The Fat Kuma Studio

I’ve known Chris since 2014. I met him online when I was more active on another YouTube channel. I don’t remember how I found him but when I first saw one of his videos I was captivated. He’s a large man in Japan, (large in general) and speaks amazing Japanese. He has the voice of Snake from Metal Gear Solid.

All of his videos are done in Japanese for a Japanese audience. He pulls pranks on his friends, goes to dog cafes, and shows his audience how to make some classically American dishes like grilled cheese. Food challenges are his specialty, take a look at the one below.

It’s definitly worth a peruse so you should definitly check out his channel.

We asked Chris to answer a few questions, here’s how the interview went:

I've always thought your Channel was great, especially when I was learning Japanese and wanted to listen to the language.

Thanks for the complement. We are still working hard to make better and better videos as we go along.

You've been in Japan for 18 years? Was the sushi that good or are there deeper reasons than raw fish and carbs to make you stay?

I live in Kansai which is famous for eating lots of carbs. Many people don't know that. Japan, for me, is just a comfortable place to live. I got lucky and have a nice balance between work and private life. Also there is so little crime here. Most days I don't even lock up my bike.

What made you want to move to Japan?

Spain! It's kind of a strange connection. I finished college and went to study abroad in Spain. There I made some some really good Japanese friends. I thought it would be fun to go to Japan for a year if I could find a job. One of my Japanese friends hooked me up with a job and 18 years later here I am.

What are the most memorable moments for you in the history of your channel? Favorite prank?

Well, we are still a very small channel and I hope there are many more memorable moments to come, but Our first 1000 subscribers was a big moment. Our first (and only) kind of viralish video. (460k views and counting). Creating a studio to make videos in my one room apartment! The first, well only time, I was recognized on the street. the prank that started them all was when Gin put wasabi on my sushi while I was in the restroom. I still think that has the best reaction.

Why did you choose to do your channel in Japanese? Have you done any in English?

I wanted to practice my Japanese and thought it would be fun to have a channel in Japanese. I thought maybe a few people would see some random white guy speaking Japanese and think they could do it too. I have a few videos in English and have been thinking of making more as time goes on. I'm thinking of making a series of video where I introduce cheap eating options here in Japan and doing those videos in English.

Favorite book and favorite movie?

I loved "A confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole and I love the movie "Harold and Maude" Sorry for going with such ancient choices.

If we went to Japan and tracked you down in your natural habitat, what would that be.

Well, although it doesn't look like it, I exercise everyday. I'm either in the gym or walking around. I love to leave my house and find new places to walk to. If not there then at my house chilling with my cat. My mostly an introvert in real life so I spend most of my time alone or doing activities by myself.

Why the name Fatkuma Studios?

Fat Kuma was the name I came up with for myself for the channel. Fat because I am on the larger side and Kuma because that is Japanese for "bear". Most people say I look like a bear so I went with it. We added studio to indicate that it is more than just me. I work closely with Gin, my friend, who is in most of the videos and also does the final editing on them.

What do you eat in Japan on a daily basis? I was there for a month and lived with a host family who fed me super small servings of rice and miso soup.

I live alone so I eat a lot of stir fry. I just go to the supermarket and buy what looks good, throw it in a fry pan and add some sauce. Japan used to be all about super small servings but now the servings are getting bigger and the prices are lower. I do eat tofu almost everyday. People laugh at me because I love it so much, but it can just go in anything!

What are some stereo types the Japanese have of Americans.

They think most Americans are overweight and super casual dressers. Luckily, they have me to reenforce both of those stereotypes. They think we say everything that is on our minds at all times. (I think they get this from sitcoms, where people over share all the time) They often think America is a super dangerous place, because of all the mass shootings we have. Having said that, Many more Japanese people now have contact with Americans and people from other countries in general and the stereotypes are slowly fading away.

Your Japanese is amazing and your voice sounds like Snake from metal gear solid. Have you considered voice acting?

Thanks! Its funny you should ask that, my personal hero is H. Jon Benjamin. He is a voice actor who mostly uses only his real voice but has two big gigs right now(the voice of Archer and Bob from Bob's burgers). Voice actor seems like my dream job. I have a face for radio so getting to go in without having to get dressed up and say my lines sounds like heaven. But since I lack the ability to do multiple voices I never thought it was possible until I heard of H. Jon Benjamin. A quick aside, he was raised in the same Massachusetts city that I was. I think you can understand my love of his achievements!

What are some of the difficulties of living in Japan?

I miss my family, sometimes. But I talk to my mother most days and I go home every summer so that works out well. Having to live off a work visa can be challenging sometimes. You are always in fear of losing your job and if you can't find another one having to go home. On days when you are tired it is sometimes hard to express yourself in Japanese. I miss saying things exactly as I want to instead of getting my point across in a roundabout way. I miss "fake meat". I love all the meat alternatives we have in America and other than tofu they don't exist in Japan right now.

What are some of your personal philosophies in life?

I have always tried to do what I wanted to regardless of the norms. I moved to Spain a month after finishing college. I worked at summer camps until I was 26. I think life is about experiences not possessions. I'm middled aged with no savings to speak of but I live how I want to. I don't regret any of my choices in life. They shaped who I am and if there are things I would have done differently now I just move on from there.

Don't let age or body image keep you from doing what you want to do. Always learn from your mistakes unless its more fun not to. Everyone has the right to do what makes them happy, as long as it doesn't hurt others. Don't worry if you are too old or look silly or anything that you worry other people might think about you. If it makes you happy, go for it! I'd rather look ridiculous to some people and be happy than look cool and be miserable.

Check out more of his work on his youtube page at TheFATKUMAstudio