On This Episode of Japan Station On this episode of the Japan Station podcast we take a look at the fascinating intersection between Japanese culture, society, and video games. About Dr. Rachael Hutchinson Dr. Rachael Hutchinson is an associate professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Delaware. She has taught classes on Japanese language, film, anime, manga, and …

Choo choo. Thanks to its abundance of trains, Japan has no shortage of what have come to be known as densha otaku. These “train nerds” absolutely love trains and are always coming up with new and interesting ways to share this love with the rest of the world.  Take the case of a YouTube user going by the name of …

These guys have some mighty fine mouth skills. The five member acappella group Yokaroumon has released an impressive 18 song medley of some of the most popular anime songs in recent history. Check out the Yokaroumon guys doing their thing in the video below (check the list below to see a full track list of all the songs they cover). …

Who knew wookies were such talented musicians? Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, you almost certainly know Chewbacca. This famous and lovable creature is incredibly strong, loyal, and, of course, very hairy. Judging by a new video though, it would appear that he’s also an expert xylophone player. Released late last month to coincide with the June 29 …

Oh no… somebody turned Luna into a shamisen. The opening song to an anime can really set the tone of the show. Take Sailor Moon for example. From the first time you hear the show’s classic theme song, you instantly know you’re in for something fun, filled with adventure, and maybe even a bit magical. However, if you were to …

Don’t try this in the infamously narrow aisles of Don Quijote. Store employees in Japan receive extensive training when they begin working somewhere. Aside from covering basic things like how to operate a cash register, companies also teach their employees things like how to properly speak to customers. Don Quijote, one of Japan’s most well-known chains of discount stores, is …

It’s remix time, udon style. Udon is a wonderful and absolutely delicious type of Japanese noodles that is beloved by people around the world. However, udon also happens to be the name of an interesting Japanese composer/remixer who seems to have an affinity for store jingles, video game themes and the various sounds generated by many of today’s most popular …

It’s anison beatbox time. Daichi is an extremely popular Japanese YouTuber who is known for his amazing beatboxing skills. Since starting his channel about eight years ago, Daichi has managed to amass quite the library of impressive beatbox cover videos. Today, we’re going to take a look at three of these beatbox covers. Specifically we’ll be focusing on his anime …

This guy really loves Splatoon. Thanks to the theme song to the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch game Splatoon 2 having been revealed well in advance of the game’s July 21 release, this catchy rock song has already managed to become quite a hit with many Splatoon fans, including the popular Japanese YouTuber Daichi, who earlier this year used his beatboxing …