He is handsome. He is strong. And he is a master Japanese gardener. What else could anyone ask for?
You are probably imagining a young Japanese man, with features of dark hair and beautiful, dark eyes. Would it surprise you if we said this fellow was a native of Sweden?
Becoming Japanese
Jakob Sebastian Bjork is a world traveler. He discovered Japan for himself, and doing so let him in on a rich, thriving culture. He simply fell in love with Japan and decided he needed to be a part of it. He even changed his name to Tatsumasa Murasame, to fit in and suit the needs of Japanese citizenship requirements. Renouncing your original nationality is part of becoming a Japanese citizen, so taking the name was a great first step.
A model
Murasame does not look like your average Japanese citizen. For one, he is rather tall. He also is very muscular – his arms are simply huge! He is a bodybuilder after all and does fitness competitions. Photos on his social media show him next to various protein products.
And a gardener
Even though he looks very different from his countrymen, his love of the culture has pulled him through. His career is in no other than traditional Japanese gardening, a style of landscaping designed to embody philosophical ideas and use nature instead of artificial means to produce a beautiful space.
Gardening in Japan is viewed the same as designing a building. All parts must work together and be planned with care, so only those with the correct skills will do. He currently uses his talent to prune, clip and cut his way to the master skill level.
He began as an apprentice, and his master not only gave him his skill set, but also his name. He is certainly getting off on the right foot in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Right at home
The best part is, Japan has simply fallen in love. His Instagram page, at the time of this writing, boasts nearly 61,000 followers, with more and more coming every day. On his Instagram, you are treated to all kinds of interesting and cool pictures detailing Murasame’s life in his new nation. You can see him share his love of gardening, show off his great abs, and even view some modeling shots he’s taken.
One photo shows him in traditional temple garb, meditating inside a beautiful garden while the sun shines. Another photo shows him at the top of a ladder, using the utmost of care to trim a bonsai tree.
Fame is no stranger to this rising star-and he even appeared on a game show called More Japanese Than a Japanese Person. This is in addition to other shows that he has appeared on.
When he is not busy at the gym or taking care of a beautiful landscape, he is with his adorable tortoiseshell cat. Even the seemingly toughest guys can have a softer side!
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We wish the best for Tatsumasa Murasame as he adapts to life in Japan. As time goes on, his skills in both gardening and cultural understanding will be honed. Even though he will act like a native, he will always have a different look – but as this article shows, it’s these differences that make life interesting and wonderful.
