DEEP IN JAPAN

In this episode, we are happy to welcome back Roger Pulvers to delve deeper into his writings: specifically, The Unmaking of an American, Star Sand, The Dream of Lafcadio Hearn, and LIV.

Roger Pulvers is an American-born Australian playwright, novelist, film director, theater director, and translator who has lived the better part of 50 years in Japan. Throughout his long and prolific career, he has published more than 50 books in Japanese and English, and was assistant to the director of the film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.”

He has translated works from Russian, Polish, and Japanese, among them Gogol's "The Government Inspector," plays by Stanislaw Witkiewicz, the poetry of Miyazawa Kenji and Ishikawa Takuboku, and novels by Inoue Hisashi. His latest novels are “Liv” and "The Dream of Lafcadio Hearn," both published by Balestier Press. He wrote the screenplay for and directed the film "Star Sand" based on his novel of the same name. The film was released widely around Japan in 2017.

The Deep in Japan Podcast is completely independent and crowd-funded. And by that, I mean we are broke, impecunious, poor. Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron on our Patreon page.

The outro was The intro was つれづれなるままに  Tsurezure Naru Mama ni off the 1974 folk album  Out Of Mind [アウト・オブ・マインド]  by Ryo Kagawa. The intro was my original mashup of Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) anime sound bites with “Dubstep" from BenSound.

Got something to say? You can find me at the following: 

• www.facebook.com/groups/deepinjapan/ 
• [email protected]

As always, thanks for listening!

Katsura Sunshine (桂 三輝, Katsura Sanshain) is a Canadian traditional Japanese rakugo comic storyteller, theatre producer, and television personality, currently performing traditional Japanese rakugo on Broadway. To learn more about Katsura Sunshine, check out the following:

• Katsura Sunshine on Broadway
• Katsura Sunshine on YouTube
• Katsura Sunshine on Facebook
• Katsura Sunshine on Twitter

Deep in Japan is completely independent and crowd-funded, so if you like what you hear, please give a thought to supporting the show.

MUSIC: The intro was my original mashup of Fist of the North Star, a few anime sound bites, some kabuki, a cheap recording of my son’s Buzz Lightyear toy, and “Dubstep" from BenSound.

The outro was "japanese [sic] jazz when driving on a warm night" taken from tardiobscurus_jp.

Got something to say? You can find me at the following:

• www.facebook.com/groups/deepinjapan/ 
• [email protected]

As always, thanks for listening!

Amy Chavez has been a columnist for The Bali Times, HuffPo, and The Japan Times (the latter 23 years). She founded Books on Asia in May 2018. Her articles have been published in newspapers and magazines around the world including Japan, the UK, the US, Canada, Taiwan, Indonesia, and New Zealand. She lives in Japan. Her latest book is The Widow, The Priest and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island available at Bookshop.org  (an online bookshop that puts you in touch with local bookstores who procure your purchase for pick-up) for those in the US. You should also be able to find the book at Kinokuniya and The Laughing Oyster Bookshop in B.C. Canada, for all our B.C. canuck buddies out there.

LINKS:

• The Facebook Page for the book
• Amy on Twitter: @JapanLite and  @BooksOnAsia
• Books on Asia Podcast is here or subscribe

PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: The Deep in Japan Podcast is completely independent and crowd-funded, so if you like what you hear, please give a thought to supporting the show at https://www.patreon.com/deepinjapan

MUSIC:

The intro was my original mashup of Fist of the North Star, a few anime sound bites, some kabuki, a cheap recording of my son’s Buzz Lightyear toy, and “Dubstep" from BenSound.

The outro was "Kanzan Bakuzen Bouzen" by "that old bad enka singer" Chiharu Matsuyama. Apparently, he was a well-coiffed renai baller back in the 80s though. 

Got something to say? You can find me at the following:

• www.facebook.com/groups/deepinjapan/ 
• [email protected]

As always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Caleb Carter about his book, A Path into the Mountains: Shugendō and Mount Togakushi.

• Caleb's chapter breakdown on Twitter
• A Path's publisher’s page
• Caleb's New Books Network podcast interview 
• Caleb's Interview with Global Buddhistdoor 
• Pilgrims Until We Die 
• Retro Casio Denshijisho Commercials
• Dogen on YouTube 
• Master Dogen (wiki)
• The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (wiki) 
• The Sanshin Shamisen (wiki) 
• Shugendo (wiki)
• Shamisen Hunter (musical outro) 

The Deep in Japan Podcast is completely independent and crowd-funded, so if you like what you hear, please give a thought to supporting us. 

Got something to say? You can reach me at the following:

• www.facebook.com/groups/deepinjapan/ 
• [email protected]

As always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we invite Professor John Rucynski back to discuss his book, Bridging the Humor Barrier: Humor Competency Training in English Language Teaching, and more generally the topic of joking in Japan. John is an associate professor at the Center for Language Education at Okayama University. His main research interest is exploring the role of humor in foreign language acquisition and intercultural communicative competence. In addition to editing two volumes about this passion, he has written numerous articles and given conference presentations around the world. His mission going forward is to at least slightly disprove the maxim that “Nothing is as unfunny as trying to explain why something is funny.” To learn more about John and his work, check out the following books and articles:

• Bridging the Humor Barrier: Humor Competency Training in English Language Teaching (Rowman & Littlefield; with Caleb Prichard)
• New Ways in Teaching with Humor (TESOL Press)
• Is This Thing On? Teacher Views of Incorporating Humor Into Online Language Classes (The Language Teacher, with Peter Neff)
• L2 Learners' Ability to Recognize Ironic Online Comments and the Effect of Instruction (System; with Caleb Prichard)
• Implementing Humor Instruction into English Language Teaching (English Teaching Forum; with Caleb Prichard)
• The English Classroom as “Warai no ba”: Instructor Views on Humor and Language Learning in Japan (International Journal of Educational Research; with Peter Neff)
• Second Language Learners’ Ability to Detect Satirical News and the Effect of Humor Competency Training (TESOL Journal; with Caleb Prichard)
• Japanese Perceptions of Humor in the English Language Classroom (HUMOR; with Peter Neff)
• Using The Simpsons in EFL Classes (English Teaching Forum)

The Deep in Japan Podcast is completely independent and crowd-funded, so if you like what you hear, please give thought to supporting us.

The outro was American Joke Man by JAM. Don't know who Spalding Gray is? You're not alone. I thought John was referring to a crayon color. For context, check out his 1987 masterpiece, Swimming to Cambodia.

Got something to say? You can reach me at the following:

• www.facebook.com/groups/deepinjapan/ 
• [email protected]

As always, thank

Anne Crescini, an author, blogger, and media personality, has a unique journey that spans continents. Originally from the United States, she has called Japan home for nearly a quarter of a century. Recently, Anne took a significant step by naturalizing as a Japanese citizen. In this episode, I sit down with her to discuss her experience during the naturalization process and delve into some of the challenges she has faced—both with fellow expats and the infamous netto uyoko—on Twitter and beyond.

Learn more about Anne and her work at the following: 

• Anne's blog
• Anne on YouTube
• 世界観を知ると人は変わる | Anne Crescini | TEDxFukuoka
• 若者の可能性を引き出す魔法 | Anne Crescini | TEDxFukuoka | Anne Crescini | TEDxFukuoka
• Anne's writings on Amazon
• 真田ナオキ ー「風に悟られて」 (outro)

If you like what you hear, please consider supporting the show. It helps out a lot with hosting and equipment fees. 

Thanks for listening! 

Roland Kelts is a Japanese-American writer, journalist, and author of the book Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US. He has also written numerous articles for the Guardian, The New York Times, The Japan Times, The New Yorker, CNN, BBC, and NHK, among others, exploring how pop culture intersects with and influences society and politics. Kelts has taught at many leading universities such as The University of Tokyo, New York University, Columbia University, and Sophia University, and held talks at many embassies and pop culture conventions. He received a Nieman Fellowship in Journalism from Harvard University in 2017.

In this episode, we discuss his most recent book, The Art of Blade Runner Black Lotus, a deep-dive into the artwork that went into making the first-ever Blade Runner animated series. Along with commentary from Roland, the book includes concept art, sketch work, pre-viz, animation tests, final frames, and interviews with the masterminds behind the show. It’s a gorgeous book that pairs well with coffee tables and kotatsu alike.

LINKS:

• Monkey: New Writing From Japan 
• Roland’s Personal Website/Blog 
• The Lingering Tragedy of Japan’s Lost Generation (Pro tip: Google search the article title to avoid the paywall) 
• United States v. Handley (Wiki) 
• 'Obscene' U.S. Manga Collector Jailed 6 Months (Wired)
• Devil Lady (Wiki) 
• Blade Runner Black Lotus OST (YouTube) 

Got something to say? You can reach me at the following:

• [email protected]

As always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we speak with author, ethnomusicologist -- and now podcaster -- Jillian Marshall about nearly everything under the sun.

• Jillian's book
• Jillian's website
• Jillian's podcast
• Jillian's Twitter
• Jillian speaking about her book Japanthem
• Taeko Ohnuki - 4 am (1978) 
• Meshida's vid about Tobita Shinchi 
• Paymoneywubby on Boundless Ryan 
• I'm running through these hoes like draino 
• Tohoku-ben/Tsugaru-ben (Norther Dialect) 
• That Unregistered Podcast I briefly mentioned 

Got something to say? You can reach me at the following:

• [email protected]

As always, thanks for listening!

Trigger warning: This podcast contains first-hand experiences of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation. If you or a loved one need help, please contact your local crisis hotlines. For more info about assistance in Japan, check out the US Embassy's page on mental health in Japan.

This is the second part in a series with Sasebo Anon, an ALT who suffered sexual harassment and sexual assault while teaching in Japan on the JET Program - and fought back.

For more info on Sasebo Anon, check out the following:

• Sasebo on Twitter 
• Sasebo on Instagram
• The Asahi Shimbun Story
• Unseen Japan: #MeToo in JET: One Woman’s 7-Year Battle Against Sexual Abuse
• Unseen Japan: #MeToo in JET: Verdict in Sexual Assault Case
• Saseboanon: My JET Program Sexual Assault Story
• Over My Dead Body by AAAMYYY [Outro Track]
• The Nagasaki Council Session [Used in Outro] 

Got something to say? You can reach me at the following:

• www.facebook.com/groups/deepinjapan/ 
• [email protected]

As always, thanks for listening!

Trigger warning: This podcast contains first-hand experiences of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation. If you or a loved one need help, please contact your local crisis hotlines. For more info about assistance in Japan, check out the US Embassy's page on mental health in Japan.

In this episode, we hear the story of an ALT who suffered sexual harassment and sexual assault while teaching in Japan on the JET Program – and how she fought back.

For more info on Sasebo Anon, check out the following:

• Sasebo on Twitter 
• Sasebo on Instagram
• The Asahi Shimbun Story
• Unseen Japan: #MeToo in JET: One Woman’s 7-Year Battle Against Sexual Abuse
• Unseen Japan: #MeToo in JET: Verdict in Sexual Assault Case
• Saseboanon: My JET Program Sexual Assault Story
• Gimgigam & uami - awai [Outro Track]
• The Nagasaki Council Session [Used in Outro] 

Got something to say? You can reach me at the following:

• www.facebook.com/groups/deepinjapan/ 
• [email protected]

As always, thanks for listening!