Mika Kanaya, Producer, International Co-productions, NHK (Japan)
Having joined NHK in 1994, Mika spent four years in one of NHK’s local stations, where she accumulated her production skills in various genres, such as documentaries, cultural programs, and travelogues. In 1998, she was transferred to the Tokyo headquarters where she focused her attention on programs dealing with social issues. She produced many documentaries on foreign workers, medical malpractice, and aging. Beginning in 1999, Mika was heavily involved in the project SuperTeachers, a co-production between NHK, TVO and KBS. This was a documentary series that featured celebrities in various fields as they gave children an once-in-a-lifetime lesson. In 2000, her program “SuperTeachers- Bernard Loiseau was awarded a French journalism award.
From 2002 to 2003, Mika was a founding member of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union initiative Voyage to the Future, a co-production among the ABU members encouraging children in Asia to think about environmental issues. Since 2003, Mika has been directing and producing the weekly culture entertainment program Can You Speak English?. The program earned a cult following dealing with the issue of intercultural communication, something that many Japanese people have, using entertaining presentations targeting the younger generation. Mika joined the international co-production team as a producer in 2007.
