Deep Dive from The Japan Times

Staff writer Alex Martin explains how this shift is playing out in the small town of Otama. Hosted by Oscar Boyd for The Japan Times. We are looking to hear your audio from all around Japan to include in future episodes of Deep Dive, be it local festivals, waves lapping against rugged beaches or interesting happenings around your neighborhood. Send 1 to 2 minutes of audio to deepdive@japantimes.co...

This podcast is part of The Japan Times' series on the climate crisis. Read the full articles: Emergency on Japan's lucky island (Jesse Chase-Lubitz and Oscar Boyd) Throwaway society: Rejecting a life consumed by plastic (Andrew McKirdy) Read/see/hear more: Why aren't more young people fighting climate change in Japan? (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times) Living in Japan during a time of climate cr...

JT staff writer Satoshi Sugiyama discusses how Ghosn managed that escape as well as his first public press conference since he was first arrested in November 2018. Hosted by Oscar Boyd . Since recording this podcast, Lebanon has announced that Carlos Ghosn has been banned from leaving the country. Read/see/hear more: • Our previous podcast on Carlos Ghosn: The extraordinary fall of Carlos Ghosn •...

Japan Times contributor Julia Bergin ( @juliabergin1) and editor Shaun McKenna ( @jt_sloosh ) join Oscar Boyd ( @omhboyd ) for a holiday special full of KFC, mulled wine and Christmas cheer. Read/see/hear more: • Japan's first Christmas (Joji Sakurai, The Japan Times) • Julia Bergin on Deep Dive episode 30: #StandwiththePooh — The Hong Kong protesters in Japan • Shaun McKenna on Deep Dive episode...

What has allowed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to stay in office for such a long time? Shinzo Abe is now Japan's longest serving prime minister, and is approaching his 3,000th day in office. The Japan Times politics reporter Sakura Murakami discusses this remarkable run and what it is about Abe that's kept him in power. Hosted by Oscar Boyd . Read/see/hear more: Abe becomes Japan's longest-serving pri...

Ahead of the global climate strikes on Nov. 29, Fridays for Future leader Takuro Kajiwara and 350.org field organizer Hinako Arao tell of their experiences as two of Japan’s most prominent climate activists, and why Japan’s climate movement is doing better than you might think. Hosted by Oscar Boyd . See more: Why aren't more young people fighting climate change in Japan?   Extinction Rebellion cl...

The Hong Kong protests have been escalating recently, but what of the pro-democracy Hong Kongers living in Japan? Julia Bergin tells Oscar Boyd about the protestors she's been following in Tokyo, and why Japan should care about them and Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. Julia Bergin is a researcher for The Little Red Podcast, find them here or on all major podcasting providers. More on this topi...

Daniel Hurst joins Oscar Boyd to discuss how ready Japan's capital city is. Also, today is Deep Dive's first birthday. Shaun McKenna turns the tables on Oscar to look back at the last year of the podcast. Read more :  Tokyo braces for the earthquake of a century (Daniel Hurst, The Guardian) The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's disaster preparedness handbook Eight apps that could save your life in J...

Chris Broad of Abroad in Japan and Sharla of Sharmander discuss their careers as two of the most successful YouTubers in Japan. Based in northern Japan's Tohoku region, Chris and Sharla have over 2 million subscribers across their YouTube channels. Hosted by Oscar Boyd See more from Chris and Sharla: Abroad in Japan on YouTube Sharmander on YouTube Chris Broad's Abroad in Japan podcast Sharla on T...

Emperor Naruhito became Japan's 126th emperor at an enthronement ceremony on Oct. 22, 2019. Japan Times politics reporter Sakura Murakami joins Oscar Boyd to dicuss. Read/see more: Deep Dive podcast on the abdication of Emperor-Emeritus Akihito Sakura Murakami's article on Emperor Naruhito's enthronement Sakura Murakami's background explainer on the enthronement ceremony Masumi Koizumi's article o...

Typhoon Hagibis hit Japan on Oct. 12, causing widespread damage to Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures. This week, storm chaser James Reynolds , evacuee Andrew McKirdy and reporter Chisato Tanaka share their experiences of the typhoon. Hosted by Oscar Boyd . Take The Japan Times' podcast survey and help make Deep Dive better: http://jtimes.jp/dd Read/see more: The Japan Times' coverage of Typhoo...

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set the tone for this year’s extraordinary Diet session with a pledge to overhaul the nation’s social welfare system to create one beneficial for all generations. But, covering everything from South Korea-Japan relations to revision of Japan's constitution, the speech was not without controversy. JT politics reporter  Sakura Murakami joins Oscar Boyd to discuss. Help the...

The UK's Brexit deadline to leave the European Union is on October 31. Assuming it goes ahead, what does it mean for Japan if the UK leaves the EU? Chris Russell and Oscar Boyd discuss in this week's episode of Deep Dive. Also, Dan Orlowitz reports on Japan's epic victory over Ireland at the Rugby World Cup. Take our survey and help Deep Dive to improve! More reading: • Articles by Chris Russell •...

In this week's episode, we talk to Alan Gilpin, Head of Rugby World Cup, about his expectations for the tournament (01:30), to The Japan Times' rugby experts Elliott Samuels and Andrew McKirdy about what to look out for in this year's tournament (09:42), and to triple-cancer survivor Patrick McIntosh, who has cycled from Twickenham Stadium in the U.K. to Japan to watch the games and raise awarenes...

While the world stews over the trade war between the USA and China, and the potential of a no deal exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, here in Japan a separate storm has been brewing: a growing trade dispute between Japan and its geographical neighbor — South Korea. Satoshi Sugiyama and Oscar Boyd discuss. Help Deep Dive out by taking our survey: http://jtimes.jp/dd More on the sto...

On this week’s episode we discuss the life and recent death of Johnny Kitagawa, the secretive mega mogul behind some of Japan's biggest music acts, including SMAP, Arashi and Hey! Say! Jump. Despite his success, Kitagawa's career was not without controversy, and allegations of sexual abuse of underage employees have followed him for the past 30 years. Joining Oscar Boyd to discuss are Japan Times...

This episode is sponsored by Cicerone and its new guidebook "Hiking and Trekking in the Japan Alps and Mount Fuji," which features 27 walks and treks across the Japan Alps and in the Mt Fuji area. Order your copy now at https://www.cicerone.co.uk/japan?refer=deep With thanks to Hannah Stevenson, Shaun McKenna and Dr. David Fedman.

On July 1, Japan announced it would leave the International Whaling Commission to resume commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone. Hours after ships left ports across Japan, two minke whales were caught by whalers and brought ashore. Whalers are delighted by the policy shift, but many around the world have been left outraged and confused as to why Japan is so keen to continue its hunt...

The last confirmed sighting of the Japanese wolf was in 1905, but is it really extinct? The Japan Times' Alex Martin has been chasing the story and joins Oscar Boyd to discuss the topic on this week's episode of Deep Dive. More on this:  Read Alex's full article here Deep Dive on Twitter Alex Martin on Twitter Oscar Boyd on Twitter

Over 1 million people are thought to be hikikomori in Japan, meaning they've remained isolated at home for at least six consecutive months without going to school or work, and rarely interact with people from outside their own immediate family. Earlier this year, Andrew McKirdy interviewed several recovering hikikomori, and now joins Oscar Boyd to discuss the issue. Read more: • Andrew McKirdy's f...

On April 20, 2019, Hiro Iwamoto became the first blind man to sail the Pacific nonstop, completing a 55-day journey across the world’s largest ocean. In this episode, Hiro and his crew mate, Doug Smith, join Oscar Boyd to talk about their voyage. See more: Hiro and Doug's Voyage of Inspiration website Ariadne GPS  — the app Hiro used to navigate across the Pacific Photo by Kyodo

With the G20 summit being hosted in Osaka at the end of June, and Prime Minister Abe pledging at Davos to put climate change at the top of the agenda, Deep Dive host Oscar Boyd is joined by Pelin Zorlu of climate change think tank E3G to discuss opportunities for Japan to lead on the issue, where it is lagging behind its counterparts, and to look at the country's continued relationship with coal. ...

Ahead of the new season of Terrace House — "Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020," released on Netflix on May 14 — Tom Hanaway and Patrick St. Michel join Oscar Boyd to discuss why the show has proved such a hit both here in Japan and internationally, and what we might be able to expect from the upcoming season.  Read more by Tom Hanaway Read more by Patrick St. Michel Follow Deep Dive on Twitter Photo...

This week we unpack one of the biggest stories of the past few months: the arrest and detainment of Carlos Ghosn, former CEO of car manufacturers Nissan and Renault. Joining Deep Dive this week to discuss the case is staff writer Satoshi Sugiyama (@SatoshiJournal). Hosted by Oscar Boyd (@omhboyd) for The Japan Times. Links:  Follow Deep Dive on Twitter . Read Satoshi Sugiyama's reporting .

In 2016, Emperor Akihito announced he intended to step down from the throne because of his age and declining health.  Now, with just two weeks until Akihito’s son Naruhito becomes the country’s 126th emperor and with the name of the new Reiwa Era announced, Deep Dive asks: What does it mean to be Emperor of Japan, and what can we expect from the next person to sit atop the Chrysanthemum Throne?  S...