History

Born in 1996.

During the summer of sophomore year in university, an encounter with a bilingual American sparked an interest in learning English. Until then, there had been no interest in English at all, but that meeting became the turning point. Took a one-year leave from university to study abroad in Australia, improving English skills while deepening interest in cross-cultural exchange, international relations, and the inbound tourism industry.

Majored in Business & Marketing at university and simultaneously completed a 420-hour Japanese language teacher training course. After graduating from both university and the training course in 2020, joined a subsidiary of a major corporation. After one year of employment, founded the inbound business Ray’s Lighthouse in July 2021. Also began creating videos online under the name “Konnichiwa My Dude,” introducing Japanese culture to international audiences.

Currently active in a wide range of fields, including translation and interpretation, support for foreigners, street photography, and book publishing.

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2021

Opened Ray’s Lighthouse. As the COVID-19 pandemic made inbound business difficult, focused on online lessons and translation work. Received a large number of applications from the very first month. Translation projects ranged from indie games to major game companies, handling approximately 500 projects in total.

 

2022

To expand activities, started video distribution under the name “Konnichiwa My Dude.” Within one month of starting posts on Instagram, followers increased by 25,000, with a significant rise in overseas followers as well. Also worked on corporate projects. In October, as Japan reopened to tourists, launched services for foreign visitors and supported many travelers.

 

2023

Conducted over 1,100 Japanese language lessons. Provided interpretation for the Tokyo Marathon and meetings at game companies, then later discontinued interpretation services. During the summer, ran a summer program offering Japanese lessons and tours for international students. In December, hosted an international exchange live event, selling 110 tickets. The distributed song “New World” ranked 163rd on the Turkish charts.

 

2024

Launched a DSLR photography service for tourists, taking on approximately 100 projects within a year. In June, published the first bilingual picture book “One Ticket,” and released its theme song as well. Subsequently published additional picture books, “Yokai Kicchan” and “Yokai Festival.” Changed the business name from “rays lighthouse” to “Ray’s Lighthouse.” Also began selling apparel online, focusing on designs inspired by Japanese culture.

 

2025

Launched “Konnichiwa My Dude Japanese Podcast” on YouTube. All videos include Japanese subtitles, and subtitle text files (.txt) began being distributed to Patreon members. Also started a YouTube membership program, offering members-only access to game commentary videos. The channel surpassed 9,400 subscribers. Held the second international exchange and live event in Shibuya, which became the final international exchange event. Changed the musician name from “Ray’s Lighthouse” to “Konnichwia My Dude.” Released the EPs and album “Otaku Anthem,” “Dream,” and “Inner Peace.”