CULTURE
STAND-UP STRONG Japanese comedian in Vancouver tackles taboos with laughter By Emi Takahata
Yumi Nagashima — who simply uses the stage name “Yumi” — is the first Japanese female stand-up comedian to really take off in Canada. The Vancouver-based performer has been enter taining crowds since she got her start in 2015, but her comedy career was a long time in the making. Born in Tokyo, Nagashima graduated from Bunkyo University with a degree in English literature and became an English teacher. While working at a conversation school, she became romantically involved with a colleague from Canada. When his visa was about to expire, she decided to get a working holiday visa and, in 2008, moved with him to Vancouver, where they married. Through her time in Canada, Nagashima has been exposed to different cultures and perspectives, which have opened her eyes and led to her current career. Splitting up with her husband in 2015, she took to the stage for the first time later that year. It didn’t take her long to find her style: speaking heavily Japanese-accented English and touching on topics ranging from ethnic stereotypes to hidden aspects of Japanese culture. And she’s finding plenty of fans: her YouTube channel, Yumi Tube, has amassed nearly 170,000 subscribers and a few of her performance videos have racked up one million views. We caught up with her earlier this year via Skype to find out more about how she got her start, her biggest influences and how comedy can help bridge cultural divides. Can you tell us what launched your career as a comedian?
22 THE CANADIAN | AUTUMN 2019
PHOTO: NORMAN WHALEY
The very first point was when I had a role in a comedy play — How Much Are Those Feelings in the Window? — in 2015. I unexpectedly realized I liked being a comedian after hearing people’s laughter at my first line: “I’ve been married for three years, and it sucks.” Then, everything happened right on time. Around then, I started dating my boyfriend who was a stand-up comedian, and he took me out to his stand-up comedy show where he played as a headliner. It was there I got an offer to be a stand-up comedian from a producer of the show. After two weeks, on October 20, 2015, I did my first stand-up comedy gig and became the first Japanese female stand-up comedian in Vancouver.
