It was never Stan Fukase’s intention to go viral on TikTok.

“When the pandemic started, I started making TikTok videos like everyone else,” he says over a video call. “I was never expecting to be famous or anything.”

Stan Fukase, known on social media platforms as 'World of Xtra,' acts as a bridge between non-Japanese people and those in Japan’s LGBTQ+ community. | COURTESY OF STAN FUKASE
Stan Fukase, known on social media platforms as 'World of Xtra,' acts as a bridge between non-Japanese people and those in Japan’s LGBTQ+ community. | COURTESY OF STAN FUKASE