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National Geographic's
Michael Yamashita
Journeys Along the Silk Road
A Farland Chang docuseries
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ABOUT US
Michael Yamashita
Photographer • Explorer • Visual Historian
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Michael Yamashita is one of the world’s most accomplished visual storytellers — a photographer whose career has taken him across six continents and into some of the most storied landscapes on earth. For over four decades, his work has illuminated Asia and the Silk Roads, bringing to life the places where travel, trade and culture once flowed freely between civilizations.
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After graduating from Wesleyan University, a “roots trip” to Japan sparked his dual passions for photography and travel. Early assignments with Singapore Airlines sent him across the length of Asia, establishing the region — especially China and Japan — as his lifelong area of expertise.
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Michael is internationally known for his deep dives into history’s great explorers. He has retraced Marco Polo along the Silk Road, followed the seafaring routes of the 15th-century admiral Zheng He, and journeyed in the footsteps of poet Matsuo Basho. His photographs, books, and films bring these epic quests into the modern age, revealing the timeless human links between East and West.
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He has published 16 books, including Marco Polo, Zheng He, The Great Wall of China, Shangri-La: Tea Road to Lhasa, A Silk Road Journey, and In a Japanese Garden. Forthcoming titles include East Meets West, a retrospective of 40 years photographing China, and Full Circle,
a return to his ancestral roots in Japan.
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Michael has also produced two award-winning feature documentaries based on his Marco Polo and Zheng He expeditions, adding cinematic depth to his photographic legacy.
As one of the most influential photography voices online — with more than 1.7 million followers on Instagram (@yamashitaphoto) — Michael continues to inspire a new generation of visual storytellers. His recent foray into digital innovation includes several sold-out NFT collections that breathe new life into his extensive archive.
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A sought-after speaker and mentor, Michael has appeared at major photography festivals, delivered TED Talks, judged international competitions, and received numerous industry honors including Pictures of the Year and the New York Art Directors Club awards.
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When he’s not on assignment, Michael divides his time between New York and rural New Jersey, where he maintains a studio — and serves his local community as a volunteer firefighter.​
Farland Chang
Educator • Journalist • Bridge-Builder​
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Farland Chang is an Emmy Award–winning journalist, filmmaker and educator whose work explores one enduring question: how do cultures meet, connect and learn from one another?
For nearly three decades, he reported across the U.S. and Asia for major news organizations including NBC and CNN, bringing global perspective, cultural nuance and narrative depth to stories that shape our world.
During his years as an anchor and correspondent in Hong Kong, a trusted CNN colleague, Suberna Shringla, introduced Farland to master photographer Michael Yamashita. Two storytellers. Two Asian Americans. Two believers in the power of travel and cultural exchange.
That meeting became the foundation for East Meets West.
Together they retrace the historic journeys that once connected civilizations…from Marco Polo along the Silk Road to the epic voyages of Admiral Zheng He…revealing how trade, curiosity and exchange shaped the world long before modern globalization.
Farland grew up inspired by the classic National Geographic worldview: curiosity about the planet, respect for cultures, and the belief that photography and journalism can illuminate both the beauty of our world and the challenges we share. Working alongside Michael, Farland brings those ideals to life through cinematic storytelling rooted in history, humanity and the timeless forces that link civilizations.
As producer, writer and on-camera guide for East Meets West, Farland leads audiences along ancient trade routes, historic crossroads and modern communities shaped by centuries of exchange. His work blends journalistic rigor with a deeply personal mission: to foster understanding, trust and common cause across cultures.
Because the journeys that once bridged East & West still remind us how deeply our world has always been connected.