The story of how it was that NFts, cryptocurrency, and Japanese juvenile delinquents inspired the creation of the multimedia project B & B Bad Sisters If you were following the news in the first part of 2021 you no doubt remember that NFTs were making headlines. Short for non-fungible token, NFTs are essentially digital certificates of ownership that are linked …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re learning about homelessness in Japan and the life of Japanese day laborers. About Dr. Tom Gill Dr. Tom Gill is a professor of social anthropology at the Faculty of International Studies at Meiji Gakuin University in Yokohama. He is the author of the 2015 book Yokohama Street Life: The Precarious Career of …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is a yankī or furyō? Topics Discussed What a furyō is The literal meaning of furyō All about juvenile delinquent culture in Japan The possible origin of the term furyō What a yankī is The possible origins of the Japanese term yankī and its links to Osaka’s Amemura area What a tsuppari is Classic …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: How do you count that in Japanese? Topics Discussed The counter system used in Japanese Japanese counter suffixes The sometimes confusing nature of Japanese counters The correct suffix for counting chopsticks in Japanese Various counters used with different kinds of chopsticks How to properly count squid in Japanese How the shape of …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Do you have any funny or embarrassing Japanese mistake stories? Topics Discussed How “sayonara” is not used in most situations when saying “goodbye” in Japanese A mix up at a convenience store Getting used to referring to people in the Japanese language What exactly a rōtari is Being asian Dealing with people that …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Tony  talks to Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith about Japanese erotic comics (eromanga) and related issues such as censorship and Japanese obscenity laws. About Patrick W. Galbraith Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith is a lecturer at Senshu University in Tokyo. He is one of the world’s leading experts on the topic of Akihabara and …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Tony has a chat with the owner of a voice that anyone who has ever ridden the Shinkansen (bullet train) will have heard numerous times: voice actor and singer Donna Burke. About Donna Burke Donna Burke is an Australian singer and voice actor based in Japan. Her voice can be heard in …

This is easily the wettest Kamehameha you’ll ever see. The Dragon Ball franchise has no shortage of iconic techniques that have managed to burn themselves into the hearts and minds of fans around the world. There’s the Genki-dama (Spirit Bomb), Vegeta’s Final Flash, Piccolo’s Makankōsappō (Special Beam Cannon), Captain Ginyu’s Body Change, the Solar Flare (Taiyōken), the Kaioken, and so …

 On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, manga creator and boxer Kofi Bazzell-Smith (a.k.a. Kofi Manga) stops by to discuss manga, the Japanese language, and the importance of perseverance. About Kofi Manga Kofi Bazzell-Smith is an American manga creator and boxer. He is active on YouTube and Instagram under the name Kofi Manga. Topics Discussed The anime/manga Hajime …

On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re talking about creepy apartments and Japanese ghosts with Japanese folklore expert, writer, and translator Zack Davisson. About Zack Davisson Zack Davisson is an award-winning translator, writer, and lecturer whose work focuses primarily on Japanese folklore. Davisson has written extensively about yōkai and Japanese ghosts (yūrei), …

Today’s Question On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Does “hai” mean “bye” in Japanese? Topics Discussed How most people that don’t speak Japanese would say “goodbye” in Japanese How sayonara/sayōnara is used fairly infrequently in Japanese Reasons why people in Japan tend not to use sayonara/sayōnara frequently The etymology of sayonara/sayōnara When the first written record of the …

On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we learn what it’s like going to school in Japan to become a seiyū (voice actor). About Reina (麗) Reina is a professional voice actor living in Tokyo. While originally from the U.K., Reina went to Japan with the intent of becoming a seiyū (voice actor). …