Atsuko Okatsuka: Joking in Japanese

Trevor sits down with comedian Atsuko Okatsuka for a lively, wide-ranging conversation about identity, humor, and finding your voice. Bonding over their shared immigrant experience, the two explore how feeling like an outsider can become a powerful lens for comedy. Along the way, Atsuko shares personal stories that are as hilarious as they are revealing and reflects on comedy as a way of making sense of the past and connecting across cultures. With hundreds of new sales every week, you can eat well for less at Whole Foods Market. If you haven't already.... Subscribe to the channel here: http://bit.ly/SubscribeTrevorNoah Or follow the podcast on your other favorite platforms... SiriusXM Apple Podcasts - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnApplePodcasts Spotify - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnSpotify 00:00:00 – True Crime Is Just Bad Filmmaking With Real Victims 00:01:29 – TSA Agents: America's Most Committed Volunteers 00:02:16 – South Africans Would Simply Not Show Up 00:04:42 – The Twinkle in Trevor's Eye (Atsuko Explains) 00:05:27 – The Doorway Conversation That Started a Friendship 00:07:23 – What If Game Night Was Just… Talking? 00:08:34 – Japan Disneyland Has No Fast Pass. Not Even for the CEO. 00:13:26 – Born in Taiwan, Raised in Japan, Kidnapped to LA 00:15:49 – Speed Dating, Schizophrenia & a Student OBGYN Uncle 00:19:00 – My Mom Was the Girl from The Ring 00:22:34 – Nobody Writes a Book About Martin Smith 00:26:22 – The Zap Theory: Symphonies vs. World Wars 00:31:09 – My Mom Thought the Chinese Government Had Microphones (They Might) 00:38:56 – Trevor's Ice Cream Problem (And the Apple Pie Incident) 00:50:47 – The Thing We Actually Lost When We Left Church 00:59:56 – "Aren't All the Comedians Already Taken?" — Finding Stand-Up on Craigslist 01:07:36 – Craigslist Was Healthy Tech. Then the Killer Showed Up. 01:17:30 – Why Trevor Stopped Hosting the Grammys 01:37:37 – Blowing Up at the Right Speed (And Being Afraid to Mess It Up) 01:52:02 – "Tadaima" — Coming Home to Japan for the First Time

Atsuko OkatsukaguestTrevor Noahhost

Apr 2, 20262h 24mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: April 2, 2026
Duration: 2h 24m
Channel: What Now? With Trevor Noah
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Trevor sits down with comedian Atsuko Okatsuka for a lively, wide-ranging conversation about identity, humor, and finding your voice. Bonding over their shared immigrant experience, the two explore how feeling like an outsider can become a powerful lens for comedy. Along the way, Atsuko shares personal stories that are as hilarious as they are revealing and reflects on comedy as a way of making sense of the past and connecting across cultures. With hundreds of new sales every week, you can eat well for less at Whole Foods Market. If you haven't already.... Subscribe to the channel here: http://bit.ly/SubscribeTrevorNoah Or follow the podcast on your other favorite platforms... SiriusXM Apple Podcasts - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnApplePodcasts Spotify - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnSpotify 00:00:00 – True Crime Is Just Bad Filmmaking With Real Victims 00:01:29 – TSA Agents: America's Most Committed Volunteers 00:02:16 – South Africans Would Simply Not Show Up 00:04:42 – The Twinkle in Trevor's Eye (Atsuko Explains) 00:05:27 – The Doorway Conversation That Started a Friendship 00:07:23 – What If Game Night Was Just… Talking? 00:08:34 – Japan Disneyland Has No Fast Pass. Not Even for the CEO. 00:13:26 – Born in Taiwan, Raised in Japan, Kidnapped to LA 00:15:49 – Speed Dating, Schizophrenia & a Student OBGYN Uncle 00:19:00 – My Mom Was the Girl from The Ring 00:22:34 – Nobody Writes a Book About Martin Smith 00:26:22 – The Zap Theory: Symphonies vs. World Wars 00:31:09 – My Mom Thought the Chinese Government Had Microphones (They Might) 00:38:56 – Trevor's Ice Cream Problem (And the Apple Pie Incident) 00:50:47 – The Thing We Actually Lost When We Left Church 00:59:56 – "Aren't All the Comedians Already Taken?" — Finding Stand-Up on Craigslist 01:07:36 – Craigslist Was Healthy Tech. Then the Killer Showed Up. 01:17:30 – Why Trevor Stopped Hosting the Grammys 01:37:37 – Blowing Up at the Right Speed (And Being Afraid to Mess It Up) 01:52:02 – "Tadaima" — Coming Home to Japan for the First Time

SPEAKERS

Atsuko Okatsuka
guest
Stand-up comedian and actor known for her observational comedy and cultural commentary.
Trevor Noah
host
Comedian and TV host, creator/host of the podcast "What Now? With Trevor Noah."

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of What Now? With Trevor Noah, featuring Atsuko Okatsuka and Trevor Noah, Atsuko Okatsuka: Joking in Japanese explores atsuko Okatsuka and Trevor Noah on identity, comedy, and community They critique true-crime media for formulaic storytelling and for exploiting victims’ families with overly long series and catchy themes.

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