Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we're digging into the world of Japanese spycraft and the history of Japan's intelligence community with one of the world's leading experts on the subject: Dr Richard Samuels.

Richard Samuels is Ford International Professor of Political Science and director of the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a highly distinguished scholar whose research has focused on Japanese intelligence and security, Japan's relationship with the U.S. and China, energy-related policies in Japan, and more. His latest book was published in 2019 and is title Special Duty: A History of the Japanese Intelligence Community.

• Whether Japan has an equivalent intelligence agency to the CIA
• The composition of Japan's intelligence agencies
• The biggest problem Japan's intelligence agencies have had to deal with
• What stovepipring is
• How people working in intelligence in Japan were sometimes looked down on in the past
• How spycraft training in Japan has changed from pre-World War II to today
• How losing to the U.S. impacted Japan's intelligence capabilities and its focus
• How 9/11 and Shinzo Abe becoming prime minister in 2012 affected Japan's intelligence community
• The States Secrets law of 2013
• The creation of the National Security Council in 2013
• The push and pull in Japan's government between those who want to be closer to China and those who prefer to be closer to the United States
• Why Japan's intelligence community became known for information leaks
• The Musashi Kikan
• The history and importance of the Nakano School
• Akashi Motojiro
• Hirō "Hiroo" Onoda and his connection to the Nakano School
• The early history of Japanese espionage and the so-called tairiku ronin (continental adverturers)
• Whether Japan has an equivalent to D.A.R.P.A. (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)
• And much more!

You can purchase a copy of Special Duty: A History of the Japanese Intelligence Community via the link below. It is an Amazon affiliate link, so using it will support the show and won't cost you anything extra.

• Special Duty: A History of the Japanese Intelligence Community by Richard Samuels.

Follow Dr. Richard Samuels on Twitter via the link below

• @dicksamuelsMIT

Here are a few of some of Dr. Samuel's other books in case you are interested. These are also Amazon affiliate links.

• "Rich Nation, Strong Army": National Security and the Technological Transformation of Japan
• Securing Japan: Tokyo's Grand Strategy and the Future of East Asia
• 3.11: Disaster and Change in Japan

If you're interested in the book about the Nakano School that Dr. Samuels mentions, you can get it via the affiliate link below.

• The Shadow Warriors of the Nakano School: A History of the Imperial Japanese Army's Elite Intelligence School by Stephen Mercado

The links below are for the two episodes of the Ichimon Japan podcast that were mentioned during this episode

• What was it like in Fukushima during the 2011 earthquake? (Part 1)
• What was it like in Fukushima during the 2011 earthquake? (Part 2)

Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi) To listen to more of Yunomi's music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel.

Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R.

• Facebook (@JapankyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapankyoNews)

On this special solo episode of the Japan Station podcast, I discuss being visually impaired and how my decision to study abroad in Japan helped me realize that I wasn't limited by the loss of my eyesight.

Tony Vega is a writer, editor, and podcaster. He has lived in Japan as both a student and participant of the JET Programme. He possesses an M.A. in Japanese language and linguistics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Tony is the creator of Japankyo.com and he produces both the Japan Station Ichimon Japan podcasts. Tony enjoys pizza, sushi, burritos, puns, and overanalyzing absurd things.

• The process of becoming legally blind due to Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON)
• Deciding to study Japanese in college
• The first time Tony went to Japan
• Difficulties adjusting to life with low vision
• Deciding to study abroad at Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata City, Osaka
• Tony's decision to study Japanese every single day before leaving to study abroad
• How studying abroad in Japan made Tony realize that he was capable of much more than he thought he was
• And much more!

Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi) To listen to more of Yunomi's music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel.

Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R.

Images: Courtesy of Susan Spann

• Facebook (@JapankyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapankyoNews)

Aside from subscribing to Japan Station, the next best thing you can do to support the show, is using the Amazon affiliate link below to do your shopping. Best of all, it doesn't cost you anything extra.

• Use this link to shop on Amazon and support Japan Station

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we're talking about ninjas, the judicial system of 16th century Japan, and more with Susan Spann, author of the Hiro Hattori "shinobi mystery" series of books.

Susan Spann is the award-winning author of the Hiro Hattori series of mystery books. The novels follow the adventures of Hiro Hattori, a ninja from the famous Iga clan, and Father Mateo Avila da Silva, a Portuguese Jesuit priest, as they travel through 16th century Japan solving murders and avoiding danger. Though originally from the U.S., Spann now lives in Japan. She practices traditional Japanese calligraphy and used to raise seahorses.

• How Susan Spann got the idea to write books about a ninja detective
• What Susan Spann likes about writing the Hiro Hattori books
• The evolving relationship between Hiro Hattori and Father Mateo
• The judicial system of 16th century Japan
• The social caste system of 16th century Japan
• The different types of police seen in 16th century Japan
• The difference between a yoriki and dōshin
• Whether there were lawyers in 1500s Japan
• Jails in 16th century Japan
• Oda Nobunaga and when he will appear in the Hiro Hattori books
• Where actors stood in the social hierarchy of 16th century Japan
• How difficult it is to verify information about ninja
• Whether shuriken were mainly used as "throwing stars" or not
• The city of Iga in Mie Prfecture
• Susan Spann's experience climbing 100 mountains in one year and her upcoming book Climb
• Places in Japan Susan Spann would like to visit in Japan
• The challenges of raising seahorses
• Why male seahorses can seem to be shier than female seahorses
• And much more!

Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi) To listen to more of Yunomi's music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel.

Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R.

Images: Courtesy of Susan Spann

• Facebook (@JapankyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapankyoNews)

The two latest episodes of the Ichimon Japan podcast can be accessed via the links below.

• Why do Japanese train stations do that? | Ichimon Japan 03
• What's it like being a "fake priest" in Japan? | Ichimon Japan 04

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we're exploring the world of the bamboo flute known as the shakuhachi..

Christopher Yohmei Blasdel is a master of the shakuhachi, an educator, and an award-winning author. He began instruction in the instrument in Japan in 1972 and has spent almost 50 years performing, producing music, teaching, and promoting the instrument around the world. Blasdel is the author of the instructional book The Shakuhachi: A Manual for Learning and The Single Tone: A Personal Journey into Shakuhachi Music. The latter of these is an autobiographical account of Blasdel's experiences with the shakuhachi. The Single Tone was originally published in Japanese under the title Shakuhachi Odessei, Ten no iro ni Miserarete and awarded the prestigious Rennyo Award for non-fiction in 2000. Blasdel also possesses a fourth degree black belt in Aikido.

• What a shakuhachi is and how it differs from other flutes
• Why the shakuhachi is so difficult to play
• The history of the shakuhachi
• The connection of the shakuhachi to Zen Buddhism
• The shakuhachi's use as a tool for suizen (blowing meditation)
• The rise and fall of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism
• Why komusō monks wore hats that covered their faces (tengai)
• The shakuhachi's emergence as a world instrument
• Why Blasdel decided to go to Japan
• How the shakuhachi is taught traditionally
• The tablature method used to transcribe shakuhachi music
• The World Shkauhachi Festival
• Blasdel's relationship with the artist Isamu Noguchi
• The different types of sounds that one can produce with the shakuhachi
• And much more!

Note: At one point in this episode I say "Japanese internment camps." This is misleading since the camps in question were not established by the Japanese. The term was used in reference to the internment camps the U.S. government established during World War II to detain individuals of Japanese ancestry. The usage of the term "Japanese internment camp" was not intentional and only noticed after the final edit of the episode was made.

Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi) To listen to more of Yunomi's music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel.

Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R.

Images: Courtesy of Wasabi magazine

• Facebook (@JapankyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapankyoNews)

• Ichimon Japan on Apple
• Ichimon Japan on Stitcher
• Ichimon Japan on Spotify
• Ichimon Japan at Japankyo.com

This is episode 1 of the latest podcast by Japankyo: Ichimon Japan. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss future episodes.

• Ichimon Japan on Apple
• Ichimon Japan on Stitcher
• Ichimon Japan on Spotify

On this episode of chimon Japan we ask: What's the deal with catgirls?

• The history and origins of the trope of the catgirl
• What nekomimi (猫耳) means
• The existence of "catboys" (male nekomimi characters)
• Yōkai reminiscent of catgirls such as bakeneko nd nekomata
• The depiction of bakeneko women in Edo era ukiyo-e woodblock prints
• The supposed connection between catgirls and Osamu Tezuka's amanga Ribon no Kishi (Princess Knight)
• The 1978 manga Wata no Kunihoshi (The Star of Cotton land) by Yumiko Oshimaand its role in popularizing the trope of the catgirl in manga and anime
• The character of Felicia from the Darkstalkers franchise
• A list of some of the most popular catgirls in Japan in recent years
• Whether catgirls have night vision
• Whether catgirls use litter boxes
• Whether catgirls have four ears or two ears
• Whether cats with human ears are as cute as girls with cat ears
• The Japanese title of Josie and the Pussycats
• And more!

Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We're always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to [email protected].

Opening/Closing Theme: Produced by Apol (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Fiverr)

Ichimon Japan cover art: Produced by Erik R.

• Facebook (@JapankyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapankyoNews)

• https://www.japankyo.com

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we're talking about "otaku," the history of the anime "holy land" of Akihabara, and a whole lot more.

Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith is an lecturer at Senshu University in Tokyo. He is one of the world's leading expert on the topic of Akihabara and the related subcultures that are often associated with this famous district of Tokyo. Galbraith is the author of man y books and articles, including Tokyo Realtime (2010), The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan (2014), The Moe Manifesto: An Insider's Look at the Worlds of Manga, Anime, and Gaming (2017), and others. His most recent book, published by Duke University Press Books in 2019, is Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan.u,

• Dr. Galbraith's first visit to Akihabara
• Hayao Miyazaki's complicated relationship with fandom during the early part of his career
• The character Clarisse de Cagliostro from the 1979 film Lupin Third: The Castle of Calgiostro
• The different waves of anime fandom in Japan
• The lolicon/rorikon Boom of the first half of the 1980s
• The word lolicon/rorikon and its various meanings
• The connection of the character Lum Invader from Urusei Yatsura and her connection to the cocept of lolicon/rorikon
• How computers and adult computer games (eroge or erogē) helped transform Akihabara into what it is today
• The ongoing struggle between the "otaku" of Akihabara and the Japanese government
• What the future holds for Akihabara
• What the current status of maid cafes in Akihabara is
• The tendency of trying to link anime and manga back to ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the Edo period
• The problematic idea that tentacles are a uniquely "Japanese" thing
• And much more!

• Facebook (@JapankyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapankyoNews)

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast we're talking about learning Japanese, running a business, and a whole lot more with the creator of Tofugu, Koichi.

For more than a decade Koichi has been helping people learn about Japan, Japanese culture, and the Japanese language via the blog Tofugu and all of its related products and services. Koichi got his start in the public eye when he began uploading Japanese-language videos to his YouTube channel Koichiben during the early days of YouTube. Not long after that, Koichi made the transition to English-language content when he launched the Tofugu blog and YouTube channel. Since then, Koichi has been able to build the Tofugu brand into a successful company that has become known as a source of great Japan-related content that is both fun and educational.

• Why Koichi started making YouTube videos
• The transition from Koichiben to Tofugu
• Koichi's connection to Hawaii
• The difficulties of starting and running a business
• What motivated Koichi to create the Japanese language textbook TextFugu
• The kanji learning app WaniKani
• How pretending to be a cult can be an effective marketing strategy
• Koichi's appreciation of off-the-beaten path sightseeing spots
• "Robot Sex Museums"
• The Retro Space Saka Kaikan (レトロスペース 坂会館) museum in Sapporo
• The Fushigi Hakubutsukan (ふしぎ博物館) museum in Fukuoka
• The Sanatorium cafe in Fukuoka
• What Koichi enjoys about running his own business
• The hunt for the elusive Bob Sapp
• Trying to get in touch with prime minister Shinzo Abe
• And much more!

• Facebook (@JapankyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapankyoNews)

That's right! Japankyo.com is about to launch a second podcast, so check out the trailer now!

Set to launch in early 2020 (likely January), Ichimon Japan will offer listeners insight into all aspects of Japan, its culture, language, history, society, and pop culture.

Every episode hosts Tony and Ryan will ask one question (ichimon) about Japan. Drawing on their own experiences in Japan, their knowledge of the Japanese language and linguistics, and plenty of research using both Japanese and English-language sources, they'll do everything they can to answer the question at hand. Along the way, they'll also have a few laughs and go off on a few peculiar tangents.

Ichimon Japan is slated to be released monthly. Bonus episodes may be released regularly. Information will be forthcoming.

Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We're always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to [email protected].

Full show notes can be found at:

https://www.japankyo.com/2019/12/ichimon-japan-podcast-trailer-preview/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ichimon-japan-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1492400997

Follow Japankyo on Facebook and Twitter so you don't miss any updates!

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast I'm talking with popular webcomic creator Evangeline Neo about her career and her travels in Tokyo.

Evangeline Neo is an illustrator and comic creator from Singapore. She is best known for her webcomic which has developed a large following and often touches on Japan-related topics. To date she has published four books, including her latest A Manga Lover's Tokyo Travel Guide: My Favorite Things to Do and See in Japan. Put out by Tuttle publishing earlier this year, A Manga Lover's Tokyo Travel Guide is a unique spin on a travel guide that uses comics drawn by Evangeline Neo to present useful information for travelers in Japan.

• When Evangeline got interested in anime and manga
• The first time Evangeline got her work published
• Evangeline's art style
• Going to art school in the US
• Evangeline's time working on her MBA at Waseda University
• Traveling in and around Tokyo
• How Evangeline was able to grow the following of her webcomic
• A funny experience at a cosplay photo studio
• Evangeline's experience at Swallowtail Butlers Cafe in Ikebukuro, Tokyo
• The origins of the term fujoshi
• The wheelchair accessibility of Meiji Shrine in Tokyo
• The challenges of writing a travel guide
• What Evangeline did when she found out her work was being used in Vietnam without her permission
• And much more!

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast we're talking about the city of Tokyo and its "bells of time."

Anna Sherman is an editor and writer living in Oxford, England. Sherman spent many years living in Tokyo and used many of her experiences there to write her first book: The Bells of Old Tokyo: Meditation on Time and a City. Published earlier this year by Picador, The Bells of Old Tokyo is a unique and thoroughly captivating book that uses Tokyo's "bells of time" as jumping off point to explore both the history of the city and the very nature of time itself.

• Studying Greek and Latin
• How Anna ended up in Japan
• What led Anna to write The Bells of Old Tokyo
• What Tokyo's "bells of time" (toki no kane) are and what their function was
• The Kokucho bell of time in Nihonbashi
• The Tenmacho prison (Tenmachō Yashiki) and efforts to preserve it.
• The missing bell of Mejiro
• The constantly changing nature of Tokyo
• How Japan reacted to Einstein's general theory of relativity
• Anna's relationship with a mysterious woman named Shoko Takahashi
• The nature of time and what working on The Bells of Old Tokyo taught Anna
• And much more!

For full show notes visit https://www.japanstationpodcast.com

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/japankyonews

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews