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

On this episode of Japan Station, I dig into the world of dead Japanese Bubble Era slang. Specifically, I talk about the term hanakin (花金). Also I talk about the days of the week during World War II in Japan.

• What is hanakin
• What hanakin means
• About the kanji used to write hanakin
• How I learned the days of the week in Japanese
• How there were no weekends during World War II in Japan
• And much more!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

None this time.

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Japan Station, Sensei Martian talks about what it was like walking 3200 km from Cape Sata, the southernmost point on mainland Japan, to Cape Soya, the northernmost point on mainland Japan.

• About the Kyushu Challenge
• Why Sensei Martian decided to walk 3200 km/3000 miles+ across Japan
• About walking the old Tokaido Road
• About walking from the southern end of Japan to the northern end
• About encounters Sensei Martian had with people while walking across Japan
• About booking lodging while walking across Japan
• About getting injured while walking across Japan
• About the presents people gave Sensei Martian while walking across Japan
• How difficult it was to get to Cape Sata
• Japan's dwindling population and how it is affecting rural areas
• About Sensei's Martian walking 100 km across Tokyo over the course of 30 hours
• And much more!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

Check out Sensei Martian's content via the links below.

• Sensei Martian on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/sensei_martian
• Sensei Martian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senseimartian Sensei Martian on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@senseimartian

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about the Kyushu Challenge, my recent 558 km walk from Iwakuni, Yamaguchi to Sakurajima, Kagoshima.

• About the Kyushu Challenge
• The route I took to walk from Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture to Sakurajima in Kagoshima Prefecture
• About how a restaurant owner gave me money
• How I appeared on TV in Yamaguchi Prefecture
• About kawara soba
• About okonomiyaki
• About the scariest tunnel I ever had to walk through
• About walking through rural southern Kumamoto and Kagoshima
• About the Hisatsu Orange Railway
• The benefit of regional JR rail passes
• About Sakurajima
• My plans for 2026 (Tohoku tandem bicycle ride)
• And much more!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

This is the news report in which I appeared. It was broadcast on Yamaguchi Broadcasting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzU5c2loNck

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about how I was able to save money on airfare for my latest trip to Japan. I also share how I almost lost money due to a luggage issue and I talk about why regional JR passes can save you lots of money while traveling in Japan.

• How I get the cheapest plane ticket to Japan ever
• About smartfares.com
• Why you should check how many bags you are allowed to check in on a flight
• About regional JR passes and why they can be better than the national JR pass
• And much more!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

None.

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

This is a rebroadcast of episode 76 of Ichimon Japan.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we talk about the history of pillows in Japan and an absurd belief regarding the sleeping

• About the history of pillows in Japan
• About early pillows in Japanese history
• About the evolution of pillows in Japan
• About pillows during the Edo Period
• About hakomakura (box pillows)
• About the oldest pillow in Japan
• X
• About stereotypes regarding Japanese people versus Westerners
• About the idea Japanese people have longer intestines than Westerners
• About Sobagawa/Sobakawa buchwheat pillows
• About dakimakura (hug pillows)
• About anime waifu dakimakura
• About the Shironeri Ayano Oomakura (the oldest pillow in Japan) in Shosoin Temple in Nara
• About the mistaken idea that Japanese people sleep on their sides due to being an agricultural society
• About Japan's unique status as the only place in the world with four seasons
• About nihonjinron
• And much more!

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If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month. Patrons get first access to podcast episodes, as well as updates on what I'm working on for JapanKyo.com. If you join the $3 a month tier you get access to the back catalog of the Japanese Plus Alpha podcast (a short series on interesting Japanese words and features of the Japanese language). If you would like to do a one time donation, that is also possible. Just use the Ko-fi link below. All donations are greatly appreciated! And if you can't support financially, that's ok. Consider telling a friend about the show!

• Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

No links this time.

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)
• Instagram (@JapanKyoNews)

• https:///japankyo.com/ichimonjapan

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about 4 more words in Japanese. What's a mora? And why are there so many four mora words in Japanese? We talk about all taht and more!

• What is a mora?
• What's the difference between a mora and a syllable
• The possible origins of nikujaga
• How Japanese love to shorten terms to four mora/four kana
• The possible origin of the word jagaimo
• Examples of other four more abbreviations in Japanese
• And much more!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

No links this time.

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about some of Tokyo's most popular tourist sites. Are they tourist traps or worth your time? We're also joined by stand up comedian and tour guide Shuhei "Shoe" Murakami.

• Is Tokyo Skytree a tourist trap? Should you visit it?
• Should you visit Tokyo Tower?
• Should you visit Tokyo Disneyland? Is it a tourist trap?
• Is Tokyo Disneyland expensive?
• Is Akihabara a tourist trap?
• Is Akihabara expensive?
• About the observation deck on the 45th floor of Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building No. 1
• Is Golden Gai a tourist trap?
• What is senbero
• About cheap bars and izakaya in Tokyo
• About bungee jumping in Tokyo
• About Fuji Q Highland
• About Roppongi
• About scam bars and shadey barkers
• What to avoid in Roppongi and other entertainment districts
• About kyacchi
• About scam bars and how they overcharge you
• And much more!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

Follow Shuhei Murakami on Instagram and check him out on YouTube

• @Japanese_StandupComedian: https://instagram.com/japanese_standupcomedian
• Shuhei Murakami on YouTube: Shuhei Murakami Works

Check out his first appreance on Japan Station:

• The Fascinating Life of Stand-Up Comedian Shuhei "Shoe" Murakami | Japan Station 45: https://japankyo.com/2020/08/about-shuhei-shoe-murakami/

This is the article this episode was inspired by.

• 8 Tourist Traps To Avoid In Times Square Read More: https://www.explore.com/1444465/tourist-traps-avoid-times-square/

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

Hey guys! I'm holding another get together in Tokyo. This time it's to celebrate the end of the Kyushu Challenge. It will be on Nov 1st at 6 pm at Pintology Tokyo! Here is Pintology Tokyo's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pintologytokyo/ I'll be back soon enough with the usual programming!

This episode was originally broadcast as an episode of Ichimon Japan.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is wasei eigo? (Funny "Japanese" English)

• What wasei eigo is
• About English sounding words made in Japan
• tenshon ga takai
• pākā
• How SNS is not English
• arubaito
• nōtopasokon
• buraindotacchi
• misu
• misesu
• rippukurīmu
• hocchikisu
• OL
• sararīman (salaryman)
• shīchikin
• interi
• haiso
• furonto
• hōmu
• chakku
• majikkutēpu
• majikku
• majikkumirā
• Gpan
• jampāsukāto
• wagomu
• atakku
• faito
• charenji
• And much more!

[btn btnlink="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ichimon-japan-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1492400997" btnsize="medium" bgcolor="#0568bf" txtcolor="#ffffff" btnnewt="1" nofollow="1"]Apple Podcasts[/btn] [btn btnlink="https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9pY2hpbW9uamFwYW4ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M" btnsize="medium" bgcolor="#0568bf" txtcolor="#ffffff" btnnewt="1" nofollow="1"]Google Podcasts[/btn] [btn btnlink="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/japankyocom/ichimon-japan-a-podcast-by-japankyocom" btnsize="medium" bgcolor="#0568bf" txtcolor="#ffffff" btnnewt="1" nofollow="1"]Stitcher[/btn] [btn btnlink="https://open.spotify.com/show/1ZVgnljVM8gcR1ar98eK0D" btnsize="medium" bgcolor="#0568bf" txtcolor="#ffffff" btnnewt="1" nofollow="1"]Spotify[/btn] [btn btnlink="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-ichimon-japan-a-podcast-by-59510504/" btnsize="medium" bgcolor="#0568bf" txtcolor="#ffffff" btnnewt="1" nofollow="1"]iHeartRadio[/btn] [btn btnlink="https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/mv3zr-ad2df/Ichimon-Japan-A-Podcast-by-Japankyo.com" btnsize="medium" bgcolor="#0568bf" txtcolor="#ffffff" btnnewt="1" nofollow="1"]PodBean[/btn] [btn btnlink="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Ichimon-Japan-A-Podcast-by-Japankyocom-p1290988/" btnsize="medium" bgcolor="#0568bf" txtcolor="#ffffff" btnnewt="1" nofollow="1"]Tunein[/btn] [btn btnlink="https://ichimonjapan.libsyn.com/rss" btnsize="medium" bgcolor="#0568bf" txtcolor="#ffffff" btnnewt="1" nofollow="1"]RSS[/btn]

If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month and that comes with perks like early access to episodes, a shout-out at the beginning of a future episode, bonus content, and discounts to Kimito Designs. For $3 a month you get all that plus access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and its many quirks. Whether you are studying Japanese or just enjoy learning about language and linguistics, you'll enjoy Japanese Plus Alpha.

And it goes without saying that if you sign up, you'll also get my undying gratitude. Thanks in advance!

• Support on Patreon

If you would just like to do a one time contribution, then please go to our Ko-fi page.

• Support JapanKyo on Ko-fi

No links.

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)
• Instagram (@JapanKyoNews)

• https:///japankyo.com/ichimonjapan

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about Japanese idioms involving the color red (赤, aka, seki). For example, have you ever wondered why lies are red in Japanese? Listen to find out!

• Japanese idioms involving the color red
• Why 真っ赤なウソ/makka na uso means a "complete lie" and what the color red has to do with lies
• Also discussing other idioms such as sekirara
• About the most awesome Japanese tractor song ever
• And much more!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

None

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony