DEEP IN JAPAN

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デジタル出島 - Digital Dejima

[Intro]

Yo, it’s your フェイバリット ポッドキャスト, Deep in Japan

D.I.J., マザファカー, J and Tray, the fam

Pipin’ 音質, pure, straight to your dome

Beats so タイト, got moms on the phone

Fresh rhythm, fresh vibes, ベーク・ポテト and chives

デジタル・デジマ, my にぎり, we keep it live! 

ヨー、ヨー、ヨー行こう！！！

[Verse 1]

Yin for Yang, I walk on the line

Between いなか slang and the ビジネス mind

Life’s a maze, filled with dollars and yen

Chasin’ riches in the steam, おんせん with friends

Sippin’ cold おちゃ in winter, shit’s タッフ

Droppin’ fly beats, even when it gets rough

But I stay steady, オリジナル and tight

No confusion between what’s リアル and ハイプ

Back in オレゴン, people lost in a haze

マイフアナ cyphers, エバグリーン blaze

にぎりず poppin’ through portals, claimin’ souls

Who’s really runnin’ The Eight Immortals?

Number 7 got me lost, lookin’ in the mirror

Nights and days collide in けむり and ビール

Everyone know they gotta change their ways

They want that 起死回生 but not today

[Refrain]

ディープにハマれ、このコンテンツ

みみでふれる、すべてがかんぺきなおんしつ

こころをうごかす、われらのディスカッション

にほんのしんずい、かんじるパッション

[Verse 2]

D.I.J. comin’ through, deep いなか vibes

Droppin’ melodies heavy, felony on the rise

Can I get a witness? Christmas in Japan,

Chicken and cake, my にぎり, that’s the plan

Fireworks light up, すわ in the sky,

Sparks in the air, don’t ask me why

Vibes get twisted, にぎりず actin’ trashy

But デジタル・でじま, always stayin’ classy

尊王攘夷 on the streets, sign of the times

Beats mixed with deep thoughts in the rhymes

Ex-pats trippin’, the scene’s gettin’ リアル

Immigration’s callin’, きょうせいそうかん’s for real

Knowledge is power, bring it to the masses

D.I.J. fixin’ up broken glasses

Strain on the brain from those left in the dust

But leave it to us, 自業自得, D.I.J. you trust

Deep in Japan, my にぎり, what more to discuss?

[Refrain]

ディープにハマれ、このコンテンツ

みみでふれる、すべてがかんぺきなおんしつ

こころをうごかす、われらのディスカッション

にほんのしんずい、かんじるパッション

[Outro]

From the West to the East, we unleash the beast

尊王攘夷 flow, risin' up from the belly of the beast

J and Tray droppin’ しんじつ on the mic

デジタルでじま, おんしつ for life

ピース…ピース

In this fun episode of Happy Times, Trevor realizes he’s a full-on “wota” (idol superfan) obsessed with AKB-48’s Mayuyu. Jeff and Trevor dive into otaku culture, exploring the “Top 10 Types of Otaku” and the quirky world of idols. Trevor hilariously shares how his simple life turned into a fandom frenzy, thanks to Tokyo’s marriage app, “Tokyo Futari Story.” Expect laughs, J-pop vs. K-pop talk, and a look at Trevor’s struggle with Korean Fire Syndrome (Hwa-Byung), all packed with Japanese pop culture madness!

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Deep in Japan Podcast is completely independent and crowd-funded. If you like what you hear, please consider becoming a patron at Patreon. Every bit helps keep this crazy ride going!

Got something to say? You can reach me at [email protected]

Thanks for listening! 

In this episode, I sit down with John, an Australian podcaster living in Nagoya and the host of the “Ohazassu” morning podcast. We delve into his experiences in Japan, fatherhood, and the journey of learning a new language and culture. John also opens up about his cancer diagnosis and treatment within the Japanese medical system. His story is inspiring and insightful and it was an absolute joy to have him on the show.
 
LINKS: 

• Ohazassu on X
• Ohazassu Podcastのポッドキャストシリーズ
• Japanalysis: The Story of Japan's Most Hated Woman
• Comedy Duo Nakagawa-ke: 中川家の寄席 005「となりのおっさん」
• The Singularity is Nearer
• 12 Bad Habits of the Brain

If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Deep in Japan is an independent, crowd-funded project, and every yen helps keep it alive and kicking!

• BGM/Outro: 2EVISBEATS - 夢の続き feat. 田我流
• Contact: [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in!

Send us a text

In the words of our boi Noah Oskow over Unseen Japan, "It’s been fourteen years since the release of Jake Adelstein’s seminal memoir Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan. Since then, the book has become the go-to popular non-fiction for those interested in the Japanese underworld. Tokyo Vice was still a mainstay in true crime sections at North American bookstores even before HBO began airing a fictionalized adaptation on their steaming platform, now known as Max; that series, with its premier episode directed by Michael Mann, has become a major hit, with a second season around the corner. So, what better time could there be for Jake to release the long-awaited sequel to Vice, The Last Yakuza?" 

And what better time could there be for a Jake Adelstein interview, amirite?

In this episode, Jeff and his lovely (but tired) wife, Miho, take listeners on peaceful walks through Nagano’s rice fields, joined by their Shiba Inu, Kako. As they stroll, they share heartfelt conversations about life, parenting, and their everyday experiences. With nature’s backdrop, each episode offers a soothing escape into the simple joys of family and life in Japan.

Like what you hear? Then, please support the show by becoming a patron at Patreon. Deep in Japan is completely independent and crowd-funded, and every yen helps keep the thing going. 

• BGM: 24☆7 (feat. Ryugo Ishida & TAEYO)
• Contact: [email protected]

Thanks for listening!

This interview was taken from my appearance on the Weekly Fascination show hosted by Tracy Greenwood, which you can watch here. Oh, and the cover art? Yeah, that’s definitely not the work of any fancy algorithms. Nope. Just a genuine, hand-drawn synthwave masterpiece of a “photo” of Tracy and me, in all our photorealistic glory. Absolutely no tech involved. None whatsoever. 

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Deep in Japan Podcast is completely independent and crowd-funded. If you like what you hear, please consider becoming a patron at Patreon. Every bit helps keep this crazy ride going!

• NOTE: The claim that “1/3 of hafu children become futoukou (不登校児, meaning ‘children who don’t go to school,’ which includes both dropouts and those who are homeschooled)” seems to be more of an anecdotal or social observation rather than a widely documented statistic in official reports. While various sources highlight the challenges hafu children face in Japan—such as bullying, struggles with identity, and social exclusion—there is no specific government report or academic study that confirms the 1/3 figure. I can’t recall the exact source of this information, but it’s important to note that my daughter, for example, is registered as a junior high school (JHS) student despite being homeschooled, as our local municipality doesn’t officially recognize homeschooling as an option.
• 30% to 40% of runway models in Japanese fashion shows now identify as hafu.
  Nurture shock: https://amzn.to/3yTQDMM (Tracy's Affiliate link)
• How to use で when ordering things by @kanamenaito
• Tracy's Outro

Got something to say? You can reach me at [email protected]

Thanks for listening!

A big “Sorry” to my 4 loyal listeners—please feel free to skip the long, one-hour rant at the beginning. I promise the music and AI talk afterward is worth sticking around for! 😅

SUPPORT THE SHOW! Deep in Japan Podcast is completely independent and crowd-funded. If you like what you hear, please consider becoming a patron at Patreon. Every bit helps keep this crazy ride going!

Got something to say? You can reach me at [email protected]

Thanks for listening! 

Once again, Trevor-kohai was lured into DIJ studios under the pretense of ‘a quick chat’ with 'free pizza and matcha' only to be mercilessly schooled in the ancient, highly classified art of podcasting—WW2 Japanese Secret Police-style. Picture it: 12 grueling hours of unrelenting waterboarding with Calpis (don’t worry, we used the fizzy kind for maximum effect) before he finally caved in and agreed to grace us with his presence for another round of HAPPY TIMES. And let me tell you, folks, the results are nothing short of miraculous. So buckle up, grab your spoons, and prepare yourself for a steaming hot serving of double cheese gyudon—served with a side of Trevor’s tears. Just the way you like it! 

Deep in Japan is an entirely listener-supported show. We don't have any sponsors or run advertisements, allowing us to remain independent. If you enjoy the show and want to support our work, please consider becoming a patron at Patreon.com/deepinjapan. Your contributions make this podcast possible.

LINKS:

• EASTA & NAOtheLAIZA - Straight Up feat. JAGGLA & NORIKIYO (outro)
• Doge Randoseru 
• Meaning of CHIGYU
• We visit the new all-you-can-eat KFC buffet restaurant in Tokyo
• Kyoto’s Tofukuji temple opens secret area above Sanmon Gate to the public
• Japanese randoseru backpacks for dogs are back【Photos】
• The Joker's Platform in the Tokyo gubbinatorial race ジョーカー議員・河合ゆうすけ氏が東京都知事選に出馬へ 記者会見
• The Japan Reporter: Japan's Anti-Tourist Sentiment | What's Really Behind It?

Got something to say? You can reach me at [email protected]

Thanks for listening.  

In this episode, we speak with Tracy Greenwood, lawyer and producer of the Weekly Fascination YouTube Channel and Podcast. If you want to learn more Tracy, check out the following:  

• Weekly Fascination on YouTube
• Weekly Fascination on Apple Podcasts
• Tracy on Instagram
• Tracy on X 

Links from the show:  

• Southern All Stars - 真夏の果実 (outro) 
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD): An Overview

The Deep in Japan Podcast is completely independent and crowd-funded, so if you like what you hear, please consider supporting the show. 

Got something to say? You can reach me at [email protected]

Thanks for listening! 

In this captivating episode, we sit down with Lawrence Repeta, a distinguished lawyer, business executive, and law professor who served in Japan and the United States. Lawrence discusses his recently published book, Japan's Prisoners of Conscience, which provides a gripping account of the criminal prosecution of three peaceful protestors in Japan during the Iraq War. Based on meticulous interviews with defendants, lawyers, and eyewitnesses, Lawrence's book delves into the harrowing details of the arrests and trials of these protestors, examining the larger issues raised by the case. 

• Japan's Prisoners of Conscience: Repeta, Lawrence (US Amazon) 
• Japan's Prisoners of Conscience: Protest and Law During ... (Japan Amazon) 
• Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media ‎- Breeze (1975) (Outro) 

The Deep in Japan Podcast is completely independent and crowd-funded, so if you like what you hear, please consider supporting the show. 

Got something to say? You can reach me at [email protected]

Thanks for listening!