What do ordinary Japanese people think of a viral video which depicts a situation wherein a Japanese person is unable to process foreigners’ fluent Japanese?
David Ury
There have been several commercials pulled off the air in Japan that some have dubbed “racist” and plenty of online banter to add to the debate. But we’ve also seen anti-anti-Korean protesters in Tokyo willing to stand up against truly hateful right-wing activists and many other examples of Japanese citizens whose actions seem to show that Japan is not as xenophobic as some may believe.
So is Japan racist? It seems there isn’t a clear-cut answer, but leave it to “twin brothers” Ken Tanaka and David Ury to bring us a humors video confronting this long-standing question.
We first came across David Ury and his alleged twin brother, Ken Tanaka, after seeing their video titled “Ken Tanaka and David Ury Japanese accent training.” The video features two men of similar physical characteristics having a conversation in Japanese with very different accents. Intrigued, I found myself combing the internet for any information regarding the pair and learned that David Ury is an American actor and Ken Tanaka is his long-lost twin brother who was adopted by a family in Japan. Various videos on Ken’s helpmefindparents YouTube channel seemed to verify this information, showing Ken and David speaking to each other in the same room.
But whispers of controversy surround the brothers despite the online existence of two completely distinct people. Is Ken Tanaka actually just David Ury showing off his acting skills? We set up an interview with David hoping to find out more about the talented actor behind the perfect Japanese accent.
What we landed up with was some of the best Japanese study advice we’ve ever heard, some anecdotes about crazy adventures in Japan and an introduction to a comedic book about death.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve studied Japanese or how many kanji you can successfully identify, if you still sound like you’re speaking English when you are in fact speaking Japanese, you’re going to look like a dumb gaijin.
But it’s hard to identify your level of fluency when it comes to pronunciation and we’re hoping the following video can help. This is hands down the best side-by-side comparison of an excellent and…shall we say “authentic American” Japanese accent executed by “twin brothers” David Ury and Ken Tanaka.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
Downtown Tokyo’s meaty monster Kaibutsu ramen will challenge your stomach, thrill your taste buds
Japan’s budget chain restaurant Saizeriya might just be the perfect first date location
New Travelling Bento pouches turn your luggage into a Japanese lunch box
Drink vending machines disappearing in Japan as number drops to lowest in 30 years
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
New Era combines with old eras for amazing hat collection based on Japanese painting masterpieces
Bros? Kart? Party? Japanese gamers pick their top 5 Mario series
I can’t believe it’s not fish eggs? Taste-testing Japan’s imitation “almost ikura”【Photos】
Donuts with seaweed and soy sauce — Is Japan’s Mister Donut idea too Japanese for its own good?
Weekly
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces- Lawson convenience store at popular tourist site is one of the most unusual in Japan
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
Monthly
- Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
- Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list- Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
New Era combines with old eras for amazing hat collection based on Japanese painting masterpieces
Bros? Kart? Party? Japanese gamers pick their top 5 Mario series
I can’t believe it’s not fish eggs? Taste-testing Japan’s imitation “almost ikura”【Photos】
Donuts with seaweed and soy sauce — Is Japan’s Mister Donut idea too Japanese for its own good?
Step into Japanese culture with Converse’s new Japan-exclusive shoes featuring gods, sushi style
Japanese maid cosplay uniform transforms you into the fairytale anime character of your dreams
13 surprising Japanese translations of American movie titles
Family Mart unveils new Japanese bread that elevates convenience store food to mocchiri levels
What it’s like to buy a canned railway stone in Japan
Man in Japan falls into hole with a bear in it
Hokkaido park’s “sakura on the ground” are a breathtaking reason to venture beyond Sapporo
-
