Yoko Inoue is a journalist, bestselling author, and communications advisor based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
I work at the intersection of Japan and the Nordics — writing, speaking, and advising through a rare first-hand perspective.
Spent two decades at the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's largest newspaper — working as a reporter and U.S. correspondent covering government, industry, and politics at the highest level.
Hold a Master's degree from Harvard University, and covered Washington D.C. as a foreign correspondent during the Obama administration.
Author of the Japanese bestseller 第3の時間 — The Third Time — an investigation into how a society thrives by working less, published in December 2025. (English-language rights available)
Having lived and worked in Japan, the United States, and Denmark, I help organizations understand the Nordic region with rare clarity — through writing, speaking, and advisory engagements.
Copenhagen has been home since 2015, where I live with my Danish husband and our two children.
My New Book
The Third Time（第3の時間）began as an attempt to understand a paradox: how Denmark works some of the shortest hours in the developed world, yet remains one of its most competitive — and consistently happiest — societies. The answer, I found, was not purely economic. It lay in how Danes treat time — working efficiently enough to prosper in fewer hours, and using what remains in ways that feed their happiness.
Drawing on two decades in Japanese journalism and a decade of living in Denmark, the book weaves reporting with my own slow unlearning of a work-centered sense of worth. Released in December 2025, it quickly became a bestseller in Japan.
In the media
Japan
Since its release, my book has been covered widely across Japan — in major national newspapers, on radio and podcasts, and in leading magazines and websites. One interview, produced by a major broadcaster for its online channel, reached over 100,000 views within two weeks. I have also spoken about it to audiences including national lawmakers, and delivered keynotes for major corporations.
A full list of press coverage (in Japanese) is available here.
Denmark
"First she was annoyed by the Danes. Then Yoko Inoue began to understand us."
In March 2026, Berlingske — Denmark's oldest national newspaper, founded in 1749 — ran a major feature on the book and my story.
My Work
Two decades of journalism, a bestselling book, and talks for audiences of every kind — from major corporations and national lawmakers to small groups curious about Japan and the Nordics.
Services
I write, speak, and advise at the intersection of cultures — bringing a rare, first-hand perspective to organizations navigating communication, strategy, and leadership across borders.
What clients say
"Yoko offered a compelling and nuanced perspective on Japan's declining birth rate through comparison with Denmark, linking flexible working hours and family policy to the choices people actually make. Insightful, evidence-based, and highly relevant."
— Thomas Højlund Christensen, Senior Diplomat, Royal Danish Embassy, Tokyo
"Yoko's introduction to our communications team on how media and communications work in Japan was hugely valuable in helping us understand what was required to be successful in Tokyo. Our Summit went very well, and we received significant coverage."
— Rasmus Nord Jørgensen, Director of Communications, Global Maritime Forum
Organizations I’ve worked with
