FREED INC. - INTERNATIONAL DESK

Japan TV Research & Coordination

日本のリサーチを、世界の番組へ。

Freed Inc. is a Tokyo-based Japan TV research, Japanese coordinator TV and fixer Japan partner for international broadcasters, documentary directors and ad agencies. Since 1995 we have coordinated production research for 2,400+ programs across 53+ countries. Send a short brief in English — we respond within 24 hours JST.

Send a Brief in EN -> 日本語でのお問い合わせ
30 Years since 1995
53 Countries served
2,400+ Programs delivered
Globe with active production briefs across 12 countries - Freed Inc. International Desk hero

What we offer - Japan TV research & fixer services

Freed Inc. provides end-to-end production research and on-the-ground coordination in Japan, with extended reach to neighbouring markets. Each engagement is led by a Japanese coordinator TV producer who has shipped at least 30 international briefs.

  1. S-01

    Japan TV Program Research

    Story development, fact-checking, expert sourcing, archive research and full pre-production briefs for international broadcasters covering Japan. Delivered as English-language research notes with citations and contact lists.

  2. S-02

    Production Coordination & Fixer Service

    On-set coordination, location permits, government and corporate liaison, transport, equipment rental, drone permissions, and crew accompaniment. Same producer from prep to wrap, with bilingual support 24/7 during the shoot window.

  3. S-03

    Talent Casting & Booking

    From everyday Japanese citizens to specialised academics and 100-year-old craftspeople. We draw from Freed’s 30-year archive of 3,847+ vetted contacts, with consent management and on-camera prep included.

  4. S-04

    Location Scouting

    From neon-lit Shibuya crossings to remote islands, post-disaster towns, and centuries-old shrines. Full scouting decks in English with permit feasibility, access logistics, weather windows and cost estimates.

  5. S-05

    Archive Footage Sourcing

    Sourcing and licensing of broadcast-quality archive footage from NHK, commercial broadcasters, regional stations and independent collectors. Full clearance documentation, usage windows and delivery formats handled in-house.

  6. S-06

    Translation & Subtitling Liaison

    Coordination with vetted translators and subtitling vendors across seven languages: English, Mandarin, Korean, French, Spanish, German and Japanese. Cultural-fit review and broadcasting-standard timecoding.

53+ countries served from Tokyo HQ

Freed Inc. operates a single Tokyo headquarters with a network of partner coordinators in every major broadcasting market. The map below shows representative coordination markets - the full list of 53+ countries spans every continent except Antarctica.

World map showing Japan as the Tokyo HQ and 12 representative international coordination markets across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania
Representative markets shown. Sprint 9 will replace this static map with a JSON-driven, clickable world map.

Recent international assignments

A representative selection of recent assignments. Client names anonymised under NDA.

2025 / European broadcaster / Documentary

Centenarian craftspeople of rural Japan

Six-month research and fixer engagement across 4 prefectures, surfacing 12 Japanese artisans aged 95+ for an EU public-broadcaster documentary.

See case detail ->
2024 / North American studio / Drama

Tokyo location scouting for crime drama

Two-week scouting tour for a streaming-platform crime drama. 38 locations evaluated for permit feasibility.

See case detail ->
2024 / Asian network / News magazine

Archive footage clearance for retrospective

Clearance of 47 minutes of regional broadcaster archive footage covering 1995-2024 events in Japan.

See case detail ->

Languages we work in

Briefs received in any of the following languages reach a producer who speaks it natively or near-natively. Internal communication is bilingual EN/JP.

English 中文 한국어 Français Español Deutsch 日本語

Time zones - coordinating across the day

All scheduling pivots around Tokyo time (JST = UTC+9). We deliberately overlap with European morning and US west-coast evening to keep the production day moving.

Tokyo (HQ)JST · UTC+9Reference
LondonGMT · UTC+0JST − 9h
New YorkEST · UTC−5JST − 14h
Los AngelesPST · UTC−8JST − 17h
Paris / BerlinCET · UTC+1JST − 8h
SingaporeSGT · UTC+8JST − 1h
SydneyAEDT · UTC+11JST + 2h
São PauloBRT · UTC−3JST − 12h

How to start - three steps

  1. Send a brief in EN

    Use the /contact-global/ form. Include programme type, target shoot dates, locations, and any sensitive considerations.

  2. Reply within 24h JST

    A senior producer responds with feasibility, an indicative coordinator team and sample timelines. Free initial consultation, no commitment.

  3. Free initial consultation

    30-minute video call in English (or your preferred language) to align on scope, deliverables, timing and budget bands.

FAQ - international coordination

Can you handle very short notice - under one week?

Yes, when capacity allows. Breaking-news fixer Japan deployments have been turned around in under 24 hours from brief to crew on the ground.

Do you cover countries outside Japan?

Our headquarters is in Tokyo, but the Freed network coordinates research and fixer support in 53+ countries through long-standing partner producers.

How do you handle NDAs and sensitive subjects?

NDAs are signed same day, in your standard format. Sensitive subjects are handled by senior producers only.

What about pricing and payment?

Project-based or day-rate, billed in JPY with EUR/USD invoicing on request.

Will the coordinator speak English on the day?

Yes. Every assignment has at least one bilingual producer fluent in English and Japanese on set.

Send a Brief in EN

英語フォームから30秒。返信は JST 24時間以内。
Send a Brief in EN -> 日本語でのお問い合わせ

Reply within 24h JST · free initial consultation · NDA same day