about
Challenge Perspectives beyond the classroom
Education today often happens within the boundaries of a classroom. But some of the most meaningful learning happens outside of it through experience, environment, and human connection.
Emi Brinkman
Founder of Unlock Japan
Born and raised in Japan with a Japanese and American background, Emi Brinkman is a bilingual entrepreneur with a global perspective. A graduate of Sophia University, she has traveled to over 25 countries, engaging with diverse cultures and communities.
She is the founder of a plant-based consulting company in Japan, where she has worked across industries to promote sustainable and forward-thinking approaches to lifestyle and business. Through this work, she has collaborated with organizations and communities across both Japan and the international landscape.
Through her own experiences with traditional education—its strengths and its limitations—Emi became driven to create learning environments that are more experiential, inclusive, and personally meaningful.
In rural areas in Japan, she designs programs that invite participants to step outside conventional systems and reconnect with nature, culture, and themselves. Her work aims to inspire individuals to think independently, act with intention, and shape their own paths.
Steven Martin
Co-Founder of Unlock Japan
Originally from the New England area, Steven Martin found a second home in Japan where he has been an educator in traditional schools, universities, and international school programs for over two decades.
He has been an avid writer and lover of the Arts, and followed his long-time dream of building a film company by writing, directing, and producing his own feature films. His dream was to combine these two passions by designing educational programs that pursue academic learning in creative, hands-on ways.
For several years, Martin immersed himself in the regional, hidden landscapes of Japan working with masters in their respective fields of Science, Agriculture, Food, and Art, and he saw that the remote villages and towns provide more educational opportunities than major metropolises such as Tokyo.
Far from internet and textbook learning, this program offers an alternative way to learn for students who do not always feel enriched by traditional, standardized ways of study.
By engaging with local scientists, artisans, and preservers of cultural heritage, students will walk away with authentic skills, boundless curiosity, and renewed vigor for learning.
They will communicate with all kinds of people and learn what it means to inquire, be asked to engage, and take initiative as individuals in a supportive community.
Explore our programs
Discover Immersive Learning Experiences in Japan