Tokyo Podcast

Ruth is the first western woman to hold a Japanese real estate license and has spent the past 20 years working in and with Japanese companies. She has recently combined her knowledge of Japanese business with her love for Japan to producer her first book titled 日本人が世界に誇れる３３のこと and is available in book stores throughout Japan.

When Japan surrendered to the United Stated in 1945 marking the end of WW2 numerous swords were taken from Japanese soldiers and given to American officers stationed in the Pacific.  The film Forgive - Don't Forget  (わすれずにゆるす)   follows the journey of one particular sword and attempts to examine the theme of forgiveness and it related to the dynamic between Japan and America since the end of WW2.

On this episode of Tokyo Podcast Anthony talks to Reverent Takafumi Kawakami who is a Zen Buddhist Priest in Kyoto. We discuss the practise of meditation and how it can be used as an effective stress management tool. We also talk about the role that Buddhism plays in modern day Japan and the work that Reverend Takafumi is doing to revitalize his temple as a centre for learning in his community. 

On today's show Anthony talks to Amy Chavez who is a long time resident of Japan and a columnist for the Japan Times and Huffington Post. Her column 'Japan Lite' has been published since 1997 and take a humorous look at the differences between Western and Japanese cultures. 

One of the most iconic images of Japan is that of the gleaming white bullet train passing in front of Mount Fuji. The shinkansen as it's known in Japan is a marvel of technology and engineering and despite it's international reputation for speed and safety not much is known about what makes it work so well.

We are also joined by popular YouTube creator Hikosaemon who has many excellent videos about living in Japan. On this show Hiko talks to Anthony about what it means to be a foreigner in Japan, a Japanese in Japan and the ultimate question of can a foreigner ever be accepted into Japanese society. 

The devastating earthquake in Japan and the subsequent tsunami carried millions of personal belongings of out to sea. These belongings are now starting to wash ashore along the coast of North America. By leveraging the power of Facebook and CloverPoint’s MapSocial, we hope to return these lost items to the families that they belong to.

Imagine a world where video games reign supreme. Five story buildings filled with arcade cabinets, old and new, inundate the streets of downtown Tokyo. Welcome to Japan. A place where the arcades of the 80s and 90s not only still exist, but thrive and have evolved into an elaborate, unmatchable gaming experience. 

On this show Anthony looks back at his time in Japan and talks about some of the challenges he faced in getting set up here. We also talk to Fab from Get to Japan about the services they offer in helping people make the transition to life in Japan. 

On March 11, 2011 a powerful magnitude 9 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan. The earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that killed over 15,000 people and destroyed over 125,000 homes and buildings. On this show I bring you four stories of survival and recovery from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

In a recent survey the New York Times found that Japan ranked 90th in the world and dead last among industrialized nations for happiness and less economically developed countries such as Bangladesh ranked much higher. My guest today is film maker Eiji Han Shimizu who's new film 'Happy' attempts to find the answer to the age old question of, what makes people happy?

We continue our Japanese Language Series with Alex Brooke who is the host of the Learn Japanese Podcast. His podcast is recorded with native Japanese speakers who teach useful everyday conversational Japanese.

With a history that dates back hundreds of years and a business empire that stretches into many areas of modern Japan, the Yakuza are a feared and respected part of Japanese society. On this episode of Tokyo Podcast we talk to Belgian photographer Anton Kusters who spent two years photographing the Japanese Yakuza and has produced a fascinating photo book detailing his journey into the heart of the Japanese criminal world.

One of the most commonly asked questions that we here at Tokyo Podcast get is what is dating like in Japan? Is it the same as dating in a Western country? Are Japanese girls shy? Do Japanese guys flirt?  Intercultural dating is always fraught with challenges and dating in Japan is no exception. To guide us through this dating minefield we have Melissa Feineman who wrote the 'Let's Date' column for the Japanzine magazine. 

On March 10, 2011 Sachiko Takao set out on adventure bike tour to experience the wonderful foods that are available in Japan. Starting in Okinawa, Sachiko cycled the 2280 KM over 6 months to the northern tip of Japan in Hokkaido. Along the way she sampled many delicious foods, photographed the amazing scenery and met many friendly and curious people.