Netflix relocated me to Japan. After I left the job, I found a new way to stay.
After relocating from Los Angeles, Matthew Kelson and his wife decided to raise their two kids in a small Japanese town outside Tokyo.
Matthew Kelson, a 43-year-old man born in Michigan, once worked for Netflix in Los Angeles before being transferred to Japan in 2020. After leaving Netflix, he renovated a kindergarten and founded CineYama, an independent cinema in Uenohara, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Kelson's journey to opening a cinema in Japan began with scouting for locations and renovating an abandoned kindergarten.
The process was long and required patience, trust-building, and overcoming language barriers. Despite the challenges, Kelson was determined to make his life more difficult but ultimately rewarding. CineYama offers affordable tickets and focuses on showcasing lesser-known films, providing viewers with a unique perspective on different cultures.
Kelson manages the operations with his wife's help and their children assist in stamping tickets when they are around. Although life in Japan has presented challenges, Kelson enjoys the experience and the international connections he has made.
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