Daijoubu is a home grown family business with the mission of supporting the anime, comics and games (ACG) community in Singapore.
My life has always been heavily influenced by games. I had grown up alongside multiple generations of gaming consoles, Intel chips and mobileOS. My favourite games are often underpin by extensive worldbuilding, multi-faceted characters and hundreds of hours adventuring in a fantasy world. If I had to be honest, gaming helped me escape the monotony of life and served as a coping mechanism to deal with stressful life situations. But thankfully I’ve always managed to put down my butcher knife and become a Buddha on the spot (放下屠刀，立地成佛), before it became too much of an addiction.
Then in 2019, I experienced a turning point in my gaming life.
I discovered that my 15 year old son had inadvertently spent almost a $1000 on in-game purchases on his mobile games. Not only did the huge spending left a hole in my wallet, it also left a hole in my heart. Instead of coming clean with his behaviour, he attempted to evade my questioning and became unnecessarily defensive. I realised that in course of pursuing my career which often involved working overtime, I had neglected connecting with my firstborn. Ironically, gaming which had been the source of much happiness in my younger years was now breaking my family apart.
It was a teachable moment for both of us. For me, it was a wake up call to become more involved in the world my children were growing up in, and for my son a lesson on being a responsible gamer. I gave him an option to either give up on his gaming account, or take up a part time job to earn back what he had spent. He chose the latter.
In a literal sense of becoming involved in the world our children is in, I also started playing the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) which threatened my relationship with him. The COVID circuit breaker came at the opportune moment to repair familial relations and subsequently, even my other three kids joined us in the same mobile game which made passing the COVID year much more enjoyable. It’s an old adage that those who game together stay together, and I still believe in it very strongly. From then on, gaming was no longer just an individual ‘sport’ but a family one.
As I reflected on my journey as a parent, it became clear to me that gaming has not only been a personal passion but also a powerful tool for bonding within my family. Navigating through this turning point made me even more aware of the importance of shared experiences as part of the parenting process. This shared experience was further exemplified when I participated in my first anime themed cafe with my children, and discovered that our passions could be celebrated at a larger scale with others like me.
In 2022, when I made the leap from a corporate career to create my own ACG-themed café, Daijoubu, it was more than just about running a F&B business—it was about creating a safe, inclusive space where people could connect over shared interests, creativity, and community. I wanted to replicate the same environment I created for my children for the many young people out there who could be coping with life’s pressures on their own. The multiple events organised over the last two years, and the joy it brought to those who joined showed how powerful this sense of belonging can be, especially in a world that often feels increasingly isolated.
Shin Daijoubu represents the evolution of my dream—moving from a café to an event space where people can come together, organise, and celebrate their fandoms. It goes beyond providing a physical space; it’s about empowering others, especially the youth, to create their own spaces and experiences, where they can freely express their passions and connect with others in a meaningful way. And in doing so, I hope that they can find their ikigai (a life worth living) within the ACG community or beyond as a testament to the power of shared interests, emotional connection, and mutual support.
If you have been inspired to host your own event or want a partner to collaborate with, reach out to discuss your needs with us.
