On this extra bonus episode of the Japan Station podcast, we explore the world of yōkai with author and Japan Station listener, Charles Kowalski. Originally from the U.S. Charles Kowalski is a teacher and author living in Japan. His latest book–Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts–delves into the world of the Japanese supernatural creatures known as …

In this episode of the Japan Station podcast I sit down for a thrilling chat with author Barry Lancet. Barry Lancet is the award-winning author of the Jim Brodie series of books. After a long career as an editor at the international arm of one of Japan’s most prestigious publishers—Kodansha—Lancet made his debut as an author in 2013 with …

Episode 11 of the Japan Station podcast is here and this time we’re exploring the city of Tokyo. Dr. Steven Heine is the director of the Asian Studies Program at Florida International University and author of the book Sacred High City, Sacred Low City: A Tale of Religious Sites in Two Tokyo Neighborhoods. In this episode we talk about: …

Episode nine of the Japan Station podcast is here and this time we’re talking about the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan’s Tohoku region on March 11, 2011. Richard Lloyd Parry is an award-winning foreign correspondent, the Asia Editor at The Times of London in Tokyo, and author of the book Ghosts of the Tsunami: …

Episode six of the Japan Station podcast is here and this time we’re talking about Zen. Gesshin Claire Greenwood is a Zen priest and the author of the book Bow First, Ask Questions Later: Ordination, Love, and Monastic Zen in Japan. Funny, intense, and thought-provoking, the book chronicles the more than five years Gesshin spent in Japan training in …

This time we’re taking a deep deep dive into the history of Japanese animation with Dr. Jonathan Clements. An expert on Asia and anime, Jonathan Clements is the author of many books, including Anime: A History, The Anime Encyclopedia (co-authored with Helen McCarthy), and Sacred Sailors: The Life and Work of Seo Mitsuyo. In this episode we discuss the origins …