https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYjabfdGY2w&t=30s On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about the origin of the Japanese word for “fart” (onara, おなら). 👉Topics Discussed How do you say fart in Japanese? The origins of onara/far in Japanese What is nyōbōkotoba (女房言葉） About the characteristics of nyōbōkotoba (女房言葉） About oden About onigiri About the origins of the Japanese word shamoji (しゃもじ)/rice paddle About the …

On this episode of Japan Station, we’re talking to the owners of Geisha House Atami and learning about what it’s like to buy an old house in Japan, restore it and more! Topics Discussed About Geisha House Atami About Atami About the history of Atami About what it’s like buying an old house in Japan Whether you should buy a cheap …

 On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What was it like walking the Tokaido Road? Topics Discussed About the Tokaido Challenge About what it was like walking the Tokaido Road About the challenges of walking the Tokaido Road About what it was like walking from Kyoto to Tokyo About getting stopped by police in Kyoto About walking along …

 On this episode of Ichimon Japan we talk about the history of pillows in Japan and an absurd belief regarding the sleeping Topics Discussed About the history of pillows in Japan About early pillows in Japanese history About the evolution of pillows in Japan About pillows during the Edo Period About hakomakura (box pillows) About the oldest pillow in Japan X …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, independent researcher and translator Eric Shahan joins us to talk about his work translating forgotten Japanese books on topics like martial arts, tattoos, ropes, ninja and more. About Eric Shahan Eric Shahan is an independent translator of Japanese books on a variety of topics mainly Jujutsu, sword techniques, police manuals, Karate, Ninja …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is the lesson of Urashima Taro? Topics Discussed The story of Urashima Taro Discussing different versions of Urashima Taro About the mysterious box (tamatebako) seen in Urashima Taro How you shouldn’t trust strange talking turtles The history of the story of Urashima Taro About the origins of Urashima Taro About the …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is Christmas like in Japan? (About Japanese Christmas) Topics Discussed All about Christmas in Japan Japanese Christmas customs in Japan All about fried chicken and Christmas in Japan Why KFC is the thing to eat during Christmas in Japan How Christmas is seen as a romantic holiday in Japan Christmas light …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What’s the difference: East vs West Japan? Topics Discussed Some of the differences observed in East and West Japan (higashi and nishi nihon) Differences in culture and food seen in Kansai and Kanto Where the border between East and West Japan is The difference in how people from East vs West Japan …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Dr. Jonathan Wroot tells us about the movies of Ktano Takeshi, the fascinating history of the Zatoichi films, and more.. About Dr. Jonathan Wroot Dr. Jonathan Wroot is a senior lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Greenwich and the author of the book The Paths of Zatoichi: The Global Influence of the …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is a famiresu? Topics Discussed What famiresu are The characteristics of famiresu (family restaurants) About the history of famiresu in Japan The first famiresu in Japan (Skylark) Some of the most popular famiresu in Japan About Big Boy and how it’s an offshoot of Bob’s Big Boy About Jonathan’s About Bikkuri …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re joined by baseball historian and expert on all things Japanese baseball Robert Fits. About Robert Fitts Robert Fitts is a baseball historian and expert ont he history of Japanese baseball. He has written numerous books on Japanese baseball including Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, and Assissination During the 1934 Tour of Japan. …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: How do you say “trombone” in Japanese? The main topics for this episode include the many uses of katakana in Japanese and how nationalists in Japan appear to have wanted people to use less katakana words during World War II. Topics Discussed About how the Japanese writing system works The many different …