Japan According To Akil Podcast

In this quick episode I explain a bit about entering a Japanese company, explain why the episode was a bit late, and give an anecdote about an interesting person I saw on the streets of Tokyo this past week.

This time we got into a good article and discussion about karaoke in Japan. We had tips, embarrassing stories, much more. Before that there is a bit of rant from me, so skip to minute 15 if you don't want to hear any of that stuff.

Even though my throat bothered me the whole time, I powered though over the course of two nights and completed our discussion of cherry blossom season in Japan. Before that we started off with a quick supplementary earthquake discussion.

The first half of this episode was primarily a Black Panther rant, but after that we spun off into some other useful anecdotal info about life here including a random bit of drama I encountered on the train.

I pay my respects to those lost and displaced in the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, tell my story of that day, and sprinkle in some earthquake tips and info along the way.

In this weird episode we discuss tax season in Japan and I share some of my experiences over the years doing them here. Then I discuss Valentine's Day here in addition to an upcoming holiday called White Day, which most men are not a fan of.

Welcome to the final part of our hot spring discussion. I break down the technical aspects of what happens when you go into a Japanese hot spring, get at all sentimental, and finally talk about Valentine's Day in Japan before I get too sleepy.

Welcome to part 2 of the Japanese hot spring series. This time we use the "Naked Communication" episode of Home Sweet Tokyo as a guide to break down everything you need to know up to actually entering the bath area...with some random ramblings along the way, of course.

This episode did not go at all according to plan, but in a good way (I hope). We got sidetracked several times, but laid out a lot of contextual info related to Japanese hot springs. We also stumbled upon some interactive things you (and I) can do to get ready for part 2 next week.

In this episode you get a mellow, late night version of the podcast. I talk about why bathrooms in Japan freaking ROCK, tell you about an unexpected snowstorm that wreaked havoc here in Tokyo, and give some tips on urban survival here.

This episode we have a double does of articles. First we talk about a crime wave of graffiti sweeping Tokyo (not really). Then I break down different types of newspapers in Japan and tell a slightly embarrassing story from when I first got here.

This is another short episode where I go back and readdress a couple of subjects I brought up in previous episodes because they became international news recently...FYI, that dude is an a**hole.

In this episode I take some time to talk about at controversy that has popped up online. After that I talk about banks here and the changes coming down the pipeline to the Japanese banking system.

This episode is a short one. I give a quick overview of some of the traditions of New Years in Japan and give my best wishes to you all before my wife comes in and scares the pants off of me. Happy New Year everyone!!!

This is part two of our hostess (and host) discussion. I tell the story of my great hostess club experience and try to shed some light on why it is a thing here. Finally I give a little insight on host clubs from what I have gathered over the years of being here.

This episode we get straight into a discussion about hostess clubs and I (try to) explain the cultural justification for this form of entertainment in Japan. After that I share a few experiences I have had here. The topic is so deep and I was short on time, so I split the conversation into two. Be on the lookout for part two and enjoy as always.

This time I give some background on a nasty stomach virus that hits in Winter, we talk movie theaters here, and round things off with a discussion of New Years food traditions in Japan. At the end I get kind of deep and talk a bit about the subtle beauty of living in Japan and all that jazz too.

My apologies for another short episode, but life happens sometimes. I explain how everything went crazy on my journey to recording, then we quickly talk about how wacky Christmas in Japan is before I have dash.

This episode I am a little low energy (I explain why), we talk about the Geisha life and hard times facing Japanese traditions and bowing, then go deeper into how depopulation and urbanization are changing Japan. We are going deep this time!

We are back with another great episode. I give a quick update on various things including my tripod failure and attempt to become the Japanese Bill Cosby (the one from the Cosby Show). After that we spend the majority of the show giving my insight and review of a really interesting documentary called "Black in Tokyo" I stumbled upon.

This episode starts really out of control with my dog and a busted tripod. After things settled down we talked about why the train company needed to apologize, the problems that occur when Japanese people are overly fair to each other, and why Tokyo Tower is amazing.

I am back in Japan and extremely jet lagged in this episode. I power through it and talk about the differences in food choices, communication, getting around, and the general pace of life between Japan and the U.S. Good to be back people! Sorry about the yawning.

We are bringing you another episode to make up for me leaving for America. I apologize for my wrong Halloween analysis this year, and compare Japan and America in terms of culture, entertainment, and technology. Wish me a safe trip and see you when I get back!

We are back with our first weekly podcast after (semi) announcing I am changing the frequency of the show. Anyway, I give you a quick update on my comings and goings, then we take a peep at a Shibuya Halloween video, and move on to the regular content which centers on Japanese cars and the Otakus that love it. Hope you like it.

We have a reverse order show this time. I talk about train culture in Tokyo and drop some suggestions on you, then we talk about an article and expand on corporate culture and the infamous "wall of pillows" as I like to call it.