
Meet Tomoya
Tomoya is a rare bilingual journalist who writes professionally in both English and Japanese. With more than a decade of experience in American newsrooms, he has covered a wide range of topics — from politics and crime to pop culture and sports — with depth, empathy and a global perspective.
Fluent in both languages and cultures, Tomoya now specializes in bridging the gap between Japan and the United States. He explains Japan to American audiences — and America to Japanese readers — with clarity, context and cultural sensitivity.
His work has been recognized with journalism awards for coverage of Southern California’s housing crisis and the role of super PACs in local politics. His reporting and columns have appeared in major news outlets in both countries, and in Japan, his articles frequently rank among the most-read pieces online.
A sought-after commentator on U.S. issues in Japan, Tomoya is a regular guest on television and radio. He also hosts a popular YouTube show, Sho-Time Talk, where he and fellow experts discuss baseball and the global rise of athletes like Shohei Ohtani. His first book, Shohei Ohtani Report, became a bestseller on Amazon Japan in 2022, followed by his second book, Shohei Ohtani as Seen by American Journalists, released in 2024.
Born in the U.S. and raised on the outskirts of Tokyo, Tomoya was drawn early on to the scale, diversity and complexity of American life. He studied liberal arts with a focus on American Studies at International Christian University in Tokyo before moving to the U.S. for graduate school. A chance enrollment in a journalism course at the University of Tennessee sparked a career shift that led him into news reporting.
He began his career at the Victor Valley Daily Press in California’s High Desert, later joining the Orange County Register, one of Southern California’s leading metro newspapers. Since 2018, Tomoya has worked as a bilingual freelance journalist, writing for audiences on both sides of the Pacific.
"I've interviewed celebrities and covered headline-making events. But the stories that stay with me most are from everyday people — parents commuting for hours to give their children a better future, immigrants navigating a new life. As a nonfiction writer, I strive to tell the stories that too often go untold."
Tomoya lives in Orange County, California, with his wife and their son. On weekends, you might find them strolling along the beach or cheering at a local baseball game.
M.S., Sport Studies — University of Tennessee, Knoxville
B.A., Liberal Arts (American Studies) — International Christian University, Tokyo
Click here to read Tomoya's full resume.
Media appearances
Television
CBS Sports, Spectrum News, TV Asahi, Tokyo Broadcasting System, Nippon TV, Fuji TV, Yomiuri TV, Tokyo MX, Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting, ABEMA TV
Newspapers/Magazines
Jiji Press, Weekly Toyo Keizai, Shukan Shincho, AERA, Sports Nippon, Tarzan, Weekly SPA!, Weekly Post, PRESIDENT Online, GOETHE, CNN English Express, KyodoWeekly
Radio
KNX, KUCI (U.S.), talkRADIO (UK), RKB Radio, J-WAVE, Tokyo FM/JFN Asahi Radio (Japan)