Tanaka Zakku: From Indian Hackerman to Japanese Citizen
From Deep in Japan by Deep in Japan
February 22, 2026 · 1h 36m
About this episode
Zach Mathis, now known as Tanaka Zakku, discusses his journey from being an American to becoming a Japanese citizen and his experiences in cybersecurity.
In this episode, we sit down with Zach Mathis —now commonly known in Japan as Tanaka Zakku —a cybersecurity expert with over two decades of experience working in Japan. Zach recently chose to relinquish his American citizenship and naturalize as a Japanese citizen. When he announced it on Twitter, the post exploded, racking up almost 6 million views. What was surprising wasn't just the reach, but the reaction. The comments were overwhelmingly positive. Given the rising anti-immigration sentiment in the country and how quickly Japanese ultranationalist elements on Twitter tend to dogpile these kinds of announcements, Zach’s reception was a massive exception to the rule. We had a wide-ranging conversation about how he fell in love with Japan, the reality of the naturalization process, his cybersecurity career, and his twenty-year journey here. Hope you enjoy it! Links & Resources: Zach's viral naturalization post on X Hybrid State of Mind (The Tanaka Zach Anthem) [musical outro] Enjoying the show? Please consider supporting us —every little bit helps keep the podcast going. And make sure to join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @DogePunk2077 . For all…
People in this episode
Host: Deep in Japan
Guest: Zach Mathis
Topics covered
- cybersecurity
- naturalization
- immigration
- Japan
- personal journey
- cultural exchange
Keywords
- cybersecurity
- naturalization
- Japan
- immigration
- Zach Mathis
- Tanaka Zakku
- cultural exchange
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Twitter
Places: Japan, American
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