Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society

On this episode of Japan Station , we talk about the unique cultural and geographic quirks of life in Miyagi Prefecture. 👉Topics Discussed Where Miyagi Prefecture is located The population of Miyagi Prefecture Miyagi's mild weather What  izui  means What is gyūtan (牛タン) About Sada Keishiro and the origins of gyūtan (beef tongue) How most people in Sendai rarely if ever eat gyūtan What is  zund...

On this episode of Japan Station , we talk about "May sickness" and "June sickness." What are these sicknesses? Are they real? Should you be concerned? ðŸ'‰Topics Discussed What is gogatsubyÅ (äº"津病) What is rokugatsubyÅ (六月病) The origin of "May sickness" Why April-June has a reputation for being a stressful time of year in Japan Why June sickness is stupid Why June is thought to be a pa...

On this episode of Japan Station , we talk about the origins of the famous custom of Japanese World Cup soccer/football fans cleaning stadiums after a match is over. Where did this custom originate? Who started it? Why do they use blue garbage bags? We talk about all that and more! 👉Topics Discussed The history of the Japanese soccer/football fan cleaning up trash custom Why Korean soccer fans ma...

On this episode of Japan Station , we're joined by the first confirmed American to climb Japan's "100 famous mountains" (hyakumēzan, 百名山): Wes Lang. We also talk about his experiences climbing Japan's tallest mountains and more. 👉Topics Discussed About climbing Japan's hundred famous mountains (hyakumēzan, 百名山) Animal encounters while climbing mountains in Japan Memorable experiences while...

This is a rebroadcast of Ichimon Japan episode 47 (originally released 07/07/21). On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What was good and bad about your JET experience? Topics Discussed What the JET Programme is The various positions available to JET applicants Some troubles experienced while on the JET Programme Rural placements Japan's shrinking population On getting placed in Yamagata Prefec...

On this episode of Japan Station , we're talking about food you have to eat the next time you visit Fukushima. 👉Topics Discussed About the Grand Van Gogh Exhibit About the Pokemon Astronomical Observatory About Koriyama Black Ramen What a "cream box" is What is Fukushima Buruburu The history of Fukushima Buruburu And much more! 👉Subscribe to the Podcast! Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/...

On this episode of Japan Station , we're talking about Fukushima Prefecture! We're focusing on the geography, cultural quirks, language and food. 👉Topics Discussed About the geography of Fukushima Prefecture Where Fukushima is located About the three regions of Fukushima: Aizu, Nakadōri, Hamadōri About the stereotypes of the people of the three regions of Fukushima What is Mamadōru About the Fuku...

On this episode of Japan Station , filmmaker Cuauhtemoc Velazquez joins us to talk about  Apparition , his new short film about a Tokyo izakaya that gets visited by the Virgin Mary. 👉Topics Discussed What  Apparition  is about What inspired Cuauhtemoc Velazquez to make  Apparition Japan's loose but respectful relationship with religion About making a short film in Japan About renting a film set i...

On this episode of Japan Station , we're talking about how there's been an increase in the number of tourists from overseas who are dumping their suitcases in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo. We also talk about what you can do if you need to dispose of your suitcase when visiting Japan. 👉Topics Discussed Foreign tourists are dumping their suitcases illegally in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo Japan's com...

This is a rebroadcast of Ichimon Japan episode 04 which originally was released on 2/12/2020. Today's Question On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What's it like being a fake priest in Japan? Topics Discussed What a nisebokushi is The different terminology for priests in Japanese ( shinpu vs bokushi ) The phenomenon of having foreigners dress as priests to officiate weddings in Japan How most...

On this episode of  Japan Station , we're talking about Hanamaki and Tōno, two cities in Iwate prefecture known for being great places to visit if you're a fan of the supernatural and fantastic. 👉Topics Discussed How to get to Hanamaki City from Tokyo Station How long the bullet train to Iwate from Tokyo takes About traveling by train from Hanamaki to Tōno About Tōno City and its spooky/supernatu...

On this episode of  Japan Station , we're talking about Iwate Prefecture! We're focusing on the geography, general stats, language and food. 👉Topics Discussed Where Iwate Prefecture is About Iwate Prefecture's large size and sparse population About the weather of Iwate Prefecture About the dialects of Iwate Prefecture About Fukuda Pan/Fukuda Bread, it's history and its many varieties About wanko...

This ia rebroadcast of epsode 73 of Ichimon Japan originally released on 7/21/23. On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is it like moving in Japan? Topics Discussed About what it's like moving in Japan When people in Japan usually move What it costs to move in Japan Why people in Japan usually move in March Expenses associated with moving in Japan About rent prices in Japan Rent subsidies...

On this episode of Japan Station , we're joined by Jake Davies, a resident of Shimane Prefecture who has walked over 30,000 km in Japan. He talks about his experiences walking around Japan and what it's like living in Shimane, one of Japan's least populated prefecture. 👉Topics Discussed Why Jake Davies moved to Shimane Prefecture What it's like living in rural Shimane Prefecture Why Jake Davies s...

On this episode of Japan Station , travel writer Jennifer Bain joins us to talk about one of Japan's most ancient and famous pilgrimages: the Kumano Kodō (熊野古道). We also talk about Japanese convenience stores and the famous conbini socks. 👉Topics Discussed What the Kumano Kodō (熊野古道) is How to get the Kumano Kodō (熊野古道) is An example of a five day itinerary on the Kumano Kodō (熊野古...

On this episode of Japan Station , we're talking about the origins of the word  sakura . No not that  sakurai . The other  sakura . The scammy kind of  sakura . Also we're talking about madorā . 👉Topics Discussed The possible origins of the word  sakura (サクラ) Why  sakura  means a fake "scammy" customer What a  madorā is And much more! 👉Subscribe to the Podcast! Apple Podcasts: https://itunes....

On this episode of Japan Station , we're talking about the rise of Japan's $3.5 billion breakfast industry and why Japan is currently in the midst of it's 4th "breakfast boom." 👉Topics Discussed What a typical Japanese breakfast consists of The history of breakfast in Japan Breakfast in the Edo Period Breakfast in Edo vs Kansai during the Edo Period Japan's four "Morning Booms" What 'morning" (モ...

On this episode of Japan Station , we're joined by Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith to talk about the current status of Akihabara and the rise of Ikebukuro as Japan's newest capital of all things anime, manga and otaku culture. 👉Topics Discussed Whether Akihabara is dying The history of Akihabara How Akihabara has evolved in recent years What locals think of Akihabara today How Mercari has impacted Akiha...

This is a re-broadcast of an episode originally released on 8/21/21. On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Is Yamaguchi cursed to have "ugly" girls? We also discuss other places in Japan known for having many beautiful/ugly women. Topics Discussed The three most scenic views in Japan What the  Sandaibijin  (三大美人) is What places in Japan are most known for having beautiful women Fukuoka (Hak...

On this episode of Japan Station , we're talking about interesting words related to aging and shoulders and a weird ECC commercial. 👉Topics Discussed 四十肩ō And much more! 👉Subscribe to the Podcast!     Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB     👉Support on Patreon &...

On this episode of Japan Station , we're talking about what life in Akita Prefecture is like AND why women from Akita are (supposedly) so beautiful! 👉Topics Discussed Where Akita Prefecture is in relation to other prefectures in the Tohoku region About Akita's famous Kinman Why people in Akita like to say they've eaten 28 Kinman About how rural Akita is About the high number of bear attacks and f...

On this episode of Japan Station , Alex Litz of Expedition Japan joins us to talk about tourism in Japan, Yamagata Prefecture and places/events to check out during a visit to Yamagata. 👉Topics Discussed How Alex ended up in Yamagata Prefecture About studying abroad in Yamagata Prefecture About tourism in Japan What's so great about Yamagata? Places to visit in Yamagata Yamagata food Events and fe...

This is a re-release of Ichimon Japan episode 28. On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: How do Japanese names work? Topics Discussed How people in Japan normally state their family name before their given name The complicated history of naming practices in Japan Commoners being prohibited from using family names during the Edo Period The Meiji era laws that mandated every Japanese person take a...

On this episode of Japan Station , I talk about two peculiar words  depakosu  and  puchipura . Also i talk a bit about the origin of the name of the anime  Odd Taxi . 👉Topics Discussed What  depakosu (デパコス) means What puchipura (プチプラ) means The origin of the name of the anime  Odd Taxi  (オッドタクシー) And much more! 👉Subscribe to the Podcast! Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us...

On this episode of Japan Station , we talk about some of the unique aspects of living in Aomori Prefecture. 👉Topics Discussed What it's like living in Aomori Prefecture About the Shimokita Peninsula Why life in Aomori can be so inconvenient What "English Toast" is ( igirisu tōsuto, イギリストースト) What igirisu tōsuto is About the history of igirisu tōsuto Why people in Aomori throw peanuts at o...