In this FocusCore podcast episode, host David Sweet interviews Yuri Kageyama, an Associated Press reporter who grew up in both the US and Japan, attended international school and Huntsville High, and became bilingual through her father’s engineering career with NASA and IHI. Kage recounts being hired on the spot by The Japan Times, learning newspaper reporting and production, then choosing AP over other offers to write her own stories; AP sent her to Detroit during peak Japan-bashing, where she covered autos, crime, and policing and learned to focus on telling people’s stories despite prejudice.

She discusses thinking and writing primarily in English, the cultural complexity of Japanese politeness, and AP’s fact-based standards amid today’s fragmented media environment.

Yuri describes covering the Fukushima nuclear disaster and creating the multimedia performance/film “News from Fukushima,” including AP script review, then reads her poem “Fukushima” and reflects on the disaster’s ongoing impact, collaboration with artists, and balancing journalism with poetry.

The 2026 FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2026 Salary Guide

In this episode you will hear:

• Yuri's journey to becoming a bilingual reporter with the Associated Press
• The cultural and language challenges she navigated between Japan and the US
• Insights into the creative process behind "News from Fukushima" and its impact
• Her experiences covering pivotal events like the Fukushima disaster
• The blend of journalism and poetry in exploring complex narratives

About Yuri:

Yuri Kageyama is a reporter with the Associated Press.

She grew up in the US and in Japan, and is a graduate of Cornell University, and she holds an MA in interdisciplinary field of sociology, anthropology, and social psychology from the University of California Berkeley.

She is also an outstanding polymath as a celebrated poet fiction writer, essays journalist, filmmaker, and songwriter.

Connect with Yuri:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurikageyama/

Website: http://yurikageyama.com/

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

This podcast was proudly produced by Lisa Yasuda.

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.