The Constitution of Japan was brought into effect two years after the end of World War II. The most well-known and controversial part of the Japanese constitution is Article 9, forbidding Japan from keeping a standing army or entering into war. Here is how Japan has broken its own laws repeatedly since 1952.

Today's guest is Jonah Gregory! You can find him on Twitter @aREALjonah, and all of his wonderful content can be found on his bio.

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

Sources:

• Japanese Public Opinion and the War on Terrorism, 2006, by Paul Midford of the Washington East-West Centre
• Major-Power Relations in Post 9/11 Asia, by Chin Kin Wah, 2003, in the Japan Center for International Exchange
• The Comfort Zone: Japan’s Media Marketing of 9/11, 2005, by Yoneyuki Sugita of Osaka University
• 10 Years Ago, Japan went to Iraq… and Learned Nothing, Medium
• End of an Era as Japan enters Iraq, Guardian
• SDF logs cast doubt over legality of Japan's Iraq mission, Nikkei
• The Erosion of Japanese Pacifism: The Constitutionality of the U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines", Cornell International Law Journal 32 (1999), Robert A. Fisher
• 2015 change to JSDF deployment, Reuters

Content Warning - Murder, Suicide

In 2004, Okubo elementary school in Sasebo was the site of a horrific event, a murder that made headlines around the world... and was subsequently picked up by the worst net denizens around to create a meme. 

Today's guest is Kym Stonick! You can find them on Twitter @kymcattys, and all of their wonderful content can be found on their bio.

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

Sources:

• Medium article
• Guardian article
• Mainichi Shimbun article
• Japan Times article
• Japan Times - Nara teen arson
• Murderpedia article
• China Daily article
• Know Your Meme - Nevada-tan
• Japan Times - Kusanagi's office raided
• Japan Times - Ministers told to watch their mouths
• Urban Dictionary 

In the waning days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, a squad of highly-trained and dangerous samurai was formed in an effort to keep rowdy ronin and political agitators in check. This is the story of how the Shinsengumi was born, and in particular one of the two original commanders, the psychopath that was Serizawa Kamo. 

Today's guest is Carly Shields! You can find her via her Twitter page, or listen to the excellent Greetings Adventurers podcast for which she helps produce!

For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode!

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

We continue following the career of Akimoto as he ascends to one of the most successful music producers in Asia. Following the launch of AKB48, it seems that a formula for idol super-groups has finally been hit upon, so it's time for franchising!

And, you know, horrifically draconian and abusive behaviour rules for all of the women.

Today's guest is Sarah Tompkins! You can find her via Twitter account, @herladytompkins.

For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode!

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

Sources:

• YouTube, Teacher Teacher 
• YouTube, Einstein yoru Dianna Agron 
• YouTube, 22/7 
• Dianna Agron lyrics translation 
• Japan Times, Ayaka Kikuchi fired 
• BBC, Minami Minegishi shaves her head 
• Hifumi Okunumi, Unionise and take back your lost love lives 
• allkpop.com, AKS renamed as Vernalossom 
• Generasia - Akimoto biography
• AKB48 Fandom - Akimoto
• Moonyoons Blog, the Bird that flew away 

Yasushi Akimoto is one of the most successful pop producers in Asia, having a string of successful musical acts that includes the phenomenon that is AKB48. Throughout his career, however, he has faced allegations of antiquated and misogynist attitudes towards women, which can be seen most obviously in his role as a lyricist...

Today's guest is Sarah Tompkins! You can find her via Twitter account, @herladytompkins.

For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode!

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

Sources:

• Onyanko Club, Please Don't Take Off my Sailor Uniform 
• Ushiro-yubi Sasare-gumi, Behave Yourself, Teacher! 
• Musukko Club, Boku-Tachi no Season 
• Suitei Shoujo, Kagi ga Akanai 
• Morning Musume, Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari 
• Generasia - Akimoto biography 
• AKB48 Fandom - Akimoto 
• Wikipedia - Akimoto 
• Wikipedia - Onyanko Club 

We return to discuss the end of Carlos Ghosn's illustrious career as one of the most powerful corporate heads in the world. As he was considering full retirement, Ghosn was arrested at Narita Airport, and Japanese police charged him with vague financial crimes.

What happened next is something out of a spy thriller novel.

Today's guest is Hannah Lane! You can find her via her Instagram page, and she is also the co-host of our horror movie review podcast that we do together, Not Another Film podcast.

For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode!

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

Sources:

• Biography on Ghosn's website
• Notable Biographies
• Renault Spy Scandal
• BBC Storyville - The Last Flight
• Arrest of Taylors
• Ghosn talks of Escape from Japan
• Ghosn hopes France will Clear Him

Carlos Ghosn was for quite some time one of the most powerful and influence people in the global automotive industry. His success at Nissan came at the cost of tens of thousands of jobs, brutal cost-cutting measures and the alienation of Japanese workers from a Japanese company. Today we look at this asshole's rise to power. 

Today's guest is Hannah Lane! You can find her via her Instagram page, and she is also the co-host of our horror movie review podcast that we do together, Not Another Film podcast.

For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode!

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

Sources:

• Biography on Ghosn's website
• Notable Biographies 
• Renault Spy Scandal 
• BBC Storyville - The Last Flight
• Arrest of Taylors 
• Ghosn talks of Escape from Japan 
• Ghosn hopes France will Clear Him 

Shugendō is a religion practiced in Japan since as early as the 7th century, and involves severe asceticism as a form of worship and spiritual development. While most of this involves mountain climbing, some of the more enterprising monks in the past 1000 years have taken to the attempt to preserve their physical form my mummifying themselves while they are still alive. 

Today's guest is Tony Srimongka! You can find him via his Twitter page!

For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode!

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

Sources:

• Ask a Mortician - Caitlin Dougherty 
• Atlas Obscura - Sokushinbutsu
• Mummipedia - Tetsumonkai
• Religious Rituals in Shugendo - Miyake Hitoshi
• SoraNews24 - Takigyo
• Senshu Tourism 
• Wikipedia - Shinbutsu Bunri
• Wikipedia - Sokushinbutsu
• Trip Advisor - Shipporyuji Review
• Japan Today - Sogen Kato
• BBC News - Sogen Kato
• BBC News - Fusa Furuya
• Wikipedia - Sogen Kato

We continue our exploration of Hideaki Anno's life and career, looking at his mind-state during Evangelion, the crash of his mental health afterwards, and the return to creating some of the most successful and influential Japanese art of the last 25 years.

Today's guest is Kym Stonick! You can find her on Twitter @kymcattys, and all of her wonderful content can be found on her bio.

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

Sources:

• Biography of Anno on Khara's website
• Biography of Anno on TV Tropes
• MPEG 1996 Interview 
• Anno and Miyazaki talk in Morocco 
• Anno talks to Sex Workers 
• Extra Curricular Lesson with Hideaki Anno 
• Wikipedia

Hideaki Anno is one of the most well-known and successful Japanese directors, whose influence on the anime industry since the 80s has been far-reaching and consequential. Today we look at his early career, before the launch of the phenomenon that was Neon Genesis Evangelion. 

Today's guest is Kym Stonick! You can find her on Twitter @kymcattys, and all of her wonderful content can be found on her bio.

You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app.

Sources:

• Biography of Anno on Khara's website
• Biography of Anno on TV Tropes
• DAICON III opening animation
• DAICON IV opening animation
• Anno calls Miyazaki a "Geezer" - SoraNews24
• Wikipedia