With Marie Kondo and those tidy soccer fans representing Japan overseas, you’d be forgiven for thinking that everything is spick and span at home. This week, Alex K.T. Martin looks at what form compulsive hoarding disorder takes in Japan and how it manifests when combined with other aspects of life here. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode: Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | Twitter Read more/Watch more: Deal with clutter while the choice to toss is still yours (Louis...
Jan 18, 2023•20 min•Ep. 143
For the final Deep Dive of the year, culture editor Alyssa I. Smith talks to culture critic Thu-Huong Ha about the books they read, the festivals they went to and how Japanese stories are currently capturing Hollywood’s attention. Hosted by Alyssa I. Smith and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode: Thu-Huong Ha: Articles | Twitter Read more/Watch more: Art came alive in the great outdoors in 2022 (Thu-Huong Ha, The Japan Times) Junko Takase’s Akutagawa Prize-winning novel is a feminist’s nig...
Dec 21, 2022•27 min•Ep. 142
With the United Nations Biodiversity Conference taking place in Montreal this week, we thought it would be a good opportunity to look at how Japan is handling issues involving biodiversity here. Environmental journalist Mara Budgen comes on the show to talk about the Japanese giant salamander, which has been designated a "special natural monument" under Japanese law but is still vulnerable to extinction. If you have pitches for our new section Our Planet, feel free to email us at environment@jap...
Dec 16, 2022•30 min•Ep. 141
Dec. 11 marked the 25th anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol, a landmark treaty that put the idea of global effort to save the planet on many national radars. To mark the event, The Japan Times has launched a new section, Our Planet, that will look at the climate crisis, Earth science and disaster management from a Japanese perspective. Two of the section’s editors, Joel Tansey and Chris Russell , join me on the show to discuss how the Kyoto Protocol is viewed now and how the city it’s named for ha...
Dec 14, 2022•21 min•Ep. 140
When former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot earlier this year, the incident shone a spotlight on the links his fellow Liberal Democratic Party members had with the controversial Unification Church. Kanako Takahara joins this week’s Deep Dive to discuss what’s behind a new bill regulating faith-driven donations, investigations into the church and whether these actions will be enough to save Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s job. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episod...
Dec 07, 2022•24 min•Ep. 139
Could drinking help the environment and rural communities? You might be surprised. Researchers in Japan have figured out how to make drinkable alcohol from wood, and the knock-on effects are much bigger than a hangover. This week, Alex K.T. Martin joins us to talk about the science — and sustainable process — behind the process that may bring cedar, oak and sakura to your next cocktail session. Hosted by Jason Jenkins and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode: Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | Tw...
Nov 30, 2022•25 min•Ep. 138
As news about Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter continues to emerge, we’ll talk to Elizabeth Beattie about how the social media platform’s Japan team has been affected. Are you thinking of jumping the Twitter ship? Well, tech reporter Daisuke Kikuchi later joins us to discuss what social media services are doing well in Japan before recapping some of the year’s big tech and tech-related stories. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez . On this episode: Elizabeth Beattie: Articles | Tw...
Nov 24, 2022•25 min•Ep. 137
The Samurai Blue are headed for Qatar to play in this year’s World Cup. This year also marks 20 years since Japan co-hosted the event with South Korea and a lot has happened in this country’s soccer scene since then. Sports writer Dan Orlowitz joins the show to catch us up on where Japan stands in the global soccer landscape, the controversies swirling around the host nation of Qatar, and how fandoms here interact with “the beautiful game.” Read More: Hajime Moriyasu announces Japan squad for Wo...
Nov 16, 2022•28 min•Ep. 136
Despite a recent spate of North Korean missile tests, Japan’s larger concerns have mainly focused on activities taking place to the south of the country — specifically, those involving China and Taiwan. This week on Deep Dive from The Japan Times we speak with senior staff writer Jesse Johnson about Japan’s new alliance with Australia, the recent increase in defense spending and, of course, North Korea. Afterward, staff writer Gabriel Dominguez discusses in more detail the recent Communist Party...
Nov 09, 2022•28 min•Ep. 135
If you’ve ever had to endure a Tokyo commute at rush hour, you may not get the sense that the Japanese are very happy. However, Japan Times senior staff writer Alex K.T. Martin has been keeping track of the mood of the nation, and he thinks the country could be a lot happier than we are usually led to believe. On this week’s Deep Dive he talks about his visit in the summer to Japan’s “happiest town,” and why exercise and a strong sense of community may have them living an extra 10 years healthie...
Nov 02, 2022•24 min•Ep. 134
Despite having played a major role entertaining Chinese citizens following the Cultural Revolution, Japanese musicians are finding it increasingly difficult to grab a toehold in the region thanks to government censors and somewhat militant netizens. This week, Japan Times contributing writer Patrick St. Michel joins the podcast to discuss notable moments in the two countries’ cultural exchanges, the intricacies of doing business in China and why Japanese music is having as tough of a time in the...
Oct 26, 2022•26 min•Ep. 133
Not since 1853, when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its borders to trade, has a reopening been so newsworthy. This time, instead of Black Ships, the country faced a trickle of tourists looking to hit up Kyoto and indulge in their pop culture obsessions. Ahead of the reopening on Oct. 11, the Japanese people asked themselves what to do if the new arrivals didn’t wear masks, would this event precede a new wave of COVID-19, and will long-dormant sectors of the economy finally get...
Oct 19, 2022•23 min•Ep. 132
Sports writers often dabble in hyperbole when describing athletes at the top of their game, but when it comes to Shohei Ohtani, the player they call “Shotime,” phrases like “once in a generation” and “the best baseball player ever” are written in earnest. Why all the hype? Because almost nobody has come close to achieving what he has since the 1920s. This week on Deep Dive, Jason Coskrey and Dave Cortez speak with host Jason Jenkins about what makes Ohtani both an exceptional athlete and likable...
Oct 12, 2022•25 min•Ep. 131
Our minds have been largely preoccupied with the COVID-19 pandemic the past couple of years, but that doesn’t mean the threats caused by the climate crisis have gone away. Still, sometimes it feels like environmental issues don’t loom as large in Japan as they do in other countries. Two of our guests on this episode of Deep Dive, Hanae Takahashi and Eric Margolis , currently cover climate issues for The Japan Times. They have spoken to Japan-based environmentalists about how the media in this co...
Oct 05, 2022•24 min•Ep. 130
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May 19, 2022•48 sec•Ep. 129
Over the past few months, Japan has been slowly easing its COVID-19 related border restrictions. In March, after almost two years, it started allowing in students, academics and business people. Then in April, parents and immediate relatives of foreign residents were allowed to enter the country. But the borders are still closed to tourists, a broad category of people that includes everyone from leisure travelers to the unmarried partners of residents of Japan. This week on Deep Dive, Kanako Tak...
May 12, 2022•23 min•Ep. 128
Since 2008, Japan’s population has been falling, and each year the amount it falls by grows larger and larger. In 2008, the country lost around 20,000 people. In 2010, 100,000, and by 2019, the figure stood at over half a million. The most recent data, released earlier this month, shows that in 2021, Japan lost more than 640,000 people. This week on Deep Dive Japan Times staff writer Alex Martin joins to discuss Japan’s declining population, and why one town in Saitama thinks it’s not all bad ne...
Apr 27, 2022•27 min•Ep. 127
Since the beginning of March, the value of the yen has plummeted against the dollar, the euro and the British pound. Bloomberg economy reporter Yuko Takeo joins Deep Dive to explain why. Read more: Yen falls to ¥129 against U.S. dollar, refreshing a 20-year low Amid deepening yen weakness, a mixed blessing sours for Japan Japan’s trade shifts mean a weak yen is likely here to stay Bank of Japan poised to predict strongest inflation in 30 years On this episode: Yuko Takeo: Twitter | Articles Osca...
Apr 20, 2022•28 min•Ep. 126
Demolition of the Nakagin Capsule Tower — an iconic representation of Japan’s metabolist architectural movement — officially kicked off on Tuesday, with fans of the building showing up to take a last glimpse before it is torn down. On this week's Deep Dive, Japan Times editor Chris Russell joins to discuss the story of Nakagin and why he thinks it has captivated so many people over the years. Read more: Demolition of Tokyo’s iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower officially begins Nakagin Capsule Tower: S...
Apr 14, 2022•32 min•Ep. 125
Two weeks ago, Japan's government issued its first ever electricity supply warning for Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures, calling on citizens to conserve power to avoid blackouts. Bloomberg energy reporter Shoko Oda joins Deep Dive to explain why that crisis was a decade in the making. Read more: Japan’s power crisis was a decade in making and won’t go away Japanese turn down heat and lights to avoid power cut after quake The future of energy will require citizens to make sacrifices. Just as...
Apr 06, 2022•32 min•Ep. 124
During the pandemic, women in Japan have been more likely to lose their jobs, face increased pressure at home and be victims of domestic violence. And data released earlier this month showed that in 2021 suicides increased among women for the second year running, whilst declining for men. Hanako Montgomery, a reporter for Vice World News in Japan, discusses Japan’s poor record on gender equality, why the pandemic has impacted women in particular, and what the country is trying to do about the ri...
Mar 30, 2022•32 min•Ep. 123
March 24th marks one month since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, starting a war that has forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their country. Kanako Takahara explains Japan's efforts to help these refugees, and why the government here isn't calling them by that name. Later in the episode, we hear the story of Maria, a 71-year-old Ukrainian woman who was reunited with her daughter Nataliia last Friday, after a six-day ordeal escaping from Ukraine to Japan. Read more: Tears, relief and the '...
Mar 23, 2022•29 min•Ep. 122
From India to the U.S., the pandemic has spurred millions of people to leave their jobs in search of more fulfilling, flexible roles, in what has been dubbed the Great Resignation. But so far at least, Japan’s workforce is charting a very different course, with fewer people than ever moving jobs. This week, senior staff writer Alex Martin joins to discuss the changing face of work in Japan, and why so few people seem inclined to switch roles. Read more: Is Japan on the brink of its own ‘Great Re...
Mar 16, 2022•26 min•Ep. 121
As Vladimir Putin's grim war in Ukraine escalates, The Economist's Tokyo bureau chief, Noah Sneider, joins to discuss the reasons for the conflict, the lengths to which Japan is supporting Ukraine, and how the war will redefine relationships between Japan and its northern neighbor, Russia. Read more: Noah's War in Translation project Japan resists pressure to follow Big Oil’s exit from Russia Japan accepts eight people displaced by Russian invasion of Ukraine Top Japanese and U.S. officials to m...
Mar 09, 2022•39 min•Ep. 120
Craig has spent large chunks of the past several years walking across Japan, completing months-long journeys along the country's historical walking routes, like the Tokaido, the Nakasendo and the Kumano Kodo. As he goes, he documents his experiences, sharing essays and photographs through his member-supported newsletters, and his books, Koya Bound and Kissa by Kissa. "Walking is everything." he says. And if you've got the time and the inclination to do it, it is the best way to come to know the ...
Mar 02, 2022•35 min•Ep. 119
Kanako Takahara, head of The Japan Times' domestic news team, joins Deep Dive to give us the details. Read more: It's official: Japan eases entry restrictions for foreign students, business travelers and other nontourists What you need to know about Japan's upcoming eased border restrictions Japan to shorten or drop quarantine requirements for most arrivals from March Japan’s entry ban leaves students and universities counting the cost Survey on how the travel ban has affected students Sponsor: ...
Feb 24, 2022•26 min•Ep. 118
Winifred Bird is the author of "Eating Wild Japan," a book that goes deep into the foraging culture of Japan and contains essays on foraging, a selection of recipes and a guide to forageable plants. In her essays, Winifred touches on rural culture and decline, the state of Japan's forests and coastal areas, and the food of the indigenous Ainu people. Winifred joins Deep Dive to discuss Japan's foraging culture, and the role wild foods play in modern society. Read more: Winifred's book, Eating Wi...
Feb 16, 2022•27 min•Ep. 117
Over the past 20 years, Japan has become known around the world as a dream destination for skiers and snowboarders. Yet the country has had an on-and-off love affair with snow sports. As domestic interest in skiing and snowboarding has waned, resorts have become increasingly reliant on international visitors. So when the pandemic hit, and Japan's borders were shut, many of them were plunged into crisis. Japan Times contributor Francesco Basetti joins Deep Dive to discuss the rise and fall of the...
Feb 09, 2022•34 min•Ep. 116
With omicron surging around the world, Japan Times sports reporter Dan Orlowitz tells us about the stringent measures put in place to allow these Games to take place, and how Japan is responding to the U.S. call for a diplomatic boycott of these Olympics. Later in the show, Dr. Madeleine Orr joins us to talk about how climate change is threatening the Winter Olympics, and why Beijing is so uniquely reliant on artificial snow. Read more: Absence of Yuzuru Hanyu fans at Beijing 2022 a relief for X...
Feb 02, 2022•35 min•Ep. 115
At the start of the year, AMC Networks — the U.S. company behind shows like “The Walking Dead” and “Breaking Bad” — acquired anime distributor Sentai, and with it the anime-streaming service Hidive. In August 2021, Sony bought the anime-streaming service Crunchyroll for almost $1.2 billion. And streaming giants such as Netflix and Disney have been pouring money into original anime programming over the past few years. Interest in anime around the world has never been higher. Behind the scenes, th...
Jan 26, 2022•33 min•Ep. 114
