Journalist, Line Producer & Filmmaker

Sonja Blaschke (Journalist, Line Producer & Filmmaker)

Sonja Blaschke is a multilingual freelance journalist, magazine editor, news desk editor, author and line producer from Germany. She has lived and worked in Japan for 20 years and speaks Japanese fluently. Her reporting focuses primarily on social issues, politics and current developments in East Asia, particularly in Japan and Taiwan. This also includes major events such as natural disasters. In 2013, she spent several months living in Taiwan, and between 2016 and 2018 she also spent extended periods in Australia and New Zealand. After many years working as a line producer, she directed her first television documentary in 2022. “Rice Fields Instead of Tokyo” follows young people who leave Tokyo and move to a remote mountain village to take up rice farming. In her spare time, she is most likely to be found at rock and metal concerts around the world. Sonja attends around 70 concerts and festivals a year and writes about them online.

Writing Writing in German and English for
print, online and corporate publishing media

Freelance journalist. Reporting on current affairs, politics, social issues, natural disasters, and culture in East Asia. Editor-in-chief of a German-language business magazine about Japan. Extensive experience as an online editor and newsletter writer for European news media in international news coverage. Japan & Tokyo guidebook author.

Related Posts

Producing Documentary filmmaker and line producer for
TV and film productions in Japan

Unearthing compelling visual stories. Amplifying voices. Advising on contents and intercultural differences. Finding protagonists and locations. Liaising with local partners. Organizing schedules and logistics. Getting permissions. Interpreting and interviews. Problem-solving on all fronts.

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Connecting Adviser, speaker and content creator

Building bridges and mediating between cultures. Inbound tourism and travel adviser. Japan observer and commentator. Public speaker and event moderator. Sharing passion for live music with international concert travel blog.

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般若 (Hannya mask)

Clients

My clients include daily newspapers, magazines, online media, TV stations and publishing houses – mainly from German, but also from English-speaking countries. Some are interested in my expertise in the East Asia & Oceania region, others need a reliable journalist who also has many years of online and TV experience and speaks several languages fluently.
  • ARD_logo
  • Arte-Logo
  • AHK Japan
  • aerztezeitung.de
  • Deutsche_Welle_Logo
  • Emma
  • geo-magazine
  • gruppe-5
  • NZZ_am_Sonntag
  • nzz_format
  • Neue_Zürcher_Zeitung
  • Stuttgarter_Zeitung_Logo
  • WELT_Logo_2016
  • ZDF_logo
  • Financial Times Deutschland
  • MairDumont-Logo

News

43-year old Shinya Kawahara is one of the youngest opponents of the dam © Sonja BlaschkeRebellion in the valley of the fireflies (2017)
Modern life between ones and zeros – teamlab „Borderless“ exhibition in Tokyo © Sonja Blaschke | Modern life between ones and zeros - teamlab "Borderless" exhibition in Tokyo © Sonja BlaschkeInterview mit Taiwans Digitalministerin Audrey Tang (2020)
Wellness auf Japanisch: Sand-"Bad" in Ibusuki © Sonja Blaschke„Terra X: Faszination Erde – Land der Gegensätze“ über Japan (2018)
Eine Überlebende der Bombenangriffe vor einer Karte mit Zeugnissen dieser Zeit. © Sonja BlaschkeDer vergessene Feuersturm (2015)
„Hüpfen verboten!“ – Schild an einer Konzerthalle in Osaka vor einem Metal-Gig © Sonja Blaschke | "Hüpfen verboten!" - Schild an einer Konzerthalle in Osaka vor einem Metal-Gig © Sonja BlaschkeMusk, Metal und ein Marketingdisaster (2023)
Bamboo and firelight animation at teamlab’s „Borderless“ exhibition in Tokyo © Sonja Blaschke | Bamboo and firefly animation at teamlab's "Borderless" exhibition in Tokyo © Sonja BlaschkeBamboo and firefly animation at teamlab's "Borderless" exhibition in Tokyo
She left office life behind for good – Tamami during rice harvest in Ishidani in September 2022 © NZZ Format | She left office life behind for good - Tamami during rice harvest in Ishidani in September 2022 © NZZ Format„Rice Fields Instead of Tokyo: Young Women in the Japanese Countryside“ (2022)
The „Terra X“ team during a shoot on Japan’s northernmost island Rebun © Sonja Blaschke | The "Terra X" team during a shoot on Japan's northernmost island Rebun © Sonja BlaschkeZDF flagship show – „Terra X: Fascination water“ (2023)
Blick auf die Hochhäuser im Tokioter Stadtteil Shiodome, im Hintergrund der Fuji © Sonja BlaschkeDas immer gleiche Aufzugtheater (2014)
Jeden Tag sind ein Dutzend Gärtner in Hobbiton am Werk © Sonja BlaschkeZu Besuch in Hobbiton (2017)
Teefelder prägen die Region Uji, die als die Wiege des Grüntees in Japan gilt © Sonja BlaschkeReise zur Wiege des Grüntees (2017)
Das von Kengo Kuma gebaute Nationalstadion in Tokio im Sommer 2021 © Sonja BlaschkeKengo Kuma: Der Holzmeister (2020)

Locations

Portfolio

Topics

© Sonja Blaschke

Profile

Sonja Blaschke Freelance East Asia correspondent

Sonja Blaschke is a multilingual freelance journalist, magazine editor, news desk editor, author and line producer from Germany. She has lived and worked in Japan for 20 years and speaks Japanese fluently.

Her reporting focuses primarily on social issues, politics and current developments in East Asia, particularly in Japan and Taiwan. This also includes major events such as natural disasters. In 2013, she spent several months living in Taiwan, and between 2016 and 2018 she also spent extended periods in Australia and New Zealand.

After many years working as a line producer, she directed her first television documentary in 2022. “Rice Fields Instead of Tokyo” follows young people who leave Tokyo and move to a remote mountain village to take up rice farming.

In her spare time, she is most likely to be found at rock and metal concerts around the world. Sonja attends around 70 concerts and festivals a year and writes about them online.

E-Mail info@sonjablaschke.com
Phone Japan +81-90-1103-8299
Phone Germany +49 178-89-95-180