How I Turned Rejection Into My First International Comedy Show In Japan

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I take you behind the scenes of how rejection, frustration, faith, and one unexpected conversation led me to create and perform my first international English-led bilingual stand-up comedy show in Yokosuka, Japan:That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Cowboy In Japan And Had To Perform Comedy To Save The World.What started as me trying to find a few minutes of stage time eventually became something much bigger: my own hour-long comedy show in a foreign country, organized with less than three weeks to prepare. I talk about navigating the Japanese comedy environment, attempting to build an audience with a limited local network, and reaching the point where we had sold zero tickets only about a week before the show.Instead of giving up, I kept promoting, networking, and working alongside the owner of MagYoko to make the event happen. Somehow, that nearly empty ticket list turned into a packed venue filled with people from Japan, America, and beyond, including people who traveled hours to attend. More importantly, the entire experience forced me to reconsider how I respond when opportunities disappear. I had been frustrated with God about doors that were not opening, only to realize that if one of those smaller opportunities had worked out, I probably never would have created something of my own.I also reflect on performing stand-up comedy internationally for the first time, adapting comedy for an audience that included English-language learners, dealing with my own perfectionism after the performance, and learning to appreciate what I accomplished without pretending everything went perfectly. Sometimes the opportunity we are asking for looks completely different from the opportunity God eventually puts in front of us, and this experience became another reminder for me to choose questions over accusations when I do not understand what He is doing.After the behind-the-scenes story, you will hear the full audio from my comedy performance in Japan, including jokes about being an American cowboy in Japan, culture shock, learning Japanese through anime, PASMO machines exposing foreigners, Japanese dating misunderstandings, Godzilla versus Sanrio, American food in Japan, maid cafés, friendship, and plenty of absurd experiences from my time overseas. Because so much of stand-up comedy depends on expressions, movement, and physical delivery, I highly recommend watching the full video, Stand-Up Comedy in Japan: Culture Shock, Dating & Chaos | Full Special, on the Couple O' Nukes YouTube channel through the link in the description.https://youtu.be/y81YZ7fS2yI?si=p8FcBFc-W5JpxjaKcoupleonukes.com/comedy/Website: https://coupleonukes.comDiscounted Military Creator Con Tickets: http://militarycreatorcon.com/register?afmc=MCCMWExodus, Honor Your Heart, & Nulu Knives: https://www.coupleonukes.com/affiliates/Want to be a guest on Couple O' Nukes? Send me a message on PodMatch:  https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726279485588093e83e0e007 Sign Up For A PodMatch Account: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/coupleonukes*Couple O' Nukes LLC and Mr. Whiskey are not licensed medical entities, nor do they take responsibility for any advice or information put forth by guests. Take all advice at your own risk.