Today’s Question This episode of Japan Station is a rebroadcast of episode two of Ichimon Japan. On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Do Japanese people have longer intestines than Westerners? Topics Discussed Whether Japanese people have longer intestines than Westerners The idea that longer intestines are a result of the Japanese people having a diet centering around rice, grains, and vegetables …

 This episode of Japan Station is a re-broadcast of episode 52 of Ichimon Japan.   On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What are gyaru? Topics Discussed What the term gyaru/gal means/refers to About the word gyaru How the word gyaru was used in Dragonball by Master Roshi What a kogyaru/kogal is About the singer Namie Amuro and her role in …

Originally released on 3/21/2024 as pisode 80 of Ichimon Japan. On this episode of Ichimon Japan we talk about what the best kind of English teaching in Japan is: Eikaiwa, JET Programme (ALT) or university teacher. Topics Discussed What it is like working in an eikaiwa school in Japan What the salary is for an eikaiwa teacher The good and bad …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we talk about Suzume no Tojimari, the latest film by the popular Japanese anime filmmaker Makoto Shinai. Topics Discussed How Suzume no Tojimari did int he box office in Japan How it ranks up to the revenue of other films What Suzume no Tojimari is about An overview of the story of Suzume no Tojimari  The hidden meaning found …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we cover what the top Japanese mascots (yurukyara) of 2023 plus a few other ones! Topics Discussed What the Yuruverse Grand Prix is (ゆるバースグランプリ２０２３年・Yurubāsu Grand Prix 2023) Who won the Yuruverse Grand Prix 20203 competition About the transition from the Yurukyara Grand Prix to the Yuruverse Grand Prix What the top 5 Japanese mascots …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Should you go to grad school for Japanese? Topics Discussed About why we went to grad school Whether you should attend a Japanese focused graduate school program About Japanese linguistics programs The good and bad of doing a master’s degree focused on Japanese linguistics About different fields within linguistics (sociolinguistics, syntax, phonology, …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is that snot bubble anime characters get when they sleep called? (Nose Expressions in Japanese) Topics Discussed About the snot bubbles seen in anime and video game characters from Japan when they are sleeping (鼻提灯, hanachō`chin) About nose related phrases & idioms in Japanese hana ga takai hana ga hikui Hana …

 On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Why is Japanese TV so bad? Topics Discussed Why Japanese TV is so “terrible” About Japanese variety TV shows How most TV around the world aren’t remarkable How Japanese TV shows can be useful for watching TV How Japanese TV game shows are not crazy How the idea of Japanese game …

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: Is Weathering With You bad? (About Tenki No Ko) Topics Discussed The commercial success of Weathering With You/Tenki no Ko The cultural impact of Weathering With You/Tenki no Ko About the plot of Weathering With You/Tenki no Ko Overall impression of Weathering With You/Tenki no Ko The animation of Weathering With You/Tenki no Ko Product …

 On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Is Japanese women’s language an illusion? Topics Discussed About Japanese women’s language About gendered language in Japanese How context affects people’s speech in Japan Directness vs indirectness About politeness and “women’s speech” in Japanese About steretypical speech styles in Japanese About direct and indirect indexicality About Japanese first person pronouns Constructing …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What’s the difference: Eikaiwa vs JET? (The Good & Bad of Teaching English in Japan) Topics Discussed About teaching English in Japan About working in eikaiwa (English conversation school) in Japan About working on the JET Programme About working as an ALT About the application process for getting an eikaiwa job About the …