YUKO - a japanese who came to germany to become mangaka

Interview with Yuko Wagatsuma

Mangaka.de:

Hello Yuko. Would you like to introduce yourself to the readers?

Yuko:

My real name is Yuko Wagatsuma. I'm 28 years old and come from
 Shizuoka in Japan. Since 3 years I'm living in Düsseldorf in Germany.

Mangaka.de:

So you came here 3 years ago. Why did you come to Germany?

Yuko:

Thats a long story.
When I was young I did see an Anime where German words appeared. At that time I didn't know that that was German but I always asked myself what language that was. I found out later that it was German. This was the reason I started to learn German from a TV course and later I decided to study German language and literature at an university in Japan.

After university I worked 2 years in Japan but I absolutely  wanted to live in Germany after I was there 2 times as private visitor.

Mangaka.de:

Thats interesting! Thats how a lot of German students, who study Japanese studies, fare.

Did you have any prejudices against the Germans or their lifestyle?

Yuko:

Actually I didn't had much prejudices. Because I was jung I also wasn't scared very much. I only knew the typical prejudices like: all Germans are very tall and strong. And that they scream and fight very much.

Mangaka.de:

Could you confirm these prejudices?

Yuko:

A lot Japanese (and people around the world) think that the German language is always hard and powerful. Well thats true. But you are not loud.

But you drink often and plenty of beer. So I guess some prejudices are true.

But the Germans are always very friendly - they are especially nice when you say you are japanese. *laughs*

Mangaka.de:

When you were to compare your life here in Germany with your life in Japan: are there pros and cons?

Yuko:

If I needed to go back I could life in Japan but I think the life in Germany fits me better.

For example: I'm working at a restaurant and you can take a lot of vacation. In Germany you have that much days of vacation available, that it is hard to use them all. *laughs again* In Japan you have only half as much free days.

The only drawback is the train... its never on time. You always think that everything comes on time and then you discover that it its almost normal that an ICE (Inter City Express) comes 2h later.

And then the strikes.

Recently I traveled by plane and was at the Düsseldorfer Airport. There was a strike and I was the last one who got an alternative flight.

There are a lot of strikes in Germany. Thats a drawback you need to include in your plans.

Also I always watch my bag and purse a littel more in here Germany.

But all in all I really  like my life here in Germany very much.

Mangaka.de:

That is nice. Now we come to our last question.

What do you plan for your future?

Yuko:

I would like to work as an artist in Germany. I already started to do something to get there and it is my goal that I can work and live as an professional artist in 3 years.

Mangaka.de:

We hope you will be successful and wish you the best! Thank you for the interview!

 source: http://www.mangaka.de/node/173

translation German to English: Mareike Täubner