Rio: Was there anything you kept in mind while writing Satoko and Nada?
Yupechika: When I was creating the stories, I tried to avoid stereotypes of “Muslim girls” and “Japanese girls.” Instead, I tried to describe Satoko and Nada as individuals.
Rio: Could you explain that in a little more detail?
Yupechika: Sure. For example, we may feel uncomfortable when we hear someone say, “In general, most Japanese are....” When we meet people from another culture, we should see them not as stereotypes but as individuals. In the story “Knowing You,” Satoko says to Nada, “I mean, I do wanna know more about your culture, but I mostly just wanna know more about you.” Satoko wants to know more about her roommate, Nada, and naturally, she also wants to know more about Nada’s culture. This, I think, is the starting point of cross-cultural communication.