On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about my upcoming walk across the island of Kyushu. This fall I will be walking roughly 500 km from Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture all the way down to Kagoshima as part of what I’m calling the Kyushu Challenge, part three of my ongoing Blind Japan Project. Listen to find out more and …

 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 …

On this episode of Japan Station, we’re talking about one of Japan’s most iconic foods: mochi. Learn all about the history, lore and consumption practices of this important Japanese food! 👉Topics Discussed About the history and origins of mochi What mochi is About how people eat mochi in Japan About yukimi daifuku/ice cream mochi About kagami mochi Where the word …

Why is Kuririn’s name Krillin in English? That’s a mistranslation, right? Maybe… or maybe not. On this edition of Dragon Ball Dictionary, I explain why Kuririn’s name was localized as Krillin in the English versions of Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z. I also do an in-depth analysis of the origin of Krillin’s name. Did Krillin’s name really come from the Japanese …

On this episode of Japan Station, supernatural stories, Japanese folklore, Japanese urban legends and more with Kevin O’Shea, host of the Supernatural Japan podcast. 👉Topics Discussed About the Supernatural Japan podcast About Ikuta Shrine’s ghost story About the forest behind Ikuta Shrine in Kobe About exploring spooky places in Japan About the Hakkoda Mountain incident About auspicious animals like swallows …

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 Japan Station, I dig into the history of a fascinating example of Japanese slang: gyarandu (ギャランドゥ). This is a Japanese word that means refers to the patch of hair some people have between their belly button and public area. Often called “happy trail” or “belly/stomach hair,” in English, gyarandu has a really interesting history that goes …

 On this episode of Japan Station, I talk to photographer and journalist Michael Magers. Michael has spent over a decade documenting shokunin (artisans/crafworkers) across Japan. During that time has has had many extremely unique expriences such as ama divers, participating in Osaka’s infamous Danjiri Festival, and getting tattooed by a traditional Japanese tattoo artist. He talks about those experiences …

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk to Kyle Broyles of Pintology Craft Beer & Whisky in Tokyo. In this interview we talk about what it’s like running a bar in Tokyo, starting a business in Tokyo, Japanese craft beer and more. 👉Topics Discussed About Pintology Craft Beer & Whisky About running a craft beer bar in Tokyo Japanese …

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about the many film adaptation of the works of Haruki Murakami, Japan’s most well-known and commercially successful novelist. 👉Topics Discussed Why is Haruki Murakami so popular around the world? About the many film adaptations of the books and short stories of Haruki Murakami About the relatability of Murakami’s characters About Hard Boiled Wonderland …

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about oden, one of Japan’s most popular winter foods. 👉Topics Discussed What is oden? Where to buy oden in Japan? What are the common igredients of oden? The history of oden Where the name oden came from About dengaku About regional varieties of oden Whether oden tastes good Should you try oden? …

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about what it was like staying at a new Kyoto hotel before it opened. 👉Topics Discussed About Fushigina Yado Where Fushigina Yado is located About the theme and concept of Fushigina Yado About what it was like staying in Fushigina Yado Why I got to stay at Fushigina Yado before it opened …