Beyond borders

After class, Takeuchi met Liao and was amazed to learn that Liao, a hardworking cook, had been living in Tokyo for 11 years, but he had poor language skills. What impressed him most was that Liao managed to live in Japan and run his own restaurants there for over a decade, despite the language barrier.

"I really enjoy chronicling ordinary people's lives," says Takeuchi. "The shooting process is full of discovery, which is great fun."

He and the host Abe often play, drink and banter with their interviewees. This helps create a relaxed atmosphere conducive to a heart-to-heart talk.

After selecting people to interview, he visits their cities, their homes and workplaces, and meets friends and relatives.

"Each trip offers me a refreshing experience and each interviewee has something for me to learn from," says the director.

The director has garnered more than 1.8 million followers on the Chinese micro-blogging platform, Sina Weibo. Many viewers actively interacted with him online, recommended interviewee candidates, and some even applied to join the team.

His goal is simple, he says. He'd feel a sense of success if these real-life stories can help viewers to shatter any stereotypes they hold about people taking certain jobs or from certain countries. A large group of his interviewees are Japanese who live in China and Chinese people who've settled in Japan.