Hāfu Voices - Living between two worlds in Japan

education, self improvement, society, culture, philosophy · EN

This podcast is rooted in the lived reality of people known in Japan as “Hāfu”, individuals of mixed heritage whose identities are shaped by movement between cultures, languages, and social expectations. Being “Hāfu" in Japan is a distinct experience, marked by visibility, labeling, and constant negotiation of belonging. Although the word "Hāfu / Half" can feel reductive or painful, it remains the commonly used term in Japan, and this project chooses to engage with it honestly rather than erase it. Led by a host who is herself half Japanese and French, the podcast becomes both a personal and collective exploration of identity.From early childhood, identity is shown not as a choice, but as something imposed and divided. Growing up between France and Japan, the host lived under two names, Laurence outside the home, Yuko inside, embodying two identities from the very beginning. Language, too, became a site of loss and adaptation: encouraged to abandon Japanese in early childhood to “f