Michael YAMASHITA

Michael Yamashita has built an illustrious career off the back of his prolific travels throughout Asia — traversing the mountains of Tibet, trekking the Great Wall, and retracing the journeys of famed explorer Marco Polo. Through his work for National Geographic — which spans over 30 years — the photographer has amassed the world’s largest archive of photographs of China and Tibet, which he has turned into 18 books, eight of them on China; two documentaries; a sold-out NFT collection; and exhibitions across Singapore, China, Italy, Germany, Japan and the US. When he’s not on the road or overseas for lectures and conferences, Mike can be found working in his studio and spending time with family in the suburbs of New Jersey, or spending his weekends zipping into New York to hunt down new restaurants. We chat with the Sony Ambassador for China about the importance of confidence, embracing his Asian background, creative stretches on long flights, and his favorite foodie spots in his New York Travel Playbook.