Motoko Rich - Wikiwand

American journalist

Born1969 (age 56–57)

Education

Yale University (B.A.)
University of Cambridge (M.A.)

OccupationJournalist

EmployerNew York Times

Motoko Rich
Motoko Rich in 2011
Born	1969 (age 56–57)
Education	Yale University (B.A.) University of Cambridge (M.A.)
Occupation	Journalist
Employer	New York Times
Predecessor	Martin Fackler
Spouse	Mark Topping (2003–present)

Motoko Rich is an Japanese-American^[1] journalist who is the current Rome bureau chief for The New York Times as of 2025 leading coverage of Italy, the Vatican and Greece. She was previously the Tokyo bureau chief from 2016 to 2024, where she covered Japanese politics, society, gender, culture, security and the arts, as well as news and features on the Korean peninsula.^[2]

Rich was born to Junko and Peter Rich of Petaluma, California.^[3] She grew up in New Jersey, Tokyo, and Northern California and attended Casa Grande High School.^[4] She majored in English literature at Yale University and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree and received a master's degree in English from the University of Cambridge.^[5]

Career

Rich worked as a reporter for The Financial Times in London. She then moved to Atlanta and worked for The Wall Street Journal, eventually moving to New York City.^[5] In 2003, she joined The New York Times, where she covered a broad range of topics including real estate, the economy, books and education.^[6]

In 2016, Rich succeeded Martin Fackler as the Tokyo bureau chief for The New York Times.^[6] She has reported on various issues affecting Japan and the region, such as the 2020 Summer Olympics,^[7] the COVID-19 pandemic,^[8] the Abdication of Emperor Akihito, the assassination of Shinzo Abe,^[9] North Korea–United States relations,^[10] South Korea–Japan relationships,^[11] and China–Japan relations.^[12]

In 2025 she succeeded Jason Horowitz as Bureau Chief for Rome after eight years in Tokyo.^[13]

She is a co-winner of the Gerald Loeb Award winners for Images/Graphics/Interactives (2016–2018).^[14]

References

↑ Takenaga, Lara (2 February 2019). "Our Tokyo Bureau Chief on Where She Finds 'Bolts of Insight' (Hint: It's Outside the Office)". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
↑ "New Bureau Chiefs for Madrid and Rome". The New York Times Company. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
↑ "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Motoko Rich, Mark Topping". The New York Times. 2003-04-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
↑ "Petaluma Argus Courier 27 June 1984 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
1 2 "Motoko Rich". Asia Society. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
1 2 "Motoko Rich – The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
↑ Keh, Andrew; Futterman, Matt; Panja, Tariq; Rich, Motoko (2020-03-21). "An Olympic Showdown: The Rising Clamor to Postpone the Tokyo Summer Games". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
↑ Rich, Motoko; Dooley, Ben (2022-07-02). "Japan's Secret to Taming the Coronavirus: Peer Pressure". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
↑ Rich, Motoko (2022-07-08). "Shinzo Abe, Japan's Longest-Serving Prime Minister, Dies at 67". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
↑ Sang-Hun, Choe; Rich, Motoko (2019-03-01). "Failed Hanoi Meeting Has U.S. Allies in Region Asking: What's Next?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
↑ Rich, Motoko; Sang-Hun, Choe (2023-03-17). "Japan and South Korea Make Nice, but Can It Last?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
↑ Rich, Motoko; Inoue, Makiko (2020-07-25). "As the World Gets Tougher on China, Japan Tries to Thread a Needle". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
↑ "New Bureau Chiefs for Madrid and Rome". The New York Times Company. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
↑ "UCLA Anderson School of Management Announces 2017 Gerald Loeb Award Winners". UCLA Anderson School of Management Blog. Retrieved 2023-04-16.

Authority control databases	VIAF

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