Conbini Cult

In 1998, one man was stripped of his clothing and dignity and sent to live in isolation in a one-room apartment for over a year, surviving off of only the prizes he could win in magazine sweepstakes. This is our deep dive into Nasubi’s story, how he made it through the competition, and how he find his purpose after.  Disclaimer/TW: talks of self-exit, weight loss and hunger, due to extreme trauma...

Japan goes HARD with its prank shows. Some pranks are lighthearted and funny, but is it possible that some have gone too far? Let’s explore some of Japan’s most elaborate TV pranks.  Words mentioned ドッキリ dokkiri - prank, practical joke 外国人 gaikokujin - foreigner  臭い kusai - stinky  突っ込み tsukkomi - jab/dig/make a comment (in this context) 複雑 fukuzatsu - complicated 番組 bangumi - (tv...

How does Japan celebrate Christmas? Why is KFC a Christmas thing? What are everyone's plans this year? Got questions or want to share your story? Send us an email at conbinicultpod@gmail.com

Ummm, buckle up. We've got stories from all kinds of teachers (native and foreign) who've done some messed up stuff that's gotten them arrested. Disclaimer : you can love Japan and not defend creeps. TW : SA, CSA, self exiting Got questions or want to share your story? Send us an email at conbinicultpod@gmail.com Frankie - @franklinthewoman Cheyenne - @lostwithlow Words mentioned: 厄年 yakudoshi -...

Oh boy, here we go again! Recent controversies with tourists, over tourism measures, over saturation of Japan content on social media, do we need a tourist tax? Looks like we’ve got a lot to cover! Got questions or want to share your story? Send us an email at conbinicultpod@gmail.com Frankie - @franklinthewoman Cheyenne - @lostwithlow Words mentioned あり得ない arienai - impossible, unbelievable ...

All the things that shocked us back home after being in Japan for 7 years, plus a fresh perspective from a Japanese native! Let us know your own culture and reverse culture shocks below! Got questions or want to share your story? Send us an email at conbinicultpod@gmail.com Frankie - @franklinthewoman Cheyenne - @lostwithlow Vocab used in today’s episode: Culture shock - カルチャーショック Cultura...

Let’s dive into the folklore that inspired these two iconic Japanese horror films.  Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? ⁠conbinicultpod@gmail.com⁠ Conbini Cult Episode 24 Frankie:  @franklinthewoman    Cheyenne: lostwithlow (tiktok) Useful videos about Ju-on (The Grudge) Kowabana - Tara A. Devlin ​​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mii6qi-ZxEw&t=6s&ab_channel=Ta...

What lurks in the woods or under the street lamps might haunt you.. Join us in learning more about superstitions in Japan and the most horrifying urban legends. Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? ⁠conbinicultpod@gmail.com⁠ Words of the day: 迷信 meishin - superstition  怨霊 onryō - vengeful spirit

Turn off the lights and hide in your room as we share some of the creepiest ghostly encounters and paranormal experiences in Japan.  Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? ⁠conbinicultpod@gmail.com⁠ Words of the day お化け obake - ghost 心霊スポット shinrei spotto - haunted place 幽霊 ghost/spirit (that is unable to pass on)

It’s October so we are kicking off spooky season with some creepypasta urban legends from Japan. Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com Word of the day  都市伝説 toshi densetsu - urban legend 怖い kowai - scary Nightmare Tales: https://www.youtube.com/@NightmareTales Some references: https://creepypasta.fandom.com/wiki/Kisaragi_Station https://www...

Worst dates? Wild exes? Wholesome relationships? Let's share some stories about dating in Japan. Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com kandou 感動 かんどう - being deeply moved emotionally Gaijin hunter - person specifically looking for relationships or friendships with foreigners (in a festishy way)

What do you think about street interviews in Japan? Sick of the same questions? Are the answers honest? Let's dive a little deeper! Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com Words of the day - 建前 Tatemae - face for the public/masking 本音 Honne - true opinionExhibition Frankie went to: The[B]Store by Hiroyasu Shimo https://www.instagram.com/hir...

Sometimes we wonder where people are getting this info. Sometimes it's not what you think. Sometimes dolphins beat people up. Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com aggressive dolphin (Dolphin attacks) ⁠https://www.asahi.com/sp/ajw/articles/14958295⁠) NHK World on the rice shortage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPBacu_BLZI More on the rice...

Where do we begin? Spicy chips that put 14 Tokyo teens in the hospital, Japanese man sentenced to caning in Singapore, infrared photography, creepy tour guides + other news. Buckle up! Word of the day: 盗撮 tousatsu - sneaky photography  Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com TW from 17:02 - SA and related crimes Articles referenced: Chips that se...

Not all foreign residents are English teachers?! Let's chat about what jobs people have outside of teaching, what jobs are in demand, pyramid schemes, and more. Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com

The ultimate collective of language learning tips and advice from us and the listeners 💗💗💗 Apps & sites mentioned: Renshuu Anki Duolingo Bunpo Italki HelloTalk Wani Kani: https://www.wanikani.com/ iknow: https://iknow.jp/ Todai easy Japanese news: https://easyjapanese.net/?hl=en-US PODCASTS Shinobu & Narumi’s dokusetsu American life https://open.spotify.com/show/6h1xxQdrmlzLXWUzsYoima?s...

English teaching mayhem! Sharing a variety of experiences from all types of English teaching jobs. Buckle up! Got questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com Words of the day: shigoto 仕事 work shokuba 職場 workplace seishain 正社員 full time employee

Random things that you would only see in Japan Got other questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com Words of the day - komorebi 木漏れ日 - sunlight filtering through the leaves tsuyu 梅雨 - rainy season Photos/signs we referred to: https://docs.google.com/document/d/166VPP1yyvwqoUveRmzjZ2N7hXkS2rEu--uTQZiTDOCg/edit?usp=sharing

These are some of the most frequently asked questions about moving to Japan. We cover visas, jobs, housing, making friends, living expenses, and all the ADMIN Got other questions? Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com Word of the day: hikkoshi 引っ越し, hikkosu 引っ越す, hikkoshi suru 引っ越しする Things we forgot to mention: Moving expenses - totally forgot st...

Are the tourists really that bad? Overtourism, Japan's 'cleanliness myth' and more! Want to share your story or get in touch with us? conbinicultpod@gmail.com Word of the day - hidden gem 穴場 [あなば] Vandalism at Yasukuni shrine  https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/06/03/japan/society/yasukuni-shrine-vandalism/ “AITA for not speaking Japanese after living here for 6 years” https:/...

More current events for ya! Wanna share your story or get in touch with us? Reach out at conbinicultpod@gmail.com Mother’s Day Survey- https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240509/p2a/00m/0na/012000c?dicbo=v2-5kjJWen School Liberalizes Dress Code in Saitama JHS https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240508/p2a/00m/0na/011000c?dicbo=v2-o2w9A29 Man Fatally Stabbed by Wife after asking her if Dinner...

We're going through some of the most common advice for travelers to Japan. Don't do these things?! Is it really that serious? We'll see.. Words of the day - all meaning no, not allowed kinshi, kotowari, dame, akan Wanna share your story or get in touch with us? Reach out at conbinicultpod@gmail.com https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0003666/ https://www.odynovotours.com/japan/things-not...

Shoulder-checking ojisan, rejection from driving school bc of tattoos, maternity leave backlash, aggressive dentists and more stories! Wanna share your story or get in touch with us? Reach out at conbinicultpod@gmail.com Words of the day Gomi - trash, gomi tantou - person in charge of cleaning up the trash net/area, moeru gomi - burnables, sodai gomi - oversized trash Butsukari Otoko Wikipedia Pag...

It's not all bad of course, but there are some things you should look out for! Today we've got a mix of funny, informative, interesting and horrid work stories! Enjoy :) Words of the day - baito/arubaito - part-time job zangyo - overtime seishain - full-time employee (with benefits) buraku kigyo - black (exploitative) company seku hara (seggsual h*rrassment) watch Cheyenne cry from the hot...

Dating in another country sure can be interesting! Word of the day: shitsuren - unrequited or lost love, hearbreak Wanna share your story or get in touch with us? Reach out at conbinicultpod@gmail.com Frankie's ICL video: https://youtu.be/XjNv9vkz4J0