On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, standup comedian Kilara Sen stops by to talk about comedy and the various projects About Kilara Sen Kilara Sen (a.k.a. Pink Unicorn) is a bilingual Japanese standup comedian, MC, and content creator. Apart from performing standup comedy in Japan, she has also performed in the United States and Europe, including at …

On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re joined by Stephen Tetsu to discuss the Japanese comedy & entertainment industry, as well as his life as a comedian in the largest talent agency in Japan: Yoshimoto Kōgyō. About Stephen Tetsu Stephen Tetsu is an owarai geinin (comedian) who is part of Yoshimoto Kōgyō, the largest …

On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, stand-up comedian Shuhei “Shoe” Murakami stops by to talk about how he went from almost dropping out of high school to performing stand-up comedy in English in Canada and the U.S. About Shuhei “Shoe” Murakami Shuhei “Shoe” Murakami is a stand-up comedian and actor from Tokyo. …

On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re joined by master rakugo performer Shinoharu Tatekawa. About Shinoharu Tatekawa Shinoharu Tatekawa is a professional rakugo (traditional Japanese comedic storytelling) performer. He apprenticed under the well-known and highly respected rakugo master Shinosuke Tatekawa. In addition to performing rakugo in Japanese, Shinoharu also has extensive experience …

 On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, comedian, TV personality, and co-host of the Japan By River Cruise podcast Bobby Judo stops by to chat about the Japanese river cruise industry, iguanas, working Japan’s entertainment industry, and more. About Bobby Judo Bobby Judo is a stand-up comedian and TV personality based in …

In this episode of the Japan Station podcast Tony has a fun chat with comedian Ollie Horn. Ollie Horn is a stand-up comedian from the United Kingdom who lived many years in Fukuoka, Japan. While there he attended graduate school and worked in the Japanese entertainment industry. In 2014 Ollie Horn came up with the idea that would evolve into …

Doing this in public will get you arrested. Like many Japanese comedians who get their big break Akira 100% suddenly popped onto Japanese mainstream media before mostly disappearing into obscurity. However, Akira’s true fans know that he never really disappeared. He’s been around on social media and YouTube coming up with new and increasingly ridiculous naked stunts to pull. In …

Hey, Akira, your ping pong balls are showing. The Japanese comedian Akira 100% has made a career for himself using little more than a metal tray – and that is no exaggeration. He doesn’t even wear clothes when he’s performing. All he does is use that metal tray (and occasionally other items) to keep his nether-regions covered as he engages …

 Episode five of the Japan Station podcast is here and this time I’m joined by comedian Showko Showfukutei. Originally from Kobe, Japan, Showko is a rakugo (Japanese traditional comic storytelling) performer, ventriloquist, and stand up comedian living in Melbourne, Australia. She is the only fully trained rakugo performer living outside of Japan and her unique brand of comedy has …

 Japan Station is back with episode 2 and this time I’m joined by owarai comedian Ann Lethin. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Ann moved to Japan to pursue a career in comedy after college. Ann discusses why she decided to do that, what comedy schools (yōseijo) are like, the challenges of being a comedian in Japan, a major reason why Japanese comedy …

Yes, it’s true. Japankyo.com will be launching its first ever podcast. This is something that has been in the works for many months but it’s finally almost here. Before episode 1 drops on November 1, though, check out Episode 0 to get a better idea of what Japan Station is all about. What is Japan Station? Every episode someone stops …

Atsuko, you’re the best! Around! Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down. There’s a lot of stereotypes about Japanese people but perhaps one of the more infamous ones is that they all know martial arts. Plenty of Japanese people have little to no training in martial arts and would be pretty lost in a dojo. As proof of this, one need …