Japan Media Inquiries and Editorial Services

Japan reporting and intelligence for outlets that need to get it right.

Founded in 2018, Unseen Japan has spent eight years covering Japanese news, culture, history, and society for an English-speaking audience. Our work has been cited by USA Today, the Washington Post, Fortune, TIME, NPR, The Guardian, Semafor, The World, and many others.

We are available to media to speak as Japan experts. We also take a small number of B2B engagements for newsrooms, documentary teams, and research-driven organizations that need the same accuracy that we apply to Unseen Japan applied to their work.

Who we are

Jay Allen, Publisher. Tokyo-based reporter and tour leader. His work on Japan has been cited in numerous publications including USA Today, the Washington Post, Fortune, TIME, NPR, The Guardian, and The World. JLPT N1 certified, with 25+ years in technology and technical communications.

Noah Oskow, Editor-in-Chief. Professional Japanese translator and interpreter with a BA in East Asian Languages and Cultures and an MA in Global Studies from the University of Vienna. Has lived, studied, and worked in Japan for nearly seven years, including two years studying at Sophia University in Tokyo and four years on the JET Program in rural Fukushima Prefecture. Frequent guest at speaking events, podcasts, and in the mass media.

Kristina Rin Fujikake, Contributing Writer. Born in Michigan to a half-Japanese father and now based in Osaka, she grew up in a hometown with a large Japanese population and didn’t learn the English word for “beansprouts” until a classmate corrected her in university. She is a fully certified kimono teacher and stylist and the sole proprietor of her own kimono business. Her work focuses on Nikkei issues and traditional Japanese culture.

What we offer

Media appearances. Available to speak on TV, radio, or web about Japan issues that are a part of our regular beat.

Editorial consulting For outlets launching or expanding Japan coverage: voice, source strategy, accuracy review, and avoiding the Japan-coverage tropes that erode reader trust.

Custom reporting and research. One-off engagements: source lists, Japanese-language interviews, on-the-ground verification, and original background documents on niche topics that don’t yet exist in English.

On-the-ground fixing. For visiting press, documentary crews, and podcast teams. Logistics, translation, source introductions, location scouting, and editorial guidance from people who actually live here, in both Tokyo and Kansai.

Japan discourse intelligence. Recurring monthly briefs on what Japanese-language social and news media are actually saying about a topic, audience, brand, or news event. Native Japanese-language analysis paired with our editorial judgement on what matters and why.

Why work with us

Native English fluency, native-level Japanese fluency. A pairing most fixers and stringers can’t offer at this level.
Working journalists, not freelance generalists. We publish daily at Unseen Japan. Our knowledge is current, not from a year abroad in 2014.
Coverage in both Tokyo and Kansai. Our team is on the ground in two of Japan’s most important regions.
Accuracy as the brand promise. We say no to stories we can’t confidently verify. Our reputation depends on it; so will yours.
Boutique by design. A capped client roster is how we keep our work honest.

Get in touch

Tell us a little about what you’re working on and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.

Find us on X and Bluesky. Read our daily reporting at unseen-japan.com.