She was born in 1997 in Sulukta, located in the Batken region.
“In Tokyo, I work as medical staff. In 2018, I graduated from the ISITO Medical College in Bishkek, specializing in obstetrics. During my studies, representatives from Japanese medical institutions came to interview us. I passed the selection process and was invited to work in Japan. After that, I spent six months learning the Japanese language, and on June 6, 2018, I arrived here for the first time,” Kanykey shared.
“When I was nine years old, my parents divorced, and my mother stayed to raise me, my older brother, and my younger sister. My father helped occasionally, but overall, my childhood was not easy. My mother worked late into the night to build us a house, and I remember her coming home with swollen legs from exhaustion. We took out a large loan for construction, which became a heavy burden for her. My mother worried about how to repay it and couldn't sleep at night. During this time, my brother and sister had already started their own families. I was the only one who saw her suffering. My main goal was to pay off the debts, and thank God, I managed to do that in Japan. I was able to close the loan, and my mother finally found peace,” she shared.
Kanykey has been working at the clinic for seven years, providing patients with comprehensive assistance: from dispensing medications to filling out medical records and entering data into the computer.
She noted the politeness and discipline of the Japanese, adding, “They maintain distance, and if you accidentally bump into them, they apologize first. Many don’t even know where Kyrgyzstan is, but they think I look like Japanese women. The Japanese are friendly: if you ask something, they will respond with a smile and can guide you to the right place.”
The climate in Japan is humid, and the country is surrounded by the ocean. Summers here are hot and humid, while winters are not too cold. Snow falls rarely in Tokyo—only twice during the winter period, and even then, it’s insignificant. “I don’t know how it is in other cities,” she added.
Kanykey was impressed by the organization of the Japanese: “They patiently stand in line and carefully sort their trash. Even after drinking milk, they rinse the bottle with water before throwing it away.”
“Tokyo is a huge metropolis that is very different from Kyrgyzstan. It’s clean here, there’s no dust, the roads are perfect, and you can drive to the top of the forest. There are many interesting things, but Kyrgyzstan is beautiful in its own way. In different corners of the country, Kyrgyz people gather for various celebrations,” she said.
Kanykey dreams of creating a film about her life in Japan—from the first days to the present. “Since I came here, I’ve been alone: there are no compatriots nearby, and my mother worries a lot about me. Working among the Japanese, I have seen both the good and the bad sides of life—poverty and prosperity. Being far from home and among unfamiliar people, the difficulties are felt particularly acutely. But these years have changed me and taught me a lot. If God wills, I will definitely tell my story in a film,” she shared.
“My dream is to bring my mother to Japan, show her Tokyo, treat her to Japanese cuisine, dress her in a kimono, show her Mount Fuji, and give her unforgettable experiences,” Kanykey added.
