About boojazz

At the age of fifteen, Michael began his professional career by drawing children’s menus for a chain of restaurants in the Southwest. His experience in graphics, marketing, illustration and video production fill an essential need in advertising agencies, printing companies, and design firms. In the early 2010's Michael blogged for The Huffington Post and Psychology Today on the topic of Digital Reinvention. Some of the clients Michael has worked with include: Microsoft, US – Japan Business Council, RAINN (co-founded by Tori Amos and Sarah McLaughlin), Chicagoland Speedway, Richard Shay Photography, The British Embassy in the United States, Ben Hollis Worldwide, Aphex, & PepsiCo. His previous television work has gained the interest of major studios such as Dreamworks SKG.

Boys’s Love & Girls’ Love: Thai Boom & Japanese Revivial

By |2025-04-18T13:43:41+00:00April 18th, 2025|Highlighted, Japan Expert Insights|

This week, we have Moeka Iida, a reporter and researcher at The Economist’s Tokyo bureau, covering Japanese politics, society, business, and culture. With a keen interest in subcultures and social trends, she has written about host clubs in Tokyo’s red-light district, the rise of female writers in Japan’s literary scene, and the changing face of [...]

How to Direct, Produce and Distribute Japanese Movies

By |2025-04-05T13:58:12+00:00April 5th, 2025|Highlighted, Japan Expert Insights|

This week, we have Chiaki Yanagimoto, a Japanese-born, Los Angeles-based producer. After producing a series of genre films, Chiaki switched gears to documentaries, including “KAMPAI! For the Love of Sake,” which premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival and was released by IFC Films/Sundance Selects. She is also a founder of SAKKA, a US-based [...]

A Lifelong Journey Through Japanese Cinema

By |2025-03-21T02:28:11+00:00March 21st, 2025|Highlighted, Japan Expert Insights|

Mark Schilling is a reporter, critic, and author who specializes in Japanese films and popular culture. Since 1989, Mark has been a regular film critic for The Japan Times and has covered the Japanese film industry for Screen International (1990–2005) and Variety (2005–present). Mark has written or contributed to several books, including The Encyclopedia of [...]

Finding Japanese Culture in New York City

By |2025-03-21T02:27:00+00:00March 7th, 2025|Highlighted, Japan Expert Insights|

In the fourth episode, we’re excited to welcome Susan Miyagi McCormac, the founder, and Editor-in-Chief of JapanCulture•NYC, a website that introduces New Yorkers to Japanese culture and promotes Japanese-related events. In addition to her work with JapanCulture•NYC, Susan is a Vice President of the Japanese American Association of New York, serves on the JET Alumni [...]

Conversation about Japanese Film & Television

By |2025-02-23T22:29:52+00:00February 23rd, 2025|Highlighted, Japan Expert Insights|

In the third episode of Showtime at Japan Expert Insights, we'll chat with Tetsuki Ijichi about his extensive experience in the entertainment industry and the valuable advice he has for those just starting out. With over 45 years in the field, especially independent film world. Tetsuki is an acclaimed film distributor and producer, having distributed [...]

The Intersection of Data, Media and Technology

By |2025-02-12T03:21:24+00:00February 12th, 2025|Highlighted, Japan Expert Insights|

In the second episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Douglas Montgomery, founder and CEO of Global Connects. Douglas will share his insights on the urgent need for Japan to leverage more data in the entertainment industry, while also exploring the dynamic intersection of media and technology. Actively engaged with the Asian community in Los Angeles, Douglas [...]

The Future of Japanese Entertainment & Culture

By |2025-01-24T02:27:47+00:00January 24th, 2025|Highlighted, Japan Expert Insights|

In this premiere episode, guest Waka (Konohana) Ikeda will discuss the rise of Japonism in the 20th Century and the problems facing Japan that have been revealed through recent international co-productions. Then, she’ll make insightful suggestions on how the Japanese entertainment industry can move forward. Waka san has interviewed countless numbers of Oscar-winning and [...]

After Shogun: What’s Next From Japan?

By |2024-08-20T22:37:22+00:00August 20th, 2024|Film, Highlighted|

From video games such as Persona 5 to novels written by Haruki Murakami, a rich reservoir of anime, manga, and video game content awaits proper adaptation. As we move into the latter half of the 2020s and the 2030s, Japanese-centric entertainment holds the potential to achieve full mainstream status in America.In this episode, Maya, Tim, [...]

Convenience Story Q&A with March Schilling

By |2024-04-17T20:41:01+00:00March 30th, 2023|Boojazz, Film, Highlighted, Video|

Here is a post-film Q&A with Mark Schilling, moderated by Chicago-based writer Michael Foster. Special thanks to Sophia Wong Boccio. Mark Schilling (born 1949)[1] is an American film critic, journalist, translator, and author based in Tokyo, Japan. He has written for The Japan Times, Variety, and Screen International. About the Movie [...]

Convenience Story Q&A on March 19th

By |2024-04-17T20:40:54+00:00March 7th, 2023|Boojazz, Film|

Coming up on March 19th, I'll be moderating a Q&A session with the renowned film critic Mark Schilling about the film based on his excellent short story. This is part of the Japanese Showcase Weekend for Sophia Wong Boccio's always impressive Asian Pop-Up Cinema event, this time at the AMC in Evanston. Come on [...]

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