Lifehacker approached us with a plan to do a series of videos in Japan as part of their “Hacking the world” series. Their goal was to give perspective on different cultures around the world.

The TOFU Media Japan team researched topics that fit their cultural series and also scouted for crew, locations, and subjects to interview. Many of the subjects needed for this video production in Japan required operating through many layers to reach people who hold high positions in their professional field. Coordination was done with experts in TOTO (washlet manufacturer), an environmental professor who specializes in “forest bathing” or 森林浴 (しんりんよく, shinrin-yoku), and a Japanese-American family. This was all filmed with a small crew in 2 days and passed along to Lifehacker for post-production. Shooting locations were in Tokyo, but also outside in other regions of Japan.