This week on Showtime at Japan Expert Insights, Maya Matsuoka and Michael Foster are taking a deep dive into the 2025 film Rental Family. Directed by the visionary Hikari, this poignant dramedy follows an American actor in Tokyo who joins a daiko agency to play various roles for hire. We will explore how Hikari [...]
On the last day of Asian Pop Up Cinema 2026, our guest today is a filmmaker whose work fearlessly explores the fringes of Japanese society with both grit and a profound sense of empathy. We are diving deep into the life and career of Eiji Uchida, the visionary director behind Midnight Swan and Lowlife Love. [...]
Welcome back to week two of Asian Pop-up Cinema. Today, our special guest is the visionary director Mipo O. A graduate of Osaka University of Arts and a former protégé of Nobuhiko Obayashi, Oh has established herself as a master of intimate, empathetic storytelling. She gained international acclaim with The Light Shines Only There, [...]
We are back at the 2026 edition of Asian Pop-Up Cinema here in Chicago. For today’s podcast episode, we are sitting down for an in-person interview with director Satoko Yokohama to discuss her latest feature film, Seaside Serendipity. The film follows a group of teenagers in a small seaside town that has become a [...]
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Asian Pop-Up Cinema here in Chicago. For today’s podcast episode, we are sitting down for an in-person interview with director Yukihiro Morigaki to discuss his latest feature film, The Imaginary Dog and the Lying Cat.The story centers on eight-year-old Yamabuki, a young boy caught in the crossfire of his [...]
Our next guest is a powerhouse in the international film community. Yuki Sakamoto Solomon is a Chicago-based producer, festival director, and the founder of Coyote Sun Productions. With a career spanning Japanese public broadcasting and serving as a juror at the Chicago International Film Festival, Yuki has dedicated her work to connecting Japanese filmmakers with [...]
Our next guest is Sophia Wong Boccio. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Sophia's deep roots in the film industry began with her parents' careers as a prominent editor and actress. She launched her professional journey in the 1990s by creating the Sophia’s Choice movie series in Beijing and later curating film festivals in Sydney. [...]
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 [...]
