Tokyo Podcast

We've received variations of this question often—"Can I live in Japan without speaking Japanese?" "How much Japanese should I learn if I want to work in Japan?"—but this episode was ultimately sparked by one of our listeners who asked how Japanese people would react to a non-Japanese-speaking foreigner traveling through Japan.

This week, Anthony answers all of these questions in one episode and shares his wisdom based on his years of living in Japan, working with Japanese clients, and traveling in Japan, all without speaking Japanese.

https://tokyo-podcast.com/live-work-travel-japan-without-speaking-japanese/

The website for my next guest promotes their service by saying "InCloud offers industry leading consulting and development services for cloud and IoT products."

Now if you don't have any idea on what that means don't worry, neither does anyone else in Japan and that's why my guest today is going to make a fortune bringing Japan into the digital world.

Chris Beak is the CEO of Incloud and he joins me today to talk about the growth of his business and his thoughts on being an entrepreneur in Japan.

For a lot of people coming to Japan for the first time can be a confusing and intimidating experience. The sheer number of people, size of the city, extensive train lines and a confusing language can make your first few days in Japan a difficult one.

Now imagine doing all of that but without the ability to see what's going on around you.

My guest today is Tony Vega and he has a condition called Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, which is a condition that reduced the amount of vision that he has. We discuss how he's adapted to his condition and what a trip to Japan taught him about the human potential.

Yuka Ogasawara a self-described bookworm, noticed that a lot of foreigners were interested in Japanese literature, but not many knew where to look beyond the Haruki Murakami threshold. She started recommending Japanese books that she liked, and this eventually evolved into Osusume Books.

Read more: Reading About Japanese Culture With Osusume Books

Michael Howard is an American businessman who moved from American to Japan to work in a traditional Japanese company. His new book, 'The Salaryman' documents the trials and tribulations of trying to fit in to the Japanese Way.

Working as a salaryman in Japan

Last week, our host Anthony offered a list of his favourite movies set in Japan, to help you ease the boredom of quarantine. This week, he discusses his favourite podcasts in Japan. The list is longer, so we've grouped everything into four categories: business podcasts in Japan, podcasts on living in Japan, podcasts for learning Japanese, and podcasts about Japanese culture.

Read More: The Best Podcasts About Japan 2020

Anthony shares with us some of his favourite movies that are set in Japan. Some of these you might know, but others may offer new material to enjoy while you're isolated at home.

• Mr. Baseball
• Black Rain
• The Last Samurai
• Shin Godzilla
• Tokyo Idols
• Lost in Translation

Read More: My Favourite Movies That Are Set In Japan

After leaving Japan in 2011 I never thought I would move back. On this show I talk about why I decided to leave Japan only to return a couple years later and why starting a travel business right now was probably a dumb idea.

Read More: Why I Moved Back To Japan

It's becoming more and more common to travel abroad to study. However, if you're thinking about studying Japanese in Japan, there are some things you need to keep in mind.

In today's show our host Anthony Joh gives us his opinion on the best three options to make it happen!

Read More: What Are Your Best Options For Studying In Japan?

On this show I will talk about the pros and cons of moving to Japan in your 20s, 30s or 40s and an old Japanese guy doesn't know how to use a computer!

Read More: How Old Is Too Old To Move To Japan?