Tsubasa Hidaka: What the U.S. Taught Me - and What It Could Learn From Japan

Some teenagers discover a piece of their true self while in sports, in the pages of a book, or even during summer camp. And some, like Tsubasa Hidaka, find a piece of their true self by living in another country. 

In this episode of How Life Shapes Us, Tesla Mitchell sits down with Winona State University coworker and friend Tsubasa Hidaka, a Japanese international student whose journey from Japan to rural Iowa (and eventually Winona, Minnesota) reshaped the way he sees identity, family, success, and even mental health.

Tsubasa opens up about growing up with a complicated relationship with his father, where judgment, pressure, and limited “mental freedom” often made it hard to speak openly. He reflects on how those experiences shaped the way he communicates, sets boundaries, and sometimes shuts down when emotions run high.

But living in the United States changed something for him.

Through friendships, cultural differences, and life as an international student, Tsubasa began learning how to speak more openly, trust his own opinions, and embrace the idea of being good enough instead of perfect. And that shift, he said, deeply impacted his perspective on mental health and his outlook on life.

Together, Tesla and Tsubasa explore:

• How family dynamics shape the way we communicate and handle conflict
• The emotional toll of perfectionism and pressure in Japanese culture
• The surprising strengths and challenges of both American and Japanese culture
• What the U.S. might learn from Japan (and what Japan might learn from the U.S.)
• Big questions about freedom, healthcare, diversity, money, and what truly makes a fulfilling life

From quiet trains and indirect communication to mental health and personal identity, this conversation offers a thoughtful, honest look at what happens when you step outside your own culture and begin seeing yourself more clearly.

If you’ve ever wrestled with family expectations, perfectionism, or figuring out who you are apart from where you came from, this episode will stay with you.