Asian A.V. Club newsletter #40: Ema Ryan Yamazaki
Ema Ryan Yamazaki shares how returning to Japan not only reconnected her to her roots but also inspired her Oscar-nominated projects.
Ema Ryan Yamazaki is the kind of filmmaker who makes you look at her success in awe. After carving out a thriving career in the U.S., she decided to take her talents back to Japan, reconnecting with her roots and diving into stories that felt deeply personal to her. Pushing boundaries and offering a distinct approach to Japanese documentary storytelling, her short, Instruments of a Beating Heart, is a sweet look at cultural identity and tradition through the lens of an end of year elementary school performance that will make your heart soar. But she didn’t stop there - Ema also co-produced and edited Black Box Diaries, Shiori Ito’s unflinching documentary about her fight for justice in a high profile sexual assault case. Both projects struck a chord, earning critical praise AND nominations at this year’s Oscars! We managed to talk to the director about her early career decisions and her goal to create a community of like-minded filmmakers from Japan.
Asian A.V. Club: Growing up, how did you discover your interest in pursuing more creative paths, rather than the traditional academic route that many Asian parents want us to follow?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: I went to a Japanese public elementary school from grade one to grade six. My father's British, my mom is Japanese, and I spent those years in Osaka. Looking back, those six years were really all about learning how to be a team player, taking responsibility for your own things, and embracing community values like taking care of each other. I actually have these epic memories of music performances and sports days that were a lot of pressure but also gave me a sense of accomplishment from these cool activities. That's kind of like my early memories.
Asian A.V. Club: Was there an experience that introduced you to filmmaking?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: My first interaction with “filmmaking” was in my last year at elementary school. A classmate applied to a local TV show and our class was chosen to make a little program with the local TV network. Professionals came and showed us how to film, and we wrote a script. In fact, I wrote the script, was in it and was all over this project. I was like, “This is really fun.” Plus I got to be on TV.
When I switched to the Canadian Academy which is an International School, it was the early 2000s, and there were those colorful, triangular iMacs in the computer labs. I took an iMovie class and learned the basics of what it meant to make a film, and I was captivated. At the time, I had been really inspired by this baseball player Ichiro Suzuki, who had left Japan to become the first non-pitcher Japanese major league baseball player in the US. His way of life inspired me to find something I loved, work hard at it, and achieve big dreams. But I was missing my "baseball." Then I thought, "This is going to be my baseball—filmmaking." It felt like a very 21st-century profession, something I could improve on for a long time. It wasn’t easy; I almost failed one assignment because I thought I was doing well but wasn’t. It was a challenge. I was good academically, but I never imagined transferring that to my career. Filmmaking changed that. The international school environment supported me, with video cameras available, and I filmed and edited everything. I became known as that year’s documentarian, with every opportunity to do what I wished, which was really wonderful.
Asian A.V. Club: You went to NYU for filmmaking. Did you know from your high school experience that you were more interested in documentaries than narrative storytelling?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: Looking back at my middle school and high school years, all I did was make documentaries. I would film whatever was going on and made videos out of it. I wasn't conscious that they were all documentaries. (laughs) When I got to New York, I was confused my first year, because I was like, why am I not enjoying a lot of this narrative fiction stuff? I just didn’t have the right personality to wait on set for four hours while the writing is perfected. It was not how I wanted to spend my time.
Even script writing, right? It was always like; you have to come up with these stories. And all I could do was just write something that happened to my life and make it sound like it happened to someone else. I think I quickly realized I didn't particularly have anything in me that was imaginative. I was always interested in seeing the world, especially cross culturally and expressing that through a filter that is me. I think it took me a year and a half at NYU to realize that.
And then I kind of honed-in on my mentor Sam Pollard, who started off as Spike Lee’s editor, then turned into a huge documentary force on his own. Meeting him, I was like, I definitely also need a tangible skill out of film school. So I learned how to edit with the goal to one day direct.
Asian A.V. Club: To be in New York and focus on documentary filmmaking, it’s like a playground with the number of films you can watch and filmmakers that you have access to!
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: I really feel like New York City itself was my school. I had access to all these amazing internships as a student. I interned for Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (The Vietnam War) and also for Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservations. Unlike my classmates who were making their films, I really liked being part of actual professional projects where I felt like I was learning how things were actually done. I feel like those experiences grounded me in a practical sense and it taught me to figure out how to maneuver in this industry.
Asian A.V. Club: What was the project that made you think, this is the right story to develop into a documentary of my own?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: I was involved in amazing projects as an editor, and then after a few years, I thought, "This is great, but let me try directing." Because what I couldn't do as an editor was pick the subject, right? So, I started looking for a story that would excite me, one that made sense for me to tell.
I happened upon this story about the creators of Curious George, one of the few childhood things I had in common with my American friends. In fact, I thought George was a Japanese character because all the books I read as a kid was in Japanese. (laughs) I found out the authors were a husband-and-wife team, Margret and H.A. Rey, German Jews who fled the Nazis on bicycles, carrying the first Curious George manuscript with them. This was told to me by a friend whose mother was in the same assisted living home as the person who ran the estate of Curious George. I was like, "I gotta watch a movie about this. This sounds amazing," and realized there was no movie. It was such a dramatic story that I felt I could tell.
Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators became my first feature, a three-year project where I got to know this couple and their legacy through their friends. At first, I questioned my connection to the story since the authors were Jewish, and I’m not Jewish, so it wasn’t a direct identity link. But they had come to New York after fleeing the war and lived across the street from where my dorm was during my freshman year. Trying to accurately capture their lives became my obsession for the next few years. Since I didn’t have enough money to fund the project, I took on editing jobs for other projects to save up.
I think it was my way of figuring out how to be a storyteller by learning from the authors of Curious George, who were truly amazing at their craft. That project defined that period for me, for sure. After that, I thought, "I’m hooked. I have to keep directing." I also loved being in charge. (laughs)
Asian A.V. Club: Many of us who grew up in Asia and studied abroad were often given the impression that the West was the place to emulate for pursuing our creative passions. It takes time to reconnect with our roots and realize how wonderful Asia can be for us. Did you have a similar awakening of sorts?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: Yes, I have experienced that kind of awakening. I feel like what you described resonates with me deeply. When I left Japan at 19 to attend NYU, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever return—not in a dramatic way, as I’d still visit family, but in terms of my identity and career. Japan felt small and suffocating, especially as a mixed person constantly having to prove I was Japanese, yet never fully being seen that way. It became exhausting. Having access to the English-speaking world felt so much more exciting, and even eight years into living in New York while making Curious George, I rarely thought about Japan. I did go back a few times, wondering what it would be like to move to Tokyo, but it didn’t seem appealing. At the time, Japanese companies told me I’d have to start as an assistant for three years, fetching tea, even though I’d already been editing CNN shows for two years. It just didn’t make sense.
Over time, though, my perspective shifted. While figuring out what to do after Curious George, it became clear to me that New York, while full of stories, was also saturated with storytellers. I kept asking myself, “Why me? What can I bring that’s unique?” Gradually, I realized the answer lay in Japan. I began to appreciate things I’d taken for granted growing up there—like trains running on time, people being considerate, and clean streets. New York is great, but not for those things. Hearing non-Japanese people talk about their experiences in Japan also made me see it in a new light. I started to recognize how uniquely Japanese I was, even while living and working in New York. People would comment on how hardworking, responsible, and team-oriented I was, and I realized these were qualities I’d inherited from my upbringing. I began to see them as strengths rather than sources of suffocation.
Asian A.V. Club: When did you decide to move back to Japan full time?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: It wasn’t an immediate transition—I didn’t leave New York right away—but COVID ultimately planted me back in Japan. Over time, it made more and more sense. I realized that, at least for now, this was where I could contribute something unique. I wanted to be a storyteller in Japan, using the techniques, tools, and community I’d gained in the U.S. I wanted to figure out how to make a living there and start telling stories about Japan from my perspective—as both an insider and an outsider. I grew tired of the same narratives in the Western world about Japanese food culture, samurai, or stereotypes like “Japanese people don’t have sex.” I wanted to explore other aspects of Japan, to explain why it is the way it is and where it might be headed, using different storytelling arenas. That became the focus of my next projects.
This past year, thanks to my films, I’ve reconnected with that vision and been inspired to bring it back to Japan. For now, this is what I really want to do. I’ve returned with a new appreciation for the place I grew up, though I know I’ll need to leave occasionally to keep remembering its great qualities. My husband (Eric Nyari) and I are trying to live in the best of both worlds, taking the strengths of each culture to build a fulfilling life. I think we’re getting pretty good at it.
Asian A.V. Club: Did it take a second for Japan to understand your work and the kind of stories that you wanted to tell?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: Well, first of all, I think I was able to come back to Japan because I had matured. When I was younger, I would get offended when people complimented me on my Japanese. I was just so tired of it. But after almost 10 years in New York, I started feeling a little less Japanese anyway. So when people complimented me, I’d just say, “Oh, thank you. I worked so hard on it.” If they thought I’d worked hard on something I grew up with, fine—that’s their assumption. If the conversation went further, I could explain, but I stopped being offended by things I couldn’t control. I just got more comfortable with the idea that I wasn’t going to be seen as a “normal” Japanese person, so I might as well use that to my advantage.
This shift in mindset helped me navigate my first big film project back in Japan. I wanted to make the definitive film (Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams) about Japanese high school baseball, focusing on the 100th summer tournament. The film followed a couple of teams during this milestone year, not because these teams were doing something unique compared to the thousands of others, but because they represented the heart of the tradition. When we partnered with NHK, the Japanese commissioners initially asked, “What’s special about this? We’ve done so many programs about Japanese high school baseball.” I responded, “Yes, but this is different.” They kept pressing, “Are you doing it from a Japanese perspective or a non-Japanese perspective?” And I’d say, “Both.” Because that’s exactly the point—I wanted to bring a dual perspective to the story, something that felt authentic to my experience as both an insider and an outsider. I explained my background to them—nuanced and complicated as it is—and they kept insisting I had to pick a side.
There’s was also this obsession in Japan with mixed Japanese people being seen as more “attractive,” and they wanted to position me as a TV talent rather than a filmmaker. I had to push back against that. I just wanted to tell this story in a unique way, one that reflected my perspective. I kept saying, “If you let me do it, I’ll approach it differently. It’s going to be shot differently, and it’s going to get to the heart of the culture, not just the surface or the fringe.” In domestic TV, there’s always some special reason for following a story, but this was different.
Asian A.V. Club: Your follow-up projects, The Making of a Japanese and the short Instruments of a Beating Heart, allowed you to spend a year at a Japanese elementary school. What was it about the education system that interested you, and did your perception change when you became a parent during the editing of these films?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: It took many years to find the right school that would let me in, but when they did, I was in the school for a full school year. With these Japanese projects, I always work with my husband, Eric Nyari, who’s a New Yorker but has lived in Japan for about 20 years and embodies more Japanese characteristics than me. The two of us went into the school saying, “Hey, we think Japanese schools are great.” Not because the system is perfect, but because it has so much to offer. Interestingly, people in Japan often think their own system isn’t very good. There’s a lot of negativity and self-criticism, but my pitch was to showcase the good of it all. Then, halfway into filming, I became pregnant, and gave birth upon finishing.
I saw a lot of things that school year, but I still stand by the idea that the education system is really great for that age group. I’ve been through other school systems, and my husband has too, but there are so many positive things that we might want to place our son into a Japanese elementary school. At least this is what we plan on doing.
Asian A.V. Club: What was it like to interact with the kids during this year?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: Funnily enough, as my stomach got bigger, the kids at the school were asking why I was getting fat. (laughs) It became a fun way to communicate with the kids and also with the parents. I was very sincere asking for advice and it added another level of communication that helped me get to the finish line for sure.
Asian A.V. Club: At what point did you decide to spin off a shorter version of this documentary using the young Ayame as your main character in Instruments of a Beating Heart?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: My idea for the school film was to create an institutional film that explored the school system. The school itself would be the main character, with many people in it showing how the system works. This was meant to be a feature film. I was in this school for 150 days and I didn’t always have the idea that something would arise. But then those first-grade auditions started to happen and it was such a dramatic few days. The performance wasn’t just a regular music performance. It was a performance for the incoming first grade to welcome them. I thought this is the singular story that captures all these Japanese education themes I’ve been thinking about.
And this was actually around month 10 of our 12-month shooting period. By then, I had relationships with all the teachers, parents and kids, which is why we were able to be so intimate. Ayame was one of these students who always felt special from the beginning of the school year. She had guts and was stubborn, wearing all these emotions on her sleeve. So when she epically failed the first drum audition and came back the second day to re-audition for another instrument, I was like, it’s happening – the documentary gods are descending on me. But to be honest, it was in the editing that she clearly became the main character.
Asian A.V. Club: Did your work as an editor and co-producer on Shiori Ito’s Black Box Diaries happen after spending a year in the school? How did that collaboration happen?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: The past few years can be summed up with my school film, Black Box Diaries and having a baby. Like, they all happened at the same time. I met Shiori, just as a fellow filmmaker in Japan. There’s not that many documentary filmmakers like us. So while I was prepping for my doc, she approached Eric and I to do this with her. In fact, I started editing Black Box Diaries before I even went into the school for a year. I took a step back when I was shooting in the school, had a baby, and would occasionally edit her film when I had time. It was a four-year process on and off. And I was definitely getting a crazy different view of Japan from so many different perspectives.
Asian A.V. Club: Pardon me saying this, but DUDE that’s a lot!!
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: I know. (laughs) I get asked how I could have made these two films, being involved in them at the same time—they’re so different, but every society is like that, right? Both have their truth, and both exist in Japan. I think it’s hard to directly link one to the other, but I think the Japanese education system is wonderful for that earlier stage when you learn how to take care of each other and be harmonious within the group. The weaknesses are in taking a stand, doing something different, or not following the rules or directions you’ve been given. That’s basically what Shiori had to do in her story—to be believed, to be heard, and to change society, especially because of our backward cultural norms around things like sexual violence. It comes hand in hand. The flip side of being such a collective society is that it makes it really hard for people like Shiori to be heard, which is what her story was about.
So, in my mind, it makes sense. They’re two different worlds, but I live in Japan, and both of these things are true. It messes with my mind sometimes, for sure, but I think it’s because I’ve had a particularly intense experience with it in a short amount of time. They’re very separate worlds, but if you give me a chance, I can kind of allude to how all this is connected. I feel like I’ve had a very unique experience in the midst of all of that over the past few years.
Asian A.V. Club: But the fruits of that labor mean you get two projects with Oscar nominations this year. What has the campaigning been like to experience?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: I mean, it's amazing, right? I went back to Japan with the hope that I would be telling our own stories from the inside. And as you know, Japan is not known for its young female documentary directors. Shiori is the first in her [Best Documentary] category, and I am the first Japanese nominated in the Best Documentary Short Film category.
I'm just glad that I did it all, but it hasn’t been easy, especially with having a newborn and feeling the mom guilt of doing too much. It’s great to get the nominations and going to the Oscars, but it really just means more people will watch what we’ve been doing for these two films. I do these films to make people see and feel something and hopefully have an impact. And that platform got bigger thanks to the nomination. So I’m just very happy.
Asian A.V. Club: With your success, have you been meeting the next generation of documentary filmmakers, especially from Japan?
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: Just snippets. I was in New York a few days ago presenting my film to NYU students who are currently in the same sophomore documentary class that made me decide what I wanted to do. And I was trying to remember what it felt like, just to meet someone who’s pursued a career as a doc filmmaker and really try to put in context for them. Saying this is not a unique thing, if this is what you’re passionate about, you can do this if you want.
I've not been in Japan since the nominations, but it’s my goal to continue to make films and kind of lead by example and build this community. Not just the next generation, but even the current generation, that don't have these tools of documenting that has blown up in a lot of other countries in the past 10-15 years. Japan documentaries are still purely narrated, informational TV.
That means there’s a huge opportunity to expand, and I hope this accolade will help get people excited about it too, because I’m not so different from them. That’s definitely what I want to spend a lot of my time moving forward on— if I want Japan to be part of being nominated for our docs all the time. I’m thinking ahead, because once March 2 is over, my life and career will continue, and I just hope part of it is to build the community up in Japan for documentaries.
Asian A.V. Club: I know you will! Ema, it’s been beyond amazing to get to know you. Thanks for chatting with us!
Ema Ryan Yamazaki: You’re totally welcome!