Deep Dive from The Japan Times

This week on Deep Dive we get contributing writer and photographer Lance Henderstein to read us his article on traveling Okinawa during the rainy season.   Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Lance Henderstein: Articles | Instagram | Threads Read more:   My annual pilgrimage to Okinawa (Lance Henderstein, The Japan...

A drugs scandal at Japan’s biggest university draws attention to a troubling statistic: Cannabis use among young people is on the rise. Yukana Inoue and Tomoko Otake join us to discuss Japanese attitudes toward marijuana. (This episode includes a segment that was originally broadcast May 17.)  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitte...

The Johnny & Associates sexual abuse scandal is like the Harvey Weinstein and Michael Jackson scandals rolled into one. Karin Kaneko catches us up on how things are unfolding, while Alyssa I. Smith and Patrick St. Michel discuss the effect it may have on the Japanese music industry.    Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Shaun McKenna: Articles | X (Twitter...

Good news and bad news out of Fukushima. First, the bad news: Anika Osaki Exum and Gabriele Ninivaggi join us to discuss the reaction to the treated wastewater release plan (China’s not happy). Then, Francesco Bassetti gets us caught up on the good news: There has been a boom in renewable energies there.    Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Shaun McKenna: Art...

The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 was literally a picture of hell. Fires killed hundreds of thousands of people and sparked a witch hunt of Korean residents who were wrongfully blamed for the infernos. Alex K.T. Martin joins us to discuss the quake and how the scars left by the disaster shaped the course of Japan's future.    Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:...

As the last trains leave the central hubs of Shinjuku and Shibuya for the suburbs, much of the city heads home. However, Tokyo never sleeps. Economics reporter Elizabeth Beattie comes on the show to discuss a story she wrote about the businesses that keep night-time Tokyo buzzing.     Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter | Insta...

Japan’s new My Number identification cards were supposed to be a step forward for digitalization. Instead, numerous errors now risk exposing just how backwards we still are. Politics reporter Gabriele Ninivaggi joins us to discuss whether the whole debacle will have an impact on the ruling party. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode: Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitt...

Cinema buffs in Japan have been treated to a final gift from Hayao Miyazaki — a new film! Japan Times critics Thu-Huong Ha and Matt Schley discuss what they thought of “The Boy and the Heron.” Hosted by Thu-Huong Ha and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:  Thu-Huong Ha: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Matt Schley: Articles | Twitter | Instagram   Read/Listen more:   For his last movie, Hayao...

Japan’s borders have opened to overseas tourists. That may be bad news for Mount Fuji, which is completely booked this summer, but it’s good news for Fuji Rock as the music festival pulls in some major international names. Drew Damron and Patrick St. Michel join us this week to discuss Japan’s two favorite Fujis.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:  Shaun McKenn...

As the population gets older do we risk losing the summer festivals that make Japan unique? Alex K.T. Martin joins Deep Dive to discuss this and other demographic-related woes the country faces.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | Twitter | Instagram   Read more:   Inside Japan’s oldest...

There’s enough contaminated water at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, but they’re running out of space. This week, environment journalist Mara Budgen joins us to discuss Japan’s plan to get rid of the wastewater — a plan that has made some of our neighbors very unhappy. This story was produced with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network ....

Want to know what it’s like to spend the night in a coffin? Culture critic Thu-Huong Ha joins us to discuss her night in avant garde artist Marina Abramovic’s Dream House in central Japan and the conversation meanders into dreams and the Gwangju Biennale before winding up on AI-generated media.   Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twi...

Deep Dive is off this week, but we will be back at the start of July with fresh episodes. While we're away, we're bringing you a rebroadcast of our episode with Alex K.T. Martin where he looks at what form compulsive hoarding disorder takes in Japan and how it manifests. You'll learn how keeping spick and span in a country known for its cleanliness can be easier said than done.   Hosted by Shaun M...

Japan has a notoriously bad reputation when it comes to accepting refugees, and some politicians and NGOs believe things just got worse. Politics reporter Gabriele Ninivaggi joins the show to discuss what’s new in a controversial immigration reform law.   Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Gabriele Ninivaggi: Artic...

When you think of natural disasters do you think of earthquakes, volcanoes and typhoons? How about guerrilla rainstorms, landslides and heatwaves? As we approach the fifth anniversary of a major disaster that hit Hiroshima, Okayama and Ehime prefectures, Joel Tansey joins us to discuss what we’ve learned and what we’re in for when it comes to supercharged rainy seasons in Japan.   Hosted by Shaun...

A series of court cases pertaining to same-sex marriage might be helping to shape the debate over whether or not Japan will act on legalization. Anika Osaki Exum speaks to two transgender individuals — one Japanese, the other American — on their experiences in Japan and what allowing same-sex marriage might mean for them.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Sh...

Another year, another G7 summit done and dusted. How did Prime Minister Fumio Kishida do? Well, he’s thinking of an early election if that’s any indication. Japan Times news chief Kanako Takahara joins us to discuss Kishida’s political position following the event, while Gabriel Dominguez fills us in on what actually went down in Hiroshima.   Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . O...

The Japanese government has set out guidelines in an effort to encourage more private sector research and funding in the field of fusion, and it has omitted a key word, “nuclear,” for fear of frightening a nuclear-wary population. Chris Russell joins us to discuss a trip to one of the country’s fusion research facilities.   Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   S...

Last year saw crime rates in Japan swing upward for the first time in 20 years. Writer Alex K.T. Martin joins us to discuss the new types of crime that are popping up, while news editor Tadasu Takahashi gives us a rundown on the language being used to describe it. Also, reporter Elizabeth Beattie catches up on what happened at the G7 finance meeting in Niigata last weekend.   Hosted by Shaun McKen...

We went on a break and there was an assassination attempt, COVID-19 got a downgrade, and a pair of festivals shook up Kyoto. Several Japan Times writers join this week’s episode to help us play catch up with the headlines. Hosted by Shaun McKenna , with research from Jason Jenkins and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Shaun McKenna: Twitter | Instagram Gabriele Ninivaggi: Articles | Twi...

The team at Deep Dive is taking a needed break. In the meantime, we thought that we’d revisit this podcast from last year in which we speak with writer Craig Mod about the art of a good stroll. “Walking is everything.” he says. And if you’ve got the time and the inclination to do it, it is the best way to come to know the country, from beautifully preserved shrines and forests to the messier parts...

The team at Deep Dive is taking a needed break. In the meantime, check out this podcast from December in which we speak with environment journalist Mara Budgen about the trouble facing the Japanese giant salamander. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode: Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Mara Budgen: Articles | Twitter Read more: The race to save the Jap...

The team at Deep Dive is taking a much-needed break. In the meantime, check out this podcast from November that explores how some Japanese companies are trying to make alcohol from old trees. Hosted by Jason Jenkins and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode: Jason Jenkins: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | Twitter Read more: Wood spirits: How Japan made the world’s fi...

Rene Redzepi’s groundbreaking restaurant Noma is known as one of the world’s best, so it came as a huge shock last year when he announced he would be shutting it down in 2024 — at least in its current form. The Danish chef and a team of over 100 have currently descended on Kyoto to create a culinary experience that has become one of the hottest tickets on the planet. Japan Times food critic Robbie...

The number of foreign residents in Japan recently surpassed the 3 million-mark. What does that mean for the Japanese corporations hiring them? Might they get an influx of new ideas and skilled employees? Consultant Rochelle Kopp joins us to discuss the sought-after “agent of change” and Anika Osaki Exum updates us on government plans to boost the number of foreign exchange students.  Hosted by Sha...