The parody, which aired in 2008 when Steve Carell hosted SNL, featured white actors portraying Japanese characters. Schur voiced his confusion, stating, "It's like, 'They stole the show from me, but I stole it from the Japanese version,' but then all the actors in the Japanese version are white people. It sort of didn't track to me somehow."
Schur's comments came during an episode of The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, where he and CNN anchor Jake Tapper joined Seth Meyers to discuss iconic SNL digital shorts. When asked about "The Japanese Office," Schur expressed his reservations, a sentiment echoed by Tapper.
Schur admitted to feeling "a little bit rankled" by the sketch. He elaborated, "I worked at SNL, but you still feel like SNL at some point at some level is an arbiter of what matters in the culture. And when [Carell] did 'The Japanese Office,' I remember being a little bit rankled."
Despite his fondness for a previous SNL parody of "The Office" featuring Rainn Wilson, Schur felt differently about "The Japanese Office." He explained, "This, I was a little bit like, oh, okay. Like, it didn't feel right to me in some way."
The sketch, introduced by "The Office" creator Ricky Gervais, presented a fictional Japanese version of the sitcom. It featured familiar characters like Michael, Dwight, Jim, and Pam, played by white actors speaking Japanese and engaging in stereotypical Japanese behaviors. The clip concluded with Gervais declaring, "It's funny 'cause it's racist."
Akiva Schaffer, a member of The Lonely Island and the director of the sketch, acknowledged his initial concerns about the predominantly white cast. However, he supported the vision of co-writer Marika Sawyer, who is Japanese American.
Co-writer John Lutz revealed that Sawyer ensured the sketch used authentic Japanese dialogue. He also shared an Easter egg: Jason Sudeikis's character was credited as "Mike Schur" in Japanese.
Interestingly, "The Office" had previously parodied The Lonely Island's "Lazy Sunday" video with a rap titled "Lazy Scranton." Andy Samberg, who starred in "Lazy Sunday" and later worked with Schur on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," initially questioned the parody's intent but eventually understood it as a friendly homage.
Since his time on SNL and "The Office," Schur has created and co-created acclaimed shows like "Parks and Recreation," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "The Good Place," and "A Man on the Inside." He has received numerous Emmy nominations and wins for his work.
