Occupation:
Clowns / English teachers
Time in Japan:
Two years
Where are you from? Chris: Montana, USA. Sarah: Vancouver, Canada.
What brought you to Japan?
We wanted to be together. Border-crossing between Canada and the US was a real hassle and
there was so much red tape. We had some friends in Japan who really loved it, and it was
easier for us to get work visas here than to get one in each other' country so here we
are. Japan sort of solved all our problems.
What do you do here?
We both teach English, mostly to children. Basically that's just to live on. What we
really do and want to do is clowning. We do a lot of performances for our schools,
churches and the Narita Friendship Association asks us to perform at their events. We've
been invited to a few kindergartens as well. Teaching kids English has helped our act a
lot. It taught us how to perform in another language.
How did you get started clowning in Japan?
It came to us. We started doing some for schools and we talked to our students about it.
Slowly, by word of mouth, people started coming to us. We also offered to perform when we
thought it was needed, so it worked out well.
What kind of acts do you do?
Sarah does fire-eating and magic. I do juggling and I ride a unicycle. And we have some
skits that require audience participation which we feel is really important. It keeps them
interested. We also make balloon animals, do song and dance, are slowly getting into
puppetry and just do wild, crazy comedy.
How did you decide that you wanted to be clowns? Chris: I felt that clowning was the only kind of art form where I had the
freedom to express what I wanted. The interactive relationship with the audience is silly
and great and I love it. When I was little I wanted to be a prophet or a superhero - and I
ended up being a clown. Sarah: It wasn't until I was 25 that I decided to perform. I'd done
theatre when I was a kid but never gave it a second thought. When I was watching a comedy
festival in Vancouver I became interested and took a clown workshop. I'd watched a lot of
comedians and thought, "I really want to do that," although it looked scary. I
started taking more workshops and then went to university to take clown class, which I
loved. I was able to just let it all hang out. It just clicked.
What do you like about Japan most? Chris: The generosity and the kindness of the people. It's really
incredible. I know that some people might mock that answer but for us, that's it. And the
trains. Sarah: Safety - probably another common answer. I like the fact that
anywhere I go, there are people around and that I feel safe walking around the streets at
4am. Also the punctuality of the trains and gomi. We furnished our apartment thanks to
gomi. And we both love Japanese beer.
What's the weirdest thing you've seen in Japan?
We were on the train and this lady gets on, sits across from us, lifts up her skirt and
starts shaving away. And after she was done shaving, she whipped out her tweezers and
started plucking away at the leftovers. Bizarre.
If you could take one thing back to your native country from Japan, what would it
be? Chris: Manners, katana swords, my kendo outfit that I found in
the gomi and JY100 shops. Sarah: Tokyu Hands, kotatsu and all the things I've collected.
If you could change one thing about Tokyo, what would it be?
Pornography; the treatment of women in society; drunken salarymen; men peeing in public.
Occupation:
LIFE IN JAPAN: