John H. LaDue, Jr
John H. LaDue, Jr. is a filmmaker and documentary producer & director for TV. He has worked at Japan's public broadcaster NHK since 2007. He was first hired as a TV personality for NHK BS1 in political debate show, [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ジェネレーションY〜地球未来図〜 "Generation Y”]. In 2011, John began working as a director and producer for NHK World's weekly Asian news digest, "Asia 7 Days". Currently, he produces and directs news features for NHK Newsline's business department where part of his daily role includes presenting live financial reports from the Tokyo Stock Exchange about Wall Street and markets in Tokyo and Asia. John is also the founder of Kintsugi Pictures, a Tokyo based production company. Kintsugi Pictures is currently in production of "Mommy or Daddy?", a feature documentary about child and parental alienation— the overarching issue in relationship to International child abduction in Japan.
Early life and career
John was born on December 7, 1981 in Kailua Kona on the island of Hawaii (also known as the 'big island'). His parents and siblings moved to Tokyo when he was just one year old.
A true multi-lingual, he is fluent in English, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. John attended the Tokyo Chinese School (a Taiwanese international school) for nine years during his elementary and middle school years. He graduated from Christian Academy in Japan in west Tokyo.
John’s interest in filmmaking began at the early age of fourteen when his missionary parents received the donation of a large National VHS M3 camera. Using his nine siblings as actors, he set out making home videos and eventually took filmmaking courses at his high school.
John studied film, TV production and business while attending Biola University in Southern California. He graduated in 2004 with a bachelors in Film and TV Directing. He also studied Shakespeare and British literature at the University of Roehampton in Southwest London.
After graduation, he briefly worked for a Japanese transport and logistics company, NNR Global Logistics before moving back to Tokyo in early 2006. Hired by NHK in 2007, he first appeared on BS1’s political debate show, “Generation Y” and has since gone on to fill multiple directing and production roles within the NHK universe.
John continues working as a financial presenter and news documentary producer, while directing films for Kintsugi Pictures— a production company which he founded in 2017. The film "Mommy or Daddy?” is currently in production and is Kintsugi Pictures’ first major production.
Filmography
- 2019 Mommy or Daddy? (Currently in production) 45 min (Documentary) Director, Producer
- 2015 Recruiting Self Defense Forces - News feature 6 min (Documentary) Director, Producer
- 2014 Drawing on the Past - News feature 10 min. (Documentary) Director, Producer
- 2009 My Stunt Double 25 min Short (fiction) Actor
- 2008 Kakurembo - Hide & Seek 25 min Short (fiction) Screen writer, Director, Actor
- 1999 Out of Ashes 25 min. Short (fiction) Director, Actor