I Didn’t Grow Up with a Typical Dad

I’m Japanese and live in Tokyo.
  / ray__in__japan  

Hey guys, it’s Ray. How’s it going?

In this video, I talk about how I first got into music and the complicated relationship I’ve had with my dad.

I started playing guitar when I was 14 because I saw my dad playing and thought it looked really cool. He’s an incredibly talented musician — guitar, piano, bass, drums, saxophone… and he even sings well. He speaks English, too. In many ways, he shaped who I am today.

But growing up, he wasn’t really a “family guy.” He lived in his own world, and he wasn’t the type of dad who showed up to school events or spent much time at home. I don’t have many memories of us doing things together when I was a kid.

After high school, we spent time together here and there, but it always felt more like visiting the owner of a bar than visiting my father. And honestly… that was okay for us. He eventually remarried several times, and since I lived with my mom, we stayed distant.

Even now, we don’t have a typical father–son relationship. Sometimes I visit his bar, and that’s enough. He just enjoys living life his way, and I’ve learned to accept that.