Naomi Watanabe: The Japanese comedian on body image, sex and dating

What in the World

• Episode: Naomi Watanabe: The Japanese comedian on body image, sex and dating
• Website: What in the World
• Feed URL: https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/w13xtvrv.rss
• Duration: 00:14:11
• Published: 2025-02-28 15:30

Naomi Watanabe is a Japanese comedian, fashion icon and social media powerhouse. She shot to fame in 2008 with her viral Beyoncé impression, earning her the nickname ‘Japanese Beyoncé. Now, with 10 million followers, she’s one of Japan’s biggest influencers. But that wasn’t enough for her. Four years ago she moved to New York to do stand-up comedy on the global stage.

Hannah went to New York in October to see her debut stand-up show, speak to fans and meet Naomi in person. Naomi talks about adapting to life in NYC, the rats, and what it’s like on dating apps when you’re super famous.

She’s also a body positivity icon. In Japan, one in five young women is underweight and there’s immense pressure to be thin. Naomi shares her feelings on body image and explains why she set up her own fashion label, Punyus, which means ‘chubby’.

And Mariko Oi, a BBC reporter from Japan, tells us about her experiences with Japanese perceptions of the ideal body shape.

Watch out for the full interview between Hannah and Naomi on the BBC World Service YouTube channel.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Rebecca Thorn Editor: Verity Wilde