Unpacking Japan - podcast cover

Unpacking Japan

Produced by ZenStudiounpacking.jp
Unpacking Japan explores Japanese arts, culture, and business through the lives of foreigners who have made this amazing country their home. While we’ve all seen vlogs and movies showing Japan from a pop culture perspective, Unpacking Japan tells the stories that get left by the wayside—the immigrants, the entrepreneurs, and the artists. Tune in every week for an authentic, inspiring conversation with someone who’s carved out their own, unique place in this beautiful country. Host: Tobias Bieker Production: A. Magdych Editing: L. Nicholas, J. Sketchley Social: J. Sketchley Design: M. Koga
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Episodes

How to keep a business alive for 100 years | Running a textile company in Japan

Meet Hani, president of Japanese textile company Debs Corporation, who shares his experiences as a 3rd generation immigrant running a family business in Japan. Follow Hani: https://debscorp.com/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in workin...

Apr 21, 20241 hr 4 min

FFXV animator explains what it's like to work with Japanese game studios

Meet David, a professional animator from Mexico, who shares his experiences coming to Japan and working on big franchises like Sonic, Mario, and Final Fantasy. Follow David: https://uchiu.net/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working ...

Apr 12, 20241 hr 1 min

Kaiseki explained: the traditional Japanese multi-course meal

Meet Nadja, a kaiseki chef living in Kyoto, who sits down with us to share her insights into Japanese cuisine and the traditional culinary world. Follow Nadja: https://www.instagram.com/natsu.kichi__ https://kaiseki-at-home.com/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about l...

Apr 05, 20241 hr 3 min

Being a lawyer is complicated. What about in Japan?

Meet Catherine, a New Zealand lawyer in Japan, who sits down with us to share her experiences with law firms and large international corporations, opening her own practice, and advising companies as a board member. Follow Catherine: https://www.catherineoconnelllaw.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan ...

Mar 29, 20241 hr 6 min

What life is like as a foreign journalist in Japan

Meet Phoebe, an experienced journalist and a food blogger, who sits down to talk to us about her challenges working as a reporter in Japan. Follow Phoebe: https://pheebzeatz.substack.com/ https://phoebeamoroso.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pheebzeatz/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebe-amoroso-00804975/ https://twitter.com/PhoebeAmoroso Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tikto...

Mar 22, 20241 hr 16 min

The struggles of making reaction content in Japan ft. Akasan

Meet Akasan, an American streamer and reaction YouTuber who's lived and worked in Japan for more than 12 years. He sits down with us to talk about his life, his content, and how Japanese view western media. Follow Akasan: https://youtube.com/akasan https://twitter.com/akasan https://www.twitch.tv/akasan_plays/ https://www.patreon.com/akasan Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.ti...

Mar 15, 20241 hr 12 min

What it's like being a musician for Japan's biggest theme park

Meet Oleg, a Ukrainian violinist who sits down to share his experiences as a performer at Universal Studios Japan, and his transition to freelance musician here. Follow Oleg: https://www.instagram.com/oleg_calleo_violin/ https://www.youtube.com/ @oleg_calleo_violin Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe ...

Mar 08, 202455 min

Tokyo Portfolio explains why Japanese housing is so cheap

Meet Alex, the man behind luxury real estate brand Tokyo Portfolio, who sits down to talk to us about renting apartments, buying abandoned properties, and everything you need to know about the housing market in Japan. Follow Alex: https://tokyoportfolio.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/TokyoPortfolio https://www.instagram.com/tokyoportfolio/ For more on Japanese akiya, check out our interview with Anton in Japan! https://youtu.be/hB55umiwRk0 Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpa...

Mar 01, 20241 hr 10 min

The best ways to save money in Japan ft. Greg from tokyocheapo ​

Meet Greg, co-founder and writer for Tokyo Cheapo, a site sharing the best-value deals in Japan, sits down to teach us about how to live and travel frugally. Greg shares the history of Tokyo Cheapo, as well as his new passion, cheap, abandoned houses that people buy and renovate, called Akiya. Follow Greg: https://tokyocheapo.com/ https://japancheapo.com/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan...

Feb 23, 20241 hr 3 min

What life is like as a priest in the Japanese mountains

Tim is a Yamabushi, or a mountain ascetic as he describes it in English. He was born in New Zealand and shortly after moving to Japan he was introduced to Yamabushi practices, after some time he became a Yamabushi himself. Join in our conversation with Tim and listen to his amazing story from teaching English to becoming a mountain ascetic in Yamagata. Follow Tim: https://timbunting.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@kiwiyamabushi Follow us on our social media: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158416 http...

Feb 16, 20241 hr 11 min

How urban farming could transform how we think about food in Japan

Meet Jon, a sustainability consultant living in Tokyo, who teaches us about using urban farming techniques to support greener, healthier and more efficient food production techniques. Follow Jon: https://japanurbanfarming.wordpress.com/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-depth discussions...

Feb 09, 20241 hr 8 min

How this Australian woman became one of Japan's most prolific consultants

Meet Melanie, an international consultant for some of the biggest brands in Japan, who sits down to share her unique life and career with us. Follow Melanie: https://twitter.com/melaniebrockjpn https://www.melaniebrockjapan.com/ https://www.celebratingwomenjapan.com/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscrib...

Feb 02, 20241 hr 5 min

What people don't understand about the Fukushima nuclear accident

Meet Jayne, a podcaster and long-term Fukushima resident from New Zealand, who sits down to talk about her podcast for foreign women in Japan, as well as share her first-hand experiences with the earthquake and nuclear disaster that happened 10 years ago. Follow Jayne: https://www.jaynenakata.com/ https://transformationswithjayne.captivate.fm/ https://www.jandalsinjapan.com/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x...

Jan 26, 20241 hr 8 min

What life is like running a voice acting studio in Japan

Meet Kimberly, an American voice actress living and working in Japan, who sits down to tell us about how she broke in to the industry and how it's changed since she started. Follow Kimberly: https://www.lilyprojapan.com/ https://twitter.com/lilyproJP Follow us on our social media: Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapans...

Jan 19, 20241 hr 13 min

Fitness researcher breaks down Japanese beauty standards

Meet Toshi, a Japanese-American medical and fitness researcher, who sits down to talk with us about exercise, genetics, and beauty standards in Japan vs the US. Follow Toshi: https://www.instagram.com/f_a_project Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! In...

Jan 12, 20241 hr 8 min

How to get investments and start a business in Japan

Meet Schyler, an American investment professional living in Tokyo, who teaches us about the investing climate and challenges of raising capital in Japan. Follow Schyler: https://linkedin.com/in/schylercole Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Intereste...

Jan 05, 20241 hr 9 min

What living in the Japanese countryside is REALLY like

Meet Martin, an American visual artist living a quiet rural life in Shizuoka prefecture, who sits down to talk to us about why he thinks that Japan is the most peaceful place on earth, even going so far as to call it a utopia. Follow Martin: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMartinShowJapan https://twitter.com/Gaijinotousan Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapa...

Dec 30, 20231 hr 11 min

Why Japan can't stop using so much plastic

Meet JJ Walsh, a sustainability consultant based in Hiroshima, who helps Japanese businesses develop sustainability-focused tourism and business marketing strategies. Check out JJ Walsh's links: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@JJWalsh https://www.x.com/jjwalsh https://www.instagram.com/inboundambassador https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjwalsh-inbound-ambassador/ https://patreon.com/jjwalsh https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jjwalsh Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://w...

Dec 22, 20231 hr 12 min

Why this Rockstar developer left to make games in Japan

Meet Liam, a British game developer, who shares his journey from working in the world's biggest game companies to starting his own studio in Kyoto, Japan. Follow Liam: https://twitter.com/LiamBME https://twitter.com/denkiworks https://www.denkiworks.games/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more ...

Dec 15, 20231 hr 11 min

What life is like as a performing magician in Japan

Meet Ben, a magician and escape room designer from London, who shares his experiences performing as a magician, and the differences in magic in Japan, China, and the West. Follow Ben: https://www.instagram.com/ben_daggers/ https://theimpossibleco.com/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-de...

Dec 08, 20231 hr 7 min

What life is like as a DJ in Japan

Meet Demsky, a DJ and producer from Canada, who shares his background in teaching math and chess strategy, and how that led to his life as an artist in Japan. Check out Demsky's links: https://www.instagram.com/demskymusic/ https://www.facebook.com/demskymusic https://demskymusic.com/ https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/demsky/1089505117 https://open.spotify.com/artist/72BCw9MyWpLW1PnFnA16AX Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japa...

Dec 01, 202352 min

What life is like as a rice farmer in the Japanese countryside

Meet Stinton, a rice farmer and hunter living in rural Japan, who sits down to teach us about traditional farming techniques and Japan's extremely strict gun laws. Follow Stinton: https://twitter.com/JohnsonStinton Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! ...

Nov 24, 20231 hr 20 min

Why Japan needs foreigners

Meet Rochelle, a cross-cultural consultant and activist in Japan, who sits down to talk to us about her work as a consultant and how she gained her passion for bridging cross-cultural divides. Follow Rochelle on her social media: https://www.change.org/Save_jingugaien_en https://youtu.be/DB2vaG_apKU?si=Mmmb8MHHI0bMeVzz https://japanintercultural.com/ https://japanintercultural.com/free-resources/e-book/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/...

Nov 17, 20231 hr 17 min

What being a Japanese politician is REALLY like

Meet Jon, an American-born Japanese politician, who sits down to talk about his daily challenges, how Japanese people see him, and his own journey of gaining citizenship and running for office as a foreigner in Japan. Check out Jon's articles: https://www.turning-japanese.info/2017/11/hashiru.html https://shingetsunewsagency.com/2023/03/20/life-lessons-from-a-naturalized-japanese-politician/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_ja...

Nov 10, 20231 hr 11 min

What life is like as an office artist in Japan

Meet Daniel, artist and mind behind TokyoDex, who teaches us about how art helps build connected spaces, and how he blends Japanese tradition with contemporary aesthetics. Follow Daniel on his social media: https://www.youtube.com/user/TokyoDex https://www.tokyodex.com/ https://www.instagram.com/danielhrosen/ https://www.facebook.com/TokyoDex/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www...

Nov 03, 20231 hr 10 min

What life is like as a traditional Japanese indigo farmer

Meet Sally, a farmer and artist working with the Japanese art of indigo, who teaches us about traditional farming and dying practices, as well as her life as a small business owner in the Japanese countryside. Follow Sally on her social media: https://www.instagram.com/aiaii.blue/ https://aiaii.blue/pages/en Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://...

Oct 27, 202341 min

Understanding the Japanese art of ikebana flower arrangement

Meet Daniel, an ikebana master and teacher, who shares with us the philosophy behind this traditional art, as well his personal view on the evolving role of Ikebana in modern Japan. Follow Daniel on his social media: https://www.instagram.com/Star.River.ikebana https://x.com/Omni_hug Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjap...

Oct 20, 20231 hr 3 min

Everything you need to know about podcasting in Japan ft. SmallTalkJapan ​

Everything you need to know about podcasting in Japan ft. SmallTalkJapan ​ Follow Mitch on his social media: https://youtube.com/@SmallTalkJapan https://www.instagram.com/mitch4pres/ Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a globa...

Oct 15, 20231 hr 13 min

What it's like to have kids in Japan ft. kemushichan

Meet Loretta, aka kemushichan, a YouTuber and mother in Japan, who shares her experiences with childbirth and child support in a foreign country. Follow Loretta on her social media: https://www.instagram.com/kemushijp/ https://www.youtube.com/@kemushichan Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for more i...

Oct 06, 20231 hr 22 min

How this American woman broke into Japan's traditionally male-dominated film industry

Meet Riki, a TV and movie director in Tokyo, who sits down with us to share her experiences in the Japanese film industry, and the difficulty of navigating a traditionally male-dominated field. Follow Riki on her social media: https://twitter.com/PaprikaGirl_JP Follow us on our social media: https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe for ...

Sep 29, 20231 hr 10 min
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