When Singaporean actor Shawn Thia and Japanese actress Anna Yamada met for the first time at Tokyo’s TV Man Union offices, neither knew they would soon share one of the most cross-cultural, emotionally layered projects of their careers.

“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, her skin is too good!’” Shawn laughs. “I was worried if we could connect because of the language barrier. But once filming started, week by week, her English got amazing. Now I joke that we have ‘Bluetooth connection’: she doesn’t even have to finish a sentence, I know what she means. It was easy to build chemistry because she’s such a kind and easy person to talk to.”

Anna smiles at the memory. “I was nervous at first,” she says. “But on the first day of shooting, Shawn invited me to have lunch together. I felt he really wanted to build a good relationship. He tried to understand my broken English, and honestly, he saved me.”

Their easy rapport forms the emotional core of Lost and Found, a six-episode Singapore-Japan co-production led by Mocha Chai Laboratories (MCL), Empire of Arkadia (EOA), NHK World Japan, and TV Man Union (TVU). The series, directed by Chai Yee Wei and Yoshihito Okashita, follows Richie Chiang (Thia), a shy gamer from Singapore whose online girlfriend, Sakura, vanishes in Japan. He teams up with Yuka Uchida (Yamada) to search for her, and uncovers the eerie world of the johatsu, people who deliberately disappear from society.

For Michelle Chang, co-founder of MCL and the story’s creator, Lost and Found embodies a new chapter for Singaporean storytelling. “The main reason why I quit the corporate world to join MCL as a Co-Founder was my desire to want to create original IP for the streaming platforms. After nearly a decade of commissioning series for free-to-air television in Singapore, I wanted the freedom to develop content that was bold, distinctive, and unconstrained by local censorship requirements. Joining forces with a company that shared my ambitions was the natural next step. Since joining MCL in 2019, my mandate has been clear: to expand the company’s scope to include international co-productions. This goal was driven both by MCL’s aspiration to evolve beyond post-production services and by our passion for global storytelling. In 2021, we were fortunate to secure our first international co-production with Korean content powerhouse CJ ENM HK—an achievement made even more meaningful as it took place amid the challenges of the COVID. That partnership marked the beginning of our cross-border collaborative journey, setting the stage for MCL’s continued growth as a creator of original, globally resonant content.”

“It all started one fateful evening over dinner with Fotini Paraskakis from Empire of Arkadia,” Michelle recalls. “She shared that she had recently founded a new company and invited me to collaborate on a potential co-production as she needed a trusted Singapore company with a good track record to collaborate with. Fotini approached me because MCL had built a strong track record with IMDA and was already developing original concepts for the International Co-Production Fund.”

“After reviewing the project she proposed, I quickly realized—based on my experience—that it would not work as a Singaporean co-production due to the limited local involvement. I suggested that the best path forward would be to develop a brand-new IP that could be pitched to IMDA. Drawing on my passion for storytelling and world-building, I created ‘Lost and Found’ a ‘fish-out-of-water’ story about a Singaporean gamer who travels overseas in search of his missing online girlfriend… Empire of Arkadia approached Japan’s TV Man Union first, and they immediately connected with the concept. TVU then brought the project to NHK Japan, with whom they have a longstanding relationship—and that marked the beginning of our collaboration.”

“When I was developing the story, I came across an article on the phenomenon of people voluntarily disappearing in Japan and learnt about the concept of Jouhatsu, literally ‘evaporation,’” Michelle explains. “Every year, tens of thousands of Japanese people choose to vanish from their lives, often with the help of yonige-ya or ‘night managers,’ who specialize in helping them disappear without a trace. This concept became the backbone of Lost and Found… To me, Jouhatsu raises profound questions about identity, society, and freedom. It reveals the immense weight of social expectations in Japan surrounding family, work, debt, and shame — and how the decision to disappear becomes an extreme yet deeply human act of resistance or escape.”

The theme also resonated with Shawn and Anna as they explored their characters. “I wouldn’t say I was drawn just to Richie, I was drawn to the whole story,” Shawn says. “The writing, the characters, it’s a genre I’ve always wanted to see more of in Singapore. Most of the work was about building Richie from scratch with the producers and director, discussing, creating, shaping who he is.”

For Anna, portraying Yuka required empathy. “There are many things different about Yuka,” she says. “She’s an otaku, a fan of Richie, and that’s why she helps him look for Mari. She has love for games, strong emotions, and even though she’s immature, she has deep compassion. Actually, Yuka and I are very different, I don’t play games! But I tried to capture her strong determination to support Richie, and her emotional drive.”

The pair filmed in locations steeped in superstition and history. “Yes, the theme of ‘purification’ (johatsu) is delicate,” Anna explains. “It’s not a simple topic, it reflects real life. There are people who disappear, and it’s frightening but real. While filming, I felt it was my mission to portray this reality: to make something meaningful that reflects the darker side of Japan, even though it’s far from my real life.”

Shawn adds, “In Japan, it’s difficult for people to open up. Everyone keeps things to themselves unless you really know them. Once you’re close, conversations flow for hours, but if not, they stay quiet. So that emotional restraint is real.”

Filming abroad also deepened Shawn’s respect for Japan. “I’ve always had a positive outlook on Japanese people and culture,” he says. “The production took great care of me; Anna especially! The respect, the bowing, saying ‘thanks for your hard work’, those gestures made me feel appreciated and respected every day.”

Anna laughs when asked if she helped him adapt. “Nothing,” she jokes, before Shawn quickly interjects, “She helped me with many things! Even just her presence gave me comfort.” Anna smiles: “Me too.”

The collaboration mirrored the show’s own exploration of cross-cultural bonds. “When I act in English, I always think how I would say it in Japanese,” Anna explains. “It’s hard. the emotion changes with the language. But it was a good challenge, and I discovered new ways to express myself in English.”

“Language barriers, cultural differences, and varying attitudes toward marketing have been among the most significant challenges in our international co-productions,” Michelle says. “As a Producer-Writer, I naturally wear the marketing hat throughout the entire process. My view is that we should harness the energy and creativity of our cast and crew—including directors, composers, and editors, during production. This is when enthusiasm and inspiration are at their peak.”

That adaptability, she notes, became MCL’s greatest strength. > “Coming from a small domestic market, Singaporeans are accustomed to adapting quickly to diverse contexts in order to succeed internationally… It enabled us to pivot, problem-solve, and make decisions swiftly and effectively throughout the production process.”

Shawn found that the series’ themes even made him reflect on his own life and marriage. “Xenia has always been very supportive towards me,” he says, referring to his wife, actress Xenia Tan. “Has it changed me? I don’t think so — I’m still the same, but there are added responsibilities. We have to service the house, balance our schedules. Our jobs require us to be away often, so we have to understand each other, communicate — even when it’s tiring.”

On the concept of disappearance, he muses: “In Singapore, can we even afford to ‘run away’? (laughs) The johatsu phenomenon feels very specific to Japan: Singapore’s so small, you could only disappear from Pasir Ris to Jurong West. I understand the feeling of wanting to quit when life gets tough, but Singaporeans are quite resilient. That made Japan’s context even more fascinating.”

“The most rewarding aspect of my work is the new friendships formed along the way,” Michelle reflects. “These relationships have proven invaluable, not only because partners often recommend new projects or connect me with fresh opportunities, but because they represent genuine, long-term collaborations built on mutual respect and shared creative goals… Ultimately, the opportunity to build enduring business relationships turned friendships while discovering and understanding new cultures and creative landscapes is what makes this work truly fulfilling.”

That same spirit of connection defines Lost and Found. Anna sums it up: “It’s a story that captures our era: young people, technology, connection, and risk. There’s a virtual world blending with the real one. I hope viewers can relate to that and enjoy how the story reflects today’s reality.”

Shawn nods. “For me, it’s also a rare cultural collaboration between Japan and Singapore. If we speak Japanglish or Singlish, that’s part of who we are. I hope viewers embrace it instead of nitpicking accents. This show is about celebrating both our cultures, and I hope people see that and show us some love.”

Photo Credit: Mocha Chai Laboratories

Lost and Found is scheduled to air on Japanese public broadcaster NHK and on Singapore’s Mediacorp in mid-March 2026.

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