Unpacking Japan

Meet Tiffany, an LGBTQ+ consultant & speaker, who sits down to talk with us about her life in Japan as a trans woman from the 90s to today. She tells us about her own experiences, her work in a cabaret bar, and her work as an activist and documentary filmmaker today. Follow Tiffany: https://www.tiffanyrossdale.com/https://www.instagram.com/tiffanyrossdaleofficial/https://x.com/DJTokyoHottiehtt...

Meet Hiroko, an author and translator who sits down to talk to us about Japan's unique spirituality. She tells us about shinto, buddhism, and how the ubiquity of temples and jinja in Japan affects how even Japanese people perceive their own spirituality. Follow Hiroko: https://www.hirokoyoda.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hi_yoda_1/ https://x.com/Ninetail_foxQ Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/ht...

Meet Kathy, an economist who coined the term "womenomics" back in 1999. Kathy sits down to talk to us about her career as an economist, her work in promoting womenomics, and her women-focused investment philosophy. Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@u...

Meet Igor, an author and Japanese media scholar from Ambis University in Prague, who sits down to talk to us about Japan's history of media scandals. He talks about the social psychology behind scapegoating, the public desire for retribution, and how society's elites can play the game to their own advantage. Follow Igor: https://www.instagram.com/igorprusa/ https://x.com/PrusaIgor Follow us:https:...

Meet Hana, a Japanese-American race car driver, who sits down to talk with us about her life and career. She tells us about her journey into the racing world, cultural differences between Japan and the West, and what it takes to be a Japanese race car driver. Follow Hana:https://www.youtube.com/@hanaburtonhttps://www.instagram.com/hanubuu_https://x.com/hanubuuFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https:/...

Meet Alan, owner of Kyojin stewhouse in Shimane, who sits down to talk to us about the challenges of running a restaurant in Japan, and why he pivoted his business to shipping quality frozen food across the country. Follow Alan: https://www.kyojin-company.com/ https://www.instagram.com/alan.kyojin.stewhouse/ ⁨http://www.youtube.com/@kyojinstewhouse https://www.facebook.com/kyojinStewhouse/Follow u...

Meet Tony, an entrepreneur and travel consultant who sits down to talk to us about his work helping promote tourism in rural Japanese towns. He sits down to talk to us about marketing strategies, complications of overtourism, and his own journey to and from Japan. Follow Tony: https://yamatrips.com/https://www.instagram.com/yamatrips/Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacki...

Meet Victoria, a local ambassador for Bizen, Okayama, who sits down to talk to us about her work promoting tourism for a small Japanese town. She talks about her time on the Rural Revitalization Program, her transition to independent business owner, and how she found her place as a foreigner in rural Japan.--Follow Victoria:https://www.instagram.com/letsvisitbizen_okayama/https://www.tiktok.com/@h...

Meet Kinshasa, an American ballroom commentator, who sits down to talk to us about how underground black queer culture ended up in Tokyo. Kinshasa tells us about the history and importance of ballroom culture, how queer Japanese women brought it over to Japan, and how it evolved to be what it is today. --Follow Kinshasa:https://www.instagram.com/kinshasa_basquiatFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/http...

In this episode of Unpacking Japan, we meet Julien, a talented French pastry chef who turned his childhood passion for sweets into a thriving patisserie in Tokyo. From growing up in France to navigating the challenges of running a pastry shop in Japan, Julien shares his journey through culinary school, working in Michelin-starred kitchens, and adapting French techniques to Japanese tastes. Follow...

In this episode, we chat with Timothy an American entrepreneur and marketing expert who has spent over 30 years living and working in Japan. Timothy shares his journey from arriving with little more than a backpack to building a career in the Japanese business world, including launching his own branding agency. He offers candid insights into Japanese work culture, how trust and relationships shape...

Meet Emily, a documentary filmmaker working in Japan's rural revitalization program. Emily sits down to talk with us about moving to Japan and coming to terms with her Zainichi Japanese roots, what the quiet life in a Japanese mountain village is like, and her passion for foraging wild vegetables. A reminder from Emily: don't eat anything you haven’t positively identified and always forage...

Meet Paul Martin, one of the world's leading Japanese sword experts, who sits down to talk to us about the make and history of Japanese swords, regulations around ownership, and what we can do about Japan's disappearing art of swordmaking. Follow Paul:https://www.thejapanesesword.com/  @Paul_Martin_The_Japanese_Sword  https://www.facebook.com/The. Japanese. Sword/https://www.instagram.com/...

Today we speak with Andrew, an American who became a foster and adoptive parent in Japan. He opens up about the challenges of navigating Japan’s child welfare system, cultural differences in parenting, and what inspired him to open his home to children in need. Andrew shares his personal journey, misconceptions people often have about adoption in Japan, and how he’s working to change the narrative...

In this episode of Unpacking Japan, we chat with the quick-witted half Japanese half American comedian Yurié Collins aka @babypinkhaus! Yurié opens up about her experiences growing up biracial in Japan and the US, her journey into stand-up comedy, and the cultural challenges and humor she navigates between both countries. From awkward family moments to hilarious audience interactions, this is an h...

Meet Emirichu, a popular artist and content creator known for her storytelling, animations, and deeply personal yet humorous content. From her unexpected start as a teacher to moving across the world, Emirichu opens up about adapting to life in Japan and how her art and voice have changed along the way. We also explore her anime influences, her love of fan culture, and what being an artist means t...

On today's episode we talk to James, a video game music composer, to talk all about his musical journey and how it lead him to composing music for games and anime in Japan. We go over what it's like working as a western composer in Japan, joining a big company vs being independent, what makes a good song, and all the things a composer thinks about when creating music for video games. Follo...

In this episode of Unpacking Japan, we sit down with Chris Pellegrini, a leading expert on shochu and awamori, and the founder of Honest Drinks. Chris shares his journey from Vermont to Japan, how he fell in love with Japan’s traditional distilled spirits, and why shochu deserves more recognition globally. Follow Christopher: https://honkakuspirits.com/ https://www.instagram.com/christopherpellegr...

Today we talk to Tristan, a historian and professor based in Nagoya, Japan. Tristan specializes in the history of Japanese urban development and infrastructure, and shares fascinating insights into how and why Tokyo is built the way it is. From Edo-era planning to post-war reconstruction and subway development, we explore how history has shaped the Tokyo we know today. Follow Tristan: https://x.co...

In this episode of Unpacking Japan, we sit down with Malachi, a stadium MC born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan, who shares what it was like growing up as a foreign-looking local in Japan. Malachi talks about finding his identity, navigating life in Japan, and how he eventually ended up as an MC at major sporting events across the country. We also dive into his experience on The Bachelorette Japan,...

Today we talk to Kanchan, a Nepalese entrepreneur in Tokyo who runs both a restaurant and a fashion brand. From humble beginnings to creating a community hub, Adi shares what it was like building a business in Japan, blending Indian-Nepalese culture with Japanese customer expectations, and how his restaurant grew into something much bigger than just a place to eat. Follow Kanchan: httpes://www.jiu...

Today we talk to Greg Irwin, a voice actor, singer, and wedding MC living in Japan. Greg shares what it’s like to hear your own voice all over Japan—from train stations and commercials to iconic roles like Street Fighter. We also dive into the experience of voicing characters that become part of people’s childhoods, his journey into Japanese voice acting, and the cultural quirks of working in Japa...

Today we talk with Matt Alt, a writer, translator, and long time resident of Japan who you may recognize from appearances on Japanology. Matt shares how his childhood fascination with Japan shaped his life and career, and reflects on cultural changes, soft power, and the evolving image of Japan around the world. Follow Matt: httpes://www.mattalt.com https://www.instagram.com/altmattalt https://www...

Today we talk to Jenn, a professional mahjong player and content creator based in Japan. She shares her journey into the world of Japanese mahjong, what sets it apart from other styles, and what it's like to be part of a male-dominated gaming industry in Japan. From the cultural nuances of the game to building a career around a passion, Jenn breaks down the tiles and the taboos in this insight...

Today we talk to Serges, a multi-business entrepreneur based in Japan. He shares his journey from Africa to Japan, and how he founded companies like Dove Innovations and Japan Connect , which bridges Japanese and international businesses through strategic partnerships. We dive into the cultural differences in business practices between Africa and Japan, entrepreneurship as a foreigner, and buildin...