When we meet Versova-based Koki Shishido on a Saturday morning, on Turner Road in Bandra, the Japanese content creator stuns us with his salutation. “Namaste! Mera naam Koki hai. Main Japan se hu.” A huge smile envelopes his face as he raises his voice and continues, “Par meri Hindi ekdum rapchik hain, mamu!”

A 23-year-old who landed in Mumbai in 2022 with the aim of exploring the city that houses one of the biggest film industries in the world — Bollywood, Shishido started gaining traction for his food vlogs that explored Maharashtrian, and typically, Mumbaikar fare towards the end of 2023. What sets his videos apart from the usual food content on Instagram is the storytelling through which he gives his viewers a taste of what it is like to be a Japanese exploring the Indian markets and street food. Most of his videos have over a hundred thousand views, with many even going past the million mark. We are curious to know how the Japanese made headway especially when it came to his food choices.