Tony R.

Vega

Legally Blind Japan Explorer, Speaker, Content Creator

Legally blind creator exploring Japan and beyond through language, culture, and ambitious challenges.

The Basics

About

I am a visually impaired, Japan-focused creator and public speaker exploring language, culture, and challenge-driven storytelling. My work combines long-distance travel projects in Japan with bilingual media and public speaking.

Highlights:

• Creator of the Blind Japan Project, a series of long-distance Japan travel challenges.
• Creator and host of the Japan Station podcast.
• Creator of The Anime Linguist, a YouTube channel focused on anime, Japanese language, and localization.
• Invited to speak at corporate and community organizations including Rakuten Total Solutions, Hawaii Association of the Blind, and Shikakushougaisha Life Design Hub.
• Featured guest on podcasts and media interviews focused on Japan, travel, disability awareness, and accessibility.
• Japanese-language appearances across television, radio, podcasts, and online media.
• MC, host, and interpreter for NTV Wands (Nippon TV subsidiary) (2024–2025), including interpretation for artist Yoshitaka Amano.
• Creator and producer of Transmissions from Hawaii, an NPR-style narrative podcast featuring original research, scripting, and audio design; independently produced with corporate sponsorship and distributed across major podcast platforms and YouTube.
• Editor-in-Chief at Wasabi Magazine (2017–2022), leading editorial direction, writing articles, and conducting interviews with Olympians, professional athletes (including Kei Nishikori), chefs, musicians (including Crystal Kay), and cultural figures.
• Creator, producer, and host of the Japanese-language podcast and YouTube show NFT Nippon (later renamed Money Bakudan), which was the top Japanese-language NFT-focused podcast on Apple Podcasts Japan at its peak.
• Consultant for Japanese digital artists and web3 creators, focused on content strategy and audience development.
• Advisor for a digital art project by Spora, the company behind the popular rugby mascot Ragamaru-kun.
• Founder and writer at JapanKyo.com, with articles referenced by international media outlets including Newsweek, VICE, and The Sun.

Education & Teaching:

• MA in Japanese Language and Linguistics, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
• English language instructor in Kobe, Japan (JET Programme)
• Japanese language instructor in Miami, teaching children.

For speaking engagements, interviews, and media collaborations, please get in touch.

Check Out JapanKyo

All my English-language Japan-focused conent, including videos from The Anime Linguist YouTube channel and episodes of the Japan Station podcast can be found on JapanKyo.com.