Written by Aarohi Narain
From researchers, programmers and independent game developers to co-founders of Tokyo-based creative cooperative Studio Terranova, CJ Hostetter and Matt Kaemmerer share their journey. Together they have built a worker-owned studio that blends design, user research and narrative development into games and digital experiences, and continue to expand their practice in Japan’s creative tech scene.
What sparked your interest in moving to Japan?
CJ Hostetter (CH): When I was in high school I took a class on global literature, and we read Natsume Sōseki’s Kokoro. I think it’s a really intimate and beautiful work, and I remember thinking that I must be missing something reading the English translation. That’s where my interest in learning Japanese began.
Then I went on to major in Japanese with a concentration in Fine Arts in college. I spent a year studying abroad at International Christian University, and that’s when I thought I would like to live in Tokyo someday.
After graduating, I looked into teaching English in Japan through JET and other programs but it didn’t pan out for various reasons. I more or less dropped the idea of living and working in Japan for a number of years, and built up my portfolio in the tech and UI design space in the United States.
Then, sometime in 2017 — almost a decade later — I was at an international conference. I happened to meet some people from Tokyo there who asked me to consider moving to Japan. It took about 6 months of back and forth, and convincing my partner Matt, before we decided to move here for my job as a UX designer.
Matt Kaemmerer (MK): We loved traveling around Japan, and always felt there was more to see and do here. But moving to Japan really wasn’t something I had envisioned for myself.
Initially, when the idea came up of moving to Japan, I said “definitely not”. Then I thought maybe we’d stay for three years, the term of CJ’s initial visa here, and then go back to the United States. But now, for example, I couldn’t imagine having to commute to work in a car. We enjoy living in Tokyo.
Where did the idea of Studio Terranova come from?
CH: I worked as a seishain (a regular, full-time, permanent employee in Japan) for a few different firms. During that time I was able to make connections and network, while building my portfolio. Once I was granted permanent residency in 2021, that really opened me up to more options because I didn’t have to worry so much about stability, and I had a bit of runway from my past work.
In 2022, we released our first game, Terranova, which was well received, and we had so much fun making it. By 2023, I was taking some time off and already doing more freelancing. We saw that there was a good market for freelancers and small businesses, and the success of Terranova encouraged us to make more games, so we founded Studio Terranova.
MK: Often we’re competing with other agencies from the U.S., U.K. or Canada, for example, that don’t have the language skills or cultural fluency. They also end up being expensive for Japanese companies to work with.
CH: Right. Historically it has been quite challenging to send foreign, non-Japanese speaking workers to collaborate with Japanese clients. There can be a lot of misunderstandings.
Being a fully bilingual agency, we can communicate smoothly with stakeholders and deliver a high quality product. We can also offer them a more reasonable rate, being based here.
What was the process like for actually starting the business?
CH: It took some time to come together, but we finally established Studio Terranova in 2024. In Japan, a GK or gōdō kaisha has all the trappings of a regular corporation, unlike LLCs in the U.S.
We pay all the taxes, including corporate tax, local taxes, the whole package. I learned so much about international taxation law in the process. I read several books about starting a business, but nothing could have prepared me for actually doing it.
There are two people you need to have if you’re starting a business: a lawyer and a tax accountant. We were lucky because an immigration lawyer we worked with has a lot of business knowledge.
We consulted with 5 or 6 different tax accountants before finding the right fit. It wasn’t about finding an English-speaking accountant — our current one doesn’t speak English. Beyond language, communication style and personality are what matter. You have to find someone who communicates critical information in a way that makes sense for you.
We’ve found that the more experience we gain, the less overwhelming it becomes. If you can’t speak Japanese, though, you’re going to need to hire someone who can handle the various processes for you.
Speaking of communication, how important have your Japanese language skills been?
CH: There are certain functions within the tech space in which you might be able to get away with less Japanese knowledge, like programming. In what I do, where I’m explaining design concepts and communicating with various stakeholders, high-level Japanese is essential.
There’s this concept of “sense-making”, for example. In design it refers to the process of organizing, interpreting, and structuring messy, complex, and ambiguous research data to form a coherent understanding. There isn’t a discrete word for it in Japanese. With the necessary language skills, though, you can kind of talk around the concept and explain it successfully.
How are you navigating language here, and what’s your approach to ongoing study?
CH: I tend to have a mix of Japanese and English clients, with many bilingual clients as well.
I go to a private tutor to keep polishing up my Japanese. The tutor gives me homework, which I then work on during the course of the week.
For self-study, a book I highly recommend is Otona no Kotoba Tsukai (大人の言葉遣い), which covers all kinds of situations, ranging from weddings and funerals to honorific and humble language that even native speakers often use incorrectly. It’s basically a manual for a young person transitioning into a shakaijin — a full-fledged member of society.
Something I would really like to do more of is reading about design, and playing video games in Japanese.
What advice would you give to someone looking to move to Japan and work as a creative?
CH: I will say, I’ve been really blessed. I have a great, very strong network, and that’s how the opportunity to work in Japan initially came up.
But the startup scene in Tokyo is vibrant. It is just such a robust nexus of people doing interesting, creative work.
For networking, there are various conferences I would recommend attending, like Design Matters, Spectrum, DDX, and Designship. I also recommend checking out MusubiTech and Venture Café Tokyo. On Peatix and Conpass you can find a bunch of relevant events. Any in-person connections you can make will be much more lasting and impactful than a cold email.
MK: Some of these conferences can be pretty expensive to attend. They can be worthwhile, especially if you’re new to an area and trying to meet people, but it’s important to think about the return on investment and whether they’re really additive. Often, a ¥1,000 meetup or even just a coffee meeting can be the better investment.
CH: Yeah. I go straight for the high-value kind of networking. If there’s no return of investment in terms of connections or opportunities within, let’s say, the next month, you might need to decide it’s not worth it. So, be selective and consider what you’re paying for. Some of those websites offering to send you job opportunities for a subscription may not be where you’ll find the most meaningful leads.
For people coming from abroad, I’ve seen different paths. Some pursue academic programs, and use that time to build relationships, attend events, and get a feel for the industry here. Employers do tend to pay attention to major universities such as Waseda or the University of Tokyo, so that route can be quite viable.
Others visit Japan for shorter periods and focus on meeting people, learning the landscape, and understanding how their skills might fit.
Never underestimate the value of a coffee. That might sound basic, but I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve received an email demanding a job. Approach people you look up to in good faith. Be polite and kind, offer to buy people a coffee, and keep in touch with folks.
How do your personal values shape the way you build your creative practice and choose the people you work with?
CJ: When I first started out, I felt pressure to hide my values. Here I was with my piercings and colored hair. I didn’t feel like I could be my true self, and it was definitely alienating.
Over time, though, I realized that hiding your values doesn’t really serve you. It might win you short-term opportunities, but long term it leads to mismatches. It’s like dating, really. A person can’t hide what they truly believe in.
Now we’re completely upfront about what we stand for and how we work, as a worker-owned cooperative. I actually enjoy hanging out with the people I network with. I think that’s important. When you’re networking, if you feel like you don’t actually like the people you’re engaging with, can you imagine them being your boss?
MK: Being transparent about our values actually allows us to find projects we align with. The people who we resonate with self-select in. When there isn’t that alignment, we can move on.
You work with your partner, and run part of your business from your home. Is work-life balance a thing?
*long pause*
MK: I’d say we probably do better than some other business owners. We care a lot about working sustainably and about getting proper rest.
CJ: There are definitely times when we’re burning the midnight oil to meet deadlines. There isn’t a lot of built-in rest when you’re first-time business owners. But we try to be intentional about making time and space for it.
For me, when I think about whether I’d ever want to go back to being a full-time permanent employee at another company, the answer is no. I’m much happier now. I have agency and independence, and I get to define what working sustainably means for me.
Glass-blowing started as a pandemic hobby at a time when I was very screen-focused and feeling out of touch with my body. I spend a lot of time in the digital space. In glass-blowing, you often have to let go of what you hoped to make and start over. You have to be ready to pivot, and put your entire body into motion to make it happen.
There are a lot of other creative projects I want to pursue as well. There’s never going to be a moment when everything on your to-do list is fully ticked off. But we make space, because it’s those creative projects that energise us and give us joy.
Interviews with other Japan creatives
- Mehdi Fliss — Entrepreneur in Tokyo
- Michael Holmes — Photographer in Tokyo
- Erica Ward — Artist and illustrator in Tokyo
- Luis Mendo — Illustrator in Japan
Some quotes have been edited down for clarity and brevity.
