The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is inviting all foreign nationals interested in becoming professional influencers in Japan to join their upcoming three-day training seminar, featuring the man behind the popular YouTube channel “ONLY in JAPAN,” John Daub, as a guest speaker. 

With so much going on all the time, Japan is one of the most exciting countries to be a social media influence and many of you, no doubt, already own a couple of accounts where you are regularly recording the wonders of the country we call our second home. But how many of you are willing to take the next step and become a “pro influencer”? For those of you who are wondering where to start — or how to get even better — this seminar will help you figure it out. JNTO’s influencer seminar for foreign nationals will cover a variety of important topics, including how to improve your social media content posting and YouTube video production skills. 

Seminar Summary

The seminar will feature three one-hour-long lectures. Each lecture will provide participants with essential knowledge on basic shooting equipment and what to prepare when creating a video, as well as other know-hows regarding video and content production. After the three lectures, there will be one-month self-training, and in the third week of January, a follow-up symposium for all seminar participants will be held. 

The topics covered in each lecture are as follows: 

  • Lecture 1: “Important points when managing a YouTube channel” and “How to make videos go viral”
  • Lecture 2: “Things to be careful of when shooting videos,” “Required equipment” and “Contract with agent”
  • Lecture 3: “Editing techniques,” “How to respond to negative feedbacks” and “Things to be careful of when publishing your contents”

Seminar Schedule

Seminar: Sat, November 21, 2020, Sat, November 28, 2020, Sat, December 5, 2020 from 16:00. Each lecture will last for one hour.

Symposium: Sat, January 17, 2021 

Venue: Online via Zoom 

Guest Speaker Profile: John Daub

John Daub is a Japan-based American content creator. He has lived in Japan for over 20 years and has appeared in NHK World and other TV programs as an international commentator familiar with the Japanese culture and society. You can find out more about him on his “ONLY in JAPAN” Instagram and Facebook accounts. 

Who can join the seminar — Eligible Applicants

Anyone who meets the following criteria can apply for this seminar.

  1. Can communicate in English (all lectures will be conducted in English) 
  2. Has a valid student, working, dependent, spouse visa, or permanent residence visa in Japan that has a minimum of one year left until expiration 
  3. Has posted original photos and/or videos regarding traveling in Japan or living in Japan at least on the average of three times per month for the last half-a-year to social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) or video sharing sites (YouTube, etc.)
  4. Has never worked as an influencer for public institutions or private companies.
  5. Wishes to share more posts about travel and living in Japan and wants to become a Japan-based influencer.
  6. Has their social media account set as public (private accounts cannot be considered) 

How to apply for the seminar

  1. For those interested in attending the seminar lectures, please apply to “JNTO Influencer Development” Project Administrator via email at [email protected]
  2. Fill in the application and contract document sent to your email and submit it to the above email address.

Application period: Sun, November 1, 2020

Application Confirmation: Confirmation email will be sent to all lucky applicants by November 6, 2020. 

Organizer: JNTO（Japan National Tourism Organization）https://www.japan.travel/en/

Coordinator: Vector, Inc., Overseas Department https://vectorinc.co.jp/en