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 [...]
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 [...]
