"Who Am I?" Non-fiction "Journey to Find the Father I've Never Known: Comedian Flies to Italy" by Go Takeuchi (stage name Black Samurai) to be Published on May 20
Non-fiction book, "Journey to Find the Father I've Never Known: Comedian Flies to Italy" by comedian Go Takeuchi, also known as Black Samurai, will be published by Chunichi Shimbun on May 20, 2026. The book chronicles his journey to Italy in search of his Cameroonian father, whom he has no memory of, and deeply contemplates the nature of family and diversity.
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- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 14:00
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Go Takeuchi, the author, is a solo comedian who performs under the stage name "Black Samurai." Born to a Japanese mother and a Cameroonian father, he met his father only once at the age of two and has no memory of him, growing up in a single-parent household. During his sensitive youth, he struggled with the gap between his self-identification as Japanese and his appearance, and sometimes experienced blatant discrimination. After studying acting in the United States, he debuted in the Japanese entertainment world. As he approached 40, he had a change of heart and decided to search for his unseen father. He raised funds through crowdfunding and traveled to Milan, Italy, where his father was said to live. With limited funds and time, and only a few clues, all seemed lost, but a dramatic development awaited him towards the end of his journey.
Through this journey of various encounters, the author deepened his thoughts on the nature of family. Contemporary Japan is home to people from diverse backgrounds coexisting. This book is intended to be an opportunity for readers to consider "What is diversity?"
The foreword is contributed by René Hoshino, a cartoonist from Cameroon who is also close to the author.
[Book Contents]
Prologue / Chapter 1: My Upbringing and My Mother / Chapter 2: Life at Elementary School After "Crossing Borders" / Chapter 3: My Rebellious Middle and High School Years / Chapter 4: The Birth of Comedian Black Samurai / Chapter 5: It Started on YouTube / Chapter 6: Challenge to Italy / Chapter 7: Reunion / Chapter 8: One Year Since Reunion / Chapter 9: Sudden Farewell / Chapter 10: To Cameroon, Another Root / Chapter 11: My Half-Sister Cleo's Drawing of Father and Us Three Siblings / Final Chapter: Family Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
The cover design pays homage to Italy, which the author visited, and green, Italy's symbolic color.
[Author Profile]
Born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, in 1980. After graduating from high school, he worked various part-time jobs before moving to the United States in 2004. He studied acting at HB Studio in New York and appeared in films, plays, and musicals after graduation. He returned to Japan in 2012 and debuted as a solo comedian under the stage name "Black Samurai," appearing as a semi-regular on Nippon TV's "Enta no Kami-sama" and TV Tokyo's "Oha Suta." He reached the semifinals of the R-1 Grand Prix in 2017, a competition to determine the top solo comedian. After leaving his entertainment agency to become independent, he expanded his activities to include hosting and lectures. His self-directed documentary film "Padre Project / Chasing the Shadow of My Father," produced in 2023, won the Best International Film Award at film festivals both domestically and internationally and will be released nationwide in 2024. He is the representative director of Black Company Inc.
Email: gotakeuchigo@gmail.com
[Bibliographic Information]
Release Date: May 20, 2026
Specifications: Shiroku-ban (B6 size), softcover, 262 pages
Price: 1,870 yen (1,700 yen + tax)
ISBN: 978-4-8062-0846-4
Publisher: Chunichi Shimbun (also publishes Tokyo Shimbun) https://www.tokyo-np.shop/c/itemlist/tokyo/books
Through this journey of various encounters, the author deepened his thoughts on the nature of family. Contemporary Japan is home to people from diverse backgrounds coexisting. This book is intended to be an opportunity for readers to consider "What is diversity?"
The foreword is contributed by René Hoshino, a cartoonist from Cameroon who is also close to the author.
[Book Contents]
Prologue / Chapter 1: My Upbringing and My Mother / Chapter 2: Life at Elementary School After "Crossing Borders" / Chapter 3: My Rebellious Middle and High School Years / Chapter 4: The Birth of Comedian Black Samurai / Chapter 5: It Started on YouTube / Chapter 6: Challenge to Italy / Chapter 7: Reunion / Chapter 8: One Year Since Reunion / Chapter 9: Sudden Farewell / Chapter 10: To Cameroon, Another Root / Chapter 11: My Half-Sister Cleo's Drawing of Father and Us Three Siblings / Final Chapter: Family Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
The cover design pays homage to Italy, which the author visited, and green, Italy's symbolic color.
[Author Profile]
Born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, in 1980. After graduating from high school, he worked various part-time jobs before moving to the United States in 2004. He studied acting at HB Studio in New York and appeared in films, plays, and musicals after graduation. He returned to Japan in 2012 and debuted as a solo comedian under the stage name "Black Samurai," appearing as a semi-regular on Nippon TV's "Enta no Kami-sama" and TV Tokyo's "Oha Suta." He reached the semifinals of the R-1 Grand Prix in 2017, a competition to determine the top solo comedian. After leaving his entertainment agency to become independent, he expanded his activities to include hosting and lectures. His self-directed documentary film "Padre Project / Chasing the Shadow of My Father," produced in 2023, won the Best International Film Award at film festivals both domestically and internationally and will be released nationwide in 2024. He is the representative director of Black Company Inc.
Email: gotakeuchigo@gmail.com
[Bibliographic Information]
Release Date: May 20, 2026
Specifications: Shiroku-ban (B6 size), softcover, 262 pages
Price: 1,870 yen (1,700 yen + tax)
ISBN: 978-4-8062-0846-4
Publisher: Chunichi Shimbun (also publishes Tokyo Shimbun) https://www.tokyo-np.shop/c/itemlist/tokyo/books