Krewe of Japan

Kicking off Season 5 with a deep dive into the King of Monsters.  Godzilla expert & author of "Godzilla On My Mind" Dr. William (Bill) Tsutsui joins the Krewe to discuss the Godzilla franchise, its roots, its impact in Japan, & how it became the global phenomenon it is today. Get in touch with your inner kaiju and learn more about your favorite giant reptilian monster! ------ About the Krewe -----...

SEASON 5 is (almost) HERE!! This is your one week warning... as the KREWE is BACK on Friday, March 8th, 12 noon CST.  Here's a sneak peek & preview of gusts & episodes to come: - The History & Evolution of Godzilla ft. Dr. William Tsutsui - Witness Fukushima's Recovery through Educational Tourism ft. William McMichael - Japanese Self-Study Strategies ft. Walden Perry - Visit Miyagi Prefecture ft....

MOAR BONUS CONTENT! Think of this as Season 5 MINUS ONE. Godzilla expert & author of Godzilla On My Mind Dr. William (Bill) Tsutsui joins Doug to discuss Toho's latest Godzilla film, Godzilla Minus One . What did one of the top experts on Godzilla think of this movie? Find out right here!  DISCLAIMER -- This conversation is NOT spoiler-free. If you don't want to hear spoilers, save this one for af...

What? Bonus content, already?! That's right! The Krewe is here with a surprise bonus episode to talk about the 2024 JET Program Application Cycle. Returning guest Tye Ebel , JET Coordinator for the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville, is back, this time with his colleague Jonathan Contrades , Culture Coordinator at the same consulate. Together, they share some excellent insight & updates (alon...

This week on Krewe of Japan Podcast... the end is here! Well, Season 4 anyway. Jenn, Doug, & Maddy sit down to talk about the best of Season 4, new & exciting milestones, upcoming plans for Season 5, & some listener feedback. Whether you've been along from the ride since the beginning of the season or just recently hopped on, you'll definitely enjoy catching some of the highlights and behind-the-s...

This week on Krewe of Japan Podcast... in light of Japan Society of New Orleans’s  upcoming 2024 Sister City Exchange Program, the Krewe sits down with Nicholas McCullough, Coordinator of International Relations for the International Tourism Division in Matsue. Nicholas takes us through some of the must-see, must-do, must-eat options that Matsue has to offer inbound visitors! Stay tuned at the end...

The Krewe sits down with returning guest and author of Pure Invention, Matt Alt! Matt takes the Krewe on a deep dive extravaganza into the history of the beloved Nintendo. From its humble beginnings as a playing card company to its various pivots along the way (hello taxis & love hotels) before its transformation into a behemoth in the video game industry, the Krewe explores the driving forces beh...

This week on Krewe of Japan Podcast... the Krewe sits down to discuss omiyage, when to get it, who to get it for, what to get, and how to navigate the culture of gift-giving in Japan! From sneaky good ideas to absolutely DON'T DO IT mistakes, the Krewe has it all! ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans . C...

This week on Krewe of Japan Podcast... HAJIME! The Krewe sits down with Alexander Bennett, 7th Dan in Kendo, to take a deep dive into the way of the sword. From the historical context of how kendo came to be to the ins and outs of being a kendo practitioner, this episode will open your eyes to this intense martial art! And don't forget... KI... KEN... TAI... ICHI! (Gotta listen to get that referen...

In this week's episodes, the Krewe is exploring the sub-culture of themed cafes! Joined by fellow Krewe member Maddy & special returning guest/friend of the podcast/Japanese theme park expert Chris Nilghe of TDR Explorer, the Krewe explores what makes a cafe a "themed cafe", what some popular cafes are, what to expect, why themed cafes are such a hit in Japan (and not so much elsewhere), & so much...

This week on Krewe of Japan Podcast... the Krewe explores the Japanese language in a different way... by studying the Kansai Dialect with Japanese tutor Tyson of Nihongo Hongo! Learn new phrases & words while discovering the differences between standard Japanese & the Kansai Dialect. ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Societ...

This week on Krewe of Japan Podcast... discover the life and legacy of Jokichi Takamine and his lasting impact on the city of New Orleans with regards to New Orleans-Japan relations. Is he the first ever Japanese to visit New Orleans? What makes this man such a treasure? Find out these answers AND MORE right here with special guest Stephen Lyman of the Japan Distilled Podcast. ------ About the Kre...

This week on Krewe of Japan... The Krewe talks with former JET Program participant Rachel of Travel Bug Art to discuss how she taps into her surroundings in Kyoto, Japan for limitless inspiration for her art. Rachel specializes in sketching and watercolor of Japan’s historical and natural landscapes. As an artist and instructor, she shares tips that every aspiring artist (or anyone with interest i...

This week on Krewe of Japan Podcast... the Krewe sits back down with returning guest & friend of the podcast, Shinichi Mine of TabiEats YouTube fame!  Together, we explore one of Japanese most hyped and popular dish... RAMEN! From the different types and regional delicacies to etiquette and manners and recent trends, we cover it all! Bust out those chopsticks & soup spoons... ITADAKIMASU!  ------...

Ever wonder what goes into the daily routine of a professional sumo wrestler? What kind of toll do tournaments take on the body? Well you're in luck! The Krewe sits down with 3-time Grand Champion & 1st foreign-born sumotori to reach the rank of Ozeki... Konishiki Yasokichi. In a candid conversation, Konishiki shares his origin story and discusses the day-to-day regiment of sumotori, the tournamen...

It's nearly the halfway point in the season, and Editor Doug is currently in Japan for a couple weeks... so it's definitely a great time to announce our Mid-Season Break! But this episode is more than just that announcement; it's a full-blown preview with longer clips from the final 11 upcoming episodes of the season! Here's the line-up of what's to come: Life of a Pro Sumo Wrestler ft. 3-time Gra...

This week on Krewe of Japan Podcast... the Krewe sits down with Kasia Lynch of Ikigai Connections to talk about finding your ideal Japan-related job in your home country. How do you find these Japan jobs? What are some tips and tricks to polish up your resume to make you stand out above the rest of the candidate pool? Is Japanese proficiency REALLY required? All your answers RIGHT HERE, and so muc...

This week on Krewe of Japan... Jenn & Doug sit down with Chris Carlier of Mondo Mascots to explore the wide & wacky world of Japanese Mascots. Kumamon, Domo-Kun, Chiitan and so many others... Chris shares his expertise & passion for these lovable characters through stories about how they have evolved from marketing & branding tools to international sensations and cultural ambassadors, help drive t...

This week on Krewe of Japan... Jenn & Doug sit down with Rin of Mainichi Kimono to better understand the intricate world of kimono. Rin shares so much knowledge about the rich history and culture surrounding one of Japan's most distinguished fashions, including the types of kimono, etiquette & accessories, & the training is involved in becoming a kimono stylist... among so much more! You won't wan...

Super Hero Time! The Krewe talks tokusatsu from a couple different perspectives! First Doug chats with long time friend, avid listener of the podcast, and tokusatsu aficionado Chris Gooden to discuss his take on tokusatsu and its US counterparts. Then, Doug sits down one-on-one with a former Super Sentai to talk about what it was like acting in tokusatsu. Sotaro Yasuda is best known for his role i...

One of the biggest obstacles for Japanese language learners is trying to learn and master the written alphabets, specifically kanji. So many common questions come with learning kanji… What’s the right reading? Am I using the correct character? What does this kanji even mean? Well, in today’s episode, the Krewe sits down with Dr. James Heisig, author of the Remembering the Kanji book series, to dis...

The Krewe grabs an eki-ben and hops on a Shinkansen to explore the prefecture of Hiroshima with their special guest Joy Jarman-Walsh (who listeners may also know as JJ Walsh). Long-time Hiroshima resident, Joy co-founded GetHiroshima, founded Inbound Ambassador, and is the host of the Seek Sustainable Japan Podcast. She shares with the Krewe her depth of knowledge in all topics pertaining to what...

Pokémon: Krewetwo Strikes Back! In Part 2 of this 2-part episode, Jenn & Doug conclude their conversation with Daniel Dockery, the author of Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All. They revisit the world of Pokémon spin-off games, how Pokémon Go revitalized the brand, & talk about the most recent generation of Pokémon games, Scarlet & Violet. Then, Doug & Jenn catch up on...

Prepare for trouble, and make it double! Okay, okay the Krewe went and made it double... a DOUBLE DOSE of Pokémon content over the next 2 weeks! In Part 1 of this 2-part episode, Jenn & Doug sit down with Daniel Dockery, the author of Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All, to discuss the early days of Pokémania and how the franchise evolved with the world around it over t...

The Krewe is back! Season 4 is going to be bigger and better, debuting with a musical journey with the shamisen. Jenn & Doug took about a year getting this special guest onto the podcast, and they're thrilled to finally welcome Norm Nakamura of the YouTube channel Tokyo Lens to share his passion and love of shamisen with the world. Norm’s fascination for the shamisen went beyond admiring the sound...