This is Bento Bureau Podcast, a podcast about Japan from an international perspective with a side dish of sociopolitical discussion.

Here, our ecstatic host and cohosts provide a detailed, but charming introduction of themselves along with the incredible journey of how they ended up living in Japan of all places! In today episode, we discuss the reasons why people from all over the world (including us) are coming to Japan.

For full show note, go to: http://bentobureau.com/podcast/ep1

In today's episode, we sit down with our guest, Professor Gregory Noble from the University of Tokyo, to learn more about Japanese Politics in a comparative perspective. We will have a look at how the system evolved since the second World War, how does it operate, and what is unique about it.

In today's episode, we sit down with Justin Aukema, Ph.D. candidate from Sophia University, to discuss Japan's modern history. Not the kind of history that we know of, but a different kind of history; a history that is buried underneath the bustling tourist sites of the island nation, marginalized from the discourse of Japanese post-war history.

In today's episode, we talk to members of Amnesty International Japan, Marian Hara and Chris Pitts, about the organization's role in promoting and defending human

rights all over the world. Discussions include:

- Backgrounds of Amnesty members, Chris Pitts and Marian Hara.

- The key issues Amnesty tackles in Japan.

- How Amnesty promotes its message of human rights.

- Upcoming public Amnesty events.

- How you can get involved.

We sit down with Greico Kelly and Cordell Rankin, two former American servicemen in Japan, to discuss their personal experiences working for the US military in Japan, and their experiences living in the country during and after their military career.

Homeless- the word contains more implications than just not having a roof over one’s head. Who are the homeless people in Japan? Professor Tom Gill, a social anthropologist from Meiji Gakuin University, has spent decades studying Japanese homelessness and day laborers, and in today's episode, we sit down with him to discuss his previous work Failed Manhood on the Streets of Urban Japan: The Meanings of Self-Reliance for Homeless Men to learn more about the issues of Japanese homelessness and masculinity.

Model United Nations (MUN) is an intellectual activity where students come together to create a simulation of the United Nations and put themselves into the shoes of the delegates of different countries in order to address various issues around the globe. In today's episode, we sit down with our member Ichi and discuss his experience with MUN. Ichi is a member of Tokyo International University's MUN club, and he recently represented the university in the All Japan Model United Nation in Tokyo. How to join an MUN? How does the MUN work? What activities can you expect in an MUN session? This and more will be answered by Ichi.

We discuss our top three moments during the 2016 of Bento Bureau and the future of our podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Prof. Gregory Noble from the University of Tokyo to discuss post-war Japanese Politics

How do you define a Japanese identity? Who can be considered Japanese? With our guests, Akili and Jessica, we attempt to answer these questions and try to understand Japan from their perspectives.