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I was on the RAF (Rapid Art Force) tour from July

I was on the RAF (Rapid Art Force) tour from July 26th through August 4th. RAF is an avant-garde, multidisciplinary music collective that consists of artists from various fields, such as music, theatre, circus, dance, and visual art. It has been touring around some unusual, interesting places for site-specific, improvised concerts, mostly during summer.
I’ve performed as a RAF member for a few years now, and it is one of the very special projects, where I learn and enjoy improvisation in extreme circumstances, crossing the borders of art. And I get to do it with highly skilled and generous artists from across the globe. It’s creative collaboration so thrilling and wonderful.
This year’s tour felt especially potent for two reasons. One is professional; a physically intense performance schedule really challenged my stamina and ability to concentrate. 12 concerts in 9 days. Moreover, each concert was at a different place, and the program was also different each time. It was overwhelming. But each place gave me a lot of inspiration for improvisation, and I tried my best to explore all that.
The second reason is personal; I am so grateful to my fellow RAF artists for their friendship during the tour. I often feel like the odd one out in social situations, but never had I felt alone when I was touring with the RAF members. Some of them I’d met for the first time for the tour, and yet they ended up being the ones who celebrated my birthday (August 3rd) in such a beautiful way. I was deeply touched by their kindness and love. It was truly a happy birthday for me.
Now the tour is over, and I’m feeling fatigue and profound growth sizzling inside me. I don’t yet know what the growth would mean in my life, but maybe I don’t have to know… just like in improvisation, I only need to stay present and curious.. and act with courage.
#RAF #RapidArtForce #music #avantgarde #experimental #summertour #2023 #kuusamo #kalajoki #pyhäjoki #konnevesi #finnishnature #memories

Some moments during summer solstice in Helsinki./

Some moments during summer solstice in Helsinki./ Kesäpäivänseisauksen tunnelma Helsingissä. / 夏至の日のヘルシンキでのとある風景。#summersolstice #summervibes #summertime #helsinki #finland

I finished the job as a facilitator for the youth

I finished the job as a facilitator for the youth theatre group at Lapinlahden lähde. It was a long-term commitment, a 90-minute of theatre workshop once a week from August 2022 to May 2023, directed towards a group of teenagers with immigrant backgrounds in Helsinki.
On the last day, the teenagers gave me gifts to thank me: “Luxury Fudge,” tea bags, gummy candy, a tea candle, a postcard of Cicely Mary Barker’s artwork, a seashell, and the hand-drawn outfit designs for me and the other facilitator. I was, of course, touched by their gesture, knowing how far they had come since the beginning. The outpour of their enthusiasm continued. They were thanking each other for the little theatre community where everyone learned to have fun together while respecting each other’s talent and differences. … I mean, this is huge for the teenagers, and probably the most important of all is that they wanted to continue. They wanted to keep on being in the community where their uniqueness and creativity can be seen, appreciated, and developed.
Nibbling on the Luxury Fudge, I ponder on the significance of this. Theatre might be one of the most wholesome educational frameworks. You not only learn how to make theatre but also develop a community that functions through creativity, respect, collaboration, and support for one another. And such a community is especially important to minorities, whose existence is often diminished and/or ignored by the majority.
However, there’s an annoying challenge: how to maintain the financial resource for pedagogical expertise to facilitate such an open, compassionate, creatively exciting educational space. More financial support is needed to continue a theatre workshop series for the immigrant youth in Finland. If it can make a marginalised teenager find his/her/their way to be creative, learn to work with others in a respectable way, and grow up to be an amazing human and artist, what a great investment that is for a society. Its worth is not measurable in the currency of money. In fact, I’ve got lovely gifts from talented young people. And they are all friends now and more confident in who they are. Priceless. You cannot get richer than that.

Talven hetkiä Helsingissä 2023. / Some moments i

Talven hetkiä Helsingissä 2023. / Some moments in the winter in Helsinki. / ヘルシンキの冬2023年。#photography #helsinki #finland #winter #sininenhetki

A holiday gift/care package from my teacher in Jap

A holiday gift/care package from my teacher in Japan. The thoughtful gesture of generosity and support. I’m so grateful 🥹 / 色んな場面でお世話になっている先生から、贈り物が届きました。色々と日本の味が恋しくなる私の事を察してくださり、いつもこんなに盛りだくさんです。さっそく鏡餅を飾って、ウキウキ気分。本当にありがとうございます‼️🙏🙇🏻‍♀️ #gift #fromjapan #teacher #generosity #kindness #thankyouthankyouthankyou

C More-alkuperäissarja Kaverikirja on nyt katsott

C More-alkuperäissarja Kaverikirja on nyt katsottavissa! Oli ilo työskennellä hienojen taiteilijoiden kanssa😊 #kaverikirja #cmoresuomi #actorsjob #bitchboss

After 14 years, I finally had a reunion with one o

After 14 years, I finally had a reunion with one of my dear friends from the SITI community. What’s more, he also invited me to see his show, a 4-hour opera, which was really, really enjoyable and nourishing to the soul. How life brings people together and again feels like a miracle sometimes. I feel extremely lucky and grateful. Thanks @gamblormastor and @okroadwhores ! #friends #reunion #burtturrido #burtturridoanopera #naturetheaterofoklahoma #performance #performingarts #touring #espoo #finland

If I ever become a prime minister of any country,

If I ever become a prime minister of any country, let this video be the proof of my most scandalous conduct. Back in 2007, I danced at a club, wearing a donation box.. sober 🫢 I was having fun and collecting money…
Video by my wonderful friend Matt Sa 😊 #memory #dancing #funtimes #usa

It was a 3-year-long journey, starting from the fi

It was a 3-year-long journey, starting from the first meeting at a cafe in Kallio to Saari residency to Inkost in Malmö, Sweden to Rønnebæksholm in Næstved, Denmark to finally Kiasma. I am in deep gratitude to the TTY team for allowing me to be part of this artistic endeavor. The project not only brought me juicy creative challenges and excitement but also embraced me with endearing friendship and love. I was constantly touched and inspired by the collaboration culture we were nurturing together with patience, compassion, and humor. It generated beautiful art, beautiful memories, and beautiful humans. It saddens me to say goodbye to the project, but I am feeling the growing of the creative seeds we had planted in each other’s life throughout the years. So, it’s the end, but it’s not. The seeds will sprout, and we’ll keep growing.. together.
Thank you, and I’ll leave you with my favorite lines from the show:
“This is
another
chance to
R e p e a t
S e p a r a t e
R e p e a t
Joined together
composed apart,
which evokes
the attainment
of fellowship and love”- WORM

❤️ and 🙏 to @itsanorska @1000xyes @marjaahti @jennykalliokulju @johannakalliokulju @laura_cem @johannes_j @noga.cph , Essi Kausalainen, Florian Feigl, Henning Fredriksson, Saara Olarte, Aino Juutilainen, Ingrid, Edith, Etna, Villa, Ahti, the elementary school kids from Næstved, and all the people who helped us to make this dream journey come true. Photo credit: 1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣:Pirje Mykkänen/Kiasma 6️⃣7️⃣: Christian Brems 8️⃣: Henrik Hellström 9️⃣: Laura Cemin 🔟: me

(日本語はコメント欄にあります） On

(日本語はコメント欄にあります）
On my 41st birthday, I’d like to share a little story about my life.
In Japan, in June, 1997, I was suffering a throbbing heartbreak and depression. I’d just started my high school life a few months earlier, and soon afterwards, I got dumped rather suddenly. It was a cruel end to my first and most intense, closeted relationship. There was no one to whom I could talk about it. I had no friends in the new school then. My family was worried but didn’t really know how to help me back then. I was suffering alone, or so it felt like. I thought that my world was collapsing. I had no motivation, no interest, just seemingly never-ending self-loathing. I would stare at railway tracks when I had to take a train to go to school in the morning, pondering “an easy way out.” But there was no such thing. So, I just found myself lonely and miserable in my room. Then suddenly a thought came to mind. I took up a pen and paper and started writing a letter to my future self. The gist of the letter was encouraging my future self to take action and never repeat the regret of not doing anything. I placed a passport photo of myself on the letter, signed it, and put it in an envelope.
25 years later- In Finland, on a hot summer day in June, 2022, I was suffering the same things for the hundredth time. I felt that I’d failed at healing and helping myself, even after many hours of counselling and with a good support system. Crying alone in my room, I rummaged through the boxes of my old journals and the letters I’d received from friends over the years. Then.. I found it, the letter to myself. I stared at the photo of the 15-year-old me on the letter. Such sadness and pain in her eyes, and yet she decided to keep on going and cheer up her future self. I felt inexplicable warmth towards the 15-year-old Yuko. “You have no idea what’s in store for you,” I said to myself, well, to the younger me. Then I reminisced on all the people I’d met, all the places I’d been, and all the things I’d experienced over the 25 years since the day I’d written the letter. “You have no idea,” I repeated and said, “Thank you for choosing to live. You are awesome.”

(日本語下にあります) My mother has been w

(日本語下にあります) My mother has been working at a local udon restaurant run by my childhood friend’s parents for a long time. The restaurant has been in existence for 42 years, and I literally grew up with it. It has remained loyal to the local community, providing fresh, homemade udon noodles and friendly service. I’ve loved their udon, and they also have given me friendship and support, which involves both my family and theirs. Now the restaurant is taking a break indefinitely due to some technical issues and the aging staff. Today was the last day before the break. In the photo you see my mom, my childhood friend’s mom, and my mom’s co-worker. Those three beautiful ladies have carried the restaurant for many years alongside the restaurant’s udon master, my childhood friend’s dad. I am so grateful to the restaurant, and I am so proud of my mother today. Thank you! / 幼なじみの両親が長い間(42年間)営んでいたうどん屋さん喜楽苑が、今日をもって長期休業に入る事になった。物心ついた頃からの、家族ぐるみの付き合いの喜楽苑。美味しいうどんのみならず、母が長い間勤めさせてもらうなど、色んな面でサポートしてもらって、本当に感謝の気持ちしかない。この喜楽の看板娘三人の笑顔が、今日はいちだんと輝いている。長い間ありがとうございました！#thankyou #udon #restaurant #osaka #japan #喜楽苑 #うどん #大阪

This is me playing the role of Worm in Thousand Ti

This is me playing the role of Worm in Thousand Times Yes, an experimental chamber opera about finding connection through language, communication, space and the body. I’ve been lucky enough to play many awesome roles as an actor so far, and this is definitely one of such roles 🙂 Upcoming shows:
1️⃣21.5.2022 (Sat) at 15:00 at Rønnebæksholm, Denmark
2️⃣ 3.8.2022 (Wed) 19:00
5.8.2022 (Fri) at 19:00
6.8.2022 (Sat) at 15:00
at Kiasma, Finland
Welcome! Photo by Henrik Hellström #theatre #chamberopera #experimental #Performingarts #rønnebæksholm #denmark #kiasma #finland #thousandtimesyes #1000xyes

Lahjakas ystäväni Ulla teki hienon luonnoksen mi

Lahjakas ystäväni Ulla teki hienon luonnoksen minusta. / A talented friend of mine Ulla drew a fine portrait of me. / 友達のウッラさんが上手に私の肖像画を描いてくれました。#portrait #sketch #drawing #friend #friendship

Today I was in Tampere for the screening of “Dua

Today I was in Tampere for the screening of “Dual,” the first Hollywood film shot entirely in Finland. I was quite lucky to have gotten a small role in it. It still left me with fond memories, including today. Watching the entire film after a year and a half of waiting.. and with the director and live audience was quite something. The photo was taken after the screening. With the director @rileystearns and some of the wonderful cast. Thank you! #dualthemovie #tamepere #finland #film #premiere

Finally I have the energy to sum up my time in Jap

Finally I have the energy to sum up my time in Japan.
In the nutshell, “Oyakoukou” was the purpose of my travel.
In Japan, 親孝行(oyakoukou), often translated as filial piety, is the word commonly used to express the respect for and devotion to the parents and the concrete action done for them by the child. I’d lost my father a long time ago, and now I only have my mother to do Oyakoukou for. But it’s not frequent that I get to come back to Japan. I had only 5 weeks there.
So, here’s what I did:
- Cleaned and tidied up her house using the KonMari method
- Bought carpets, a desk, a rack, a desk lamp for her room, a laundry bag and a washing machine
- Ordered a glucosamine supplement for her aching legs and had her take it every day
- Took her to a shoe shop and bought her a new pair of shoes with custom-made insoles
- Traveled with her to Miyazaki, her birthplace, for her long-overdue reunion with her father and siblings
- Sat with her at the dining table and watched tv together.. etc.
Time flew by. There were so many more things I wanted to do.
But alas, by the time all the above were done, I only had one day left before the departure.
On that day I woke up to my mom’s humming joyfully. She was taking wet clothes out of the laundry bag and hanging them on the laundry pole on the veranda. I was a bit surprised.. I’d never heard her hum like that before.
“What happened to you, Mom?”
“Well, I’m just.. happy,” she said. Then she looked around her renewed room and said, “I have such a plan for decoration here.. I can’t wait!”
I had not seen her so excited and joyful for a long time.. probably since my father had passed away.
But on that day, in the midst of the pandemic and other calamities in the world, at least my mother was smiling on a sunny veranda in Japan. I thought to myself, “Maybe I have done an ok job at Oyakoukou after all.”

The leaving was hard.
Tears were pouring out of my eyes on the train to the airport, at the airport and on the plane back to Helsinki. I just let them be.
I just let the tears comfort me in a lone journey.

It was a deep, significant time for me. I have nothing but gratitude to my family and friends for it. Thank you.

The other day Mom and I visited my sister and her

The other day Mom and I visited my sister and her husband at their apartment. We sat at the dining table and enjoyed sushi and pizza with a lot of beers. We also talked a lot about our common memories, namely our childhood. My sister is very quick-witted and has great sense of humour. She instinctively knows how to keep a lively conversation. We laughed about how differently we remembered the same events and how each of us forgot certain things while others remembered them. Mom kept a big smile on her face the whole time. My sister’s husband was listening to us attentively, amazed and amused by the vibrant, eccentric recollections of our younger years.
Time flew by. After five and a half hours of laughter and joy, we were full and it was time for Mom and me to leave. By that time, my sister was a bit drunk. She stood up and hugged me tight.. which had never happened before between us, the hugging.
“Take care of yourself,” she said, hugging me again as she saw us off at the train station.
On the train back home, I was filled with some indescribable emotion. Maybe it was deep gratitude mixed with nostalgia. Whatever it was, I treasure it. By writing this post, I intend to keep it forever in my heart just like all the other memories we share.
My sister is not on Social Media and would like to keep her life private. But here’s one of the few pictures of me and her together a long long time ago 🙂 #sisters #japan #osaka #travel #memories #childhood

After the 14 days of home quarantine, today was my

After the 14 days of home quarantine, today was my first day to be outside the house. I visited a nail salon, where a good friend of mine works. She made my nails glow up 😊 Thank you @amulet.sumi for the lovely artwork! #travel #osaka #japan #nailart #paragel #nailsalon #friends

In my house in Japan I had left a lot of things as

In my house in Japan I had left a lot of things as keepsakes. The house is full of things, memories and forgotten objects buried in dust and time. Today I started looking through them and deciding which of them to let go. As much as they remind me of the good old days, I feel the need to revisit and release them.. so that I can smile for both the past and the future.
These sheets of paper are the diction and articulation exercises in English. A theatre teacher gave them to me when I started studying theatre at University of Central Oklahoma in early 2000s. I had a thick Japanese accent back then and was told that unless I reduced my accent, I would never get cast in any play. So I practiced those exercises for a few years by myself. Tears and discoloration are from holding those papers in my hands every day. Those were tedious, uncertain days. But I’m so glad that I had made that effort. It paid off big time later on 🙂 #memory #travel #osaka #japan #usa #theatre #study #goodolddays

As I arrived at my home in Osaka around 15:00, Mom

As I arrived at my home in Osaka around 15:00, Mom was coming back from work. When she saw me, she cried a bit in relief.
Almost at the same instant, a stray cat named Chii-chan (♀️) walked up to her and meowed. Mom hurriedly gave the cat cat food and petted her. Inside the house Mom keeps various cat food for Chii-chan, in case she comes back hungry.
Japan after four years feels soft and gentle.
#japan #osaka #travel #mother #cominghome

"Invisible" This is the song I made for a theatre

"Invisible"
This is the song I made for a theatre production called "The Cleaners- Siivoojat." In the live show only a portion of it is heard. So, I thought I would share the full version here 🙂
If you would like to catch a live performance, only one show left:
16.11 (Tue) at 19:00 at Aleksanterin teatteri.
Please message me for discount tickets!

Lyrics:
We’re like the stars in the daylight
Spreading across the universe
Only the poets hear our voices
Whispering the tale of how we came to be

(Chorus)
We reach out without hands to hold
We’re side by side waiting for no one
The flickering lights of ours to say
We are here, we are here

When we finally shine at night
Clouds come by and hide the city
Raining sour tears of memory
Only to be forgotten in the morning

(Chorus)

Our billion stories are cacophonies
Bursting your ears and then only silence
We will remain far and distant
Only to hurry you to bed

(Chorus)

#music #originalsong #singersongwriter #theatre #invisible

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