I met Ryuji Nakayama for the first time in 2019. At the time, he was working on how to attract foreign visitors to his village of Kamiyama and what content to show them. I was helping in the project, which has led me to spend a few days on the field, with Mr. Nakayama as…
Uncovering the Truth about Japanese Food Production
Michiru Hasegawa is not your usual kind of media writer. Her job takes place in a particular field: where people grow, raise, and fish the food the Japanese find on their plates every day. This time, she’s the one being interviewed. She opens up about her peculiar origin story for the first time and tells…
Helping Australian Businesses Enter the Japanese Market
Kota Nagami is a Japanese national currently living in Sydney, Australia. He made the decision to move there to find the right balance between work and nature, as well as to have a direct experience with the global business. He now works at doq, a cross-cultural marketing agency founded in Australia by Japanese entrepreneur Yoshinori Sakuno….
Bringing Thailand and Japan Together through Positivity
Sathi (full name Sathirat Srimaneelert) is a dynamic and cheerful Thai national. After studying and living in Japan for more than 10 years, she decided to go back to her home country. There, she built a company around what she does best: reducing the culture gap between the two countries. In this interview, she tells…
Making Japanese Tabi Socks Cool Again
Mr. Komatsu was not destined to work in the traditional clothing business. However, when his father-in-law needed his help to open an online shop, Mr. Komatsu discovered the world of tabi, the traditional Japanese footwear. In the following interview, he tells us about reaching a foreign audience and his projects to give more life to…
Namahage: Should You Really Be Afraid Of These Japanese Demons?
Yoshitaka Kobayashi (far right on the picture above) is the creator of Namahage Satokagura. They are a group whose performances mix traditional drums, dance, and embodying traditional Japanese spirits. They perform in Japan, but also have made appearances in other countries such as France and Taiwan. In this interview, Mr. Kobayashi tells us about keeping…
This Entire Japanese Town Turned Itself into a Hotel to Improve the Local Community
Before starting to work at SEKAI HOTEL in September 2019, Yuki had many experiences in the accommodation and social venture industries. She used to work for Hoshino Resorts, Japan’s most famous ryokan [traditional inns] and luxury hotels group. There, Yuki worked on how to give life back to ryokan that were in deficit. Later, she left Japan…
Learn What It Takes to Become an Animator in Japan – An Interview with Studio Director Mar Expósito
Mar Expósito was born in Barcelona, Spain, and grew up watching plenty of animation and spending a lot of time drawing. She came to Japan in 2014 with the project to work in the animation industry. The first animated short film she directed received several awards, and earlier this year, she built her own animation company in…
How a Frenchman Fell in Love with Japanese Antiques
Richard is a French national who has been living in Japan since 2015. At 58 years old, he is the kind of person who has lived several lives in a single life. He is the owner and cook of his own French restaurant in the Kagurazaka area of Tokyo, “le Moccot.” The restaurant’s name is…
Language Learning Stories: How Did You Learn Japanese? Volume 1
Learning Japanese is equal parts experimentation, practice, and application. In previous articles, I’ve shared how my colleagues and I study the language. Ever curious, I wanted to expand the conversation and find out how members of my social and professional circles tackled Japanese. So, I ended up taking a Tribe of Mentors approach by interviewing…