Lynne Karina Hutchison is a British rhythmic gymnast turned actor. She competed for Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics and won bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. After retiring from gymnastics, she trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and now works as an actor, dancer, and model, sharing her work on Instagram.

Connect with Lynne!

https://www.instagram.com/thejapanstagram

https://www.instagram.com/lynnekarinahutch

https://www.tiktok.com/@thejapanstagram

https://www.youtube.com/@thejapanstagram

0:00 - Introduction

1:00 - Meet Lynne Karina

1:56 - Lynne talks about her upbringing

2:44 - Lynne shares her main focus

4:26 - Lynne discusses her work at tourism companies in Japan

6:33 - Lynne's experience as a media member at the Olympic Channel during the Paris Olympics

8:04 - Lynne met celebrities and pro athletes at the Paris Olympics, including Simone Biles

8:38 - How she transitioned from gymnastics to acting and dancing

10:06 - How her high school schedule was unusual because of her gymnastics training

11:20 - Competing in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India

11:45 - Lynne's Olympics experience

13:08 - Lynne talks about her brother's jiu-jitsu career

15:22 - How she visits her brother every time she goes to Japan

16:08 - Desire to live in Japan someday

17:19 - Travel experiences in Japan and where she wants to live in the future

18:20 - Why she wants to live in Tokyo, Japan, in the future

19:53 - Personality in Japan versus in the UK

21:15 - Japan's unique culture

22:24 - Japan’s financial/population crisis and current economy

23:32 - How Japanese culture influences people in London and around the world

24:50 - Itinerary and work schedule while in Japan

26:38 - Acting and dance class experiences in Japan

27:29 - Experience and challenges with the Japanese language

29:28 - Being perceived as a foreigner in Japan despite her heritage

31:42 - How locals perceive foreigners across different parts of Asia

34:16 - Why Tokyoites are serious while Osakans are chill and friendly

36:38 - Mental health and self-expression in Japan

39:24 - Andy shares his experience with Japanese people not answering questions directly

41:45 - Daily life in Japan

42:21 - Eating out in Japan is more affordable than buying groceries

43:38 - Eating and grocery habits in Japan

45:10 - Typical Japanese home-cooked meals

47:25 - Experiences with haircuts in Japan and the UK

48:23 - What led her to keep returning to Japan

49:39 - Why it's important to stay aware of your surroundings in big cities in the UK and other countries

51:09 - Raising kids in Japan versus in the UK

52:43 - Cons of raising kids in Japan

54:15 - How her Instagram grew from a fun hobby to professional content creation

55:52 - What catalyzed her to start her Japan Instagram account

57:15 - How she started receiving inbound requests for paid gigs on her Instagram account

59:09 - Why she doesn’t care about using a 3-second hook in her IG

59:54 - How an overly rigid itinerary can make your Japan trip less enjoyable

1:01:47 - How she built an engaged community on Instagram through story interactions

1:03:48 - How she creates her Instagram stories to engage with her community

1:06:10 - What takes up most of her time in her work as a freelancer

1:07:04 - Recent life discoveries

1:08:24 - Career journey in acting and dance

1:09:18 - How Lynne’s gymnastics background helped with her acting foundation

1:10:40 - How she became more quirky after starting her acting career

1:12:06 - Is being half-Asian an advantage or disadvantage in the acting industry?

1:13:55 - Goal for the next 6 months

1:15:27 - How she has made a diverse group of friends worldwide

1:16:37 - Determination to be part of a movie that people will love to watch

1:17:41 - How watching La La Land in concert further inspired her acting career

1:18:55 - Connect with Lynne!

1:19:43 - Outro