We shine the spotlight on our Senior Media Planner, Naoto Wakabayashi. Read about what he loves most from his Japanese culture and how he thinks we can better educate supporting communities to understand AAPI heritage.
Name: Naoto Wakabayashi
Role: Senior Media Planner
Handle: @naotowakabayashi
Pronouns: He/him
Which Asian/Pacific Islander region are you from? Please share some of your favorite cultural celebrations and what they mean to you.
My family is from Japan. Growing up, my favorite cultural celebration was definitely the Japanese version of New Years. Food and abundance was at the center of everything to me, especially through the Osechi Ryori, which are traditional dishes that each represent the different blessings and wishes for the rest of the year. In the evenings the rest of our extended family would get together and one of the dishes included oden, which is a Japanese simmered soup. It was very fire and I miss those celebrations whenever I’m not home during New Years.
Name an artist that identifies with the AAPI culture/community that has inspired you throughout your life/career and how did they do so?
Growing up there weren’t many AAPI artists on the charts like there are now but one artist that inspired me was Nigo. Seeing how he was influenced by Hip Hop and how he subsequently made his mark in a unique and respectful way within a culture that he was a guest in, really inspired me. I remember seeing so many of my favorite rappers at the time wearing these shark hoodies he created and I thought “wow, a Japanese person did this”. Even with the stuff he did with the Teriyaki Boyz and the Tokyo Drift soundtrack, he was also involved in movies. His contributions to fashion, music, and film made me realize that as an Asian person in entertainment you can really do it all while repping your heritage. It pushed me to just try things with confidence and tap into the energy that is unique to all of us.
How has your cultural background influenced your career and interest in music?
Music is a huge part of Japanese culture, and my earliest memories were when my parents would play music. A lot of Japanese songs that I listened to growing up were influenced by American sounds such as R&B and synth pop so the transition to contemporary English music was very seamless. The way I was introduced to music was certainly the first domino that fell and led me to this career.
How can we educate supporting communities to better understand AAPI culture, heritage and challenges?
I think being vocal certainly helps but in addition, having open dialogue with others while sharing aspects of your culture that excite you can help with the understanding across all lines of communication. One challenge a few years ago was that people within AAPI communities weren’t vocal enough and/or their voices were suppressed but with the internet and the ability for communities and voices to be organized and uplifted there, things are changing. With that being said, we can’t be complacent! We need to keep pushing and to keep organizing!
Bonus:
I just want to take this moment to talk about someone that I consider to be a big sister in the music industry. I met her when I was a young professional that was still trying to prove myself and she has helped me every step of the way. She is one of the inspirational people I know because of her work ethic and the way that she carries herself. Her name is Racquel Villagante and she is an A&R Exec at SOCAN but I feel like to so many people, she’s so much more. She genuinely cares about the people and artists that she works with and every single person that has met her before also shares the same sentiment as me. Seeing another Asian person in this space trailblazing and leveling up every year has pushed me to do the same. Without people like her in this space, I don’t think I would’ve had as much confidence to pursue what I’m doing now. I’m so grateful for our friendship and I hope that I can also lead the way for other creatives in this space.