Born in Tokyo and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Thailand, Itsuko Hirai is an entertainment journalist and film curator whose work bridges East and West.  In 1996, she earned a BA in Political Science and Economics from Meji University in Japan. She began her career working as an editor for the monthly entertainment magazine, CUT, in 2000.  She relocated to New York City in 2006 to continue her career in entertainment journalism. Taking on other pursuits, she moved to Los Angeles after accepting the role of Vice Consul of the Consulate General of Japan from 2015 to 2018.  She not only worked as a diplomat but also as a cultural attaché working to promote Japanese films and culture in Southern California and Arizona.  Since 2018, Hirai has been employed as the LA correspondent for Japan’s Movie Walker Press, and is also the film curator for Japan House Los Angeles.  She was selected for the first inclusion Initiative Press Corps at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019.