Maya Tanaka Allwardt is an actor and musician originally from the Bay Area. She is a recent Jeff Award nominee for her role as Little Sally in Theo Ubique’s Urinetown. You can also see her on screen as Amy Keening on season 11 of Chicago Med. Maya is active in the improv/comedy world and [...]
This week’s guest is Harry Wright, the founder of All Things Japan and the visionary behind a developing historical project titled The Black Ships: A Sea of Change. Drawing on his deep cultural fluency and a career as a retired U.S. Navy officer living in Japan, Harry is currently crafting a narrative that explores [...]
There is a secret hidden at the summit of a Japanese volcano... and it isn't a myth. It’s canon. Did you know that within the official Harry Potter canon, there is a premier Wizarding School located in Japan? Situated at the summit of the volcanic island of Minami Iwo Jima, the school of Mahoutokoro [...]
Welcome to 2026! On this episode of Showtime @ Japan Expert Insights, Maya Matsuoka and Michael Foster are kicking off the year by sharing our favorite Japanese movies and TV shows. We’re diving into the latest hits and trends shaping the entertainment landscape, and we want you to be part of the conversation. Please [...]
In this episode, we revisited a special event hosted by the Chicago Japan Film Collective featuring authors Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle. We explored the storied life of Ishiro Honda, focusing on his wartime experiences, his deep friendship with Akira Kurosawa, and his prolific fifty-year career. The discussion covered how Honda directed 46 feature films, [...]
This week's guest is Ron Reid Jr., a Toronto native who originally traveled to Japan with just $400 in his pocket and has since established himself as a prominent filmmaker and actor in Tokyo. His award-winning documentary work includes 614, which chronicles a pastor's vision to aid communities by living amongst them, as well as [...]
Our next guest is Aki Takabatake, the founder and CEO of Momo Films Inc., a Toronto-based boutique film distribution company specializing in Japanese cinema. A University of British Columbia graduate, she began her career as a film buyer in Tokyo and has since held diverse roles in Toronto, including with the Toronto International Film Festival [...]
In our next episode, we meet Megumi Nishikura, a US-based documentary film-maker whose work explores identity, belonging, and the cultural intersections between Japan and the world. Her feature documentary film "Hafu - the mixed race experience" screened theatrically throughout Japan and aired on PBS and NipponTV. She produced "Fall Seven Times, Get Up Eight: The [...]
Tokyo-based Japanese film producer Kanako Fujita is the founder of Felis Pictures Ltd. and a graduate of King’s College London, where she earned her degree in Film Studies. A participant of Rotterdam Lab 2025 and the Busan Producer Hub 2024, she specializes in Asian–European co-productions that bridge cultures and explore the moral and emotional complexities [...]
This week’s guest is Takashi Horie, a New York-based independent filmmaker. Born in Sendai, Miyagi, he graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1996. Since then, Horie has built a versatile career as a director, cinematographer, and editor, creating numerous award-winning music and promotional videos in the U.S. His short film, Ordinary [...]
