Derrek Buston is originally from Seattle Washington, where he attended the University of Washington first majoring in music, then Japanese linguistics. His sophomore year in 2000 was also when he studied abroad at Keio University Tokyo. After graduating college and then working for a Japanese company in Seattle he soon found himself drawn back to Japan and settled in the Shizuoka area. Around this time, Derrek began to focus on design and architecture. This eventually led him to become a licensed architect and in 2013 established his own company: West Coast Design. After finding success with West Coast Design, including a commission in 2014 to make the Shizuoka Whiskey distillery, Derrek soon got the idea to get into the beverage industry himself. His entryway was first in 2017 with his bar, Twelve and then in 2019 with his brewery, West Coast Brewing. WCB has gained popularity over the past few years and now finds itself as one of the top craft beer brands in the country with Derrek at the helm. In this episode, Derrek offers advice for those looking to get into the design and architecture world in Japan. He speaks on what drew him into the world of craft beer and how he now balances his two companies. He talks about his roles as a CEO and how to stay relevant and forward-thinking in an increasingly competitive industry. Connect with Derrek on Instagram @dbuston and the West Coast Brewing team @wcbshizuoka !Brewery Website: https://www.westcoastbrewing.jp/Design Website: https://www.westcoastdesign.co.jp/ Design team IG  @westcoastdesign_team328 This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID-19 affected drastic lifestyle changes and work. The hotel project Derrek talks about in this episode is now open! Check out The Villa & Barrel Lounge in Shizuoka.

Ian shares tales of exploring, sharing and creating in the Japanese indie music scene.

Originally from Michigan, USA, Stuart Galbraith IV is a film historian, a critic and a respected author with expertise in Japanese film. A selection of his books includes: "The Emperor and the Wolf – The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune", "The Toho Studios Story", "Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo! The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films", and "The Japanese Filmography". Stuart has also done extensive work as a home video Special Features Producer. He's recorded dozens of informative audio commentaries for Japanese films award-winning classics and plenty of obscure gems. In addition, Stuart is a prolific film reviewer who has critiqued thousands of films for physical and online publications. Stuart has recently been engaged in a more personal project, renovating a 200-year-old Japanese house. The dwellers of these traditional homes, Minkas (民家), were farmers, merchants and artisans.In this episode, Stuart shares his strong connection to Japanese cinema and Japan. He delves into his past as an archivist for the USC Warner Bros. Archives in California. Then, he gets into his process of researching and writing books on Japanese cinema. Stuart also shares some of his stories about Japanese cinema and famous filmmakers throughout the years. Connect with Stuart! Twitter @worldcinemaparaWebsite https://hanaseminka.wordpress.com/ This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.

Goh Iromoto is a director and cinematographer based in Toronto, Canada. As a child of immigrant parents who founded a Japanese Canadian newspaper company, Goh was able to travel across Canada and grow his sense of curiosity from a young age. After receiving his B.A. in Human Geography at the University of British Columbia, his interest in people, places and environments further deepened his passion for documentary filmmaking. His love for cinematography has also allowed his work to achieve a strong sense of visual beauty which has helped lead to numerous awards, including those from the Canadian Society of Cinematographers, Epica Awards and Vimeo Staff Picks. In this episode, Goh shares his perspective on how to make a living as a filmmaker. He shares some of his successes on how to keep your artistic vision while working with companies and producers. He gives advice and shares experiences of working both in Canada and Japan. Connect with Goh! IG @gohiromoto // Twitter @gohiromoto // Vimeo @gohiromoto // Website

Adonis "Doc" Saverson is a Tokyo-based illustrator, designer, brand coordinator, and artistic director. He is originally from Chicago aka Chi-town! He also lived in Illinois and Minneapolis. Doc specializes in streetwear, skateboards, vinyl figures, and branding. In the past, he's studied with some of the industry's most prolific and influential players. He's been in Tokyo making art since 2012, and then in 2017, Doc started his own company named Cloth－ an independent design studio and lifestyle brand. Last year, Doc was in Sapporo's "Where East meets West Artists" a mural campaign connecting worlds and influence in street art.In this episode, Doc shares how he was able to make it as an artist in Tokyo, and what it took to make the leap and move halfway around the world to chase a dream. Doc talks about some of his philosophies on life and art as well as his vision of success.Check out Doc's work and his lifestyle brand Cloth!IG @heyitsmedoc // Bio and PortfolioThis episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.

Miki Setlur is a design leader working and living outside of San Francisco. For the past 12 years, he's had various roles leading, teaching and designing. He's held product design positions at Evernote, Twitter and Facebook just to name a few. Miki taught university courses on design in the bay area. He focuses on creating lasting positive change, and tackling social issues locally and in the world at large.  In this episode, Miki shares his perspective on running a healthy and well-balanced team. He chats about his experience of becoming a designer and how design thinking can solve everyday problems. Connect with Miki!IG @mikisetlur // Twitter @mikisetlur // FB mikisetlur // LinkedInWebsite http://www.mikisetlur.com/This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.

Adam Esposito is a self-described creative collaborator and cultural explorer. He is also an English-Italian living in Tokyo. After completing his BA and Master's in design at the Ravensbourne University of London, he jumped into the field working for Gensler London, and eventually Gensler's Tokyo branch. Working for one of the industry's biggest design firms allowed Adam to work on different design projects in the corporate world, retail, education and even hospitality. Adam has been living in Tokyo for the past four years. In November 2019, Adam started his interior design studio in Tokyo: Espo Atelier. Inspired by people, culture & education Adam's main focus and passion are building strong relationships and creating artful spaces. Designing personal spaces is one of Adam Esposito's passions. He explores and reveals what he loves about it. Listen in and peek at his Tokyo captures on IG:@espoarch.This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.

Today's episode features an interview with Tokyo-based creative agency CEO Daniel Rosen. Daniel Rosen is a 25-year-plus resident of Japan, by way of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since he's been in Japan he's completed both his Master's and Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Tama Art University in Tokyo. Individually, he's done work as a visual artist, a curator, a VJ, a film director and an art writer. Then in 2012, he founded TokyoDex, a creative agency and market leader in art installations in offices and commercial spaces, including art-infused events, workshops, and videos. The interview explores the nature of art and artists throughout. Daniel advises on how to make a living from your passion. He shares what he learned in starting his own company and what it takes to ensure commercial and financial success as your company grows WITHOUT sacrificing artist integrity. Keep up with Daniel on and his company TokyoDex. Instagram @danielhrosen // Twitter @DanielHRosenInstagram @tokyodex// Twitter @tokyodex // https://www.tokyodex.com/This episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.

This episode features entrepreneur and musician Ryan Rattos. Living outside of Toronto, Canada, Ryan is a business leader, an entrepreneur and a family man. Along with his two brothers, he is a member of the reggae, roots, and dub band: The Dub Chronicles. Ryan himself has a wealth of experience in marketing management, negotiation, business planning, operations management, and coaching. As for The Dub Chronicles, they are a band that is heavily inspired by the golden era of reggae in the 70s/80s. They bring forth a modern/vintage roots reggae sound; rooted in dub and blended with sparse flourishes of bebop jazz. They released their 3rd album, Simba (Return to the Throne) in April of last year to much acclaim. Ryan discusses the importance of personal and professional relationships, creative cycles, how to move from inaction to action, and the process of releasing an album. In addition to advising on how to set goals, he offers tips when taking on new challenges.Follow Ryan Rattos and his band, The Dub Chronicles! Jah bless!IG @thedubchronicles // Bandcamp // Spotify // YouTubeThis episode was recorded in 2021 when COVID19 was affecting drastic lifestyle changes and work.

Hailing from Perth Australia, Donna recently celebrated 25 years of living in Japan. Donna is a singer, a songwriter, a voice actor, and an announcer. One of her biggest claims to fame has been her work as an announcer on the Tokaido Shinkansen －Japan's bullet train. Donna has worked on iconic games including "Silent Hill 2" and "Silent Hill 3", "Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered" and "Metal Gear Solid". In anime, she's appeared in hits such as "Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha" and "Tokyo Ghoul". Aside from all that, she runs a music label and Hotteeze, a heat pad company.In this chat, Donna gets into how she was able to leap into becoming a full-time singer and a voice actor. She discusses the traits and skills she deems essential for aspiring singers and actors. After many years in Japan, Donna has so much to share about her experiences and how she stays motivated! Keep up with all things Donna Burke:IG @thedonnaburke //Twitter @TheDonnaBurke // YouTube Donna Burke //Spotify