Talking Sensu

MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST ABOUT TALKING SENSU Talking Sensu is a relaxed, long form podcast hosted by Hai & Jeremy and produced by Sensu Studio. We have conversations with filmmakers, photographers, actors, and other creative professionals working in Japan, focusing on personal journeys, creative work, and the realities of building a career in the creative industry. SOCIALS: Artem Skiy Director...

In this episode of Talking Sensu, we sit down with Koshi Uehara, a Japanese actor, known for his performance as Taro in HBO's Tokyo Vice. Koshi reveals the reality of his grind in LA, from working dangerous seaweed boats to fund his dream, to the 3 AM self-tapes in Melbourne that eventually caught the eye of Michael Mann. We talk about why Koshi ignored the "normal" path to start acting at 27 work...

In this episode of Talking Sensu, we sit down with Erjol, an Albanian-born filmmaker and 1st AC. Erjol shares his story from the quiet neighborhoods of Hakone to working "pirate" jobs at Tokyo Tower, eventually landing at Capsule Rentals where he handled $90,000 cinema cameras. We dive deep into the technical jump from vlogging to feature films, the logistics of 15-camera concert product...

We wanted to make something beautiful: a short film capturing the unique, moody atmosphere of Japan’s rainy season. Instead, we got a typhoon. In this episode of Talking Sensu, we're pulling back the curtain on the "June in Japan" origin story. We explore the brutal reality of planning a shoot around Japan’s "5th Season," where cultural expectations of perfect weather colli...

In this episode of Talking Sensu, we sit down with Steven LeFever to talk about building a creative life in Japan. It’s a conversation about craft, culture, and commitment. From Guam, to Los Angeles, to navigating the realities of acting in Japan, Steven shares his journey through film sets, imposter syndrome, and the moment he realized acting alone wasn’t enough to sustain a career. We discuss wh...

In this episode, we talk about Hai’s first short film, Dating Game. Dating Game explores modern dating through the perspective of a foreign woman living in Japan, where cultural differences, language barriers, and stereotypes add another layer of complexity to already fragile connections in the age of smartphones and dating apps. Hai explains why he wanted to try narrative work in the first place,...

In this episode of Talking Sensu, we sit down with Robert Kirsch, a Tokyo-based documentary photographer who has worked with brands such as On Running, Adidas, Mikimoto, IKEA, and Google. We talk about his journey into photography and how it helped him reconnect with himself and with others. Robert shares his path from growing up between Venezuela, Colombia, and Germany to moving to Japan, studyin...

In our very first episode of Talking Sensu, we introduce ourselves and talk about how we each ended up living and working in Japan. From working holiday visas and corporate jobs to freelancing, filmmaking, and eventually starting the production company Sensu Studio together. We talk about Why we started Talking Sensu and what the podcast is about Our backgrounds and first experiences coming to Jap...