Tokyo Podcast

A few months of being back in Canada and our host Anthony Joh is thinking that he's missing one of the best things about Japan and it is the the Japanese convenience stores!

It's not fair to compare the famous Japanese 'kombinis' with the convenience stores of the rest of the world. The Canadian convenience stores are neither convenient nor are they a very good store, offering mostly junk food and minimal services.

Japanese convenience stores on the other hand are the epitome of convenient and is one of the things that you'll take for granted when you live in Japan and miss tremendously when you leave.

• Pay your bills
• Receive ordered goods
• Print or make photo copies
• Buy emergency clothing
• Transfer money worldwide
• Get your event tickets
• Eat really good food

Read More: The Amazing Convenience of the Japanese Kombini

On this show Anthony talks about his return to Canada and gives you seven random tips that made living in Tokyo just a little easier.

• Start studying Japanese as soon as you arrive
• Buy a good set of noise cancelling headphones
• Learn which side of the train your exit is
• Spend your cash and collect your change
• Buy rechargeable batteries
• Master your google-fu
• Make true Japanese friends

Read More: 7 Random Tips For Living In Tokyo

In this episode we guide you through the process of finding and setting-up your new home in Tokyo.

The last time we spoke about renting an apartment in Japan was in Episode 49 of Season 1 - almost five years ago. With a few more Japan-based years under his belt, Anthony shares the best of his knowledge to make your apartment search as easy as possible.

Read more: Update on Renting an Apartment In Tokyo

After nearly five years MIA, Tokyo Podcast is back with Series 2. If you're one of the listeners who stuck around – thank you!

Much of Series 1 is still relevant, but let's be honest, a lot can happen in half a decade. Our host, Anthony Joh, will be leaving Japan next year, so now seemed like the perfect time to bring you some fresh, updated content.

In this episode, Anthony reflects upon his time in Japan by talking about his 5 favourite - and least favourite – things.

Read more: 5 Things I Love and Hate About Living in Japan

Starting with a simple domain name and website, Davide Rossi has built Go Go Nihon into a hugely successful company that brings students from around the world to study in Japan.

Anthony also announces that this will be the final episode of Tokyo Podcast. He wants to thank each and everyone of the guests who came on the show to tell their story.

Also a big thank you to everyone who downloaded the show each week and sent in your feedback and comments. Not one to stay offline for long, Anthony is already hard at work on his next internet venture and you can follow along on his Facebook page.

One of the first major hurdles that many foreigners face when moving to Japan is renting an apartment. Renting an apartment in Japan is a complicated process filled with all sorts of historic regulations and procedures, strange acronyms, and more fees than you can possibly imagine.

To help us understand this process I am joined by Adam German from Real Estate Japan, who is going to guide us through the necessary steps of securing your new home away from home.

Renting an apartment in Tokyo

The small town of Ishinomaki was one of the hardest hit from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which traveled up to 5 miles inland the tsunami destroyed over 40% of the buildings and left the small town devastated.

Eight months after the tsunami, documentary filmmaker Paul Johannessen visited Ishinomaki and interviewed a number of residents to find out about the recovery effort. What he found was a strong community who are working hard to rebuilt their lives and their town.

Ishinomaki: Then And Now

With it's busy sidewalks and endless stairs in and out of the train stations, is Japan closed off to someone in a wheelchair or is it surprisingly accessible?

On this show I talk to Ashley Olson who runs the website about traveling around the world by wheelchair. She recently completed her first trip to Japan and she joins me to talk about thoughts on how accessible Japan is.

Anthony is back after a busy couple of weeks at his new job at GajinPot to bring you a new show all about the different social media networks in Japan. With guest Robin Sakai from Social500, we take a look at the origins of social media in Japan and how the old guard is changing to match the consumer needs.

Anthony also welcomes back to the show past guest Ashley Thompson from Surviving in Japan who shares with us her latest venture, Go Tabi Japan which aims to make it easier for visitors to Japan.

Social media in Japan.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary film by Mr. David Gelb that follows the daily life of 85 year old Jiro Ono who is widely considered to be the world's greatest sushi chef.

The film is an intimate look at Jiro's philosophies on work and life and his insistence on absolute perfection when making sushi. The film also explores the secondary characters that all contribute to the restaurant, from the fish seller at the Tsukiji Market, to the restaurant staff who struggle to meet Jiro's high standards to the relationship between Jiro and his eldest son, who is patiently waiting in the wings to take over the restaurant once his father retires.