Hiroshi Urata
(He/Him)
Japan, Kanagawa
As seen in:
nii.ac.jp,
NIWA Magazine
Covers:
I interview Niwashi (gardeners), blacksmiths & diverse artisans (traditional/modern). I also cover biophilic design & green infrastructure via corporate interviews. What I value most is the people.
Doesn't Cover:
I do not cover superficial, mass-market PR or pitches that lack a clear narrative or connection to my core themes of landscaping and craftspeople.
Documenting Japanese craftsmanship: Niwashi (gardeners), blacksmiths & forged tools. Journalist & curator. My motto is "Today’s craft is tomorrow’s tradition".
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Hiroshi Urata’s Biography
Read Full Bio →After studying at the Himeji Institute of Technology (Department of Materials Science and Engineering), I began my career as a writer in 2000 and have been working as a freelance journalist since 2004.
Since 2009, I have maintained a regular column and written feature articles for Niwa (Garden), Japan's leading magazine dedicated to garden design. Niwa is a quarterly print magazine published in Japanese, and I have contributed to every issue since then; the current issue (No. 265, October 2026)…
Hiroshi Urata’s Journalist Portfolio
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Interview
See all 21 answers →What was your first job as a journalist?
While still a university student in 1999, I was dispatched by a magazine to the US to cover Woodstock '99 simply for a "student's perspective." Experiencing that chaotic, historic festival on the ground was my raw baptism into reporting. It also immediately became my very first experience of seeing my draft buried under a mountain of red ink and "delete" marks.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, but only as a toy when I was a kid. My parents owned one, and I remember getting scolded for messing around with it.
How is social media changing news?
In its early days, social media didn't really change the news; it was just a tool for communication and entertainment. What truly changed everything was the smartphone camera. Suddenly, anyone could capture what was right in front of them, allowing social media to reach the scene faster than traditional media ever could. And now, we are entering an era driven by AI.