Deep Dive from The Japan Times

He launched a career on YouTube running his mouth on celebs, but in less than a year Yoshikazu “GaaSyy” Higashitani has gone from that to running successfully for office to running from the law. Politics reporter Gabriele Ninivaggi joins the show this week to discuss what this parliamentary upstart’s rise and fall says about how politics is done in Japan. And, who exactly are the Party Politician...

It’s been three years since people in Japan could welcome spring with traditional picnics under the country’s millions of cherry trees. This week Kathleen Benoza explains how much money is at stake during the season, while Thu-Huong Ha and Alyssa I. Smith discuss the science, symbolism and culture surrounding the cherry blossoms in Japan. On this episode:  Kathleen Benoza: Articles | Twitter   Aly...

Last month, it was announced that Haruki Murakami would release a new full-length novel. True fans, also known as “Harukists” may note that the title for the upcoming work is the same as one of the author’s past “failures.” Harukist Daniel Morales joins the show to decipher clues as to what is going on. Later, Patrick St. Michel and Shaun McKenna discuss their thoughts on a BBC documentary on cont...

This week marks the 12th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear meltdowns that took place in its wake. Alex K.T. Martin joins us to discuss where Fukushima is in terms of its recovery and drive to repopulate. Of course, before they bring people back, they’ll need to deal with the wild animals that have moved in.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this...

You may know Yayoi Kusama for her polka-dotted pumpkins or Insta-ready exhibitions, but this artist from Matsumoto has a long history of radical forms of expression. This week, culture critic Thu-Huong Ha joins the podcast to explore Kusama’s past and the latest stage in her evolution.  Hosted by Jason Jenkins and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:   Thu-Huong Ha: Articles | Twitter | Inst...

On the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gabriel Dominguez joins the podcast to talk about the effects this war in Europe has had on Japan. We then speak to Japanese photojournalist Saphryn Shikaze , who is on the front lines of the conflict. Then, we ask Ukrainian student Natalia Makohon about her experience as an evacuee here in Tokyo.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cor...

After a large earthquake struck Turkey and Syria last week, those of us living in Japan can’t help but worry about something similar happening here. This week, we speak to Prof. Hitoshi Abe , an architect who has some ideas on how to start designing our cities to better deal with such inevitable disasters. Hosted by: Shaun McKenna and Jason Jenkins , and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode:...

The reviews are in, lab-grown meat is … good? This week, Oscar Boyd gives us a review of his cultured chicken meal and runs down the environmental implications of such an endeavor, while Tomoko Otake gets us caught up on where Japan stands in the great race to replicate beef.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez .  On this episode:   Tomoko Otake: Articles | Twitter Oscar Boyd: Art...

As 2022 wrapped up, the Japanese government let forth a flurry of defense policy announcements. Those were followed by a five-nation tour by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and talk of a tax hike to pay for it all. Gabriel Dominguez joins the podcast this week to try to help us make sense of it all. Hosted by Jason Jenkins and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode: Gabriel Dominguez:  Articles |...

From noodle stands to Michelin-starred restaurants, Japan has some of the most amazing food in the world. Food writer Robbie Swinnerton has been covering Tokyo’s culinary scene for decades, so for this week’s episode we asked him to pick out a few standout meals from last year.  Hosted by Jason Jenkins and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode: Robbie Swinnerton: Articles | Twitter | Instagram...

With Marie Kondo and those tidy soccer fans representing Japan overseas, you’d be forgiven for thinking that everything is spick and span at home. This week, Alex K.T. Martin looks at what form compulsive hoarding disorder takes in Japan and how it manifests when combined with other aspects of life here.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez .  On this episode:   Alex K.T. Martin: A...

For the final Deep Dive of the year, culture editor Alyssa I. Smith talks to culture critic Thu-Huong Ha about the books they read, the festivals they went to and how Japanese stories are currently capturing Hollywood’s attention.  Hosted by Alyssa I. Smith and produced by Dave Cortez .  On this episode:   Thu-Huong Ha: Articles | Twitter Read more/Watch more:   Art came alive in the great outdoor...

With the United Nations Biodiversity Conference taking place in Montreal this week, we thought it would be a good opportunity to look at how Japan is handling issues involving biodiversity here. Environmental journalist Mara Budgen comes on the show to talk about the Japanese giant salamander, which has been designated a "special natural monument" under Japanese law but is still vulnerable to exti...

Dec. 11 marked the 25th anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol, a landmark treaty that put the idea of global effort to save the planet on many national radars. To mark the event, The Japan Times has launched a new section, Our Planet, that will look at the climate crisis, Earth science and disaster management from a Japanese perspective. Two of the section’s editors, Joel Tansey and Chris Russell , jo...

When former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot earlier this year, the incident shone a spotlight on the links his fellow Liberal Democratic Party members had with the controversial Unification Church. Kanako Takahara joins this week’s Deep Dive to discuss what’s behind a new bill regulating faith-driven donations, investigations into the church and whether these actions will be enough to save Prim...

Could drinking help the environment and rural communities? You might be surprised. Researchers in Japan have figured out how to make drinkable alcohol from wood, and the knock-on effects are much bigger than a hangover. This week, Alex K.T. Martin joins us to talk about the science — and sustainable process — behind the process that may bring cedar, oak and sakura to your next cocktail session.  H...

As news about Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter continues to emerge, we’ll talk to Elizabeth Beattie about how the social media platform’s Japan team has been affected. Are you thinking of jumping the Twitter ship? Well, tech reporter Daisuke Kikuchi later joins us to discuss what social media services are doing well in Japan before recapping some of the year’s big tech and tech-related stories.  Ho...

The Samurai Blue are headed for Qatar to play in this year’s World Cup. This year also marks 20 years since Japan co-hosted the event with South Korea and a lot has happened in this country’s soccer scene since then.  Sports writer Dan Orlowitz joins the show to catch us up on where Japan stands in the global soccer landscape, the controversies swirling around the host nation of Qatar, and how fan...

Despite a recent spate of North Korean missile tests, Japan’s larger concerns have mainly focused on activities taking place to the south of the country — specifically, those involving China and Taiwan. This week on Deep Dive from The Japan Times we speak with senior staff writer Jesse Johnson about Japan’s new alliance with Australia, the recent increase in defense spending and, of course, North...

If you’ve ever had to endure a Tokyo commute at rush hour, you may not get the sense that the Japanese are very happy. However, Japan Times senior staff writer Alex K.T. Martin has been keeping track of the mood of the nation, and he thinks the country could be a lot happier than we are usually led to believe.  On this week’s Deep Dive he talks about his visit in the summer to Japan’s “happiest to...

Despite having played a major role entertaining Chinese citizens following the Cultural Revolution, Japanese musicians are finding it increasingly difficult to grab a toehold in the region thanks to government censors and somewhat militant netizens.  This week, Japan Times contributing writer Patrick St. Michel joins the podcast to discuss notable moments in the two countries’ cultural exchanges,...

Not since 1853, when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its borders to trade, has a reopening been so newsworthy. This time, instead of Black Ships, the country faced a trickle of tourists looking to hit up Kyoto and indulge in their pop culture obsessions.  Ahead of the reopening on Oct. 11, the Japanese people asked themselves what to do if the new arrivals didn’t wear masks, woul...

Sports writers often dabble in hyperbole when describing athletes at the top of their game, but when it comes to Shohei Ohtani, the player they call “Shotime,” phrases like “once in a generation” and “the best baseball player ever” are written in earnest. Why all the hype? Because almost nobody has come close to achieving what he has since the 1920s. This week on Deep Dive, Jason Coskrey and Dave...

Our minds have been largely preoccupied with the COVID-19 pandemic the past couple of years, but that doesn’t mean the threats caused by the climate crisis have gone away. Still, sometimes it feels like environmental issues don’t loom as large in Japan as they do in other countries.  Two of our guests on this episode of Deep Dive, Hanae Takahashi and Eric Margolis , currently cover climate issues...

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