About Me
Topics | Awards | Affiliations |
I'm a freelance journalist based in Tokyo, Japan who primarily focuses on issues affecting local and historic communities, human rights, mixed race and LGBTQ lifestyles, immigrants, and gentrification. Alongside these topics, I cover travel, food, and write guides that give exposure to local lifestyles, family-owned legacy stores with deep ties in their respective neighborhoods, and migrant-run stores. | I was a recipient of Gold House's Gold Journalism Grant in 2024 which allowed me to attend an Osaka High Court hearing on whether same sex marriage in Japan is constitutional or not. I was also awarded AAJA's Gregory Yuen Yee Scholarship in 2023 which allowed me to jumpstart my journalism career in Japan and helped pay for the Foreign Correspondents Club Japan (FCCJ) membership fees. | Much of my inspiration and passion comes from Anthony Bourdain and I hope to give audiences a peek at some of Japan's more esoteric enclaves and communities through unconventional means of storytelling like interviews over shared meals. I've been featured in American and Japanese websites such as AsAmNews, Unfiltered, Tokyo Cheapo, Metropolis, Asahi Weekly, and Japan Times. I'm a member at the FCCJ and have served as the Second Vice-President. At Unfiltered, I am a journalist member that digs into underreported stories to convey to local and international audiences who want to better understand the real side of Japan. |
My Roots
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Indonesia and Mauritius. After graduating with a Bachelor's Degree at the University of California, Irvine in 2022, my professors encouraged me to pursue my journalistic instincts and freelance in Japan. On my initial trip to Japan, I stayed on a three-month tourist visa and got my first two stories published: one about the American military base issue in Okinawa that have historically and currently caused harm to local livelihood and the island's potential to be a premier tourist destination and another about the history and evolution of mixed race stigmas in Japan. After my short tenure, I realized I'd found my calling in Japan, especially because the island country is often poorly portrayed in mainstream Western media. Since returning to Japan in 2023, I've been deeply immersing myself in Japanese culture, language, and communities so that I can accurately portray and become a cultural bridge for Japan and the West.
I want to give a special thank you to the journalists, my teachers, professors, mentors, friends, and especially family for believing in my skills and continuously supporting my journey.