A DAY WITH SHIOLI KUTSUNA

Born and raised in Australia, Shioli Kutsuna started her career as an actress for mainstream TV productions in Japan. She now divides her time between the US and Japan, working independently without any ties getting in the way of her direction. Having been exposed to different cultures from an early age has shaped her into a free-flowing spirit, developing a deeper sense of self-awareness and nurturing the strength to stay neutral. We wanted to sit down and discuss what she’s made of, hoping to unveil her honest thoughts.

Photographed by Allan Abani and interview by Ashton Sumihara.

To start with, can we talk a bit about your background; where you grew up, what you were into as a teenager, and things like that.

I was born and raised in Australia and came to Japan when I was 14. There were very few Asians in my elementary school, and although there was another Asian student who transferred during the school year, there were only a few of us in my grade, so I was quite intimidated. I did have an active side, but I was mostly shy. The jazz dance lessons that I attended once a week were the only thing that I enjoyed selflessly, and now that I look back, I think it’s when I found a way to express myself. I never imagined that I would become an actress, and spent a very laid-back teenage years in Australia.

I read somewhere that you’re a third generation Japanese-Australian. Did your grandfather first immigrate to Australia?

I’ve heard people say that about me, but where did they get that information from? (laughs). My father moved to Australia to work after studying abroad, where he met my mother and got married and raised us up, so I guess that makes me a second generation? I don’t know how I became a third generation Japanese-Australian (laughs). My parents were born and raised in Japan.

wearing Alexander McQueen

Did you speak Japanese at home?

Yes, I did. I also went to a Japanese Saturday School in Sydney. My parents wanted me to learn about Japanese culture and so on, so we had a “No English at Home” rule.

You grew up in a multicultural environment from an early age. Did you experience any kind of identity crisis?

I experienced some discrimination and bullying. I had a clear understanding that I was an Asian when I was in elementary school, whether I liked it or not. I didn’t really plan it, but when I moved to Japan after winning a well-known beauty pageant here, I thought I’d fit in. But that wasn’t the case. Even though I look like one of them, my original ways of thinking were different, having been raised in Australia. So I didn’t have any friends and ate school lunch alone for months. I had always thought that…