Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai Jennifer Shinkai

If you are a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’ll love this episode! 
Join me as I have a fabulous chat with Genie Gurnani, internationally televised drag queen from Drag Race Thailand Season 2, AND globe-trotting creative leader and marketing executive who has led teams at Disney, Vice Media, and Netflix. We discuss Genie’s dual careers, and how the two complement one another. Genie also shares with us some of the ways being on Drag Race opened doors to wonderful opportunities to try new things and discover new talents, and how important it is to not let fear stop you from taking advantage of exciting things that come your way!
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. 
In this episode you’ll hear:
About Genie’s two lives as a marketing executive and a drag queen, and how they balance the twoHow being a drag queen helped and hindered Genie’s marketing careerAdvice for people who are feeling marginalised at work, or in generalHow taking opportunities that came after being on Drag Race led to Genie developing new skills and talentsHow Genie found comedy and storytelling to be a common thread running through both the corporate and entertainment worlds

About Genie:
Genie is a globe-trotting creative leader and marketing executive who has led teams at Disney, Vice Media, and Netflix. They are also an internationally televised drag queen who is part of the world's fiercest reality TV franchise, having starred on RuPaul's Drag Race Thailand. In the past, Genie thought these were two different careers, two different lives, two different selves. But eventually they realized, everything they do is one and the same. They are an entertainer. They create entertainment. And they help brands be more entertaining to connect with their audiences.

Things mentioned in the episode:
Joey Graceffa YouTube video with Genie: https://youtu.be/e9QjdBEOc4Q

Connect with Genie:
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@wishforgenie 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wishforgenie 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wishforgenie

Connect with Jennifer
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifershinkai/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifershinkaicoach 
Website: https://jennifershinkai.com/ 
Instagram Coaching and Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/ikigaiwithjennifershinkai/
Instagram Artist: https://www.instagram.com/jennifershinkai/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ikigaiwithjennifershinkai/

On this episode of the Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai podcast I talk to virtual magician, David John. Before COVID, David was running a tourism business and was doing magic on the side, but then the pandemic hit and he had to turn his side hustle into his main income! David’s virtual magic experience was in high demand during lockdown, internationally, as people were feeling isolated and David’s show helped bring people together. Listen to the episode to hear all about how and why his side hustle became his life saviour!
In this episode you’ll hear:
How David weathered the pandemic as his tourism business was put on holdAbout David turning his side hustle of magic into his main income during the pandemicHow working in various corporate roles has helped David with his virtual experience work as a magicianThe value in doing different jobs and careers throughout your life instead of just thinking there’s only one career for youHow important David’s virtual entertainment work became for people separated by the pandemic
About  David:
David John is a talented and innovative virtual magician, known for his mesmerizing performances that captivate audiences from all around the world. With a deep passion for magic and a strong commitment to his craft, David has mastered the art of illusion in the digital world, creating an immersive and unforgettable experience for his viewers.
David's performances are characterized by sleight of hand, mind-illusions, and comedic presentation. His attention to detail and dedication to creating an authentic magical experience sets him apart from other magicians in the virtual world. Whether he's making objects disappear into thin air or performing mind-reading acts through live video interactions, David leaves his audience in awe, questioning the very limits of reality.
David engages his viewers through captivating storytelling and interactive elements. His ability to connect with his audience, even from a distance, is truly extraordinary.

Connect with David:
Website: https://virtual.TheMagicOfDeejay.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/virtualmagicninja
Youtube: www.youtube.com/virtualmagicninja
Latest Reel: https://youtu.be/gSjCS8KyHVo

Connect with Jennifer:
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifershinkai/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifershinkaicoach 
Website: https://jennifershinkai.com/ 

This week on the podcast we are all about mountains and mushrooms! I am talking with the wonderful Alison Beale about her weekly trips to the mountains around Tokyo and why she has become rather addicted to these hikes. Alison shares with us some of the physical, mental, emotional and social benefits she has experienced on her trips to various mountains and why she loves discovering all the wonderful biodiversity on the mountains, including mushrooms! 
In this episode you’ll hear:
How rehabilitating an injury led Alison to weekly mountain walksWhy Alison enjoys finding different types of mushrooms while hikingAdvice on how to keep yourself safe while walking in the mountains aloneWhat Alison learnt about fear and ways to use that in everyday lifeThe community aspect of hiking and how life affirming it can be
About Alison:
Alison is Director of the University of Oxford Japan Office. She came to Japan immediately after graduating from Oxford and has had a long career in international education and cultural relations, mostly with the British Council. She worked for the organization in various cities in Japan, and then in Trinidad and Tobago and Shanghai China, before coming back to Tokyo.  She then decided to ditch her peripatetic life, and now heads up the representative office of the University of Oxford in Japan. 
Alison is passionate about building links between the UK and Japan and holds a number of voluntary positions for example as Vice-President of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan and Executive Director of the Japan-British Society. She is also a fan of the performing arts and is on the Board of the New National Theatre Tokyo.

Things mentioned in the Episode:
Blog post about Unconscious Processing: https://jennifershinkai.com/2020/01/07/need-inspiration-pop-to-the-loo/

Connect with Alison:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aliyama_japan
Blog: https://www.japan.travel/en/blog/author/alison-beale/

Connect with Jennifer:
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifershinkai/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifershinkaicoach 
Website: https://jennifershinkai.com/ 

This week on the show I have a fantastic conversation with my long term mentor and multi-potentialite, Rochelle Kopp. Rochelle is a consultant, an author, a mentor, an educator, a board director, and an activist. Last year Rochelle was named as one of Change.Org Japan’s Changemakers of the Year, and has recently been spearheading a movement to protect Tokyo’s green oasis Jingu Gaien from a redevelopment plan that would sacrifice a thousand trees and raze two historic stadiums in order to make room for three skyscrapers. Listen to the episode to hear all about Rochelle’s career and activism and how both are sources of ikigai for her.
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. 
In this episode you’ll hear:
Why her career as an intercultural consultant is a source of ikigai for RochelleHow Rochelle started her activism through online petitions to protect Japan’s green spacesWhy trees and green spaces are so important for our physical and mental healthRochelle’s ideas about what her role as a non-Japanese person in Japanese society is and could be
About  Rochelle:
Rochelle is a consultant, author, mentor, educator & board director specializing in global communication, leadership, human resources, & organizational development. She primarily works with Japanese companies with global operations and global firms doing business in Japan, primarily through training seminars, teambuilding, and coaching. Rochelle also keeps busy with several other activities. She writes columns for the Japan Times and several Japanese publications including the Asahi and the Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun, and has published over 35 books on intercultural and management topics. She is an outside board director to two Japanese companies. She is a mentor through 500 Global. And more recently, she has become an activist, spearheading a movement to protect Tokyo’s green oasis Jingu Gaien from a redevelopment plan that would sacrifice a thousand trees and raze two historic stadiums in order to make room for three skyscrapers. Her petition on Change.org has over 195,000 signatures and last year she was named one of Change.org Japan’s Changemakers of the Year.

Connect with Rochelle:
Website: www.japanintercultural.com
Twitter: @Japanintercult in English and @JICRochelle in Japanese
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochellekopp/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rochelle.kopp/
Petition for Jingu Gaien: https://www.change.org/Save_jingugaien_en

Connect with Jennifer
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifershinkai/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifershinkaicoach 
Website: https://jennifershinkai.com/ 

On the latest episode of the podcast I’m joined by Koji Tokumasu, who was selected as “one of the most influential 50 members of rugby in the world” by Rugby World (UK) in 2017. Koji was General Manager at the Rugby World Cup 2019 Bid Committee to gain the right for JRFU to host RWC2019, the first time outside of the traditional Unions, AND was the Senior Director at Rugby World Cup 2019 Organising Committee to deliver the most successful Rugby World Cup ever! Join us for this episode as Koji shares with us his enduring love of rugby and how it led him on a journey across the world, and back to Japan to spread that love for rugby here!
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. 
In this episode you’ll hear:
How Koji went on a journey from Japan to Wales inspired by a love of Welsh rugbyThe remarkable story of Koji’s involvement in Japan making a bid for the Rugby World Cup leading to success in 2019How Koji adapted to life after the Rugby World Cup after spending so much time working towards that goalWhy and how Koji started the Shibuya International Rugby ClubHow rugby taught him to enjoy playing the game (of life) without just focusing on the end result
About  Koji:
Koji Tokumasu is a visiting professor at Kanda University of International Studies, Special Director at Japan Rugby Football Union, and President of Shibuya International Rugby Club. Koji was the Senior Director at Rugby World Cup 2019 Organising Committee to deliver the most successful Rugby World Cup ever. He was General Manager at the Rugby World Cup 2019 Bid Committee to gain the right for JRFU to host RWC2019, the first time outside of the traditional Unions. Koji was also selected as “one of the most influential 50 members of rugby in the world” by Rugby World (UK) in 2017.
Koji Tokumasu has also held positions as Editor and writer of Sports Department at Nishi Nippon Shimbun (Newspaper with 600,000 daily print run in the Kyushu area), English teacher and Marketing Director at Meikei Gakuen Junior and Senior High School, Editor at Kodansha International Publications Co Ltd, and Head of International Relations/ Marketing/Public Relations/ of Japan Rugby Football Union. Koji has also held honorary positions as Board Member of Asia Rugby, Board Member of World Rugby, Board Member of Japan Rugby Football Union, President of Asia Rugby, Honorary President of Asia Rugby, and Special Director at Japan Rugby Football Union (International relations).



Connect with Koji:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/koji-tokumasu-43369823/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004972381746

Connect with Jennifer
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifershinkai/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifershinkaicoach 
Website: https://jennifershinkai.com/

On the latest episode of Ikigai with Jennifer Shinkai we are joined by Yui Maejima. Yui is a Neo Kimono Stylist supporting her clients to find themselves through a new perspective in their kimono. Yui’s first experience with kimono as a child made her never want to wear them again, but then as a young adult she went to the US and through being in another culture began to appreciate being Japanese more. She decided to immerse herself in something uniquely Japanese as a way to explore her cultural identity and express herself, and settled on modern kimono fashion. Through her love of fashion and of being Japanese, Yui found her ikigai in Neo Kimono style and now helps others see themselves in a new light with her styling.
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. 
In this episode you’ll hear:
How Yui’s first experience with kimono made her not want to ever wear kimono again at 10 years oldHow being in the USA made her appreciate her Japanese culture and embrace kimono as a way to express a part of her identity as well as her love of fashionAbout how kimono used to be contemporary daily wear in the past and how that freed Yui up to evolve and modernise kimono in her stylingAbout Yui’s styling business and how it connects to her Ikigai
About  Yui:
Yui Maejima was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan. As a college student she studied information systems in the US for two and half years before returning to Japan and working as a systems engineer. Her experience in the US gave her a new appreciation for Japanese culture and she studied the art of wearing kimono. 
After 7 years as a systems engineer. she pivoted her career into the kimono industry working first in a kimono rental company and then as a freelance kitsukeishi  着付師 (Kimono dresser). Now Yui refers to herself as a Neo Kimono Stylist supporting her clients to find themselves through a new perspective in their kimono.

Things Mentioned in the Episode:
Yui’s client with braided hair: https://www.instagram.com/p/ClwyRLshC9i/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Connect with Yui:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yui_michael/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelYuiJP/
Website: https://michael-yui.com/
Airbnb experience: https://www.airbnb.jp/experiences/48477

Connect with Jennifer
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifershinkai/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifershinkaicoach 
Website: https://jennifershinkai.com/