Yumi Nagashima

Yumi Nagashima's accent is indeed real. For a while, the Tokyo born and raised comedian was told she needed to make herself sound more North American and less Japanese. This was before the 2019 release of her debut comedy album, My Name Is Yumi. And before her stand-up career took her places she’d never dreamed of: Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles, Jakarta, London and, um, Regina. To appreciate how things have taken off for her, it helps to back up a bit. After moving from Japan to Vancouver on Canada’s West Coast, and then teaching Japanese to English-speaking locals, Nagashima took some acting classes. That was when she first learned of a small stumbling block to stardom: her unmistakable Japanese accent when she speaks English. Cue the endless auditions for not-exactly-coveted movie and TV roles as Japanese scientist and Japanese waitress. When it was suggested that she should see a dialect coach, Nagashima thought about it for a second or two, and then declined. Her reasoning was simple. To speak perfect English would make it seem like she was trying to hide something she's proud of: being Japanese.