Deep in Japan

Welcome to Happy Hour, where the weird gets weirder, the deep gets deeper, and the news smells faintly of Strong Zero and grilled takoyaki. In this delightfully unhinged episode, we’re throwing it all into the blender—from the absurd chaos of クレクレタコラ and psychedelic escapism of H.R. Pufnstuf , to Osaka’s unstoppable granny idol group Obachaaan dropping heat in “Overpower.” We dive into the...

This episode originally aired in September 2023. In this episode, I sit down with Jon Heese, a former bar owner who naturalized and became a four-time elected political representative in Japan. Born in Saskatchewan and raised in a Mennonite family, Jon’s path took him from rural Canada to the political halls of the Tsukuba Assembly. Whether you’re interested in life abroad, Japanese politics, or e...

John Rucynski returns for his third appearance on the Deep in Japan Podcast, and this time we hit the trail—literally. In this lighthearted yet insightful episode, we follow John through his many adventures hiking across Japan, including the ancient Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, an unexpected encounter with a wild boar (spoiler: he got gored by the boar), and a cross-country bike ride for charity....

*This episode originally aired in February 2023 In this episode, we welcome back Professor Steve McCarty for a deep dive into Kūkai the Universal , a historical novel by Ryōtarō Shiba, translated by Akiko Takemoto. Together, we explore the life, vision, and spiritual legacy of Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi), one of Japan’s most influential Buddhist figures. Steve McCarty, originally from Boston, holds a mast...

*This episode originally aired in January 2021 Professor Steve McCarty shares his journey of living in Japan, reflecting on encounters with cultural icons like Alan Watts and Donald Keene. He explores how to balance assimilation with authenticity, consult and negotiate cross-culturally, and maintain both public and private selves in an international family. With local stories, insights on Buddhism...

*This episode originally aired in June 2020 Where did Japan come from—and how did its people see the world around them? In this episode of the Deep in Japan Podcast , professor and storyteller Steve McCarty takes us on a journey through 30,000 years of Japanese history and mythology. From the earliest humans and the rise of the Imperial line to the cultural heights of the Heian Period, he weaves t...

* This episode was originally aired in November 2022. What happens when a pun falls flat across cultures? Why does sarcasm get lost in translation? And can you actually teach someone to understand satire in a second language? In this episode, we once again sit down with educator, researcher, author, and world-re noun ed pun-slinger John Rucynski Jr. , co-editor of Bridging the Humor Barrier: Humor...

* This episode was originally aired in July 2022. They came for a year and stayed for a lifetime. In this episode, we once again sit down with educator, researcher, author, and world-re noun ed pun-slinger, John Rucynski Jr. , to discuss his latest anthology, A Passion for Japan: A Collection of Personal Narratives, a deeply human mosaic of stories from 31 contributors who didn’t just survive the...

Originally aired in September of 2016, this episode is the third installment of a three-part series featuring Dr. Arudou Debito, a naturalized Japanese citizen and author of Embedded Racism: Japan’s Visible Minorities and Racial Discrimination . Due to its enduring relevance and popularity, this series has become a cult classic among listeners of the Deep in Japan podcast.   Episode Overview: Dr....

Originally aired in September of 2016, this episode is the second installment of a three-part series featuring Dr. Arudou Debito, a naturalized Japanese citizen and author of Embedded Racism: Japan’s Visible Minorities and Racial Discrimination . Due to its enduring relevance and popularity, this series has become a cult classic among listeners of the Deep in Japan podcast.   Episode Overview: Dr....

Originally aired in August of 2016, this episode is the first installment of a three-part series featuring Dr. Arudou Debito, a naturalized Japanese citizen and author of Embedded Racism: Japan’s Visible Minorities and Racial Discrimination . Due to its enduring relevance and popularity, this series has become a cult classic among listeners of the Deep in Japan podcast.   Episode Overview: Dr. Deb...