Culture Japan

Picture by Danny Choo

I have always been fond of a blog on the internet called Culture Japan written by Danny Choo. Danny is a Malaysian Chinese that currently resides in Japan. He is the son of Datuk Jimmy Choo, the well-known shoemaker. Danny started his blog in 2007, which he used to record his life in Japan and share how his life is like over there. He started to gain quite a following over the years, and has gained many followers around the world. While in Japan, he has also gradually built up a career for himself. Long-time followers had the chance to see him gradually found his company called Mirai Inc., or Culture Japan, which is the title for his company. His company’s goal is to share Japanese culture to people through various means such as their TV show Culture Japan, and collaborations with other companies in Japan. Of course, his blog itself is a way for his followers to personally connect with Danny, and presents Japan with a more personal view. You can find out more about what he does with his life on his “About” page.

Picture by Danny Choo

For me, at least, the most memorable read on his blog was the post on how Japan changed his life. When he was younger, he discovered Japan through a gaming console called the Sega Megadrive. He wanted to find out more about the machine and what games were in store for it, so he went to Japanese books stores to find out through magazines. This led to his discovery and fascination of Japanese pop culture. Things like anime, manga, and Japanese idols intrigued him and he wanted to know more. However, in an era before the Internet, it was difficult getting information on Japan. Remember, this was back in the 90’s, so there was no internet, just books and VHS tapes. So, he started to learn Japanese on his own, which gave him a reason to live and a purpose in life. Throughout his story, you can gradually see him going from just a college student studying in his apartment and working part-time jobs to being a person who owns a company in Japan, and being a foreigner, no less.

Picture by Danny Choo

After he was in Japan, he started to build his career in life and eventually founded his company. But all throughout his journey, his fascination and passion for Japanese culture never faltered. He loves pop culture such as anime and manga, but also appreciates traditional Japanese culture. Which is why, I think, he writes regularly on his post for readers to see how Japan is like beyond anime and manga. Many people who love Japan are able to find inspiration in his work and his journey in life. He took his passion for anime and manga and not only made his way into Japan, and also made his hobby into his career. Danny Choo has become an inspiration for many people. He followed his passion in Japanese culture and dedicated his life to live in the land of the rising sun. It truly is amazing that he has come so far from his humble beginnings in England learning Japanese, to establishing a company in Japan that works to bring Japanese culture to people around the world.

Picture taken by Danny Choo

I think it is amazing how this one man, just by following his passion, is able to make his dreams of living and working in Japan come true. The thought of living in Japan alone has motivated him to accomplish more than he ever could before in life. As fellow otakus and anime fans who are passionate about Japan, and even for people who aren’t interested in Japan at all, seeing a person build an entire career around his passion and the journey of getting where is now is very touching and inspirational, and we can all relate to and understand his feelings. We see him grow as a person, and cannot help to respect and be impressed with how far a dream has got him. He faces many challenges in life, but seeing him overcoming those challenges in life by not giving up and always trying to set foot in the unknown is very touching and motivational.

Picture by Danny Choo

His blog is not only about his life story that motivates others to do better, but also a place where people who love Japan can come to learn more. His other posts are about his life in Japan in both work and personal. He covers many aspects of his life and the company, and writes about anything he thinks people will enjoy.

Although, one criticism is that for the past few months he hasn’t been writing too much, though then again he is quite busy. His main goal for his company is to design his own line of fashion dolls, and marketing and selling them not only to doll-collectors, but also the general public as well. It is mind-blowing that he managed to create and design dolls in only a matter of years, even though his company is actually quite small. From designing and improving the product, to assembling the product in his office, he participates in everything even though he is the boss. It is fantastic to see a person like him living his life with his passion guiding him and achieving so much against all odds. A small thing such as the passion for Japanese pop culture triggered such amazing things to happen. His business is quite small right now, but he believes that it will change into a bigger company eventually that would be even more successful. However, as Danny said in one of his posts, “It’s still Day One.” His life story doesn’t end there, it only gets better. Danny Choo has inspired me to live my life by following my passion, and I hope he inspires you to live your passion as well. With that, I believe it will be best to leave you with a quote from Danny – “Identify and live your passion and the rest will follow – it always does.”