had I even considered it as a travel destination.

What changed everything was meeting Chinese friends living in Japan while I was in Tokyo.

In 2015, I began to think:

“If I want to differentiate myself in the future, I need to speak more languages. Since I’m not an elite, I need to become someone with rare value in Japan.”

That was when I decided to start learning Chinese.

Because I already had several Chinese friends in Japan, I told them that I had begun studying the language. They responded enthusiastically:

“Then you should come to our Chinese gatherings! Talking to lots of people will help you improve much faster!”

Through them, I began attending overseas Chinese community events.

What struck me immediately was how free, relaxed, and joyful they appeared—something I had rarely seen in Japanese communities.

It felt like more than just communicating in one’s native language. Even though I didn’t fully understand what was being said, I could clearly see how deeply they cared for and supported one another.

At that moment, I began to wonder:

"If this is who they really are, maybe my image of Chinese people has been wrong.”

Moving to Shanghai

While searching for my next direction in life, I suddenly felt—as if guided from above—that I should “go somewhere new.”

As I explored what that place might be, I arrived at Shanghai.

Everything fell into place quickly, and in June 2016, I began a new chapter of my life there.

Shanghai at that time was completely different from Tokyo. I was often confused, but every day was filled with stimulation and discovery.

What I encountered there, again and again, was the warmth of local people—people who welcomed and cared for me even though I was alone in a foreign country and often struggling with the language.

Of course, there were conflicts and intense disagreements along the way. But overall, I met far more kind and generous people than difficult ones.

Some even offered to treat me to meals simply because, as they said, “You’re my first Japanese friend.”

If I had to summarize my experience in one sentence, it would be this:

“The China I imagined and the China in front of me were completely different.”

I realized how deeply I had been influenced by old media narratives and negative biases.

That experience reinforced something I still strongly believe today:

there is no substitute for seeing things with your own eyes and listening to people from many different perspectives.

Why This Podcast Exists

My desire to share the voices of many different people when talking about China comes directly from these experiences.

Even now, although I continue to travel back and forth to China—mainly Shanghai—the China I know is still extremely limited.

There are countless other “faces of China” that I have never seen.

If I want to share those stories with people who don’t yet know China, I must rely on the words of those who do.

In recent years, I’ve been happy to see more creators sharing lesser-known aspects of China on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and X.

At the same time, the sheer volume of information has made it increasingly difficult to know what is true.

Misinformation that is easily recognizable to those with firsthand experience can be taken as fact by people who have never been to China—just as I once unquestioningly believed what old media told me.

Through China Real Talks, my goal is to share unfiltered, honest experiences from people of different generations, backgrounds, and values who have engaged with China in their own ways.

I hope this podcast can:

• Spark curiosity among those who don’t yet know China well

• Offer reassurance and encouragement to those engaged in grassroots, cross-cultural efforts

And support listeners as they continue moving forward with their own missions and passions