If you’ve spent any time scrolling through expat Instagram or TikTok, you’ve probably watched a sketch by Zarifa (Oopsintranslation). With razor-sharp, roleplay videos, Zarifa acts out the frustrating, awkward and hyper-specific cultural mishaps that every foreigner encounters in Japan.
Whether she’s playing a demanding manager, a confused neighbor or her fan-favorite braver alter-ego “Gomashiruko-san,” her content hits with anyone who has ever felt a bit lost in translation.
Behind the skits is over eight years of real, unfiltered experience. Sitting down for an honest chat on GaijinPot’s Behind The Feed, Zarifa told us about her journey from Azerbaijan to Japan, and the heavy moments that almost made her quit the country, how a FamilyMart crush changed her life and why learning to respectfully stand up for yourself is the ultimate expat survival skill.
Everyday ‘Therapy Session’
Zarifa’s content creation started unexpectedly. Having mastered the language up to JLPT N1 through trial and error (and a lot of job interview rejections), she started her journey as an online Japanese tutor during her maternity leave. Soon, she realized her lesson time was being eaten up by students asking what living in Japan was actually like.
To give them an honest look at daily life, she started filming comedic skits re-enacting her own experiences—especially the microaggressions she couldn’t find the words to respond to at the time. While some internet trolls accuse her of complaining, Zarifa views her channel as an essential emotional release for her community.
“Sharing those negative moments, I’m kind of healing myself, too…I hope my skits help someone who really wants to call Japan home to be reasonable about their expectations and be prepared for a happier life.”
Konbini Love Story
Zarifa shares a memory from her student days working at a convenience store, where her manager openly accused her of stealing cash that was missing simply because she was the only foreigner on staff. Devastated, she quit the next day and decided to move back to Azerbaijan the minute she graduated.
But a certain regular customer changed everything. In a heartwarming twist, Zarifa had actually met her future husband at that very same FamilyMart. After secretly giving him the placeholder name “Masao” because she was too shy to speak to him, a mutual friend later passed along her contact info, and the rest became history.
Even after finding her “chosen family,” new life stages brought new, unique struggles. Zarifa speaks about the isolation of pregnancy abroad, facing pressure from in-laws and the immense societal judgment she and her husband faced when he dared to request paternity leave over “company values.”
How to Respectfully ‘Clap Back’
The core philosophy of @oopsintranslation is right there in the title: it’s a safe space to dump the awkward or unfair moments of expat life, laugh about them and learn a bit of situational Japanese along the way. Crucially, Zarifa’s videos are a masterclass in setting boundaries.
She recalls a recent incident where her neighborhood association tried to unfairly blame her family for a garbage disposal issue, prompting her to politely but firmly tell them to check the security cameras before pointing fingers.
“I’m not encouraging people to pick fights,” Zarifa emphasizes. “But as much as you stand up for yourself in a very respectful way, that helps to get that respect from locals here. When people see that you respect yourself, they will respect you back.”
Whether you need a laugh, a language lesson or a reminder that you aren’t alone in the daily struggle, Zarifa’s honest perspective is a must-watch for anyone trying to build a life in Japan.
Check out the full interview on GaijinPot’s YouTube channel and share your favorite @oopsintranslation skit in the comments below!
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