Content warning for Homophobia, Transphobia, and general anti-LGBT bigotry starting at 14:45. Skip to 20:15.

Editor's Note: Jon's Japanese tongue twister does not mean "The customer next to me is eating white peaches". Instead, it means "The customer next to me is eating lots of persimmons".

This Week In Japan: The legendary missing python has been discovered in an unexpected location, a train driver takes world's riskiest sh*t, Japanese officials debate LGBT discrimination, foreigners banned from dinner, President Macron announces visit to Japan, and Jon poses as a reporter to see the Olympic Torch relay.

Also, Kentaro Miura, creator of the legendary manga Beserk, passes away.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210520/k10013042571000.html

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210521/p2a/00m/0na/032000c

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20210522/k10013044921000.html

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/may/20/kentaro-miura-creator-of-bestselling-manga-berserk-dies-aged-54

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210521/p2g/00m/0na/075000c

Would you like to hear us talk about Japan some more? Find our podcast here:

Itunes: https://tinyurl.com/Ge-Gaitune

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGaijins

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y5kk5key

Wah-ah-ah-ah.

This Week In Japan:

Kindergarten Cop

The code is more like guidelines, anyway

It takes queue

Robocide in Shinjuku?

And, inevitably, the mess that is Japan, covid, vaccines, and... the Olympics.

Sources:

https://soranews24.com/2021/05/14/brain-breaking-photos-from-a-super-otakus-birthday-shrine-to-her-favorite-anime-character/

https://soranews24.com/2021/05/13/osaka-elementary-school-becomes-first-in-japan-to-have-a-police-box-established-on-campus/https://soranews24.com/2021/05/14/evangelion-studio-receiving-threatening-fan-comments-will-report-offenders-even-outside-japan/https://soranews24.com/2021/05/12/up-to-300-people-a-day-breaking-japanese-quarantine-rules-according-to-reports/

https://soranews24.com/2021/05/14/starbucks-japans-new-strawberry-frappuccino-is-the-next-best-thing-to-being-in-wimbledon/

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14349808http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14349720http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14347702https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210515/p2a/00m/0na/006000chttps://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210515/p2a/00m/0na/002000chttps://soranews24.com/2021/05/13/city-in-osaka-stops-in-person-registration-for-vaccines-as-flood-of-seniors-clamors-to-sign-up/https://soranews24.com/2021/05/13/has-shinjukus-robot-restaurant-closed-permanently/

https://soranews24.com/2021/05/13/has-shinjukus-robot-restaurant-closed-permanently/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210515/p2a/00m/0na/002000c

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210515/p2a/00m/0na/006000c

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14347702

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14349720

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14349808

Would you like to hear us talk about Japan some more? Find our podcast here:

Itunes: https://tinyurl.com/Ge-Gaitune

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGaijins

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y5kk5key

Snake? Snake! Snaaaaaaaaake!

In other news, Japan makes the same bad puns as us, a tower that should not exist hasn't been demolished yet, cake is sporty now, and drying clothes on a wacky wavy inflatable-arm tube man. I promise no drugs were involved in this. I know, I'm dissappointed too.

Sources:

https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/9527/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210507/p2a/00m/0na/007000c

https://www.tokyoreporter.com/business/nakagin-capsule-tower-could-be-headed-demolition/

https://soranews24.com/2021/05/10/sports-cake-developed-by-legendary-japanese-castella-company/

https://soranews24.com/2021/05/09/strange-japanese-job-ad-asks-to-deliver-a-pork-egg-onigiri-from-okinawa-to-tokyo-twice-per-day/

https://soranews24.com/2021/05/10/dry-and-iron-your-laundry-hands-free-and-fast-with-village-vanguards-hot-air-bag-clothes-dryer/

Would you like to hear us talk about Japan some more? Find our podcast here:

Sources:

This week in Japan: Another one bites the dust, a wild not-so-jiggly-puff appears!, mascot marketing, a real-life harem anime protagonist, what's the deal with airline food?, and the Rise of the Planet of the Boars!

Sources:

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/23/let-godzilla-do-the-cleaning-with-the-new-godzilla-dust-mop-cover/

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/26/kyoto-police-investigating-cream-puff-attack-on-bentley/

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/23/theres-still-time-to-vote-for-your-favorite-sanrio-mascot-character-of-2021/

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/23/pooping-in-supermarket-checkout-lands-kitakyushu-man-300000-yen-fine/

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/22/kansai-man-arrested-for-defrauding-his-35-girlfriends/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210426/p2g/00m/0na/011000c

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210425/p2g/00m/0bu/023000c

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210423/p2a/00m/0na/028000c

Would you like to hear us talk about Japan some more? Find our podcast here:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/G-GSpot

Itunes: https://tinyurl.com/Ge-Gaitune

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGaijins

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y5kk5key

There's a surprising amount of original content in this one. Is any of it any good? That remains to be seen. Or...heard, I guess. It's a podcast, innit.

This Week In Japans features baby otters, infinite cats, creepy clothes crime, a lucky bag blind buffet, police shooting a man upon request, and radioactive water. Mmmm, tingly!

Also, Jon plans how to make the Olympics safe (from covid, at least), because no-one else seems to be doing it.

How hard can it possible be?

Sources:

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210416/p2a/00m/0li/010000c

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210417/p2a/00m/0li/028000c

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/16/reminder-never-ask-the-cops-in-japan-to-shoot-you/

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/16/hyogo-man-arrested-for-stealing-13-tiny-fish-valued-at-52000-yen/

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/17/fukuoka-man-arrested-for-breaking-into-store-putting-on-female-staffs-apron-and-shirt/

Would you like to hear us talk about Japan some more? Find our podcast here:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/G-GSpot

Itunes: https://tinyurl.com/Ge-Gaitune

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGaijins

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y5kk5key

This Week In Japan: Guest Starring The Geek Tom as The Snack Breaker.

If last week's fishy flavour left you a little salty, you'll be happy to hear that this week features a menagerie of morsels, a fountain of food, a... cornicopia of... consumables?

Anyway, in This Week In Japan, a man fights a crab, there are vending machines for sweet potatoes, and an Okinawan woman goes on hunger strike to protect her family's bones.

This Week In Japan: What else did you expect, really?

Sources:

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210408/p2a/00m/0li/002000c

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210410/p2a/00m/0na/016000c

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210319/p2a/00m/0bu/013000c

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/08/man-fights-giant-crab-statue-on-streets-of-osaka-becomes-citys-most-hated-criminal%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/10/japanese-man-arrested-for-stealing-womens-shoes-and-replacing-them-with-new-ones/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210408/p2a/00m/0na/011000c

Would you like to hear us talk about Japan some more? Find our podcast here:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/G-GSpot

Itunes: https://tinyurl.com/Ge-Gaitune

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGaijins

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y5kk5key

It's time to dress to impress in This Week In Japan. We've got the hottest Harry Potter holders, suspicious suits, stolen schools, fugu fun, and sexist boats.

Yeah, you heard me. Sexist Boats.

I wish I was making this up.

Sources:

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/01/japanese-schoolkids-to-be-able-to-carry-their-books-in-official-harry-potter-randoseru-backpacks/

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/05/japanese-police-searching-for-man-who-stole-1-1-million-yen-in-tiny-fish/

https://soranews24.com/2021/04/02/japanese-woman-reported-to-police-for-not-looking-right-in-a-suit-turns-out-shes-a-crook/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210402/p2a/00m/0na/011000c

Would you like to hear us talk about Japan some more? Find our podcast here:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/G-GSpot

Itunes: https://tinyurl.com/Ge-Gaitune

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGaijins

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y5kk5key

Haha, you were expecting an elaborate ruse to celebrate April 1st, but it was us: Geeks & Gaijins!

Is not doing an April Fools prank technically an April Fools prank in and of itself? Would that be a paradox? Does anyone actually care?

Sources:

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210326/p2a/00m/0bu/018000c

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210327/p2a/00m/0sc/021000c

https://mainichi.jp/english/graphs/20210326/hpe/00m/0na/001000g/

https://soranews24.com/2021/03/23/foreign-citizen-arrested-in-japan-for-throwing-his-bento-trash-in-a-mailbox/

https://soranews24.com/2021/03/29/labor-ministry-employee-power-harassed-by-his-own-power-harassment-counselor/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210323/p2a/00m/0na/005000c

https://soranews24.com/2021/03/27/from-april-onward-all-price-tags-and-ads-in-japan-must-reflect-final-cost-with-sales-tax-included/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210326/p2g/00m/0na/165000c

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210327/p2g/00m/0na/016000c

Would you like to hear us talk about Japan some more? Find our podcast here:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/G-GSpot

Itunes: https://tinyurl.com/Ge-Gaitune

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGaijins

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y5kk5key

Here we go again...

This Week In Japan, we celebrate the opening of Super Nintendo World, Disaster Survival Dogs, Train Phones, and a victory for LGBT rights.

We do not celebrate another high-profile figure planning the Olympics saying something dumb and sexist. Like, have you guys considered just not?

Just take the whole thing around the back of the barn, already.

Sources:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/03/18/business/corporate-business/mario-super-nintendo-world/

https://soranews24.com/2021/03/19/japanese-company-makes-emergency-natural-disaster-survival-bag-for-dogs/

https://soranews24.com/2021/03/19/we-try-japans-newest-starbucks-frappuccino-with-first-ever-almond-milk-whipped-cream/

https://soranews24.com/2021/03/22/japans-shinkansen-bullet-trains-to-remove-all-onboard-payphones/

https://soranews24.com/2021/03/20/naomi-watanabe-responds-to-olympig-remark-from-tokyo-olympics-ceremony-chief/

https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/56461152

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56438842

Would you like to hear us talk about Japan some more? Find our podcast here:

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/G-GSpot

Itunes: https://tinyurl.com/Ge-Gaitune

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GGaijins

Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y5kk5key