Michael is a fascinating human and not so much a chameleon as he is absolutely himself wherever he is. He has an uncanny ability to have skin in the game. He is the first person to EVER present INBOX ZERO to me as something that is appealing, and he is very frank about what the first couple of hours of his day look like. 

Michael requested at the top of this podcast to turn some questions on me too - and I obliged. It’s hard to put into words, and I am still answering his questions in my head about some of my philosophy and humanity but I think something I didn’t articulate at all well was that I don’t feel like ‘Look at my spicy friends!’, moreover, it’s far more akin to - this is my life, and your life; the real world and the world we live in and occupy. Whatever you see is not my attempt at diversity or inclusion - it is my history, my art and I am part of it. And so are you, whether you know it or not. Humans are not my market. They are and also they aren’t. I am in service.  Like I say, it’s very hard to articulate. Michael sneakily got me talking about this topic - it’s high context, we understand between us, but it would be hard to put a PowerPoint presentation together about it. Please don’t request this. 

Identity is huge in this conversation - such a rich inquiry and we muse on how ‘ordinary, or ‘normal’ is simply another diversity and also how he starred in a film called ‘Spoiled Identity’ directed by former Legends, Yukiro Dravarious (or full video here) and Duncan Whom. 

Michael exemplifies this as we dive into his Haus and attempt to describe it! 

In the podcast discover

• What the surfboard under young, blond, tanned Michael’s arm really represents…
• Time; taking time. Time for relationships to settle, time for preparation in the morning, time for rest and sleep
• The wisdom of video games and mountains (and a surprising connection we have between my Mt Fuji Climb and his work with Shine on Kids)
• How he seamlessly moves between his life-roles as Director of the Drag Haus von Schwarz, Event Producer of Shine on Kids Cancer Charity and being founder of Bainsoft, his talent agency and localisation studio
• Can he reconcile Christianity and faith with his life?

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would come and say hi over on @sarahfuruyacreative on Instagram.

About Michael

Michael Bain is Founder/CEO of Bainsoft, Event Producer for Shine On! Kids, and Manager of Drag Collective Haus Von Schwarz. He left his hometown Brisbane, Australia in 2014 to get closer to the video game music industry in Tokyo and is now uniquely positioned to help eliminate barriers between Japanese/Western companies and artists.

In 2022, he founded Bainsoft, a talent agency and localization studio. Bainsoft manages narrators, singers, voice actors and composers, matching English-speaking talent with Japanese companies, and vice versa. Recent works include Rise of the Ronin, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth & the F1 racing series. In February 2024, Michael also became Event Producer (Executive Fight Night) for Shine On! Kids, which supports children in Japan with cancer and other serious illnesses through a number of innovative, evidence-based psycho-social support programs. Executive Fight Night gathers close to 500 professionals at Grand Hyatt, raising funds for the Shine On! Kids' Hospital Facility Dog Program. Haus Von Schwarz is a 9-member Tokyo-based queer underground showcase that experiments with gender expressions and self-affirming performances. Their flagship show Casket Of Horrors flips mainstream drag on its head with its goth-villain and horror vibes, and charity event Fresh Meat raises funds for the latest needs for the queer community and beyond.

When Michael isn’t working, he’s either playing piano, social coworking at Midnight Brew in Nakano-Shimbashi or heading up to his little cabin in Minakami, Gunma to decompress.

Connect with Michael

IG: @michael.bainsoft

Bainsoft: www.bainsoft.co.jp / www.japanvoicetalent.com

Shine On! Kids: https://sokids.org/ 

Haus Von Schwarz: https://www.casketofhorrors.com/

About the Haus: https://www.tokyoweekender.com/entertainment/haus-von-schwarz-tokyo-drag-show/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bain-73591590/

Connect with Sarah

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sarah-furuya-creative

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahfuruyacreative/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXsuS_yVT9fMHjhAylVy8-w