Koki Shishido at the vada pav centre

“My journey started here in Bandra West,” Shishido tells us as we tread across Pali Village, and drop by a hostel which became his first home in the city. “I had never been to Mumbai before. So naturally, I got my first taste of the city’s way of living around this area.” Before arriving in Mumbai, Shishido had already explored Varanasi, New Delhi, Puducherry, Orissa, Goa and many other cities in South India. We walk to a nearby dairy named New Shankar Dairy where Shishido first fell in love with masala chaas. “This is a 70-year-old dairy and one of the few places where I like masala chaas,” he tells us and then greets the man sitting at the counter of the dairy in Malayalam. “Adipoli, kaka?” he says, and the man smiles in acknowledgement. “Humko ek masala chaas aur do lassi dena. Masala chaas mein masala ache se mix karke dena [We want one masala chaas and two lassi. Mix the masala well in the chaas],” he confidently rattles off in Hindi, as he places the order.

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Shishido orders chaas and lassi at the dairy

Amazed by his fluency in Hindi and English, and a few other phrases and words in Malayalam and Marathi, we ask the influencer his secret. “Before arriving in India [in 2021], I explored Egypt and other parts of Africa. Just like in Japan, they barely speak English there. It didn’t take time for me to realise that the best way to learn a language is to interact with the locals, try to understand what they just said and use the same phrase in your next conversation,” the 25-year-old explains. When we ask him why he chose India to pursue his dreams to become a content writer, he responds, “India was never in the plans. But when I went to Africa, many suggested that I start my career in India. They said that here, I will learn life.”

He adds that by the time he reached Mumbai after a pan India tour, he was broke. “You’d think that India is cheaper than Japan, but that’s not true. Especially when it comes to Mumbai; the lifestyle is as expensive here as it is there. I had to rely on street food in the city to feed myself every day. Thus, began my journey with Indian cuisine.”

After a savoury sip of the malai-filled, creamy lassi and a hit of the extra masala in the chaas insisted upon by Shishido, we move to his next favourite eatery nearby — Maharashtra Chana Bhandar. “They make the best vada pav here! It is not only the first place where I tried this version of the Indian burger, but this was also one of my first reels that went viral,” he tells us. The farsan mart is buzzing with customers but Shishido cuts through without hesitation and orders a vada pav with extra chutney and green chilli on the side. “I have even learned how to bargain like a pro in the markets!”  Soon, we see him interacting with another customer who is amused by his fluent Hindi. The conversation takes a turn when Shishido learns that the customer is from Dharavi. He starts using the Mumbaikar slang he’s picked up over time, further breaking the ice and making a friend.

We walk to Candies at Pali Hill next, where Shishido drops by often for the vibes and his favourite carrot cake. “Often, Indians presume I am Chinese and start mocking me. Once, I almost picked up a fight when I was being teased at Bandra station. I approached a gang of boys who were using words like, ‘Chin chang cho’ to mock me. I approached them and said, ‘Kya takleef hai, bhai?’ They were taken aback by my Hindi and their tone changed to being kind instantly!” he laughs.

The conversation turns to love and Shishido tells us how his DM [Direct Message on Instagram] is filled with texts from girls. “I get hundreds of love confessions and messages daily. But that is also how I found my Indian girlfriend, whom I currently stay with in Versova. She messaged me for a collaboration but it turned into a date and before we knew it, other dates followed,” he reveals. Another page that Shishido runs is named @jootajapani.dilhindustani. “It [Mera joota hai Japani] is also my most favourite song! My main account is for making a living while the other one is to capture my story as a Japanese in India. The aim is now to make it big in Bollywood and OTT platforms,” he says as he signs off. 

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