TIH 586: Thersa Matsuura on The Carp-Faced Boy, Podcasting in Japan, and Space for Creativity

Please add around four minutes for the audio. These are for the video version.

00:00:01.75
Michael David Wilson
So let's talk a little bit about your writing and your podcasting. So, I mean, I want to know at what point did you know that this was going to be a concern for you and that you were professionally going to put out fiction to do with Japan and to publish these podcasts as well. Presumably the fiction came first.

00:00:30.78
Thersa Matsuura
yes it did um so the fiction came first uh had the first book A Robe of Feathers came out it was like a small university press and then this is the beginning of the internet and you know like everyone wasn't reading my book well so maybe i should do a book and i don't I'm not good at talking if you i thought I don't really like talking in front of people and it was an idea the whole podcast thing was an idea but it was really hard but I was one of those things where like you know should I do the hard thing and in my

00:01:10.43
Thersa Matsuura
partner happened to be like the first podcaster in Japan or something. So he had the equipment and he knew how to set it all up. And I'm like, all right, I'll try this. And yeah, it was just very much for me. And even now it's just like, this is what I would like to listen to if I had like a podcast about Japan or something. And um I just kind of overlapped, you know, with what I like, what I like to study and the stories I like to write. That makes sense.

00:01:39.72
Michael David Wilson
What was the name of your partner's podcast?

00:01:43.10
Thersa Matsuura
It was hello hello from Japan. And Rich Pav and he used to go around and just do very slice of life. yeah This is what it's like in Japan. This is walking down Shinjuku or Makihabara or something. And yeah, it was very, very popular in podcasting for dummies, I think, the original one. like He's like actually mentioned in there or something. So yeah, not what I do.

00:02:10.67
Michael David Wilson
No, no. I'm wondering what what year did that start?

00:02:11.81
Thersa Matsuura
he's like

00:02:14.16
Michael David Wilson
This wasn't meant to accidentally turn into an interview about your partner, but you know, you said he's like the first podcaster in Japan or the first...

00:02:14.67
Thersa Matsuura
Oh. I don't know about it. No, no, it's really interesting.

00:02:23.72
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, there was two people, yeah, he said it came out at the same time, and it was him and another guy, and he was like, it was like a week, like I think the other guy might've been like a week ahead of him. But um Rich Pav, hello from Japan. Oh God, what year would it have been? I have no idea, I'd have to look it up. I'm really bad with the years. Oh, I can look it up.

00:02:44.56
Thersa Matsuura
have a computer for me

00:02:54.86
Thersa Matsuura
I wish he was here, I could just ask. He's doing editing, ironically enough.

00:03:10.47
Michael David Wilson
Are you literally looking it up now?

00:03:12.41
Thersa Matsuura
I am, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll stop. but

00:03:15.21
Michael David Wilson
No, no, it's okay. I was just checking, like, you know, we hadn't all gone silent.

00:03:19.55
Thersa Matsuura
Well, I'm looking strangely at the... Go ahead, go ahead, sorry.

00:03:21.85
Michael David Wilson
Yeah. I was trying to covertly look it up whilst you were talking about my, my, yeah, my, my Google skills have, have failed me, but don't you worry.

00:03:28.60
Thersa Matsuura
I was overtly looking it up. and Okay, okay.

00:03:35.99
Michael David Wilson
I might continue to do that a little bit later. But I mean, what what does your writing and your working routine look like at the moment? Because, you know, you've got a number of endeavors and like, ah ah are you doing this full time? Is there another job that you have in addition? Like, what is the working day like for you?

00:04:06.34
Thersa Matsuura
I'm very, very poor. Yeah, this is kind of full time. um So, gosh, it is, um I am the most scatterbrained person. I learned what ADHD was like here, like when I was little, they didn't have such a thing.

00:04:27.91
Thersa Matsuura
And I'm like, yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, that might be me, hu squirrel, okay, uh-huh, yeah, okay. So whatever I feel like working on, and I just kind of like, for the next day, I'm like, okay, I need to write, you know, a thousand words on a story. I need to research the next podcast episode. um I need to get ah a blog up for, you know, Uncanny Japan or something. And I just kind of, you know, the day before, write a huge list and then wake up and look at the list and the things I feel like doing.

00:04:53.76
Thersa Matsuura
I kind of work off. And if it's something really important I put at the top of the list, this has to be done. And yeah, it's it's really fun because I'm just doing what I want to do all the time, um pretty much. Research, right? Research, right? I'm learning to draw. I'm like, oh, I can put a thumbnail on my YouTube channel or something. And um yeah, still just kind of scrambling, trying to to make it make enough money.

00:05:21.65
Thersa Matsuura
little side gigs here and there um and hopefully I'm working on my a novel like a real novel finally instead of short stories my agent keeps telling me that short stories are nice but if you really want to follow in and you really want to sell books you need to have a novel so I'm finally doing that and yeah yeah again kind of puzzle pieces coming together after a very long time of being scattered so hopefully that'll happen Sooner rather than later.

00:05:54.77
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, how long have you been doing this full time for?

00:06:00.14
Thersa Matsuura
Probably about three years, three years. um we COVID. ah So when COVID hit and didn't want to work outside, because again, you know I was sick and everything. and really didn't want to go out and be hobnobbing with people just decided to stay at home and do what I could do um got some but like the patreon page and then writing what else it is it does feel like just like a bunch of little side gigs uh looking for the next thing so yeah about three years full time and full time just sounds bad because it is it's like very very poor

00:06:40.78
Thersa Matsuura
it's like

00:06:43.22
Thersa Matsuura
Like if there's ah a city, there's a ah studio, and sometimes they need someone to record a voiceover for a test or something. I'm like, ah, take me. So they're always pulling me in there.

00:06:53.72
Thersa Matsuura
So I'm just getting money that way too.

00:06:57.28
Michael David Wilson
And so what was it you were doing before Covid and before you went full-time?

00:07:03.48
Thersa Matsuura
I was teaching a little bit after ah in a small English like a little private English, but it was really, really cute for a while. And that ended up kind of being weird. The boss wasn't really cool. So that broke away with him and was going to, we were going to start our own little thing here. And then COVID happened and it's like, you know, I'm just going to write and do the podcast and kind of concentrate on that and see if, uh,

00:07:33.74
Thersa Matsuura
Something happened. So a lot of, a what's it called? Irons in the Fire. like I want to do a visual novel now. I think that would be cool. We're actually working on that. So we got all these things that we're working on. Little audio dramas and all kinds of just things. Creative ventures we just want to put out there. um I like the writing part. And he likes all the behind the scenes techy stuff and the the audio stuff. So it kind of works out well. Yeah, I just got to learn how to draw.

00:08:03.79
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, and despite them being separate pieces, they do all seem to be part of like this wider vision. I mean, they're all deeply ingrained in terms of Japanese folklore and Japanese mythology. And I mean, indeed, after reading the Japan folklore book, I read The Carp-Faced Boy, and I thought, you you know, this is like,

00:08:33.32
Michael David Wilson
It is, of course, distinct, but it's almost like it's the same thing, but in a different format.

00:08:39.20
Thersa Matsuura
Right.

00:08:41.54
Michael David Wilson
Although, my goodness, I must say, when I got to Four Guys Walk Into A Bar, I did not expect that tone or shift. That was like, oh okay, this is a different flavor entirely.

00:08:50.95
Thersa Matsuura
right? Can I talk? Can I talk? I actually want to write more in that vein and that is my um so when my son graduated from high school so we were kind of like buddies um my dog and my son my husband was living you know wherever And I knew that I was gonna have empty nest, like, oh my God, he's gonna leave and I'm gonna be all alone. So I signed up for Clarion West, like this writer's, you know, it's like six week writer thing, and got in, don't know how that happened, but got in, oldest one there, and Cory Doctorow, his, I think it was his week. So every week you have a different,

00:09:31.41
Thersa Matsuura
teacher writer and they they teach you and you write because it's just like full-on you're you're either writing you're in class like half the morning you're writing all afternoon you have to read other people's stories everyone else's stories you have to critique them and yeah you just don't sleep but it's so it's like the best experience ever and it was his week and it was something like just mixing things up uh do something that you've never done before but you kind of wanted i don't remember what it was But I thought omniscient viewpoint. I've always wanted to do like get into everyone's head. So omniscient and horror and comedy like again Kurt Vonnegut. I'm like if I could do something just horrifying but also just wacky. And that story came together

00:10:14.33
Thersa Matsuura
Uh, just a couple days and I still love it. I still, I mean, it's, it's very dated because the things like, oh, you know, you have GPS on your phone because back then that was a big deal. I mean, this is like 2015, but, um, the story itself, I think is very adorable and sad and weird.

00:10:33.39
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah.

00:10:34.52
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, and you said you want to do more things kind of in that vein.

00:10:34.83
Thersa Matsuura
I like that story.

00:10:40.57
Thersa Matsuura
Mmm.

00:10:41.94
Michael David Wilson
Is there anything in the works at the moment?

00:10:45.62
Thersa Matsuura
I was thinking I just got an email from some editor who kind of asked like yeah oh I'm having an anthology about this this and would you like to submit something and it sounded really good and I thought you know what I'm gonna think I'm gonna try it again so i I haven't started yet but I think I am it's very writing for me is still I don't feel I found my voice yet like there's so many that you know is this close third is this first person is this you know a tone and and and and all that and atmosphere and voice and I still am looking for my voice I feel but that one feels so comfortable and just a joy to read for me how the characters interact so hopefully this next story I'll be able to do something similar maybe I don't know say

00:11:38.28
Michael David Wilson
It's interesting to hear you say that you feel you haven't found your voice because I feel both in the nonfiction book and in the short story collection that you have a very distinct voice.

00:11:52.44
Michael David Wilson
I mean, it's very I want to say like authoritative, but i'm I'm not sure if that's quite the word I'm looking for, but there's also like a lightheartedness and a playfulness.

00:12:01.32
Thersa Matsuura
no

00:12:07.15
Michael David Wilson
And one might think that those two terms are almost juxtapositions, but you do it in such a way that is a delight to read.

00:12:15.79
Thersa Matsuura
Thank you. Oh, thank you.

00:12:17.71
Michael David Wilson
So i to me, that feels like somebody writing who's got a strong command and a sense of their voice, but I'm I wonder, you know, a lot of us, we have different facets of our voice.

00:12:33.86
Michael David Wilson
So perhaps it's not that you haven't found your voice, but that you have multiple voices and you're kind of trying to explore what are the other sides to it.

00:12:34.52
Thersa Matsuura
hmm i like that so that book was written in 2000 what oh 15 i think we need to come out yeah it came out yeah 2017 okay so i did do a couple so i didn't write for a long time because of

00:12:52.27
Michael David Wilson
So the carp faced boy was 2017, I believe.

00:13:01.11
Thersa Matsuura
breaking up of the X and all that stuff was really bad. But then I wrote last year, two stories, the Buddha bone and another one. I forget what it was, but um it's kind of that voice, but more stripped away. It's more tight, I think, which I like, I like better. It's, it's so yeah. ah But then again, like you're right, different facets, but also changing, right? As you change, as you grow, it's been however many years, 10 years or something. So um that too, maybe.

00:13:32.69
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, it's getting more comfortable, I think.

00:13:38.03
Thersa Matsuura
Thank you.

00:13:38.07
Michael David Wilson
And when you approach writing something to prepare for the podcast or when you prepare fiction or when you prepare a nonfiction piece, what would you say are some of the commonalities, but then also the distinct challenges of each medium?

00:14:00.21
Thersa Matsuura
Ooh. So the podcast I try, I really, my the whole idea with the podcast was kind of like, this is before everyone came to Japan, like, no, there's so many people here. But before it was kind of like, hey, come with me, come to Japan. I'm going to show you this little, little nook or cranny over here of something very weird.

00:14:18.55
Thersa Matsuura
that you probably don't know about and you might want to know more about. And it was kind of like almost, you know, ah second person almost almost like, you you come with me and I'll show you this thing and I'll explain it to you. And that's, I think that is,

00:14:32.75
Thersa Matsuura
helped me a lot with just the regular writing. The um folklore book was difficult just in that with fiction you can do anything, right? Like you write it, you have that shitty first draft, you rewrite it, yet yet you take things apart, you put things in. But with the folklore book, everything had to be right and I couldn't really get words wrong because that would change the facts of the story. So that was That was hard.

00:15:01.51
Thersa Matsuura
And then the deadline for that thing was just insane. and It was less than two months to actually research and write the whole thing. And I thought I would go nuts. So yeah, that was that.

00:15:14.77
Thersa Matsuura
But um fiction is probably more of a playground. ah Yeah.

00:15:19.97
Michael David Wilson
I want to know why the deadline was so tight.

00:15:23.08
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, for real. That's like the one thing, even with my agent, we're like, hey, we got this. Because they approached me. They're like, hey, we would like you to. And I'm like, yeah, sure, that's awesome. I'd love to do that. Oh, and by the way, the first.

00:15:36.80
Thersa Matsuura
you know half of the book has to be you know handed in in a month and I'm like oh you're fucking so we said no and then they're like hey you want some more money and I was like not a lot but it was so hu that's not gonna help my sanity any but um it was the most difficult thing I've ever done uh focus wise mentally like I had to wake up and just be on. And I didn't wash clothes. I didn't cook. I didn't go for walks. I didn't check the mail. And then, you know, at night I wake up at 2 a.m. because I can't sleep because I have to check news. And then I stop. Okay, I got to edit. I'm editing all my my own Google Docs at night. And then, okay, then I sleep. a little Okay, wake up. Okay, I got to do the research now. And i have to do and yeah, yeah. ah Had I more time, it might have been a little bit different, I'm sure, but

00:16:20.70
Thersa Matsuura
for what it was, yeah, it got done. And I don't know why, they were just very keen to, there were some, I don't know, some kind of, something they wanted, some kind of deadline they wanted to to meet and to get into some kind of, I don't know, book club or something, I don't remember, but they're like, yeah, if you do, you know, I'm like, okay, okay, yeah, okay, sure, I'll do it.

00:16:41.10
Thersa Matsuura
But after that, writing a book in a year is like, oh, I can do that, that's easy.

00:16:48.03
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, it's bizarre that they were the ones who approached you and then they imposed this incredible deadline on you.

00:16:48.15
Thersa Matsuura
Maybe not.

00:16:58.11
Michael David Wilson
Yeah.

00:16:58.46
Thersa Matsuura
It's crazy. I just got a ah new ah publisher came for little like little kids, like eight eight to 10 years old. And they're something similar, a little bit different. There'll be ghosts in this one and more um ah creation myths, ah gods and goddesses too. So it's a little bit different, but yeah kind of the same thing, shorter, of course. And their deadline is, I think, six months. And they're all apologetic. And I'm like, ah, six months here. All right.

00:17:26.15
Thersa Matsuura
Maybe, I don't know. We'll see. I'm gonna work on that today. But yeah, I'm very, if I have a deadline, I can. focus and work, right? If I don't, any any old writing a story about one of the stories I think in Carp Faced Boy about it's kind of a dental horror story. um Just going down the rabbit hole of false teeth in ancient Japan and what kind of wood they were made of and the actually the the they were the the the art artisans are the artisans. that carved Buddhist statues were the ones who did the false teeth because they were so good at at carving that they'd also be on the side dentists and things like that.

00:18:09.38
Thersa Matsuura
weeks of studying this and none of it gets into the story but yeah I'm not careful that's all I do and that's another reason I think I started the podcast is because I had all that extra stuff like I had like I researched all this I'm not going to use it in the story uh what do I do with this it's really interesting maybe somebody cares about false teeth in old Japan and I don't know so uh that's how uncanny Japan came about too

00:18:37.63
Bob Pastorella
That's the thing I don't like about research is that you have to know so much about something and you're not going to use it, but you you don't want your character to sound like a moron if they're an expert in something.

00:18:53.58
Thersa Matsuura
Right.

00:18:54.77
Bob Pastorella
And so, and then, so, you know, And you don't want to, you don't want them to like receipt, recite passages from Wikipedia, you know, um, dentistry, which started in the 16th, you know, it's like, you don't want to do that.

00:19:05.07
Thersa Matsuura
Isn't that crazy? Yeah.

00:19:11.60
Thersa Matsuura
Right, right, right, right.

00:19:11.92
Bob Pastorella
And so you, need but you, you have to, it's like, you have to do out of a hundred percent research, you're going to use 5% of that. So your character sounds authentic.

00:19:24.21
Thersa Matsuura
Mm hmm.

00:19:25.18
Bob Pastorella
yeah

00:19:26.06
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah. And if you if you just did the five percent, right?

00:19:26.94
Bob Pastorella
Such fun.

00:19:29.78
Thersa Matsuura
Like, I just need as much. The reader could tell, like you said, it's something's going to be off. They're going to be like, wait a minute. it Right. So you really do have to have that big base of knowledge to pull out exactly that little five percent that you're going to hear you go.

00:19:39.13
Bob Pastorella
Mm-hmm.

00:19:43.19
Thersa Matsuura
um And that's a problem I have a lot with, and I hate to say this, but reading books about Japan, like someone who's not lived in Japan, but they're writing about, you know, Momotaro or something. And then I'm like, they get something like little things wrong.

00:19:56.21
Thersa Matsuura
I'm like, I wish they went and said, oh, god I wish they would have asked me or something like that.

00:19:59.36
Bob Pastorella
Mmhmm.

00:20:02.18
Thersa Matsuura
But I mean, I get stuff wrong too, I'm sure. But yeah, it's research. It's fun. And it's also ah it stops the writing cold.

00:20:08.50
Bob Pastorella
Mmhmm.

00:20:15.16
Michael David Wilson
And it sounds like you might be in a situation now where rather than you coming to publishers or you pitching projects, you're getting so many offers because you're known as, you know, the person who writes about Japanese folklore that people are coming more often than not to you. And I mean, how does that affect what you're doing and does that affect your mindset and equally, do you have to make a conscious effort to also carve out a kind of creative space for you? So it's like, right, this one is me. This is my project. And to kind of make that time untouchable.

00:20:58.33
Thersa Matsuura
exactly all of that yeah so like a year ago a year ago uh the visual novel it's like this is what i'm doing this is next i'm doing this and i did you know again research i'm researching what's a visual novel how are we going to do this what's rim pie blah blah blah do the drafter You had it recorded. Everything's done. We just start, OK, let's go. And then the publisher came and said, oh, by the way, hey, guess what? And I'm like, I'm not going to say no to that. Of course I want to do that. So I did that. And then I was like, whew. All right, we can rest. OK, now I'm going to do the novel. ah The visual novel is still kind of being worked on. We're working on that. OK, novel. I've got to write my own novel now. the And then I get this another one. I'm like, hey, we went to it. I'm like, OK, I'll do it. But you're right. I am i have now like 1,000 words, my words, first thing in the morning. like my

00:21:43.53
Thersa Matsuura
whatever because it's so easy for me to just do anything else except what I need to be doing for me and not getting any younger still have lots of ideas I want to I want to get out there so yeah yeah first 1000 words are mine and then after that I can just work on whatever's next but yeah you're right

00:22:07.26
Michael David Wilson
And I think getting to your words first thing in the morning is a smart idea because then if we carve out this time, hopefully don't even turn our phones on, then we can't get distracted by other things.

00:22:21.59
Michael David Wilson
But if you say, right, my words are going to be in the middle of the day or at the end of the day, oh, that that's the danger zone. That really is.

00:22:30.60
Thersa Matsuura
that's yep yep yep yep anything can happen like oh i need to go to the store that's right own boy that that shower needs cleaning or yeah anything will come in And they're harder words because like the the the folklore book, that the one that's already out and the new one for little kids, um you know it's it's research and then it's presenting it in ah in a way that you know it's it fun to read for little kids or whatever. um But with mine, i'm you know I've got this, the the protagonist is up in a tree or something. It's it's also a middle grade book. I'm gonna write, I have adult,

00:23:08.49
Thersa Matsuura
novels like horror and everything I want to write but I want to do this one first because it's I've been written five thousand word short stories forever so okay that's a little bit longer than a short story uh middle grade adventure wacky adventure okay kind of ghibli-esque do that and then that would be my step to like the the really creepy stories I really want to write so um so it's not super long but you know things happen it's like how do they get into such how do they get out of this situation and that's where i really have to think

00:23:39.39
Thersa Matsuura
so morning is better because afternoon it's like a

00:23:45.44
Michael David Wilson
And I know that we're jumping around a lot in terms of topics, but it's because there's so much that's of curiosity.

00:23:52.86
Michael David Wilson
And I mean, you've mentioned your agent, of course. So I want to know, when did you get your agent? How did you get your agent? Have you had multiple agents in your career?

00:24:03.28
Thersa Matsuura
where I really have to think, so morning is better.

00:24:05.92
Michael David Wilson
What's the story there?

00:24:07.74
Thersa Matsuura
agent was funny. So the first book was funny too because I was very, what's the word, naive and just ah took risks. So I used to get, there used to be a book by Ellen Datlow and Terry Windley and it was like the year's best fantasy and horror.

00:24:25.87
Thersa Matsuura
Every year they came out and I, that was my, those are my Bibles, like every year I get those and just read all the stories. So I would go to There like the introduction they would talk about different publishers like these publishers really good So I go to the publishers and I kind of i read the story I'm like that's kind of like what I write and then who published it and then I just cold wrote the publisher and said hey I got an idea for this book and here's one of the stories. What do you think and one hit like it was small like I said, it was like a university press and the Head editor or whatever said. Oh, yeah. Okay. I like that story. What else do you got? i'm like Hold on

00:25:01.07
Thersa Matsuura
I got more, writing furiously. And so that worked. But when that happened, I realized, OK, I know nothing about contracts. Again, this is internet's very new. And like just researching that was like, there's not much there. So I did another cold, just wrote a bunch of agents that I thought might fit, and said, you know, I got this deal. It's not a lot of money. It's hardly any. But you know maybe in the future. And I picked up Ethan. and Uh, he was great. It was but our first talk, like, you know, your first agent talk, he called. I called me on the phone and he's like, um, I forget what he said, but I did the old, um, hi, I'm fine. And you like, whatever the Japanese, you know, like they learned first English, like, hello, how are you? I'm fine. And you or something. And he goes, is English your first language? Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry. Yeah. It's my first language. I'm really, really not good at this talking thing, but, um, he's still with me and there's been,

00:25:59.26
Thersa Matsuura
many years where we just didn't talk. And I was just like, you know, he's going to drop me any minute. He's going to drop me any minute now. But um recently, things have been kind of finally happening. So so we're in contact a lot, which is nice. But yeah, he's like the only one of the only people I've met that I've been awestruck. Like I've not met a lot of famous people, but when I met him, it was kind of like, wow, cool. This is a guy some mover. I met him once mover and shaker. and This guy makes things happen.

00:26:28.12
Thersa Matsuura
He's John Scalzi's agent too, so and John Scalzi's the one that gets those deals that are biggest deal ever, biggest advance ever. So I'm a little peon down here, but i got I got a hero up there that I'm i'm aiming for.

00:26:47.70
Michael David Wilson
You know, just ask your agent, like, can we get a Scalzi deal? Just just this once, just one Scalzi is what I'm after right now.

00:26:51.98
Thersa Matsuura
and This is fun. We'll be good, right? You get your percentage, I get mine. Yeah, yeah, Scalzi's like the king, so. ha But yeah, yeah. So, but yeah, it helps. Just calm me down because I'm not good with contracts and dealing with that. It helps a lot.

00:27:17.90
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, it feels that like a lot of your meeting people and the opportunities have been very serendipitous and it's almost like there's a spiritual element to that as well.

00:27:30.95
Michael David Wilson
It's like the universe provides you with what you need, when you need it.

00:27:34.48
Thersa Matsuura
good Wouldn't that be cool? And another one, and another one, that this one felt serendipitous, is, I don't know if you know David Dastmalchian from movies, right? So one day I'm sitting there on whatever, Patreon, you get the notification, like, oh, you have a new Patreon. Oh, you have a new Patreon. Oh, and I write them, like, hi, how are you? And this one had the name David. There's no freaking way. So I just kind of left it for a few days. I'm like, there's no way that this person could possibly be So a couple days later, I didn't even write hello yet because I'm kind of like, what do I say? But nah. And then Instagram, I get a message like, hi, this is David. thus much and I don't know if you know me or not. Holy shit. Holy shit. oh but they It is. And then we became friends. And now he's writing a comic ah called Knights versus Samurai. So good. So good.

00:28:27.86
Thersa Matsuura
And yeah, he just said, you know, I like, I've listened to your show, the kids love the show, I love your show, and could you be kind of a consultant on some of the ah Japan part? And hell yeah, oh yeah, I can do that. And speaking of serendipity, my son lives in Hokkaido, apropos of they just wanted to get the hell out of the city, so they moved to this bow-hunk town in Hokkaido, like very, very north. Nobody knows where it is. You know, a couple hundred people in the town and so they've been there for a couple years, they're gonna move, but so that's happening. no Of course, David doesn't know about that, but anyway, in his story of the Knights vs. Samurai, the Knights land in Japan, and he randomly picked a place in Hokkaido. This is where the Knights are gonna land. It's like a 30 minute, 45 minute drive from my where my son lives, and I'm like, holy shit, David, I'm actually gonna visit him you know in a month. So rented a car, we all get in the car, and we drive there, and you just go to this beach, and it's just like,

00:29:27.01
Thersa Matsuura
you know, this is where it happened. This is where David's story took place. And so I'm taking videos and stuff and picking up shells and sending it to him. So yeah, that was very kind of like, he and I have had lots of things like that. Like, yeah, we'll be thinking of something and we'll contact the other one. It's like, I would just take it of that. So yeah, that book's going to be art a comic. It's going to be so good. Excited about that coming out.

00:29:55.01
Michael David Wilson
And I think David's popularity really blew up last year as well with Late Night with the Devil.

00:30:06.59
Bob Pastorella
who I've been seeing him since and the first time that I saw him was in, uh, you know, the Batman, the dark night and, um, you know, and, and

00:30:15.35
Thersa Matsuura
Mm. Yeah.

00:30:23.01
Bob Pastorella
and I'm sure he had done things before then, but even then, and he had, he, his part was a good part and it was small, but he made such an impression.

00:30:23.99
Thersa Matsuura
No, I think it was his work.

00:30:29.97
Thersa Matsuura
Mm.

00:30:33.15
Bob Pastorella
I was like, this guy, I don't know who he is. He has an unpronounceable last name that I can't pronounce, but he's going somewhere and don't David D.

00:30:42.86
Thersa Matsuura
Thank you.

00:30:42.98
Bob Pastorella
And then to see that he does, he's like the host of shutters, uh, or fangorias chainsaw awards. He, um, and then he, he's, he's a lead in this, this film late night with the devil.

00:30:58.99
Bob Pastorella
That was, you know, probably a little different than what I expected, but he carried the whole film. And I was like, this guy is good. And then to find out he's a writer and, you know, and all that and into so many different things, he's just a very fascinating person.

00:31:15.59
Bob Pastorella
And the fact that, that you're consulting him.

00:31:16.29
Thersa Matsuura
Oh, he...

00:31:20.01
Bob Pastorella
that's That's freaking tight, man.

00:31:22.69
Thersa Matsuura
That's surreal.

00:31:22.92
Bob Pastorella
That's what I gotta say. That's freaking awesome.

00:31:25.95
Thersa Matsuura
It is so surreal and he is so nice. He is the nicest damn person. Oh my God, he's nice and he's smart. He's wicked smart. So when he first we were first talking, I was kind of like, oh, you know, he had my book and everything.

00:31:38.55
Thersa Matsuura
So I was like, oh, i say well maybe he wants like advice on writing or something. Oh, hell no. He is such an incredible, like the characters and the way the story unfolds. He's just so good. He's so multi-talented. Nice. um And works his ass off. He's very, very, and I can be lazy. Like I can be like, I'm gonna sit on the couch for a while and and you know.

00:32:04.28
Thersa Matsuura
he works so hard and he's just a good good person so um he's kind of my you know my hero too but yeah that was very serendipitous and yeah and and while working on that too lots of things happened where we were like yeah no way okay i was thinking that doing stuff so yeah that'll be fun it's coming out in september i think hopefully it'll be

00:32:25.64
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, yeah, I'm definitely gonna pick up a copy of that. I didn't know until this conversation that Knights vs. Samurai was even a thing, so...

00:32:37.60
Thersa Matsuura
And the artist is an Italian artist who's just incredible too. Yeah, it's gonna be cool.

00:32:45.21
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, no, this looks a good one. Image Comics September 24th.

00:32:51.06
Thersa Matsuura
fifty four

00:32:53.34
Michael David Wilson
So, I mean, we've mentioned the book of Japanese folklore, but we're almost skirting around the book.

00:32:59.88
Thersa Matsuura
yeah

00:33:02.21
Michael David Wilson
So, I mean, when the publisher first came to you, what was their vision for the book? Because it has got a very gorgeous aesthetic.

00:33:12.90
Michael David Wilson
It's very meticulously crafted. So I'm wondering, what was it that they said they wanted from you and how much creative back and forth did you and the publishers have to put this together?

00:33:29.67
Thersa Matsuura
So Adam's Media is like an imprint of Simon and Schuster and they're kind of like pretty books, like beautiful books, like books almost like coffee table, small coffee table books. So that was their, their thing is that to make a very beautiful book. So that was nice because they're hard, hardback and It's got the ah it's really cute the day they decided to do the edges and like a golden color. It was decided later like oh we got we got the budget for it we're going to do a golden and our yellow or something and one of my friends said that's not yellow that's dream sickle and I'm like oh dream sickle.

00:34:06.11
Thersa Matsuura
so But anyway, so there is a Norse mythology and a Greek one I think they already had out. So it was just along those lines. They used a different artist and I knew right away there'd be like 30, like we're gonna have, you know, like whatever, 45, 45 characters and then 30 of them will be illustrated.

00:34:27.05
Thersa Matsuura
And I got to pick out, you know, like, this is what a kappa looks like. This is what an oni looks like. And send photos to the, or pictures to the artist. And then she she did her her thing. And then there's back and forth, like, maybe more of this, maybe less of that, or that's perfect, or whatever. And then the the format, too, is kind of like the very beginning. It's like, what is this creature?

00:34:52.33
Thersa Matsuura
and ah the background and then kind of modern a story about it and then where can you find it today like in games and movies it's pretty much Pokemon or something. I think the only thing is when I first started writing it I started to do it like I do the show to kind of immerse the person like you know for example if you wake up in the middle of the night and you hear something in your and your bathtub and it's licking the walls you know what could it be and so a lot of them at the first half at least I think were set up like that and I really liked the way it went. I liked that it was kind of a setup. It got you in there, and then it explained what it was. But um the editor was like, no, no, no, no. You have to tell what it is right away. I'm like, oh, but that ruins the surprise. So some of them are kind of like shifted around, like the the chapters are like, that was supposed to go up here, but I had to move it. um so But they were really good. They were very good with the um back and forth.

00:35:50.92
Thersa Matsuura
any questions I had. The editor was so sweet. And I think because it was such a tight deadline, like, you know, like daily, not daily, but, you know, how's this son and back and forth.

00:36:02.26
Thersa Matsuura
So, yeah, yeah, it was just a very surreal two months with

00:36:08.31
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, and I mean, traditionally with a book, we would send the entire draft, then we would get notes, then we would rewrite its sounds based on what you're saying.

00:36:08.61
Thersa Matsuura
lots of chocolate afterwards.

00:36:19.45
Michael David Wilson
You would almost send like a kind of chapter by chapter, so...

00:36:23.83
Thersa Matsuura
It did, the first one, they just said ah to to pitch it. So they said, okay, kappa, send a chapter of how you would write the kappa one. So I sent that and then that was okay. And they're like, okay, do them like that. And then they're like, okay. And and one month we want, you know, 30 chapters, i okay. And then I sent them. And actually it was that time. So it wasn't really chapter by chapter. it was It was a big chunk because that was when they said, oh, we don't want you to set it up. We actually want you to tell exactly what the creature is. So no one's confused.

00:36:52.88
Thersa Matsuura
you know and he looks like an ogre and he's got horns. Not, what if you were walking in the forest and then and you heard a sound? So I had to change that up a little bit, but they were great.

00:37:07.86
Michael David Wilson
and I mean, I guess an advantage for you of not being able to set it up like that is it really does then distinguish the book from the podcast.

00:37:18.55
Michael David Wilson
And I mean, that means that they can compliment one another.

00:37:20.51
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah.

00:37:22.45
Michael David Wilson
And what one would certainly hope that those who have read and enjoyed the book then go to the podcast if they weren't aware of it before.

00:37:32.84
Michael David Wilson
And, well, my goodness, if they do that, they have a lot of hours of listening ahead of them.

00:37:41.87
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, a couple years. Not as long as you guys. Yeah, just I think seven or eight years. yeah

00:37:45.80
Michael David Wilson
It's a mere seven or eight. So basically between us, we've got a couple of decades of listening for people.

00:37:55.13
Thersa Matsuura
Sit down everybody, put on your headphones. Yep, yep.

00:37:59.57
Michael David Wilson
And you'd said before that when you started out the podcast, and of course when you started out writing, and there were less people in Japan, whereas now there are a lot more people. But I do love that in spite of that, there aren't really any rivals to uncanny Japan. You know, you have carved out that space, that niche.

00:38:24.51
Michael David Wilson
maybe you do it so well that everyone's like nope you are untouchable we're not gonna go there

00:38:29.41
Thersa Matsuura
No, no. Yeah, thank you. But I kind of feel like um there's Koabana, right? So she's horror. And she's so good. I mean, she's got that, right? So I wanted to do more horror. And I always thought like, oh, maybe I should do this. But which, you know, Tara's got that. That's great. And I kind of feel sometimes that, you know, I like to do Buddhist things. I like to do language things. I like to do creepy things. I like to do funny things. So sometimes I almost feel like I'm just juggling things I like at the moment.

00:38:57.15
Thersa Matsuura
The one that's coming out next is a caterpillar cult. It's about a literal cult that worshiped a caterpillar, and it's just so nuts. I'm just going to say, oh, this is great. I just have to talk about it. So yeah, a lot of it is very selfishly things I've never seen or heard about. And I'm like, oh, I bet people would think that's kind of goofy or scary or it entertains me.

00:39:22.64
Michael David Wilson
I think, though, you know, that's what we've got to do when we're creating art, like we've got to do something that entertains ourselves or that taps into our interest. And, you know, we've got to trust if it's something that we're excited about and we're passionate about. Not only are there going to be other people that are also passionate about it, but it is a kind of infectious enthusiasm.

00:39:49.67
Thersa Matsuura
I was, I'm, yeah, the more people that reach out and like, you know, like email or message or whatever, uh, that are interested in the same things. It just blows my mind. I'm like, really? Really? You like that too? I guess. Awesome. So yeah, and I kind of, that was the most surprising thing, I guess. I don't know. I did the podcast. I kind of thought people might listen and, and I never thought people would actually reach out and like, and say things and just the, oh my gosh. Um,

00:40:18.99
Thersa Matsuura
I don't want to say too much about her, but there's i mean just people who have like gone through really hard things in their life. But, you know, I've always wanted to go to Japan, but this happened in my life. And ah but, you know, I listened to your show and I'm getting through it. And then that was six years ago. And now, you know, she's married and she's happy. you know So it's just kind of like forming little connections with these people that, you know, never meet. But they're just so beautiful. And I really didn't expect that. I don't know what I expected from doing the show.

00:40:49.09
Thersa Matsuura
but that's my favorite part by far is just the people who reach out and and say anything at all. there's you With all the the news, you know it's like, oh God, oh God, why are we still on this planet kind of thing? And and then you know someone will reach out and say, you know my son is you know four years old and he walks around with ah a plate on his head and says he's a cop because he loves your show. Really? I'll send him a sticker. Yeah, people are the best. That's what I'm trying to say.

00:41:17.71
Michael David Wilson
And I think there's a real intimacy and a connection when listening to a podcast. And because, you know, I mean, that the person is literally in your ear is, it's more personal than if you're just reading an article. So we do find that we almost have this pseudo relationship with the host of the podcast that we're listening to.

00:41:47.01
Thersa Matsuura
That's something else I took for granted. I didn't realize so much. I don't listen to a whole lot of podcasts. I do when I walk and stuff. But yeah, discovering that too. And in yeah, I get it. I love it. It's so sweet.

00:42:05.47
Michael David Wilson
Well, I mean, I'm wondering in terms of the book, and this is completely indulgent, but which creature would you most and least like to encounter?

00:42:19.48
Thersa Matsuura
ah least least bimbo gummy the poverty god yeah right right and i think it's for my uh like like trauma from my mother-in-law you know you if you if you do things wrong the bimbo the god of poverty is gonna it's like it uh what do they call it uh like two sides of a coin or two sides of a piece of paper like you know everything's good good good flip you know it's like oh god so so yeah that one uh

00:42:24.64
Michael David Wilson
That is reasonable.

00:42:46.72
Thersa Matsuura
It doesn't look like much, but boy, there's no thank you. No, no bingo gummy. Most like to. I met a Tengu recently. I don't know what it is. They just like have everything going for them. They're cool. They're martial artists. They fly. They have wings. They dress like just awesome. um Doing a little mini audio drama now about a Tengu. So I'm kind of like really into those.

00:43:17.45
Thersa Matsuura
Red faced. Tall getter shoes. Everything.

00:43:24.03
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, did you ever read the Graham Masterton book? I believe it was the early 90s, literally called Tengu.

00:43:31.95
Thersa Matsuura
ah No, but where's my pen? I'll look that up.

00:43:38.67
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, I think that was... To me, it feels like one of the books that really put him on the map, but I might be heavily prejudiced because it was one of the first books I've read by him. So I'm not sure how much that is reality and just my own personal experience. I don't know if Bob is a Graham Masterton scholar who might be able to say more on that one.

00:44:05.95
Bob Pastorella
Now I've read and it's been so long that I cannot remember anything about it, but the only thing that I've read by him was the Manitou. Um, and that was in very formative years, checked it out at the library. You know, what is this?

00:44:29.37
Bob Pastorella
You know, um, I was going through everything I could get my hands on. Cause after discovering, you know, Stephen King and and Peter Straub and you know, it's like, well, who's, who's Ramsey Campbell, who's grand master, you know, who's, who's all these, these, you know, who's, who's James Herbert, you know, so he started going through these, um,

00:44:53.57
Bob Pastorella
You know, and then when those books were checked out, it's like, who's Tanith Lee?

00:44:57.30
Thersa Matsuura
Hmm.

00:44:57.47
Bob Pastorella
Who's, you know, so, you know, who's Shirley Jackson? And you don't, you don't know.

00:45:02.23
Bob Pastorella
And then you're mad because you're like, Oh shit, I read Shirley Jackson at school. They made us read that stupid story called the lottery. Cause you're like, you know, you're 14 and you didn't get it, you know, or you're 15 and is, you know, then you read the lottery in your twenties and you're like, Oh my God.

00:45:19.46
Bob Pastorella
Oh my God.

00:45:19.58
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, it's so well written.

00:45:20.89
Bob Pastorella
You know, so, but. My experience with Masterson is I've read the one book and I don't remember it. That's more on me than the book because I mean, supposedly it's a classic, so I should revisit it.

00:45:34.27
Thersa Matsuura
is that the movie from manou i mean right

00:45:37.48
Bob Pastorella
Yeah, they made it into a film, which I've never seen.

00:45:37.72
Thersa Matsuura
that

00:45:38.02
Michael David Wilson
Yeah.

00:45:39.55
Thersa Matsuura
that ah that was one of my very early um what the hell

00:45:46.43
Bob Pastorella
I heard it's a what the hell film.

00:45:46.68
Thersa Matsuura
just Yes, I don't remember how old I need to look at when that movie came out because to this day I I asked people like, you know, my apartment I might have you ever seen magnitude and this thing comes out of here and it's like No, I haven't seen that but you're the first person I've ever heard mention it.

00:46:01.82
Thersa Matsuura
So I didn't even know it was a book I just thought it was like a screenplay that got made into a movie gonna find that It was 76 Okay 78

00:46:06.49
Bob Pastorella
No, I think he is Yeah

00:46:06.78
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, but the book came out in 76 and the movie was 78, which is a fairly quick adaptation. I wish that they happened that quickly these days, but the business has changed.

00:46:17.55
Thersa Matsuura
10 years old. Yeah, it is.

00:46:24.48
Bob Pastorella
yeah

00:46:26.95
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, that's a movie. who

00:46:28.62
Michael David Wilson
Yeah. Yeah. And I mean something that you've, touched on. I did love how you tied each mythology, each creature into pop culture, because then, you know, that's giving people, particularly those who aren't as familiar with Japan, reference points.

00:46:50.02
Michael David Wilson
And so you mentioned things like Yokai Watch and Light Demon Slayer, and my personal favorite, like Silent Hill.

00:46:54.71
Thersa Matsuura
yeah

00:46:58.22
Thersa Matsuura
Silent Hill. There is so many. It was intimidating because yeah you got this many words, right, to say in popular culture now. And there was just so much. Each one had so many. And it wass okay I could only you know do was like, I was like, I don't know, 50 words or 75 words or something. And I didn't realize I'm not, I live here, I don't live in the States, just how prevalent you know, these yokai in games and manga and movies and for Christ's sake, what was it, jeans? There's like Momotaro jeans or something. there's like There's all kinds of things out there that I did not, I did not realize how ah everywhere they are. Yeah, I wish I could have put more. I think some people were upset, like, oh, you didn't mention. I'm like, I'm sorry. I know, I know.

00:47:51.49
Bob Pastorella
When I was, when I was reading the book and I mean, I'm coming from a totally uneducated about Japan situation. So I'm reading this book and I'm looking for the the entities, the things that, that, that I've experienced. And so like what, what this book has done, because I, I, I was fascinated by these, these creatures.

00:48:21.51
Bob Pastorella
and but at the same time I'm like and then I'll see the pop culture reference and After I go through the whole book. I'm like they didn't mention julian one time And then so I'm like, well, there's a reason for that.

00:48:30.73
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah.

00:48:34.25
Bob Pastorella
Okay Because if you if you mentioned silent healing and all that it's like, okay, so there there has to be a reason so it forced me to to to Take the time to actually look up what that was.

00:48:48.09
Bob Pastorella
And I'm like, that's why it wasn't mentioned because that is from the spirit realm to put it in, in very, very elementary terms. And we're dealing with things that are creatures that are folk, you know, folklore. And so there's, there's, I guess the difference between paranormal and supernatural. So your book kind of deals with the folklore, kind of a little bit more of of a yeah kind of supernatural in a way, but more not, not, not of the spirit realm.

00:49:21.27
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, that was but yeah, go ahead.

00:49:21.41
Bob Pastorella
And so it was very, but it was educational because it it led me into my own research.

00:49:28.96
Thersa Matsuura
Mm hmm.

00:49:30.99
Bob Pastorella
And when you can do that, um, to me, that's, that's where, you know, because the the book, the concepts from the book linger on and make you think about and to make you curious about The different things.

00:49:46.03
Thersa Matsuura
o

00:49:46.83
Bob Pastorella
And so, and then, so I guess, thank you. Yes.

00:49:49.98
Thersa Matsuura
oh

00:49:50.09
Bob Pastorella
Cause now, now I know I've learned something.

00:49:50.56
Thersa Matsuura
here yeah

00:49:52.50
Bob Pastorella
I've learned a difference between something in in a folklore that I was totally new to.

00:49:52.67
Thersa Matsuura
i

00:50:00.62
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, and so many got cut like at the beginning, you know, I pitched like 20 different creatures and we we did you know will ghosts be included because if you do ghost there's a lot and And then you can do the all Juon and all these, the J-horror, you know, the ring, and who is, you know, Sarako, what is she? And it just got so much, i like, okay, let's just keep it to the Yolkai. And they wanted kind of legendary heroes, a couple, you know, Momotaro and Kintaro and that. um But yeah, that's so, so deep right there too, and so fascinating.

00:50:35.46
Bob Pastorella
But the Yokai is very deep and fascinating as well.

00:50:37.14
Thersa Matsuura
Just... Mm, mm.

00:50:38.82
Bob Pastorella
I mean, there's no, no doubt there.

00:50:39.96
Thersa Matsuura
a much so yeah and what that yeah just they're just so

00:50:41.87
Bob Pastorella
There's some, like when you mentioned earlier, and I'm, I'm probably not going to ruinmate remember the name, but the bathtub liquor. That creep me the hell out.

00:50:53.17
Bob Pastorella
That was like, that's yeah. And that's, that's icky, icky, creepy, icky, creepy. but but

00:51:03.17
Thersa Matsuura
I just think like how creative people used to be and I just imagine that's my whole thing is like imagine okay there's no electricity you know you got candles you've got you know oil lanterns you got the the flickering you know shadows on the wall at night and you're telling stories or you hear a sound or um you know even like ah what was it Laiju like is a thunder beast or something a lightning beast And, you know, back in the day, there's ball lightning.

00:51:28.44
Thersa Matsuura
and what's I've never seen, personally, never seen ball lightning, but had someone seen ball lightning, like, what's that? And then, okay, it's A, and then they they just make this story about this beast that's actually a beast that shoots out lightning and jumps around and destroys things.

00:51:44.49
Thersa Matsuura
And it's just like the creativity. I just, it's so old, but it's fresh, right? Nowadays, I don't know, I don't know what kids do with these.

00:51:52.18
Bob Pastorella
Mm-hmm. It's fascinating that it stuck to the oral tradition strong.

00:51:57.18
Thersa Matsuura
Yes.

00:51:57.90
Bob Pastorella
It's so strong.

00:52:00.24
Thersa Matsuura
And in art, and and and no, and kabuki play, and it's, yeah, yeah, just, she's still here. and And I go back, I was exactly like Yubap with, you bu yeah know, we have Paul Bunyan in the States, we have Johnny Appleseed, and then, you know, at least in Europe, you know, you've got fairies, and you've got all kinds of cool things going on there, but Japan just, you know, held onto their little creatures, and still,

00:52:25.60
Thersa Matsuura
still holding on to him. So I think that's very honorable.

00:52:29.38
Bob Pastorella
Mmhmm.

00:52:31.95
Michael David Wilson
And the fact that you cut so much and you made the conscious decision to not include ghosts, does that mean that there could be a follow-up or there could be a second book, hopefully, without a two-month deadline?

00:52:49.42
Thersa Matsuura
yeah much I have this back of my mind dream to work up the table of contents and kind of work on some. And after I get like a good solid footing to pitch the idea to one of these editors, I was going, hey, you know what? You know, there could be a part two with the the more obscure ones. I think there'd be enough to fill up another book. I do. And if it was a longer deadline, yeah, even better. I don't know. I have no idea. That's totally a dream right there. I have no idea. I'm sure they have other things on there. They have other countries they have to go to, but I'd like to do it.

00:53:25.08
Michael David Wilson
And with this book too, you narrated the audiobook. So how did that come about? Because it's quite, I think, unusual for Simon and Schuster to have had the audio rights, but for you to have still been able to narrate it.

00:53:43.23
Thersa Matsuura
I'm not a fighter. I'm pretty much, yeah, yeah, whatever. I fought for that. like I woke up one day and they're like, well, here's the people we want to read your book. And I was like, well, here's the people.

00:53:58.40
Thersa Matsuura
You want me to choose one of these people to read my books? They were nice, they were good, but yeah know there's the pronunciation thing. So I just, again, pitch. you know I just said, hey, listen, this is who I am. Here's my best shows. This is how I read. This this is what I can do for you. And no, I don't have a real studio, but hey, this sounds really good, doesn't it?

00:54:18.64
Thersa Matsuura
and My agent and I, we were talking about it and he's like, yeah, let's pitch it. So I pitched it to him and oh, it took so long. Every day I was just like, oh, please, please, please, please. please And then finally they're like, yeah, okay, let's do it. And then the, the, the best part was after we did it, and again, my partner does all the audio, so he was doing all, that's his heart, you know, all the mistakes I made and all that and sent it to them. And then there's, you know, the pickups, like all the mistakes they say, no, you needed to redo this, you did this. We waited.

00:54:47.74
Thersa Matsuura
It was like on the 4th of July or something, and we had to wait. And then they're like, no, everything's good. You don't have to fix anything. We're like, really? Like, we don't have to fix anything? So yeah, that was, I just, I really wanted to, and they were very kind.

00:55:02.18
Thersa Matsuura
Let me do it. So hopefully, the new little book for kids too, I can read that one as well. We'll see. I like reading.

00:55:12.75
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, yeah. Well, it makes sense. I mean, particularly with your background. So I'm glad that they, you know, allowed that to happen and you won the fight.

00:55:24.29
Thersa Matsuura
i wonder I even had people, I even had like patrons and friends saying, you know, write little, you know, if she reads the book, I'll buy two copies. yes And here's a list of people fighting for me too. So yeah, yeah, that was fun.

00:55:41.03
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, it's like i'm not threatening you, but here are some angry messages from my patrons as to what might happen if I don't get to read the book.

00:55:44.52
Thersa Matsuura
But yeah.

00:55:53.06
Thersa Matsuura
yeah yeah nice uh yeah yeah it worked out

00:56:00.82
Michael David Wilson
And talking about future books, I mean, one of the creatures that seems to come up often as, if not your favorite, a creature close to your heart is of course the wolf.

00:56:16.73
Michael David Wilson
So I'm wondering, you know, is there a book on the wolf? Is there a kind of future project that you might be doing?

00:56:27.67
Michael David Wilson
Because it seems to be often forgotten, I mean, particularly, you know, with the kids in there, with the fox that gets so much exposure, but then the poor wolf doesn't get a lot.

00:56:37.77
Thersa Matsuura
yeah nothing and i know that i don't even know how i think it was my son's girlfriend that first told me uh she said it was auction or something kind of creepy but she said that she was at some auction online or something and they were uh it's like a wolf uh jaw like the mandible and it's a good luck charm or something but it's going for like thousands of dollars or something she goes yeah back in the day it was an actual religion, a cult, and people worship them. I'm like, what? So then I go down the rabbit hole, like, oh my god. And then I have a um a friend, an older gentleman, who his daughter, this is the best story ever, his daughter was born. And when she was very little, again, one of those things that no one bats an eye at, she said she kept crying. She ah cried all the time. And she cried. And you like what's wrong? What's wrong?

00:57:32.45
Thersa Matsuura
And it was um the dogs at the door, the dogs at the door or something, or the dogs in the hall, or the dogs following me. There was always the dog dog you they took her to a shrine or a temple, I forget what it was, probably a shrine, and they said, oh, she's possessed by a kitsune. It was actually a bad kitsune that is attached to her. And so my friend says, well, what do we do? and Well, take go take her to the wolf shrine up in the mountains near here, and you get a special amulet and pray for her and everything else.

00:58:00.79
Thersa Matsuura
so I was like, okay, all that is wow. Like I got to process that, but also there's a Wolf Shriner there. So he told me where it was and we went and oh, it was the, you know how roads are here. Just like no one travels these roads and they're single lane and they're falling away and there's landslides. I don't know how many hours it took to get there. It wasn't super far. It was just all windy and and and just trying to find it.

00:58:24.97
Thersa Matsuura
It was just gorgeous, like nobody was there. There's these thousand year old trees and the old wolf statues that don't look like kitsune foxes, like they're different. And just the energy, like it's really cool. On the top of the mountain, these these wolves are watching you. ah Yeah, and I was sold from that. I'm like, okay, I need you to know more about this wolf. But yeah, I can write a book about wolves. Challenge accepted. And crows, I like crows too.

00:58:54.53
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, there you go. So if publishers are listening, then they know what to come to you about next.

00:59:03.83
Thersa Matsuura
My email is...

00:59:08.94
Michael David Wilson
But I mean, what is something about living in Japan that you wish you had known sooner that would have made your life easier?

00:59:16.24
Thersa Matsuura
Ooh. Ah. I wish that had known sooner.

00:59:32.21
Thersa Matsuura
who please probably just language like really getting the language and really slowing down and it's easy so when people first come to Japan I'm hearing this a lot now it's kind of like Disney oh Japan's the perfect place to live everybody wants to live in Japan oh it's just like a manga it's just like an anime way and it's not it's very very difficult it's extremely difficult And you get here and it's like all Disneyland and then you have that year and then it's like, oh my gosh, homesick. Oh, this is terrible. What am I gonna do? And a lot of people go home. Where's I going with this? um Oh, oh, but just instead of trying to fight everything, like I did, and I don't know if everyone does, but you just kind of like, you know, oh, you know, America, we have cheese. In America, we can wear shoes in the house. And in in America, something so I can go out, you know, and look like this and nobody stares at me because I because i didn't brush my hair today.

01:00:27.62
Thersa Matsuura
um And, you know, everything's like wrong and I'm i'm just fighting everything is just kind of to open up and say, okay, there's a reason that, you know, that, you know, I've worn this shirt for three days and and people are kind of, I think most people but don't do that or something. so there's just kind of You know, why does my mother-in-law say, you know, don't do this, or don't do that, or, and just dig. It's, it's, it's, it's, there's just the history so long and the culture is so deep. And instead of me coming up and fighting everything and saying, it's wrong, it's wrong, I can't deal, it's just like, you know what, open it up and just say, okay, what is it? Why is it like this? And, you know, I can agree or not agree. That's, that's either or, but to know the reason for something.

01:01:15.52
Thersa Matsuura
Just takes the sting out of everything. Cause I know so many bitter people that, that work, that live here, you know, as long as I've lived here, they still don't really speak the language and they're angry. And then, you know, and everything in Japan, is it wrong or something? It's just like, you know, but all countries, you know, there's good, there's bad, there's things that are done right. There's things that are done wrong. You just, yeah, i don't fight. Just kind of learn, I guess. Could've done that earlier.

01:01:42.17
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, I never fully understand when I meet people that live in Japan but seem to really hate it. And then, well, you can move. you don't have I know that some people will have circumstances that make it logistically harder, but quite a lot of people it's like there aren't actually these circumstances and they're angry and they're complaining about Japan and you know for me I don't think there's any country that is the perfect country but Japan is the best fit for me right now you know what's perfect for you in the season of life that you're in and that's the way to go about it but

01:02:10.86
Thersa Matsuura
Right.

01:02:26.11
Thersa Matsuura
Right. Right, exactly.

01:02:35.62
Michael David Wilson
if I felt that I was deeply unhappy, well, look at how I can become happy. And that can include, you know, getting out of the situation. But sometimes I feel it can be human nature to just want to complain about things. And it's like, are you really unhappy or are you just looking at something to moan about?

01:03:00.38
Thersa Matsuura
right right and those people kind of tend to group together and just like like a self-perpetuating and this and that and it's just like you know okay yeah yeah but you're very you're exactly right with that

01:03:09.10
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, but yeah, I mean, there are many wonderful things about living in Japan. And of course, there's probably going to be some things where it's like, ah, that that's not quite, you know, what we would prefer, but you know, it's weighing it up, you know.

01:03:34.54
Thersa Matsuura
Yep.

01:03:36.55
Michael David Wilson
Well then I suppose on that note, what are your favourite things about living in Japan?

01:03:41.62
Thersa Matsuura
Ooh, I like, ooh, I should have like just on hand. i I do like that I'm really into temples and shrines and I do like that, like I was talking about like like like the earth, like the ground, like that everything has a history.

01:04:01.82
Thersa Matsuura
Um, you can go for a walk, you know, and there's a statue or there's a rock or there's something and there's just all this just layers of, of, of history. And then, and you know, what happened to you? I do like that. Um, I get excited just yeah going and seeing temples is my thing, going up in the mountains and seeing temples. I like that. Um, yeah. And I have my own like just little niche life here. That's just so comfortable and, um,

01:04:33.03
Thersa Matsuura
but maybe a little insulated but that's fine I'm good. have My neighbors and they're sweet. um No real selfishness like there's not a lot of people that come out like when I go back home I feel like okay I don't know if I'm American anymore because these people are loud and they're they're at me and they're and they're they're telling me things like they're telling me I'm doing things wrong and I'm not even bothering them. I'm like what?

01:05:00.25
Thersa Matsuura
And here, yeah, you just kind of, everyone has their their little space, and there's good things and bad things about that, but yeah, you're not preached at or anything, and you take care of other people, they take care of you, people notice a lot, like they do very observant, which is kind of fun. So yeah, it's very slow life.

01:05:24.24
Michael David Wilson
It's interesting how living in a place for a while can almost shift your identity. And I mean, I found the periods of my life where I wasn't living in Japan after having lived in Japan for the first time. I had something that I can only describe as a kind of homesickness and a longing for Japan.

01:05:50.31
Michael David Wilson
But I never get that about the UK.

01:05:53.50
Thersa Matsuura
Isn't that interesting? I get it for cheese.

01:05:54.46
Michael David Wilson
Yeah.

01:05:58.47
Thersa Matsuura
that's what like was

01:05:59.81
Michael David Wilson
I mean, that that is fair enough. I mean, you can get some cheese in Japan, but, you you know, it's not of the quality or it's very expensive.

01:06:12.76
Michael David Wilson
I mean, Europeans and in the UK, we do take our cheese game pretty seriously.

01:06:13.34
Thersa Matsuura
yeah oh

01:06:18.16
Michael David Wilson
so You know, it's low crime, people are kind, people are less selfish, but less cheese.

01:06:24.09
Thersa Matsuura
that

01:06:28.04
Michael David Wilson
And for some people, that could be, no, that's the deal breaker.

01:06:31.28
Thersa Matsuura
right right right yeah really think

01:06:32.43
Michael David Wilson
I'm going back to the country with good cheese.

01:06:32.93
Bob Pastorella
Yeah, I didn't, I didn't know about the no cheese thing.

01:06:35.40
Thersa Matsuura
yeah

01:06:37.61
Michael David Wilson
That there is some cheese is just not.

01:06:38.66
Thersa Matsuura
there is there is it's just It's not like you don't go and you have loads of cheeses.

01:06:40.93
Bob Pastorella
I mean, like, yeah, cause and I have, I live in Texas. Say you're here to train. Yay.

01:06:48.95
Thersa Matsuura
Oh, that's what that was.

01:06:51.07
Bob Pastorella
But, uh, man, I gotta have, I gotta have cheese. And I'm like, I'm, I'm not like a cheese kind of sewer or anything like that, but just the thought of things without cheese.

01:07:01.01
Thersa Matsuura
I'm not.

01:07:02.78
Bob Pastorella
It's like, you know, do you want a hamburger?

01:07:03.17
Thersa Matsuura
Got a big sacrifice.

01:07:05.54
Bob Pastorella
No, I want a cheeseburger.

01:07:07.28
Thersa Matsuura
That's right.

01:07:07.98
Bob Pastorella
You know, uh, do you, do you, do you want your pizza without cheese?

01:07:08.75
Thersa Matsuura
I want it running off.

01:07:13.92
Bob Pastorella
No, I've got to have the mozzarella cheese on the pizza. You know? So, I mean, I'm just. I don't know if I can go without cheese.

01:07:24.75
Michael David Wilson
I think you can get cheese that is good enough for putting on hamburgers or putting on pizza. It's just if you, you know, want to have a cheese and wine night, now you might be disappointed.

01:07:37.87
Michael David Wilson
But the standard basic cheese is okay, Bob. I mean, come on over.

01:07:42.95
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, yeah, yes, come visit.

01:07:43.18
Michael David Wilson
Let's get you a pizza and a cheeseburger.

01:07:45.42
Michael David Wilson
Let's make the whole visit cheese oriented.

01:07:47.18
Bob Pastorella
ah If I'm going to Japan, I want to eat Japanese food. and that's that's you know it's just yeah It's just amazing that that you got a whole country that makes their food without cheese.

01:07:51.05
Michael David Wilson
You can do that too.

01:07:51.16
Thersa Matsuura
Oh, we got lots.

01:07:52.69
Michael David Wilson
That's the beauty.

01:07:52.87
Thersa Matsuura
Yes. Yes.

01:07:59.63
Bob Pastorella
and on those's like

01:07:59.76
Michael David Wilson
No, this this is a misconception that has gone wildly out of handy.

01:08:03.32
Bob Pastorella
and hu

01:08:03.96
Thersa Matsuura
There is tea. What did I start? I'm so sorry. I could start in something. But the food is also another a good reason, right? um

01:08:12.48
Bob Pastorella
so that So that's not true, that they do have cheese in their dishes.

01:08:17.09
Michael David Wilson
They do.

01:08:18.27
Bob Pastorella
Okay, cool.

01:08:18.39
Michael David Wilson
ah ah well Maybe Theresa is arguing.

01:08:19.05
Bob Pastorella
Okay, yeah. yeah

01:08:21.47
Thersa Matsuura
up

01:08:24.01
Thersa Matsuura
There's some, there's some.

01:08:25.39
Michael David Wilson
so

01:08:25.96
Thersa Matsuura
You're not gonna get a good like wedge of Parmesan that you can just eat like this with a bottle of white wine. and Not that I do that, but if I wanted to do that, yeah.

01:08:31.60
Michael David Wilson
Yeah.

01:08:32.69
Bob Pastorella
yeah

01:08:35.08
Michael David Wilson
Yeah. Well, you don't do it because you can't.

01:08:37.58
Thersa Matsuura
I can't do it, but when I go back home, when I visit, when I want to go back to the States, yeah, ge cheese is a really good craft beer and stuff like that, but you know sacrifices.

01:08:38.70
Bob Pastorella
and

01:08:38.86
Michael David Wilson
That's the problem.

01:08:46.36
Michael David Wilson
Hmm.

01:08:49.60
Thersa Matsuura
yeah it's fine i don't need to be eating like cheese and craft beer like that doesn't need to be my life so yeah once a year is fine good i'll take low crime and uh how many times have i left my windows open my car with the keys in it and you know all that stuff doors open and fine so i'll take that

01:09:07.51
Bob Pastorella
Mm hmm.

01:09:12.48
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, luckily I haven't left my keys in the car, which would be unfortunate because the bloody thing auto locks. I'd be in a lot of trouble.

01:09:22.34
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, yeah. Duke, I have an old car.

01:09:26.39
Michael David Wilson
There you go. Yeah. Yeah. Well, what advice would you give to your 18 year old self?

01:09:38.42
Michael David Wilson
It can't be cheese related. I'm putting a stop to any more cheese talk.

01:09:48.14
Thersa Matsuura
when I decided very young that like I want to be a writer. I want to write. like I want to make people feel like Stephen King made me feel. um And I wrote crappy little stories. And then um my father is very strict. He's kind of intense. He's very intense. And I remember, um do you remember the scene in, what was it? Not Good Will Hunting. um Captain My Captain.

01:10:16.22
Michael David Wilson
Is that dead poet society?

01:10:18.67
Bob Pastorella
Yes.

01:10:18.64
Thersa Matsuura
Thank you. society right I think it was Neil and he goes to his dad and he's like, dad, you know, this is you know so scared of his dad, but he goes like, dad, you know, I want to, I want to be an actor and her and his dad's like, yeah, oh he'll know. Yeah, I did that. Like I got got the the gumption and I go and I'm like, dad, we need to have a talk. I mean, I'm going to university soon. I'm 18 years old and I want to study to be a writer.

01:10:39.31
Thersa Matsuura
And he told me, like, no way in hell are you going to be a writer. You're going to be something that makes money. And whatever you do in life, you're going to have to write. so And it just gutted me. And I didn't write for a very, very long time. I just was like, yeah, OK. I read. But ah it wasn't until I was here and you know dealing with the mother-in-law and all the superstitions and trying to make sense of you know life around me that I started writing again. I'm like, yeah, you know what? i Darn it, I could have done this years earlier and been so much better by now. But just, you know, have more, follow my gut more. Like when he said no, just to kind of say, yeah, okay, but do it anyway. Cause I just totally gave up. Like it just threw me. And I just think of all those years, like I could have been studying how to write, writing and getting better and better. Now I feel like I'm playing catch up with all that. So yeah. Hang in there, Terry.

01:11:39.84
Thersa Matsuura
Do it anyway. Don't listen to that.

01:11:40.95
Michael David Wilson
yeah yeah but you know as the kind of counterpoint to that i mean if you'd have been so wired in on your writing then you might have not studied japanese as hard as you did or you might not have found all these interesting things out so I feel that like often as writers, the time where we're not literally writing is not time that's wasted because we're absorbing all of these experiences and we kind of need something to draw upon to be able to write about in the first place.

01:12:20.62
Thersa Matsuura
Mmm, I like that.

01:12:25.09
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, okay, I would have told myself, when you move to Japan, you need to start a cheese factory.

01:12:31.06
Michael David Wilson
Oh no.

01:12:31.34
Thersa Matsuura
You're my only buddy in the world.

01:12:33.41
Michael David Wilson
Oh no. I banned talk of cheese.

01:12:34.04
Thersa Matsuura
See the foreigners, they'll come.

01:12:39.34
Michael David Wilson
Apparently my authority is meaningless on this podcast.

01:12:39.49
Thersa Matsuura
ah You did, you did.

01:12:43.51
Thersa Matsuura
but Is it lunchtime?

01:12:44.06
Michael David Wilson
It's been...

01:12:44.71
Thersa Matsuura
Is that what we, oh, okay, nevermind, it's starting to make sense now.

01:12:46.78
Bob Pastorella
the guest, the guest rules.

01:12:48.77
Michael David Wilson
Yeah. Yeah. I've been overruled.

01:12:51.10
Thersa Matsuura
But okay, I'm gonna do one more. I'm gonna stop. Um, I have a friend. Where's she from? she's She's from the States, but I think she's Greek Back there. Anyway, she literally went to Okinawa and started a cheese factory.

01:13:03.54
Thersa Matsuura
She's just has the best life She has like a farm now with goats and horses. So, you know, just I'm just saying it all comes around I don't And she wins awards and yeah, it's just

01:13:09.08
Bob Pastorella
And there you go.

01:13:10.59
Michael David Wilson
Okay, so this isn't even a joke. You literally have a friend who started a cheese factory in Okinawa.

01:13:19.91
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah, so anyway, that said nothing to do with anything, but yeah.

01:13:24.09
Bob Pastorella
That is cool.

01:13:25.27
Michael David Wilson
Yeah. it's good

01:13:26.68
Thersa Matsuura
It's nothing to do with writing, it's nothing to do with horror.

01:13:29.85
Michael David Wilson
yeah

01:13:29.91
Thersa Matsuura
Okay, I'll let that go. I'm done with cheese now.

01:13:34.69
Michael David Wilson
What is a place in Japan that you haven't visited that you would most like to visit?

01:13:42.12
Thersa Matsuura
Ooh. A place, a place. the big dream The big dream is to get a van, a high ace. I already know what kind it's going to be. Deck it out, put solar panels on the top, air conditioning, refrigerator, and just travel. um Literally last night, my friend who visited from Tokyo, he's French, and he's he did that. like I mentioned it once on one of the podcasts.

01:14:09.10
Thersa Matsuura
And I never talked to him before and he wrote me and he's like, oh my God, I am doing what you want to do. So sometimes when he's traveling around, he stops by and it's, it's nice because in Japan, your houses are small and it's kind of hard to have someone stay as a guest. So, you know, it turns out the air conditioner sleeps in his van and and, you know, we stay up all night talking. But, um, yeah, but he showed me his, it's just like the dream is to just get in.

01:14:31.90
Thersa Matsuura
and drive and but take video and pictures and study like little known folk tales in some tiny town and yeah just gonna be a vagabond for a while so the answer would be everywhere but specifically downtown I would like to go to the Kyushu area and

01:14:53.74
Michael David Wilson
Yeah.

01:14:57.31
Thersa Matsuura
He, cause he just got back from there and he was saying about all the cool stuff. He's like, you know, so much came from China and it's just like, you know, he went to the, yeah, there's lots of neat stuff there. So right now, Kyushu in my van.

01:15:11.60
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, I visited Kyushu for the first time only a few weeks ago, but I did not have the kitted out van, which may have enhanced the experience even further.

01:15:12.00
Thersa Matsuura
and

01:15:23.07
Michael David Wilson
But yeah, we went to Hakata and Nagasaki and Arita and that general area.

01:15:26.92
Thersa Matsuura
Oh.

01:15:29.96
Michael David Wilson
And, you know, we've we've obviously got to go back again because there's so much more to do, but it it was

01:15:35.74
Thersa Matsuura
That's what he kept saying.

01:15:38.51
Michael David Wilson
It was a brilliant preview of the place and I was very taken by it, you know, almost instantly.

01:15:42.72
Thersa Matsuura
Ooh, I really want to go.

01:15:46.35
Michael David Wilson
But to, to return to this van idea.

01:15:46.40
Thersa Matsuura
Oh, that's what he said. It's a return. Oh, yeah.

01:15:51.27
Michael David Wilson
So your friend is, is he living in Japan? Of course, I know you you said that he's, he's French, but you know, I'm British, you're American.

01:15:59.85
Thersa Matsuura
hello and then Yeah, and you were that yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

01:16:00.63
Michael David Wilson
We're allowed to live in Japan. So is he living here? And if so, I mean, Do you have to have some sort of permit for but like pulling up your your van?

01:16:09.80
Thersa Matsuura
yeah.

01:16:15.27
Michael David Wilson
Is he a permanent resident? I'm intrigued by this whole van idea.

01:16:19.46
Thersa Matsuura
but so yeah isn't a great so he um He is, I think he's been here like 38 years, I've been here like 35, 36, so a little bit longer than me, a couple years older than me, married to a Japanese woman, works, what was that called, on online, so he doesn't have to be in the office all the time. um he His job is actually doing like video and and all kinds of stuff for TV. He's worked for the TV.

01:16:45.67
Thersa Matsuura
and He, his channel is, what is it called? Bura, Bura, Japon. And he does festivals. So he just, he's so smart. So, so wonderful. So he just planned it all out. You know, you can, he's got a drone. So he's got the license for the drone. He does all the research beforehand. He finds out where to park. I guess they have places you can park with good wifi so he can work, you know, sometimes. um He goes, it's great. He goes the day before a big festival.

01:17:15.11
Thersa Matsuura
meets everybody there who's setting up, kind of makes friends. And then he goes, you know, is it okay if I tag along? And he's just right in there. So he's got all these cameras set up and stuff. and He's using the audio. And so I think he's got two videos up now that are just, and in again, a really deep dive into the culture, like things I'd never heard about. Like one is ah as a chess game, or it's a go or a shogi or something, or they use people like dressed as samurai and different things. And they actually move around the I didn't know that was a thing, but he goes there and just spends weeks working from his van and living the life. And he said his blood pressure goes way down when he's out on the road. but So it's just, yeah, it's perfect. Cause I had this like vague idea of a dream and then he comes and he just shows it to me. He's like, this is this is what mine looks like. I'm like, that's what I want. Now I need the money.

01:18:14.48
Thersa Matsuura
to buy the thing to do the dream. So that's where I am.

01:18:20.34
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, when he came to you, did you feel conflicted? Because on the one hand, it's awesome. On the other, it's like, you stole my dream. What's happening?

01:18:31.58
Thersa Matsuura
True story. When he first said that I was, I thought I'm like, oh, I, uh, and then when he came back, but he'd been doing it for years before I even mentioned it. So I was like, okay, okay. It's just, He had it first. It's like the 100th monkey thing. like We both had the same idea, but he had it first. and and but yeah And he does it in French, too. So that's like, there's no overlap there, too. And he does matsuri mostly. So he's in the in the you know the festivals. And I don't really want to be in festivals. I'd rather go to like old shrines with stories behind them or ghostly places or something like that. So we're a little bit different, similar.

01:19:11.70
Thersa Matsuura
Not overlapping too much.

01:19:14.87
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, I think a lot of, you know, what we've been talking about is kind of going back to always following your passion and following your curiosity. And I mean, you said correctly, there's more people from the West coming to Japan these days.

01:19:35.09
Michael David Wilson
And so, of course, you know, perhaps the boat, as it were, has sailed in terms of people wanting to put content out that's just a kind of logo, welcome to Japan.

01:19:42.28
Thersa Matsuura
Mm.

01:19:49.54
Michael David Wilson
This is the snack in the convenience store, what I will term as a generalist, but if you've got a very specific passion or a niche there are plenty of opportunities and you know there's an abundance of different topics and things to cover so it's something I'm very aware of you know because I've got different curiosities and obscure things so it might be in the future that I even start a kind of offshoot that would be completely different to anything that we're talking about but

01:20:27.31
Thersa Matsuura
with a van decked out.

01:20:29.44
Michael David Wilson
the There could be a van, you know?

01:20:29.59
Thersa Matsuura
ah Yeah.

01:20:32.04
Michael David Wilson
Could be, yeah.

01:20:32.11
Thersa Matsuura
Wouldn't that be cool? Like messaging each other. Hey, where are you? I'm on the toaman. I'm going here and I'm going here. and ah That'd be cool.

01:20:39.69
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, yeah, but you you've got to get your van next because it's like, look, you've already had somebody show you the dream, so it's like, right, you've got dibs on the van.

01:20:46.63
Thersa Matsuura
Right, right, right, right.

01:20:50.34
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah. Next step.

01:20:54.49
Thersa Matsuura
We'll figure it out.

01:20:54.87
Michael David Wilson
But I wonder... What is something that you should be kinder to yourself about?

01:21:03.92
Thersa Matsuura
Ooh, kinder.

01:21:08.78
Thersa Matsuura
Oh, oh, I know. ah Because of the near-death thing, I've had a couple near-death experiences and um and the the cancer and everything. I'm very, in Japanese, asetiru. Like, I'm very like, I have to get stuff done. Like, there's not much time. Like, I don't know.

01:21:30.21
Thersa Matsuura
when North Korea's gonna, you know, I just gotta, and I'm very, a little bit anxious about like getting as much done as I can instead of just being calm and concentrating on one thing. I'm like, okay, I gotta do a visual novel. Okay, I gotta do an audio drama. Okay, I gotta do the next podcast. I gotta write a book. I gotta write another book. I gotta do this and all these things that I just feel I have to do and that time is very limited. And I should really just not stop but more enjoy the process probably.

01:22:01.43
Thersa Matsuura
um That definitely, ah yeah, I beat myself up a lot. you know I sit on the couch for too long doing something else. I'm like, I could have been writing. I could have been reading that book that was gonna help me do something and yeah, I need to just chill.

01:22:21.50
Michael David Wilson
Yeah, I think it's very natural for all creatives to beat themselves up for, you know, the time that isn't spent creating, but I mean, I would say two things to that.

01:22:34.50
Michael David Wilson
Firstly, even though I don't practice what I'm preaching nearly as much, like downtime is important. It is important for not only refueling the creative well, but also for health, you know, you've got to have

01:22:43.34
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah.

01:22:48.50
Thersa Matsuura
Mm.

01:22:51.89
Michael David Wilson
some of that. And then I suppose just the more practical response is if you catch yourself not working or procrastinating at a time when you think you should have been working, it's like, okay, well, that time has gone.

01:23:08.33
Michael David Wilson
you're never going to get it back. There's no sense in now filling it with negative energy and berating yourself. So you can make the conscious decision to start working at that point, or you can say, you know what, I still need to recharge, but just do it in a kind of guilt-free way.

01:23:25.27
Thersa Matsuura
Mm-hmm.

01:23:29.78
Michael David Wilson
People feel guilty.

01:23:31.31
Thersa Matsuura
Mm-hmm.

01:23:31.46
Michael David Wilson
They're down on themselves too much. And it's like, look, we're all trying our best. We're trying to do what we can do sometimes we fall short but but that's okay that means that that is what we needed at that point so yeah and everyone should just you know be a little kinder in their own criticism to themselves because often we will have this negative self-talk that we would never say to another person but for some reason we say it to ourselves

01:23:45.59
Thersa Matsuura
Oh, I love that.

01:24:04.13
Thersa Matsuura
Yes, very true. I'm gonna print that out and put it on my wall. but That's perfect.

01:24:09.25
Michael David Wilson
here go

01:24:10.02
Thersa Matsuura
yeah

01:24:11.90
Michael David Wilson
By all means, yeah. well Where can our listeners connect with you?

01:24:21.49
Thersa Matsuura
um If you look up Uncanny Japan, I'm Instagram, Facebook, book Blue Sky, all the, like, try to hit the big social medias.

01:24:35.25
Thersa Matsuura
Or Thersa Matsuura, same. Both have websites and contact forms, and then I try to, yeah, I try to do, I try to put stuff out on social media. I'm not very good at it, because, yeah, just private.

01:24:50.95
Thersa Matsuura
Kind of. So, yeah.

01:24:52.40
Michael David Wilson
yeah I think as well, you know, we only have so much time in the day and it's often something I think about and it's like, look, do I want to be a social media guy or do I just want to be a writer?

01:24:52.85
Thersa Matsuura
ah

01:25:08.80
Michael David Wilson
You know, and and and the the main things that I want to spend my time on are writing, getting better at Japanese, podcasting,

01:25:21.05
Michael David Wilson
and an exercise, but there's kind of a caveat by want. It's like, I want to be healthy and live a long time, therefore I do these things like exercise for that reason.

01:25:30.75
Thersa Matsuura
I need to.

01:25:34.91
Thersa Matsuura
Right, right, right, right.

01:25:35.95
Michael David Wilson
But I enjoy writing and podcasting much more than I enjoy working out.

01:25:36.17
Thersa Matsuura
Yeah. you know

01:25:41.08
Thersa Matsuura
true same yes yeah final thoughts everybody um well kind of like what we were talking about like following your passion like that kind of that's kind of been a through line like we've been all over the place i'm sorry that's the way my poor i'm sorry to drag you through everything but um yeah the through line you know just kind of

01:25:44.20
Michael David Wilson
and All right. Well, do you have any final thoughts for our listeners and viewers?

01:26:10.59
Thersa Matsuura
follow your passion. It could be writing, it could be podcasts, it could be making movies, anything. And looking for kind of connections and the puzzle pieces and how they fall together. Because a lot of times, if you kind of stop and look, it's like, okay, yeah, that that happened that way for a reason, like you were saying. And yeah, I think that's good. And be kind to yourself and others. Not very good at that, am I?

01:26:40.58
Michael David Wilson
All right, thank you so much for chatting with us.

01:26:42.73
Thersa Matsuura
Thank you.

01:26:44.40
Bob Pastorella
Yes.

01:26:44.58
Thersa Matsuura
So nice to meet both of you.