Hiroko Yoda
Hiroko Yoda is a Japanese entrepreneur, translator, writer, folklorist, and president of the localization company AltJapan Co., Ltd. She was also a Tokyo city editor for the CNN travel website CNNGo. She is a translator of video games and the author of numerous books about Japanese history and culture. She is particularly known for her pioneering work contextualizing yokai culture for English-speaking audiences. In 2025, she published the book "Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom For Inspiration and Healing From the Heart of Japan", published by Penguin Random House.
Education
Born in Tokyo, she studied at the University of Maryland, then earned a Master's degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University in Washington, D.C.Personal life
In 2005, she played the role of a yokai frog in the Takashi Miike film The Great Yokai War. She also had a cameo in the 2010 Tomoo Haraguchi film Death Kappa.In 2008, she was denied a Facebook account. She was told that "Facebook blocks the registration of a number of names that are frequently abused on the site. The name Yoda, also being the name of a popular Star Wars character, is on this list of blocked names." The company only relented after her plight gained international mass media attention alongside other cases of banned names.
She is married to the writer and television personality Matt Alt.
Works
Games
As scriptwriterAs translator
As localization producer
Translations
BooksManga