Filmmaker Statement

Japanese, or American? From an early age, I have always been identified as half. Half Japanese, half American. But my parents assured me consistently that I wasn't half; instead, I was whole. Still, every survey I filled out and every exam I took left me feeling otherwise. I was constantly being placed into one category box or the other, choosing one part of me over the other. If only I could be one. I wish I were more Japanese. Maybe then people wouldn’t see me as a foreigner. I wish I were more American, I’d wished I had pretty blue eyes and white, pale skin. But the more I tried to squeeze myself into one box, the further I was from being my true self. To embrace your cultural identity, and to love who you are, those two things are what allow Azuki to redeem herself and in return, make successful daifuku. It’s what’s brought me here, to share this story with you.