Hi! I’m Danial — Filipino-Bruneian by background, Melbourne-educated, and now on my second run at living in Japan. I first arrived in 2017 and spent six years teaching English across Kansai — Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, and Shiga. This August, I’m back for good, settling in Kawasaki.
Growing up between the Philippines, Brunei, and Australia, I’ve always seen places from the edges — half-inside, half-outside — and that’s the lens I bring to Japan.
“What I love about Japan is that it never quite lets you stop being an outsider — and yet, quietly, it makes room for you anyway. You’re always a guest, and somehow always at home.”
Brunei
