On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re talking with Alex from the Sakura Stardust YouTube channel. She tells us about Japanese lost media and digs into some specific examples like Saki Sanobashi and the mysterious Akihabara cassette tape. About Alex (Sakura Stardust) Alex runs the popular YouTube channel Sakura Stardust. In her videos Alex focuses primarily on Japanese …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re talking about archaeology in Japan and the case of Tsukumo No. 24, the world’s oldest known shark attack. Our guest for this episode is J. Alyssa White from the University of Oxford. About J. Alyssa White J. Alyssa White is a PhD candidate in Archaeology at the University of Oxford. Her …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re talking about depictions of Japan and Japanese people on popular American TV shows with Dr. Alisa Freedman. About Dr. Alisa Freedman Alisa Freedman is a Professor of Japanese Literature, Cultural Studies, and Gender at the University of Oregon and the Editor-in-Chief of the U.S.–Japan Women’s Journal. Her books include Tokyo in Transit: Japanese …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Dr. Robert Hellyer stops by to discuss the shared history of green tea in Japan and the U.S., as well as his new book Green with Milk and Sugar: When Japan Filled America’s Tea Cups. About Dr. Robert Hellyer Robert Hellyer is associate professor of history at Wake Forest University. He is …

It’s not easy having a pompadour but to Yuki it’s totally worth it. The pompadour, or rīzento as it is known in Japan, is a classic hairstyle that was adopted by juvenile delinquents (不良: furyō/ヤンキー: yankī) in Japan during the Showa era. Just watch an anime or Japanese TV drama set in the 1970s or ’80s and you’re bound to eventually …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Kyle from the Tokyo Splosion stops by to talk about JapanKyo’s new YouTube channel: JapanKyo Docs! Topics Discussed About the creation of the JapanKyo Docs YouTube channel About Kyle from the Tokyo Splosion podcast The JET salary About filming in Okutama Fun anecdotes that occurred during the filming of JapanKyo Docs videos …

The cutest way to help combat the spread of COVID19 Just like in other countries, the COVID19 pandemic has had a huge negative impact on businesses in Japan. Almost overnight many companies were left unable to operate due to restrictions and fears of spreading the virus. For one such company in Japan this resulted in the creation of an adorable …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Dr. Chelsea Szendi Schieder joins us to talk about female students in Japan’s New Left movement, kaiju movies and more. About Dr. Chelsea Szendi Schieder Dr. Chelsea Szendi Schieder is Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Aoyama Gakuin University. Her latest book is titled Coed Revolution: The Female Student in the Japanese New …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Colton Runyan of the University of Cambridge talks to us about his experiences training and competing in sumo, as well asl his research on Heian era physical competitions. About Colton Runyan Colton Runyan is a Phd candidate at the University of Cambridge and a sumo wrestler who has competed in Japanese college …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we talk about the probably extinct (but maybe not?) Japanese wolf with journalist Alex K.T. Martin. About Alex K.T. Martin Alex K.T. Martin is a feature writer for the Japan Times. He is also the author of a recent five-part feature about the Japanese wolf (nihon ōkami) titled In Search of Japan’s Lost …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, translator Allison Markin Powell discusses the story of Shiori Ito and the newly published English version of the book Black Box: The Memoir That Sparked Japan’s #MeToo Movement. About Allison Markin Powell Allison Markin Powell is a literary translator, editor, and publishing consultant. The most recently published book she translated is Black …

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 …