Just a quick announcement to let you know there will be no new episode of the podcast this week, but have no fear, we'll be back with a new one next week! Until then, check out the home of the podcast at justjapanstuff.com for blog posts and fun stuff about Japan. Also check out our Etsy shop: "Luck of Japan" Shownotes/blog: http://justjapanstuff.com Twitter: @jlandkev Etsy: "Luck of Japan"
100 EPISODES!!!!! Thank You Everyone! In Episode 100 - Part 2 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea shares the stories of past guests about their experiences when they first came to Japan. This celebratory episode (Part 2) features some amazing and entertaining stories from past guests as well as Kevin! What's it really like when you move to a country far away from home with a vastly different culture? Find out! These tales were accidentally ommited from Episode 100 so here they are in Ep...
100 EPISODES!!!!! Thank You Everyone! In Episode 100 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea shares the stories of past guests about their experiences when they first came to Japan. This celebratory episode features some amazing and entertaining stories from 15 past guests as well as Kevin! What's it really like when you move to a country far away from home with a vastly different culture? Find out! Kevin also gives out special thanks (100 episodes), podcast goals for 2016 and rambles on ab...
In Episode 99 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with returning guest Kathryn Spoor about her new Japan-related project! The JQNA podcast is a season-based podcast that tackles different issues about life in Japan, but in a non-standard manner. Kathryn doesn't have a cohost or interview people live. She has a group of people from varying backgrounds discuss some pretty different topics about life in Japan. Each week you can hear a wide variety of experiences and thoughts on life ...
In Episode 98 of the podcast, host Kevin O'Shea talks to James Winovich, the host of the ALT Insider Podcast and the person behind altinsider.com. James has been in Japan for several years and developed a resource website and podcast dedicated to helping those working in Japan as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs). He offers a wealth of knowledge and advice geared towards making people better and happier teachers! Recently the ALT Insider Podcast has branched away from teaching as a topic alone ...
The Just Japan Podcast has a new website! Go check it out. Make sure you bookmark it and share it on your social media: http://justjapanstuff.com/
In Episode 97 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea talks to Adam Shaw (SakanaJin on YouTube) about studying Japanese and life in Japan. Adam studied Japanese in the U.K. for a year before coming to Japan 4 years ago. Since then he has studied Japanese and is working towards his JLPT (Japan Language Proficiency Test) Level 1. They chat about the importance of learning Japanese, what type of studying has worked for Adam as well as using language to learn about Japanese culture. Shownotes/W...
In Episode 96 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea speaks with Anthony Joh about finding work in Japan. Anthony is the editor of the GaijinPot website. GaijinPot has the biggest English-language job board in Japan and is an important place to visit if looking for work in a variety of industires in Japan. GaijinPot is also known for its blog that shares information about culture and life in Japan. Kevin and Anthony talk about jobs available for foreigners in Japan, qualifications as well ...
In Episode 95 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with Jay Dee Archer. Jay Dee is a Canadian who has been living and working in Japan for more than 10 years. Jay Dee and his family have decided that it is time for them to make the move back to his home in Canada. Some expats choose to stay in Japan premanently, but most eventually transition back to their own countries after living and working in Japan. This can be challenging for most people, but it becomes far more complicated w...
In Episode 94 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea talks about New Year's traditions in Japan. New Years is the most important holiday of the year for Japanese people. Kevin talks about some traditions such as ringing in the New Year with 108 bells, the O-Sechi meal, special money for children, New Year's cleaning, mochi, soba noodles on New Year's Eve and the first visit to the shrine on January 1st. Kevin also talks about the famous NHK New Year's music television show Kohaku Uta Gasse...
In Episode 93 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with returning panelists Hikosaemon and Jenny Silver about living in Tokyo, Japan's largest city. Life in Tokyo is certainly different than in other parts of Japan. It's bigger, more crowded, maybe more expensive, but it's also more exciting and has more ammenities than other parts of the country. Kevin chats with two people who have a lot of experience living in Tokyo and enjoying the city to the fullest! There are many good reaso...
In Episode 92 of the Just Japan Podcast there's a party! A Christmas Party! Guests Steve Miller of the Asia News Weekly Podcast, Mully of the Mully's Place Podcast and Kathryn and Russ of the Kitty Does Japan YouTube channel join the podcast for the 2nd annual Christmas Party Podcast! Learn about Christmas in Japan and Korea. How do people celebrate the occasion? What do they eat and what do they do? The guests share fun stories about the Holiday Season in Japan and South Korea as well as their ...
In Episode 91 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea speaks with returning panelists Brian Waters and Jim Mullins about being foreigners in Japan married to Japanese women. How do cutlural differences between make international marriages more challenging? What do the parents of a Japanese woman think about her marrying a foreign man? This week's guests share their tories and some of their insights into international marriages in Japan from the perspective of North American men. Shownotes/W...
In Episode 90 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea speaks with two long term expats in Japan about teaching adults English. Returning guests Liam Carrigan and Kenny Hanna stop by to talk about the adult English language industry in Japan. How challenging is it to find jobs in this branch of the ESL market? How does it differ from teaching children? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Kenny, Liam and Kevin also share their experiences teaching adults not only in Japan, but South Ko...
In Episode 89 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with Andrew Higgins about Gundam. Andrew tells us about the iconic Japanese animation series. What is Gundam? How popular is it here in Japan as well as abroad? Andrew also talks about building Gundam model kits as the giant life-sized Gundam mech at the Gundam Museum in Tokyo. This week's episode also features the Just Japan Podcast "mail-bag section" where Kevin and Andrew answer some listener questions about Star Wars in Japan a...
In Episode 88 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with kendama player Ryan Cabal "rysofunny" on Instagram about the traditional Japanese trick toy, the kendama. Ryan is an American living in South Korea and a kendama enthusiast. He talks about his background as a kendama player, his frequesnt trips to Japan to participate in events as well as the kendama community in Japan, Korea and around the world. In this episode of the podcast we learn that the kendama is certainly one cool t...
In Episode 87 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with returning guest Grace Mineta. Also known as a Texan in Tokyo on YouTube, Grace is an accomplished cartoonist, blogger and jvlogger (Japan YouTuber). Grace talks about her origins as a cartoonist, the cartoons she draws here in Japan and how she has published her work over the years. Grace talks about her web published work as well as how she was able to publish her cartoons in paperback form. In this episode you'll hear an ins...
Episode 86 of the Just Japan Podcast is all about Halloween. Kevin talks a little bit about the evolution of the Halloween celebration in Japan and we get to hear some spooky tales by "Brother Grimm" Eric Drummond. Eric is a mentalist, performer and parapsycologist based out of Japan. Happy Halloween to all of the amazing Just Japan Podcast listeners out there! "Luck of Japan" Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LuckofJapan Shownotes/Website: http://busankevin.com RSS Feed: http://justjapan.lib...
In Episode 85 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea talks with Japan-based writer Baye McNeil. A returning guest, Baye is a Japan Times columnist and author of " Hi! My Name is Loco and I am a Racist" and "Loco in Yokohama." Baye talks about making the transition from blogger to novelist as well as self-publishing and promoting your written work. How do you get your book out there and how do you build an audience? Baye also talks about the Japan Writer's Coference. He will be conducting a...
In Episode 84 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with two long-term expats living in Japan. Pee Jay and Scott join the podcast to talk about Fall in Japan. They chat about the seasonal changes, fashion, seasonal food and beverages, momiji as well as Halloween. They also answer listener questions in the "Mail Bag" portion of the show. Do Japanese people like sweets as much as Westerners? Is it acceptable to consume alcohol in public? The two winners of the Just Japan Podcast/napaJ...
In Episode 83 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with Jason from napanjapan.com about Japanese snacks. Japan is known for its amazing selection of wonderful and sometimes strange snack foods and flavors. Tomato sauce and spaghetti ice cream, sweet bean Pepsi and Eggs Benedict potato chips...all realities in Japan! No one knows more about snacks in Japan than Jason, a Canadian based out of Hokkaido who provides snacks to people all around the world via his online store, NapaJapan....
In Episode 82 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with Canadian expat Patrick Kwan about playing ice hockey in Japan. Patrick started playing hockey at the age of 6 in Victoria, British Columbia. When he moved to Japan several years ago as a member of the JET Program he made sure to bring his hockey bag filled with equipment with him. He has been playing ice hockey here ever since. He currently plays with 2 teams in the Kansai area. Have you ever thought about playing hockey in Ja...
In Episode 81 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea talks to a panel of Japan-based podcasters about "Everything Japan"! Returning guests and friends of the show sit down to chat about a variety of topics. Kat and Jenny from he Kimochi Uncensored Podcast as well as Jim and Tomoko from the Mully's Place Podcast answer Just Japan Podcast listener questions in an epic "Podcaster Party!" A wealth of Japan knowledge coming your way this week. Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LuckofJapan Sh...
In Episode 80 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea talks to Benjamin Falck, Chris Hainge and Paul Speed of the Kyoto Brewing Company. Find out how one of Japan's newest craft breweries got started as well as about the craft beer scene in Japan. Once upon a time beer fans in Japan were limited to rather bland options produced by major breweries, but luckily that is changing. Ben, Chris and Paul talk about how they met years ago in Aomori Prefecture while working as teachers and how they h...
In Episode 79 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea speaks with a panel of returning guests about their views on Japan. Hikosaemon of YouTube fame, video blogger KansaiPj as well as writer, Liam Carriagan chat with Kevin about a variety of topics generated by the Just Japan Podcast listeners. Is it true that typical Japanese salarymen don't have time for their familes? How does health care in Japan compare to other countries'? Have we thought about retiring in Japan? Do police in Japan pr...
In Episode 78 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea talks to Percival Constantine, an American living in Japan about being a Wedding Celebrant. Sometimes refered to as "fake priests", there are companies in Japan that hire "Western looking" men to act as mock priests at weddings for Japanese couples. This is a trend that is becoming more popular in recent years in Japan. Have that "foreign themed wedding" right here in Japan! Percival also talks about his previous experience as a member o...
In Episode 77 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea chats with David Staggs. David, a cohost of the Mully's Place Podcast is a long-term American expat who lives and works in Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. David came to Japan more than 20 years ago and worked as an eikaiwa (language school) teacher. David's career in English Education has now evolved an he not only runs his own school, but writes a series of ESL textbooks for a publishing country. When not running his school, being a famil...
In this special bonus episode of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin flies solo. In Episode 76, he talks about summer in Japan. What do people do to beat the heat during the long and humid Japanese summer? Kevin answers some listener questions about Japan during the hot season and talks about some of the positive aspects of summer such as fireworks, summer festivals, yukatas and more. Shownotes/Website: http://busankevin.com RSS Feed: http://justjapan.libsyn.com/rss Twitter: http://twitter.com/jl...
In Episode 75 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea talks to Jonathan Cooper, an Australian living and working in Japan. Jonathan is an avid salt water fisherman and sea kayaker. He talks about how you can get started fishing in Japan as well as his own fishing and kayaking adventures. Jonathan has lived in several parts of Japan and now spends most of his time fishing around the islands off the coast of Hiroshima. If you are interested in the outdoors and a more relaxed lifestyle in Japa...
In Episode 74 of the Just Japan Podcast, host Kevin O'Shea talks to Robby Jones, an American living and working in Japan about Judo. Robby began training in America while in universiaty and continued his Judo training in Chiba and Iwate here in Japan. He talks about the culture surrounding Judo in Japan as well as the differences one can expect between training in America versus training in Japan. Also in this episode, the Just Japan Podcast "mailbag" returns! Kevin answers listener questions ab...
