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

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we talk about the probably extinct (but maybe not?) Japanese wolf with journalist Alex K.T. Martin. About Alex K.T. Martin Alex K.T. Martin is a feature writer for the  Japan Times . He is also the author of a recent five-part feature about the Japanese wolf ( nihon ōkami ) titled In Search of Japan's Lost Wolves . Topics Discussed Whether the Japanese...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, translator Allison Markin Powell talks about translating Japanese fiction. About Allison Markin Powell Allison Markin Powell is a literary translator, editor, and publishing consultant. The most recently published book she translated is Black Box: The Memoir That Sparked Japan's #MeToo Movement (The Feminist Press at CUNY) by Shiori Ito. Topics Discuss...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, translator Allison Markin Powell discusses the story of Shiori Ito and the newly published English version of the book Black Box: The Memoir That Sparked Japan's #MeToo Movement . About Allison Markin Powell Allison Markin Powell is a literary translator, editor, and publishing consultant. The most recently published book she translated is Black Box: T...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we're learning about homelessness in Japan and the life of Japanese day laborers. About Dr. Tom Gill Dr. Tom Gill is a professor of social anthropology at the Faculty of International Studies at Meiji Gakuin University in Yokohama. He is the author of the 2015 book Yokohama Street Life :  The Precarious Career of a Japanese Day Laborer . Topics Discuss...

For more information on  B & B Bad Sisters , check out the official website. https://bbbadsisters.com/ Here's the link for the  B & B Bad Sisters  NFT shop. https://opensea.io/kazuomaekawa Follow  B & B Bad Sisters  on social media. Twitter https://twitter.com/bbbadsisters Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bbbadsisters Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bbbadsisters/ Here's affiliate links for cr...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, shamisen performer and composer Mike Penny stops by to talk about Japan's famous three-stringed lute, the Mike Penny Orchestra (MPO), and more. About Mike Penny Mike Penny is a shamesen performer and composrer based in Los Angeles. He has performed throughout the U.S. and Japan. Aside from performing traditional Japanese shamisen music, Mike is also ac...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Dr. Salvador Jimenez Murguia talks about the religious group Pana-Wave Laboratory and shares some of what he experienced while in Japan researching it. About Dr. Salvador Jimenez Murguia Dr. Salvador Jimenez Murguia is a professor of sociology at Taft College and the author of numerous books. He has conducted research on a wide variety of topics, inclu...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, journalist Justic McCurry talks about his new book  The War on Wheels: Inside the Keirin and Japan's Cycling Subculture . About Justin McCurry Justin McCurry is the Japan anc Korea correspondent for The Guardian . He is also the author of the new book  The War on Wheels: Inside the Keirin and Japan's Cycling Subculture (Pegasus Books). Topics Discussed...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we're talking about Kyoto, kimono and more with Dr. Rebecca Copeland. About Dr. Rebecca Copeland Dr. Rebecca Copeland is a professor of Japanese language and literature at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research specialties include modern and contemporary women's writing in Japan, modern literature, and translation studies. Dr. Copeland also w...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we're joined by Hannah Kentridge of the popular YouTube channel MissHanake. About Hannah Kentridge Hannah Kentridge is a content creator with over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. Known as MissHanake on YouTube, Hannah has spent over 10 years producing videos in Japanese about her life and the Japanese language. Topics Discussed Hannah's perennially pop...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Dr. Jan Bardsley talks about the fascinating world of Japan's maiko and geisha. About  Dr. Jan Bardsley Dr. Jan Bardsley is Professor Emerita of Asian Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is the author of Women and Democracy in Cold War Japan  and the award-winning  The Bluestockings of Japan: New Woman Essays and Fiction from...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Yuji Haraguchi--owner of multiple Japanese restaurants and the Osakana fish market in Brooklyn, New York--talks about his interest in food, his career, fish, ramen, and more. About Yuji Haraguchi Yuji Haraguchi has started and owned multiple Japanese restaurants in the United States and Japan. He is based in Brooklyn, New York where he owns and operate...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Dr. Katarzyna Cwiertka stops by to discuss what exactly washoku (Japanese cuisine) is and how the term was redefined in an effort to get it registered as Intangible Cultural Heritage under UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). About Dr. Katarzyna Cwiertka Dr. Katarzyna Cwiertka is Chair of Modern Japan Studies at Le...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, journalist Dreux Richard stops by to discuss his new book Every Human Intention: Japan in the New Century . About Dreux Richard Dreux Richard is a writer and journalist. He has written extensively about Japan for publications such as The Japan Times , Metropolis Japan , and The New York Times . Dreux is also the author of a new book based on much of hi...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Tony answers the question: How did you become so familiar with Japan? About Tony Vega Tony Vega is a writer, editor, and podcaster. He has lived in Japan as both a student and participant of the JET Programme. He possesses an M.A. in Japanese language and linguistics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Tony is the creator of Japankyo.com and he pro...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we learn about one of Japan's most famous and popular group of samurai: the Shinsengumi. About Romulus Hillsborough Romulus Hillsborough is a researcher, writer and author of multiple books focusing on late Edo-early Meiji Period history. His books include Samurai Revolution: The Dawn of Modern Japan Seen Through the Eyes of Shogun's Last Samurai ,  Ry...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Tony  talks to Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith about Japanese erotic comics (eromanga) and related issues such as censorship and Japanese obscenity laws. About Patrick W. Galbraith Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith is a lecturer at Senshu University in Tokyo. He is one of the world's leading experts on the topic of Akihabara and the related subcultures that are often...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Tony  Vega talks to Kevin O'Shea, host of the  Just Japan  Podcast , about the unique experience he had in 2020 when he got stuck in Japan due to the coronavirus pandemic. About Kevin O'Shea Kevin O'Shea is a content creator, educator, and longtime resident of Japan. Aside from producing over 200 episodes of the  Just Japan Podcast , Kevin is also know...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Tony Vega talks to one of the world's leading scholars on Edo Period Japanese literature: Dr. Robert Campbell. About Dr. Robert Campbell Dr. Robert Campbell is a literary scholar specializing in the literature of Edo era Japan. Since 2017 Dr. Campbell has served as the Director-General of the National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL). Aside from...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Tony has a chat with the owner of a voice that anyone who has ever ridden the Shinkansen (bullet train) will have heard numerous times: voice actor and singer Donna Burke. About Donna Burke Donna Burke is an Australian singer and voice actor based in Japan. Her voice can be heard in numerous high profile projects, including major Japanese commercials a...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, standup comedian Kilara Sen stops by to talk about comedy and the various projects About Kilara Sen Kilara Sen (a.k.a. Pink Unicorn) is a bilingual Japanese standup comedian, MC, and content creator. Apart from performing standup comedy in Japan, she has also performed in the United States and Europe, including at the Fringe festival in Edinburgh, Scot...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, documentary filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki discusses being inspired by Ichiro Suzuki and her latest documentary Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams . About Ema Ryan Yamazaki Ema Ryan Yamazaki is a documentary filmmaker who has worked on several Japan-related projects. Her most recent feature-length documentary is titled Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams and f...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, manga creator and boxer Kofi Bazzell-Smith (a.k.a. Kofi Manga) stops by to discuss manga, the Japanese language, and the importance of perseverance. About Kofi Manga Kofi Bazzell-Smith is an American manga creator and boxer. He is active on YouTube and Instagram under the name Kofi Manga. Topics Discussed The anime/manga Hajime no Ippo How it was that...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we're talking about the history and layout of Edo with one of the world's foremost experts on the subject: Dr. Timon Screech. About Dr. Timon Screech Dr. Timon Screech is a professor of the history of art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He is a specialist in the art and culture of the Edo period and has writt...

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast two members of the Kyoto-based metal band Cosmic Earth stop by to talk about their new album inspired by the Tokyo Olympics, the Kyoto heavy metal scene, and more. About Cosmic Earth Cosmic Earth is a Kyoto-based doom metal/stoner rock/heavy blues rock band founded by guitarist Takuya Yada in 2017. Cosmic Earth is part of Cosmic Frequency Records and is...