Hikikomori

Following the the Asama-Sansō Incident, the revolutionary movement in Japan was utterly finished. However, for Fusako Shigenobu and the Japanese Red Army, the fight for International Communism had only just begun.  Working out of Beirut, the few dozen radicals carried out some of the most well-known terrorist attacks in history, starting with the extremely bloody Lod Airport Massacre in 1972... To...

In February 1972, the United Red Army, a radical far-left organisation, carried out a violent purge of its own members for seemingly-inscrutable reasons. What followed was a hostage situation and police siege that lasted 8 days and changed the course of Japanese socialism, the media and... cup noodles. Today's guest is the editor of the show Steph Kingston! You can find her via her Twitter page ,...

Babies. Can't live with 'em... etc. Japan is frequently seen as the poster child for modern societies that have given up on propagating their own population through reproduction. What's the truth to this? Has Japan become a nation of virgin NEETs who refuse to fuck for the sake of their country? Today's guest is Bridget! You can find her on Twitter @Briget_suckit , and take a listen to her fantast...

Ōgui translates to "Gluttony" or "Glutton". Mukbang is a Korean portmanteau that translates to "Eat-Cast" That's right, today's episode is all about Japanese people who can eat horrifyingly large amounts of food.   Today's guest is Josh Scalf. You can find him on Twitter @jwscalf , you can find his beautiful bird family @SomeRowdyBirbs , and you can find his viral video content on his YouTube page...

Content Warning: Wam Crimes. The bad ones. We continue our coverage of the invasion and occupation of Nanjing  during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Once the Imperial Army had fully occupied Nanjing, and atrocities became almost constant, General Iwane Matsui seemed to finally realise that he had lost all control over his troops... and yet the war crimes continued regardless. Today's guest is Hanna...

Content Warning: War Crimes. The bad ones. From December 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, an atrocity carried out by the Japanese Imperial Army took place over about 7 weeks. Even within a century that saw some of the worst and most far-reaching crimes against humanity, the event that came to be known as the Rape of Nanking would still be seen as exceptionally horrifying. Today's guest i...

In the winter of 1915, a settlement in the Hokkaido wilderness was besieged by a bear that had awoken far earlier than normal hibernation patterns would expect. The resultant carnage was something that left indelible scars on the psyche of Japan. Today's guest is Cassie! You can find her via her Twitter page , or listen to her excellent anime podcast, Shoujo Treehouse ! For more content follow me...

On the morning of the 10th December 1968, a car was pulled over by a motorcycle cop. The car was transporting 300 million yen to a Toshiba factory. The cop was, in fact, not a cop. Today's guest is Cami! You can find her via her Twitter page , or listen to her excellent anime podcast, Shoujo Treehouse ! For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos rele...

Content Warning: Suicide by falling We look at the life and works of famed director Juzo Itami, known for his humorous and wry social commentary on Japanese society. His death in 1997, however, still remains something of curiosity, and many continue to suspect foul play... Today's guest is Michael, aka HumanFilthXVX. You can find them via their Twitter page , and can watch them play games over on...

Content Warning: Self-Harm, Internet Abuse, Suicide Terrace House is one of the most successful reality TV shows, not only in Japan but internationally. With its bland, softly-lit pointlessness, it appealed to many looking for an alternative to more dramatic shows. However, in 2020 it would find itself embroiled in controversy that hit headlines across the world. Today's guest is Jessy, my co-host...

We look at the self-described "Vagina Artist" Megumi Igarashi, aka Rokudenashiko, who made headlines around the world after she created a 3D-printed kayak modeled around her own labia... and was subsequently arrested by Japanese police. Today's guest is Nika Howard . You can find her on Twitter @nika_howard , and all of her wonderful content can be found on her Linktree Page . For more content fol...

Content Warning: Murder, Sexual Assault. In the span of 7 weeks, Takahiro Shiraishi used his Twitter account to lure vulnerable and suicidal people to his apartment. He promised compassion and understanding, but his goal was purely that of his own gratification. Today's guest is the editor of the show Steph Kingston! You can find her via her Twitter page , or listen to her excellent podcasts, incl...

The claim that personality types are determined by ABO blood typing is a cultural phenomenon in Japan and South Korea. It's origins, however, may be a little sinister... Today's guest is Carly Shields! You can find her via her Twitter page , or listen to the excellent Greetings Adventurers podcast for which she helps produce! For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll...

We look at the work of Takeshi Kitano as a world-renowned director, writer, editor and actor, his failed attempt at breaking into Hollywood, his most well-known role outside of Japan in Battle Royale, and his talent at tap dancing... Today's guest is Hannah Lane! You can find her via her Instagram page , and she is also the co-host of our horror movie review podcast that we do together, Not Anothe...

This is the first of a two-parter discussing the life and works of the famed actor, director, comedian and tap-dancer Takeshi Kitano, otherwise known as Beat Takeshi. In this episode we look at the start of his career as a stand-up comedian, and his emergence into cinema. And also, of course, we discuss Takeshi's Castle... Today's guest is Hannah Lane! You can find her via her Instagram page , and...

One Piece is not only the most successful manga of all time, it's also the most successful comic of all time. Starting when Oda was only 22, this means that he has spent the majority of his life as highly famous, successful and rich. He is also... a man-child. Today's guest is Kieran Bennet! You can find him via his Twitter page , and can listen to his excellent podcasts For Crits and Giggles and...

Each year (that does not take place during the global plague) in Himeji, the Nada no Kenka Festival is held on October 14th and 15th. It's extremely loud, colourful, fun and drunken. It can also be rather intensely dangerous to both participants and spectators alike... Today's guest is Tony Srimongka! You can find him via his Twitter page , and can watch him play games over on his Twitch channel ....

This is the story of Chukaku, a far-left organisation that seeks to overthrow the capitalist structure of Japanese society. After several schisms in leftist groups, Chukaku decided to do what many others would not, and became militant. Today's guest is Michael, aka HumanFilthXVX. You can find them via their Twitter page , and can watch them play games over on their Twitch channel , and I highly re...

In the early morning of May 27th, 1997, a janitor of Tainohata Elementary School discovered a disembodied head of a child in front of the school gates. The perpetrator would turn out to be... a massive fan of true crime... Today's guest is Nika Howard . You can find her on Twitter @nika_howard , and all of her wonderful content can be found on her Linktree Page . For more content follow me on @hik...

A quiet, close-knit village became the unlikely site of wide-scale arsenic poisoning.  Today's guest is Josh. You can find him on Twitter @josketh , and he co-hosts the podcast Naruto Reviewto . For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode! You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod , or you can listen to my other podcasts Fi...

This is the second of our two-parter on the crypto-fascist author Yukio Mishima. We cover Mishima's private fascist militia, and the fascinating, bloody and highly confusing end to his life.   Today's guest is Josh Scalf. You can find him on Twitter @jwscalf , you can find his beautiful bird family @SomeRowdyBirbs , and you can find his viral video content on his YouTube page .   For more content...

This is the first of a two-part series on the author, poet, actor, model and crypto-fascist Yukio Mishima. Today we follow Mishima's early life and career as a national, and eventually international, sensation.   Today's guest is Josh Scalf. You can find him on Twitter @jwscalf , you can find his beautiful bird family @SomeRowdyBirbs , and you can find his viral video content on his YouTube page ....

Aum Shinrikyo, the doomsday cult, is well-known for being responsible for the '95 Sarin Gas Attack on the Tokyo subway. Their list of crimes, however, does not end there. Another heinous act of the cult was the home invasion and murder of an entire family in 1989. For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode! You can also find...

In 2007 the body of Lindsay Hawker, a British teacher working in Tokyo, was found dead on an apartment balcony in a bathtub full of sand. The suspected killer, Tatsuya Ichihashi, managed to evade police capture by living on the fringes of society for two and a half years. This is that utter bastard's story. For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos...

We explore the links between the subcultures of Yankii, Bosozoku and Sukeban before watching an elderly Australian man dance in his driveway.   For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode!   You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod , or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big po...