Hikikomori

Socialist politician Inejirō Asanuma was active at some of the most volatile times in Japanese history, having to thread the dangerous political weaves of both Imperial Japan and reconstruction after the end of WWII. His death was one of the most infamous events of the 20th Century, and has been strangely influential even in modern times...

Today's guest is Keegan! You can find him on his Twitter handle, @OleKeeg.

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:

• The Assassination of Inejiro Asanuma - Wired
• Japan Socialist Party leader assassinated at political rally - Guardian
• Footage of the Assassination (not graphic)
• Wikipedia

Gen'yōsha, or the Black Ocean Society, was a clandestine far-right organisation created in response to the Meiji Restoration. Disaffected samurai decided that, to make Japan great again, it had to force the Imperial Army to invade Korea, and then China. It did this by essentially being the CIA decades before the CIA were a thing.

Today's guest is Mollie! You can find her on Twitter @MollieMM9, and she hosts the wonderful podcast Sex With Ghosts.

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:

• The Enemy Within, by Terry Crowdy (2006)
• Historia Wikia
• Wikipedia

Content Warning: Medical Stuff

The Tokaimura Nuclear Powerplant has provided energy to Japan's power grid since the 60s. It wasn't until the 90s, however, that it suffered two notable nuclear incidents, the second of which led to one of the most prolonged and painful deaths of modern times.

Today's guest is Josh. You can find him on Twitter @josketh, and he co-hosts the podcast Naruto Reviewto.

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:

• The World Nuclear Association
• Our World in Data - Nuclear Energy
• The New Scientist - Japan's record of nuclear cover-ups
• Japan Times - Criminal Charges south against PNC, officials
• Wise International - report on the '97 incident
• YouTube - Puruto-kun propaganda video
• Wikipedia - Tokai Nuclear Incident

"Nekonomics" once referred to the unexpectedly dramatic increase in revenue that businesses could earn simply by having a pet cat as a mascot. Today it has evolved into something more widespread in Japanese society - the enormous and rapidly-growing market of felines and feline accessories.

Today's guest is Michael, aka HumanFilthXVX. You can find them via their Twitter page, and can watch them play games over on their Twitch channel.

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:

• Tama (cat), Wikipedia
• Tama, AFP
• Girl and Cat blog
• Cat becomes Lord of a Castle, Next Shark
• Nekonomics: a Brief Introduction, Medium
• Nekonomics in Japan, NZ Herald
• What is Nekonomics?, Teller Report
• The Cat Controllers of Japan, Hyper Japan
• Nekonomics Does its Bit, Yoru no Kitsune blog
• Goat Café, Guardian
• Tashirojima, aka Nekojima, Wikipedia

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