Yuki Saaki, ”the Japanese who brought AI to the Romanian creative industry” and intrigued our creatives is Yuki Ichiro. A Japanese brought to Romania by love and tsunami. He liked the slow pace of Romanian life and stayed. He also liked the IQads campaign and enjoyed playing Saaki, ”the entrepreneur of the future”. Yuki worked in advertising and understood our hoax about artificial inteligence. He took his part seriously, found a sober voice and became the evangelist of artificial creativity in Romania.
Yuki Saaki, his character, was very popular on Facebook. He stirred a lot of comments and discussions among the Romanian creatives.
I was given the first part of the script, and that was it. I came to the studio without knowing that it was hoax.
I practiced with a serious tone. I had to adjust it all on the spot, says Yuki.
We explained here the backstory of our campaign. Now, we are telling the story of Yuki. The real Yuki.
Yuki worked in advertising for 10 years, studied business school in Netherlands and USA, had a consultanting agency in Tokio. He came to Romania in 2012 and, in 2015, he opened a japanese restaurant, Yuki japanese home dining.
We talk with Yuki in the following interview about his role in the IQads Campaign, about Romania, cultural differences, zacuscă and Artificial Inteligence.
The IQads campaign
I was given the first part of the script, and that was it. I came to the studio without knowing that it was hoax. I practiced only with a serious tone. I had to adjust it all on the spot.
I think the concept and script were well done though I’m not sure if I helped well enough in the delivery. The project was a revelation for my acting “career,” no joke, and I’m grateful for that. I’m eager to see the output!
The story that brought you to Romania
Love and Tsunami brought me to Romania.
I met a Romanian woman in graduate school in Western Europe and got married. After living together in Japan for almost 10 years, we moved to Romania in 2012. The trigger was the earthquake in 2011.
Before visiting Romania for the first time in 2002, I knew nothing about Romania besides Ceausescu and Comaneci.
First impressions
Slow pace of life. Warm, relaxed and friendly people if you know them; cold and unhelpful clerks in shops/restaurants and government offices. Gloomy city of Bucharest.
After almost a decade of living and having my own business here, I have love and hate for this society just as you all do.
Cultural suprises
The work ethic continues to surprise me.
Many talks about the day of rest, as if it were her/his right, but no one talks about hard working days prior…
No trust in the society. People, I mean strangers, don’t treat each other with respect and care. I’m actually lucky to be a foreigner; people tend to be nice and curious.
Your advertising experience
Well, I was so much younger back then; I enjoyed the whole experience. We worked hard and played hard. There was no difference between day and night. We almost lived in and around work; we had toothbrushes and clean clothes stocked; I remember the snoring of my colleagues (and likely mine) at night in the office.
I got out (20 years ago) as I was getting too old for all that.
The restaurant
YUKI Japanese home dining was established in 2015.
People were the challenge and still are.
YUKI only serves my favourite food :)
We are blessed by lovely guests. Many became like our friends/family. They must be considered weird, though, by the public for coming repeatedly to a Japanese restaurant with no sushi :)
Romanian food
I love Romanian food, especially ciorba and salads like salata de vinete, zacusca and salata de boeuf. Local vegetables and fruits are so fresh and delicious, the best!
If you only eat these foods, you cannot be fat.
Do you think that a robot would cook better than a human? :)
I hope NOT!
My first (Japanese) Head Chef used to say this, “I don’t mind giving out my recipes. If everyone could cook like a pro by looking at the recipe, we would need no professionals.”
I would like to add further. Our ingredients come from the nature and are not consistent like industrial parts. Robots must be damn smart to deal with the complexity. Plus, robots would have to have the sense of delicate taste. Robots still might be able to overcome all the hurdles and execute. They can even create arts nowadays, I understand.
But, I would like to believe that humans are always going to create original concepts and recipes.
