Interview with TokyoBTM!
Interviewing with TokyoBTM
If you’re interested in or affiliated with the queer community in Japan, then you almost assuredly know TokyoBTM. This highly-successful YouTube channel (60k subscribers!) delves into all manner of queer life in Japan and provides valuable insight, entertainment, and awareness to the multi-faceted and vibrant gay life that exists here. Hosted by Andrew and Meng, the two don’t shy away from the good, the bad, and the wild (bathhouses?!) of the scene here in Tokyo.
Their videos regularly rack up thousands of views as their viewers from Japan and around the world take a look into what can be — at times — an insular community. Beyond entertainment, there’s an important advocacy element as Japan continues to lag behind its peers in terms of same-sex rights, acceptance, and integration into mainstream society. While progress has been made, Japan remains the only G7 nation to not recognize same-sex marriage.
It’s not every day that you get to meet internet celebrities and it was a joy to get to sit down with Andrew and Meng in November. Their video of our interview is available now (link to the right) and it was such a fun and interesting conversation.
Gay Comedy in Tokyo
The Out of the Closet shows are the monthly LGBTQ+ comedy Tokyo Comedy Bar. In addition to standup, the shows play host to drag queens, musical performance, and a celebration of the queer community in Tokyo. Andrew and Meng came to the November 2022 show and we had a chance to speak to them after about our experience performing for this unique audience.
Balancing Identities during Performing
While much of my comedy does revolve around being gay, there are so many different facets I try to pull into my performances. Military spouse, Japanese speaker, former tech worker, etc… and so it’s important for me to try to pull those in for different audiences.
I thought this interview with TokyoBTM highlighted some of the way I approach balancing those identities in my comedy, even on the fly. For instance, if an audience is more Japanese-speaking then I don’t really have to worry as much about translating a few of the Japanese words I use. But if halfway through my “coming out in Japanese” joke, I realize the audience isn’t following along then I need to introduce the English translation on the fly.
Additionally, we talk about the benefits of performing in front of a largely queer audience where there’s more “in-jokes” and ability to get to punchlines without some of the same exposition as a general audience. In the end, the audience in front of you on any given night is the target and it’s important to balance the different styles, identities, and stories to make sure they have a great night.