What it's like being mixed in Japan and Australia, young Japanese-Australians share their stories

A film screening and a panel discussion were held at Sydney University in November 2022, in an attempt to give young Japanese-Australians a public space where they can talk about their experiences and exchange thoughts.

WHOLE (2019) Short Film Screening and Panel Discussion at Sydney University in November, 2022. (From left) Dr Timothy Kazuo Steains (organizer), and the panelists Joe Flynn, Iori Forsyth, Reina Takeuchi, and Aoife Wilkinson. Credit: SBS

Growing up mixed race in Japan is a very different experience from growing up so in Australia.

At the event, a short film titled 'WHOLE' was screened. The film was directed by Bilal Kawazoe and released in 2019. The story is about two young men living in Japan, having conflicted and complicated feelings on their identity and on how the Japanese society treats them.

The two young men, Haruki and Makoto, are mixed-race.

The screening was followed by a panel discussion on what it's like being mixed in Japan and Australia.

In the audio, Dr Timothy Kazuo Steains who has Japanese roots tells why he organized the event and things he learnt new at the event. And two panellists from the four on the stage, Ms Iori Forsyth and Mr Joe Flynn, share their views on diversity in Japan and a Japanese word 'ha-fu,' which means a person with a mixed race (half-blooded) .

Some people are negative about the word by saying it is discriminatory, but on the other hand some mixed race people don't see any issues and accept the word as is.

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