Draft:Alex Shapiro (YouTuber)


Alex Shapiro
Personal information
Born
Alex Shapiro

Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation(s)Real estate agent, YouTuber, entrepreneur
Organisation(s)Blackship Realty, Sekai Studios
Websitetokyoportfolio.com
YouTube information
Channel
LocationTokyo, Japan
Years active2021–present
Genre(s)real estate, vlog, comedy
Subscribers116 thousand[1]
Total views8.34 million[1]
Associated actsAbroad in Japan, CDawgVA, Sharmeleon
100,000 subscribers2024

Last updated: 1 September 2024

Alex Shapiro, also known online as Tokyo Portfolio, is an American real estate agent, YouTuber, and entrepreneur based in Japan. Shapiro is the Co-founder and COO of Blackship Realty and the host of the YouTube channel Tokyo Portfolio, which showcases Tokyo's high end real estate.

The Tokyo Portfolio YouTube channel has amassed over 8.34 million views and approximately 116,000 subscribers as of September 2024, making it the largest English-based real estate channel in Japan.[2]

Personal Life

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Born in Los Angeles, California, Shapiro spent his upbringing in the United States. His interest in Japan was sparked during a high school study abroad program in 2007. He spent a year in Fukuoka, where he developed a deep appreciation for Japanese life and culture. Shapiro credits this initial experience with fostering his fascination with Japan, particularly its distinct societal characteristics compared to those of the United States. He has also cited Japanese cuisine and the convenience of daily life as additional factors that drew him to the country. This early exposure later motivated him to return to Fukuoka as an exchange student at Kyushu University in 2017.[3]

After graduating from Boston University in 2014, Shapiro moved to Kirishima, Japan, where he joined the JET Program as a Coordinator for International Relations (CIR), rather than as an English teacher. In this role, Shapiro was responsible for managing the city's international relations, a task he described as challenging due to the area's limited international engagement.

In March 2016, Shapiro began his career in media, working at a magazine company. Shortly after, in August 2016, he moved to Twentieth Century Fox in Tokyo, where he worked in public relations selling movies and TV shows to a Japanese audience. Upon understanding that the company was going to be bought out, Shapiro realized he wanted to switch occupations. He notes that after visiting the Nakameguro area of Tokyo, he noticed that there is a niche in the real estate market helping foreigners find properties in Tokyo.[4] This led him to join a real estate company in 2018, where he would work for three years.

YouTube Channel

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In February 2021, Shapiro launched the YouTube channel Tokyo Portfolio to showcase Tokyo's most luxurious properties. His first video, filmed in Setagaya, Tokyo, quickly gained traction, marking the beginning of his venture into content creation.[5] Since its inception, Tokyo Portfolio has amassed over 8 million views and nearly 120,000 subscribers.[6] The channel frequently features collaborations with prominent Japan-based YouTubers such as Abroad in Japan, CDawgVA, and Sharmeleon, where Shapiro blends his casual and comedic presentation style with real estate insights.[7][8][9]

Tokyo Portfolio, also known as Alex Shapiro, has been featured in numerous news outlets, including The Japan Times, Tokyo Weekender, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[10][11][12] Shapiro has also appeared on the American television program HGTV, guiding a customer purchase a home in Tokyo.[13]

Since 2024, Tokyo Portfolio has been an affiliate channel of the Tokyo-based media company Sekai Studios.[14]

Blackship Realty

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In October 2021, while Shapiro was working on the Tokyo Portfolio YouTube channel, he co-founded Blackship Realty with his Japanese business partner Yasuharu Matsuno.[15] Based in Hiroo, Tokyo, the company specializes in high-end real estate for expatriates in Japan’s major cities, operating both its office and website under the Tokyo Portfolio brand.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "About Tokyo Portfolio". YouTube.
  2. ^ "Tokyo Portfolio's YouTube Stats and Insights - vidIQ YouTube Stats". vidiq.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  3. ^ Unpacking Japan (2024-03-01). Tokyo Portfolio explains why Japanese housing is so cheap @TokyoPortfolio. Retrieved 2024-09-02 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Unpacking Japan (2024-03-01). Tokyo Portfolio explains why Japanese housing is so cheap @TokyoPortfolio. Retrieved 2024-09-02 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ Tokyo Portfolio (2021-02-01). Inside a $1,200,000 Modern House in Tokyo | TOKYO PORTFOLIO HOME TOURS. Retrieved 2024-09-02 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "Tokyo Portfolio's YouTube Stats and Insights - vidIQ YouTube Stats". vidiq.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  7. ^ ConnorDawg (2022-07-14). Looking For a New Apartment in Tokyo. Retrieved 2024-09-02 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ Abroad in Japan (2020-10-24). What a $20,000/Month Japanese Apartment is Like | Tokyo Home Tour. Retrieved 2024-09-02 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Sharmeleon (2023-05-22). How Expensive is Renting an APARTMENT in TOKYO, JAPAN? 🇯🇵 💰. Retrieved 2024-09-02 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Michel, Patrick St (2022-07-04). "YouTube escapism offers a glimpse of Japan's luxurious life". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  11. ^ Shapiro, Alex (2022-08-16). "Is Now the Time to Buy Property in Tokyo?". Tokyo Weekender (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  12. ^ "The four unique ways Tokyo approaches housing can offer lessons for Australia". ABC News. 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  13. ^ "An Apprehensive Adventurer in Tokyo". www.hgtv.com. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  14. ^ "SEKAI STUDIOS | Tokyo's hub for talent, video production, and digital media". SEKAI STUDIOS |. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
  15. ^ "About Us - Blackship Realty". www.blackshiprealty.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  16. ^ Tokyo Portfolio (2024-04-21). I Opened a Real Estate Agency in Japan | TOKYO PORTFOLIO. Retrieved 2024-09-02 – via YouTube.