Kanpai Kronicles

In this special episode, Sid is here to join us! As another member of the Asakadai SQWAD, Sid's here to share with us his story studying at Rikkyo, and all of the usual Asakadai shenanigans that occurs. Enjoy!

Timestamps

• [00:00:00] Lock your doors people!
• [00:03:44] Introducing: Sid
• [00:05:46] Sid's Yokai of the week
• [00:08:53] Superstitions exist to instil behaviors for control
• [00:14:52] Sid's journey to Rikkyo
• [00:19:01] Certificate of Eligibility problems
• [00:27:19] The first week of signing papers
• [00:30:55] Sid's first day at Asakadai dorm
• [00:34:58] Hanging out for the first time
• [00:37:05] Rikkyo experience: Sid's perspective
• [00:45:17] Magical train instinct
• [00:50:35] Clubbing logistics
• [00:55:08] Going to concerts was free real estate
• [00:59:25] Sid's favourite memories in Rikkyo
• [01:08:43] When Sid really met Holly
• [01:22:14] Messing with Asakadai people
• [01:29:12] Sid's scary or bad experiences
• [01:55:00] We don't really pay attention to things outside of Japan during exchange
• [02:00:45] Isolation from dancing in a circle 
• [02:05:58] What to do with the Asakadai Squad again?

Links

• Yokai of the Week: https://yokai.com/kappa/

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg

Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos

In this episode, we talk about happy memories! What makes us happy? How did it evolve over time? Norm and Holly take a tip down memory lane as we look back at our happiest memories growing up, and how it eventually evolved into gratitude over time. Also, we talk about what an e-boy Yokai would look like...so look forward to that chemical romance!

Timestamps

• [00:00:00] Intro
• [00:00:12] Football and getting our first names
• [00:05:11] J-Dramas and dumb memories at the dorm
• [00:10:48] Welcome to the show!
• [00:15:46] The Gaijin building of Rikkyo University
• [00:18:53] The Yokai of the Week
• [00:36:20] What would spawn an eboy Yokai?
• [00:43:13] What's the first thing that comes to mind when we think of happiness?
• [00:54:48] The Years of Angst
• [01:04:13] Uncontrolled freedom can be dangerous
• [01:11:20] Seeking happiness on a deeper level
• [01:22:34] It's hard pointing out the happiest moment of our lives
• [01:27:00] Favourite happy memory in Japan
• [01:36:17] Finding happiness now
• [01:44:45] Putting chapters in our happiness
• [01:49:22] Happiness as defined by other people

Links

• Yokai of the Week: https://yokai.com/chouchinkozou/
• Coffee & Vanilla: https://mydramalist.com/37567-coffee-vanilla

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg

Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos

In this episode, we dive into the wonderful world of love hotels! Exploring the concept of sex in Japan, the convenience of these buildings and all the crazy themes that exist there, Norm and Holly go design their own while navigating around this wonderfully uncomfortable topic. Enjoy!

Timestamps

• [00:00:00] Intro, Priming for Lust
• [00:02:36] Dealing with religious family members
• [00:05:53] Introducing the show and Happy Thanksgiving!
• [00:10:26] Celebrating Thanksgiving as an excuse for gratitude
• [00:14:40] A shot to your declarations!
• [00:18:19] The wonderful world of love hotels
• [00:20:48] Japan After Dark
• [00:29:58] The accepted taboo of sex in Japan
• [00:34:01] The booming business of anonymous sex
• [00:41:01] The behaviour will still exist
• [00:44:14] Yokai of the Week
• [00:50:52] Is there a Ms Shirime? And depictions of Yokai in Manga and anime
• [01:04:41] Themes galore in love hotels
• [01:10:02] The liberation found in SM
• [01:14:11] A fuck trip across Japan
• [01:20:31] How would we design our own love hotel?
• [01:32:47] Our personalities don't always match to our sexual desires
• [01:39:54] Questioning celibacy and the difficulty of supporting a family

Links

• Yokai of the Week: https://yokai.com/kejourou/
• 11 Bizarre Japanese love hotels: https://tokyonightowl.com/11-bizarre-japanese-love-hotels/

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg

Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos

In this episode, we talk about crimes: what compels us to break rules and face potential punishment. After the Joker event that happened during Halloween in Tokyo, both hosts talk about compulsions, rationales and more, in societies that may ultimately fail to support those in need.

Timestamps

• [00:00:00] Life before masks
• [00:01:33] Introducing crime
• [00:03:29] Yokai of the Week (Content warning!)
• [00:13:07] Spinoff show on Yokai hunting?
• [00:17:35] Learning about restraint from Yokai
• [00:22:21] Doing bad things throughout our childhood
• [00:27:05] The temptation of invasive harmful thoughts
• [00:38:24] The Joker Killer
• [00:49:55] Punishment becomes sought after
• [00:55:34] People just want to live, and kindness is the vessel
• [01:08:30] The human being's capacity for exceptions is limited
• [01:30:01] What are some unforgivable crimes?
• [01:33:37] Question for you!

Links

• Yokai of the week: https://yokai.com/daitengu/
• Joker Killer news: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59103664

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg

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Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos

In this episode, we talk about anime! But not just the Narutos, One Pieces, and Bleaches: we talked about the childhood anime that we grew up with, our relationship with anime fans (aka. weaboos), and the real implications of what each of the genres represent. This isn't a discussion for everyone unless you're a fan of cultural implications and anthropology too, but enjoy nonetheless!

Timestamps

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:06 Daylight Savings and a crazy Deepavali drinking night
• 07:07 Yokai of the Week
• 22:50 Childhood anime and Digimon vs. Pokemon
• 31:31 Getting a larger worldview and growing perspectives through anime
• 39:45 To be wrapped up in a fantasy world
• 43:33 The origin of weaboo, and Japan as a 'perfect world'
• 54:15 What we consume skews our impression of a country
• 1:07:00 We understand countries through the lowest barrier of understanding
• 1:12:43 Creating anime to provoke discussion and bring up issues
• 1:18:35 Perfectly engineered nostalgia, and compensating for what a culture is missing
• 1:32:16 Sexualisation of Asian Men and trends breaking stereotypes
• 1:37:42 Becoming more skeptical of attractions after the Hallyu Wave
• 1:46:18 Not many people in Japan watch anime as much as we do
• 1:54:09 Manga recommendations

Links

• Yokai of the Week: https://yokai.com/suikanobakemono/
• Psycho-Pass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psycho-Pass
• Dance! Subaru: https://myanimelist.net/manga/6888/Subaru
• Promised Neverland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Promised_Neverland

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg

Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos

Happy Halloween! In this week's episode we're exploring the wonderful world of trick-or-treating and how that's played out in Japan as well as our home countries!

Timestamps

• 00:00 Intro
• 1:33 Exploring our old halloween costumes
• 5:15 The beautiful Yokai of the Week
• 12:40 Would ghosts survive well in modern Japan?
• 20:25 Our earliest memories of Halloween
• 32:19 How did Halloween arrive in Japan?
• 36:42 The real Horror season happens in Summer
• 41:49 The colourful riot of Shibuya Halloween
• 48:04 Japanese Mad Max Experience
• 55:05 In Kansai they go hard
• 59:01 You are given permission to be feral
• 1:08:41 Better to be weird together than by yourself
• 1:13:58 What would be good Halloween costumes for us?
• 1:17:26 Norm's forbidden halloween costume
• 1:24:09 Pandemic during Halloween, how would it look like?
• 1:26:28 Impulse Halloween and responsibilities
• 1:31:19 Organised chaos across all timezones

Links

• Yokai of the Week: https://yokai.com/kuchisakeonna/
• Article on differences in celebrating Halloween in the US vs. Japan: https://www.kokugakuin.ac.jp/en/article/11192

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg

Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos

This episode is all about food! From our spiciest memories with ramen to 'The Incident', Norm and Holly share their food misadventures throughout Tokyo!

Timestamps

• 00:00 Intro
• 2:32 Yokai of the week
• 5:03 When objects gain a soul of their own
• 11:53 What items should come alive in modern society?
• 18:26 Books to be transported to
• 23:12 Rating the Princess
• 28:00 Our spiciest memory of ramen
• 37:08 Eating noodles like going to bars
• 39:34 Nobody has seen you at your worst than your local konbini
• 43:38 Convenient food isn't always convenient
• 49:31 Nothing beats taco rice and curry 
• 56:52 It's healthier to eat a lot in Japan
• 1:00:01 The Incident
• 1:05:57 Aburasoba: The 8th wonder of the Japan
• 1:17:14 The worst thing we ate in Japan
• 1:27:15 True innovation is borderline insanity

Links

• Yokai of the Week, Suzuhikohime: https://yokai.com/suzuhikohime/
• Moukotanmen Nakamoto: https://goo.gl/maps/PWmZDstNwjr7tmXE7
• Ichiran Ramen Ikebukuro: https://goo.gl/maps/wXtaKg9fx17HGsXZ6
• Basso Drillman Twitter: https://twitter.com/basso_drillman
• Basso Drillman Location (The branch near Rikkyo sadly closed!): https://goo.gl/maps/j7xif89sFKmBQe4B8

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg

Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos

In this episode, we talk about what to know, bring, and research when moving to Japan! From things you don't need to bring to necessary recommendations and logistics to consider, we give you the rundown on what you need to set up ASAP!

WARNING: This episode contains graphic themes, namely because of our chosen Yokai of the week. If you're not a fan of graphic/violent imagery, please use the timestamps below to skip to the main topic! #PocariSweatBoyz

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Intro
• 2:03 Catching up
• 8:42 Lockdown messed with our sense of time
• 12:33 We relate more with the obscene
• 15:40 (EXPLICIT) Youkai of the week: Enkou
• 30:55 Moving to Japan: What should you prepare?
• 34:36 Should we bring personal items?
• 38:38 Holly sharing her experiences moving in for work
• 40:07 The little things you have to worry about
• 42:43 Trust your own medicine
• 49:03 When in doubt, seek a Japanese colleague
• 50:19 Pocari Sweat, Elixir of Life
• 53:55 Ukon to save you from binging alcohol
• 54:48 You should know this before entering
• 1:01:05 Japan loves long-term contracts
• 1:11:49 Prepare clothes for 4 seasons
• 1:21:25 Winter is dependent on the region
• 1:26:26 The mentality you should have when moving to Japan
• 1:36:34 How do you act in a foreign environment?

Links

• Yokai of the Week, Enkou: https://yokai.com/enkou/

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hotaruchi

Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos

In this episode, we'll be talking all about wanderlust: the effects of travel on us and how it changes the way we look at the world. We take a trip down memory lane, with memories of our first times travelling. We talked about our assumptions of Japanese people and had them broken down as soon as we arrived there. Plenty of introspection happening here, and of course, a little bit yabai added in between.

Timestamps

• 2:21 The Kanpai Yokai Tier List: What makes a demon a good demon?
• 7:57 This week's Yokai: Heikegani
• 15:51 The power of travel and wanderlust
• 19:44 Our earliest memories travelling for the first time
• 28:46 Experiencing our first times travelling
• 33:22 Recognising differences in food culture
• 44:30 The places that center us: flowers and water
• 56:19 Iterations of nature, and breaking our assumptions
• 1:09:04 The assumptions of Japanese people and how they are vastly different once met
• 1:15:25 Where we want to go next
• 1:29:49 Where is home?
• 1:36:27 Do we travel to be away from home or do we travel to find it?
• 1:40:04 The element of hesitation stops us from travelling

Links

• Heikegani, a C-Tier Yokai
• Ashikaga Flower parks

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg

Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos

In this episode we talk about superstitions, believes and Yokai! How do demons affect the way that we behave? What were the journeys that both co-hosts went through to gain a better understanding of themselves? And why is the Shirime the one true god? From hot waterfall daddies to butt eyes, please enjoy the episode!

Timestamps

• 2:30 Do you believe in ghosts?
• 9:12 In Japan, every detail is an art form in itself
• 13:12 God formed the basis for the instruction of living
• 18:51 An actual ghost story that happened
• 25:13 Sensitivity to what cannot be explained
• 39:05 Our favorite Yokai, and the Yokai Tier List
• 44:05 The Yokai animals of modern Japan
• 51:12 Gender portrayal in cultural history, and Hot Waterfall Daddy
• 59:04 The powerlessness and natural course of humanity
• 1:06:59 Do we have too many demons? Can we invent our own gods?
• 1:13:42 How Shintoism and other religions affect one's behavior in Japan
• 1:22:45 Looking into Japanese cults, and spirituality equaling ego
• 1:32:35 Our journeys in spirituality, and how that developed after Japan

Links

• Oonamazu
• Shirime
• Yokai Website

#shirimeistheonetruegod
#hotwaterfalldaddy

Follow Holly here:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotaru.chi_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotaruchi_
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozAFQfdEfhjmyafFjesaqg

Follow Norm here:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisaintnorm
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRCbVifuTpvHn6WVcJaXdA/videos