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

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about my upcoming walk across the island of Kyushu. This fall I will be walking roughly 500 km from Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture all the way down to Kagoshima as part of what I'm calling the Kyushu Challenge, part three of my ongoing Blind Japan Project. Listen to find out more and please consider coming on as a sponsor or supporting in any way you can!

• About the Kyushu Challenge
• When I will be walking from Iwakuni to Kagoshima as part of the Kyushu Challenge
• About the Tokaido Challenge and Miyajima Challenge
• About raising funds for the Kyushu Challenge
• About raising awareness of the blind and visually impaired
• About the current sponsors of the Kyushu Challenge
• And 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 on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

Current major sponsors of the Kyushu Challenge.

• Meccha Yuugen (X/Twitter): https://x.com/MecchaYuugen
• United Neko Alliance (X/Twitter): https://x.com/nekoalliance
• Wailoaloa of Shinsei Galverse (X/Twitter): https://x.com/OnlyWailoaloa

To become a sponsor you can:

• Email [email protected]
• Donate via ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/japankyo
• Or support by joining the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/japankyo

For more info on the Blind Japan Project, check out my personal website.

• About the Blind Japan Project: https://tonyrvega.com/blind-travel/

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• 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're talking about Japanese slang that traces its roots back to Edo and Meiji era street vendors. We're digging into the origins of words like deka, mappo, and even the infamous yabai.

• The etymology/origins of 10 words that trace their origins back to the Edo and Meiji Periods
• About the meaning and origins of sakura (サクラ)
• About the origins of deka (でか)
• About the origins of posharu (ぽしゃる)
• About the origins of mappo (まっぽ)
• About the origins of gakuran (学ラン)
• About the origins of neta (ねた)
• About the origins of yabai (やばい)
• About the origins of boru (ぼる)
• About the origins of gasaire (がさ入れ)
• About the origins of zubora (ずぼら)
• And 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 on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

This episode was based on the article below シェア ポスト 送る この記事のリンクを コピーしました リンクコピー TOP ヘルス 「学ラン」のランって何？ 江戸時代の隠語が由来 「学ラン」のランって何？ 江戸時代の隠語が由来 (https://dot.asahi.com/articles/-/43257?page=2)

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• 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 episode of Japan Station is a re-broadcast of episode 52 of Ichimon Japan.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What are gyaru?

• What the term gyaru/gal means/refers to
• About the word gyaru
• How the word gyaru was used in Dragonball by Master Roshi
• What a kogyaru/kogal is
• About the singer Namie Amuro and her role in popularizing the gyaru subculture
• About Ayumi Hamasaki's influence on the gyaru subculture
• About the supposed but unconfirmed connection between the gyaru subculture and the American TV show Baywatch, as well as Pamela Anderson
• About the iconic "loose socks" (lūzusokkusu)
• About E.G. Smith, the supposed origin of loose socks
• An interesting linguistic quirk about the Japanese term for "loose socks"
• About ganguro and yamanba gyaru and their dark tans
• About ageha gyaru
• The connection between gyaru, eurobeat and parapara
• What eurobeat is
• What parapara is
• Contemporary gyaru
• What gyarugo is
• Examples of popular gyaru slang
• What karipaku means
• What MK5 means
• What ChōSW means
• What sumisu means
• What ATM means
• What gachi means
• What agepoyo/sagepoyo mean
• What doron means
• What tehepero means
• What gekiokopunpunmaru means
• 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

Here are some of the Japanese language articles found when researching the topic of this episode.

• ヤマンバ、イベサー、ガングロ…ギャル・ギャル男はどこに消えたのか？ 【 「ギャル文化」と「渋谷」をめぐる歴史を紐解く】
• ギャル文化特集～ギャルの歴史と生態～
  • This is the article that has the illustrations of the gyaru that Ryan mentions during the episode.
• ガングロ
• ギャル系ファッションとは。ブランドと歴史【イラスト＆図解
• アラサーしかわからない！？90年代のギャル語クイズ
• 歴代ギャル流行語大賞／年代流行

Here's some of the English language sources read for this episode.

• Japanese Gal Language: What is "Agepoyo?"

Here's a Japanese documentary about gyaru. Definitely worth a watch if you understand Japanese.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aunp-hOLNc

In this video you can see the 150 cm long loose socks that were mentioned in the episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e-iaDIOpR8

Here's a TV from 1996 about loose socks.

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

Here is a video from 2020 in which a Japanese YouTuber tries to get girls in Shibuya to put on loose socks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DokhMaT3MeE

To check out the "snakes in a well" episode of Ichimon Japan, use the link below.

• Is Yamaguchi cursed to have"ugly" girls? (Places in Japan Known for "Beautiful" & "Ugly" Women) | Ichimon Japan 50

Don't forget to check out the latest episodes of the Japan Station podcast via the links below.

• My Sumo Academia: Talking About Sumo Today and in the Heian Period (Colton Runyan) | Japan Station 76

Support the show by picking up a t-shirt at KimitoDesigns.com.

• Check out Kimito Designs

Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here's some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen's WWWJDIC.

• Pichipichi
  • ぴちぴち (adv-to,vs) (1) (on-mim) bursting with youth and energy (esp. young woman); vivaciously young; spunky; energetic; (adv-to) (2) (on-mim) (fish) jumping around energetically (e.g. when caught in a net); (adj-no) (3) (on-mim) bursting (e.g. seams); tight; (adv-to) (4) (on-mim) splattering (e.g. cooking oil)

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:///japankyo.com/ichimonjapan

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about vocabulary and phrases related to telling time during the Edo Period! This is a surprisingly deep and interesting topic no matter whether you're learning Japanese or not!

• What does oyatsu mean? (おやつ)
• What the origin of the word oyatsu is
• About the Edo Period time system
• How to tell time during Japan's Edo Period
• The names of the time divisions used during the Edo Period
• What does shirokujichū (四六時中) means
• The etymology/origin of the word
• shirokujichū (四六時中)
• What does asameshimae （朝飯前) mean?
• The origins/etymology of asameshimae
• And 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 on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

None

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• 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're talking about one of Japan's most iconic foods: mochi. Learn all about the history, lore and consumption practices of this important Japanese food!

• About the history and origins of mochi
• What mochi is
• About how people eat mochi in Japan
• About yukimi daifuku/ice cream mochi
• About kagami mochi
• Where the word mochi might have come from
• About mochi making practices
• Why it is said there is a rabbit making mochi on the moon
• Old versus modern ways of making mochi
• About mochi-related deaths
• About the New Years holiday and mochi
• About how many people die from eating mochi
• And 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 on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

None

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• 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, supernatural stories, Japanese folklore, Japanese urban legends and more with Kevin O'Shea, host of the Supernatural Japan podcast.

• About the Supernatural Japan podcast
• About Ikuta Shrine's ghost story
• About the forest behind Ikuta Shrine in Kobe
• About exploring spooky places in Japan
• About the Hakkoda Mountain incident
• About auspicious animals like swallows and owls
• About Japanese urban legends like Kuchisake Onna and Teketeke
• About Hibagon About Japanese cryptids
• About Mossie, Japan's Lochness monster
• And 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 on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

Links for the Supernatural Japan podcast.

• Supernatural Japan Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/supernatural-japan/id1616675498
• Supernatural Japan Podcast Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/35FkGE7Kc9bXFGpt37ZF2y

To listen to Kevin O'Shea's previous appreance on Japan Station, check out the link below.

• Trapped in Japan: A Chat w. Kevin O'Shea of the Just Japan Podcast | Japan Station 58 https://japankyo.com/2021/02/japan-china-covid19-experience/

If you'd like to listen to a full version of Saijo Hideki's 1983 song "Gyarandu" (ギャランドゥ) you can do so below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yXpgBUshz8

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

Originally released on 3/21/2024 as pisode 80 of Ichimon Japan.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we talk about what the best kind of English teaching in Japan is: Eikaiwa, JET Programme (ALT) or university teacher.

• What it is like working in an eikaiwa school in Japan
• What the salary is for an eikaiwa teacher
• The good and bad about working at an eikaiwa school (private language school)
• What it is like being an assistant language teacher (ALT) on the JET Programme
• How much you can earn while on the JET Program
• The good and bad about being on the JET Program
• What it is like teaching english at a college in Japan
• What the requirements are for becoming an English teacher at a university in Japan
• What the salary is like for an English teacher at a university in Japan
• Which job pays more: Eikaiwa, JET or university teacher
• What vacation is like for English teachers at Japanese univesities
• What the contract/term limits are like for English teaching positions at universities/colleges in Japan
• 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. 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

None.

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, I dig into the history of a fascinating example of Japanese slang: gyarandu (ギャランドゥ). This is a Japanese word that means refers to the patch of hair some people have between their belly button and public area. Often called "happy trail" or "belly/stomach hair," in English, gyarandu has a really interesting history that goes back to one of Japan's most popular 1980s male pop stars: Hideki Saijo. Listen to the episode to learn more!

• What does gyarandu (ギャランドゥ) mean?
• About the meaning of the 1983 Hideki Saijo song "Gyarandu"
• What the 1983 Saijo Hideki song "Gyarandu" is about
• How Saijo Hideki's song "Gyarandu" resulted in the creation of the Japanese slang term gyarandu
• About the etymology/word origin of gyarandu
• Who coined the term gyarandu
• Who wrote the 1983 song "Gyarandu"
• About Monta Yoshinori and his explanation of what "Gyarandu" means
• And 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 on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

If you'd like to listen to a full version of Saijo Hideki's 1983 song "Gyarandu" (ギャランドゥ) you can do so below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yXpgBUshz8

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist 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 to photographer and journalist Michael Magers. Michael has spent over a decade documenting shokunin (artisans/crafworkers) across Japan. During that time has has had many extremely unique expriences such as ama divers, participating in Osaka's infamous Danjiri Festival, and getting tattooed by a traditional Japanese tattoo artist. He talks about those experiences and much more in today's episode!

• About how Michael Magers started doing photography work in Japan
• About working on Rice, Noodlem Fish
• About shokunin culture in Japan
• What is shokunin culture
• About preserving shokunin culture
• About his most memorable food experiences in Japan
• About diving with ama
• About getting tattooed in Japan (irezumi)
• About participating in Osaka's infamous Danjiri Festival
• About efforts being made to preserve dying traditions in Japan
• About preserving the knowledge of Japan's aging shokunin/artisans
• And 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 on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

For more about Michael Magers

• Mike Magers Website https://mpmagers.com/
• Mike Magers on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mpmagers

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist 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 to Kyle Broyles of Pintology Craft Beer & Whisky in Tokyo. In this interview we talk about what it's like running a bar in Tokyo, starting a business in Tokyo, Japanese craft beer and more.

• About Pintology Craft Beer & Whisky
• About running a craft beer bar in Tokyo
• Japanese craft beer in Tokyo
• Growing a business in Tokyo
• Organic marketing
• And 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 on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

Here's the Pintology Tokyo Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pintologytokyo/?hl=en

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony