Tokyo Podcast

In a recent survey the New York Times found that Japan ranked 90th in the world and dead last among industrialized nations for happiness and less economically developed countries such as Bangladesh ranked much higher. My guest today is film maker Eiji Han Shimizu who's new film 'Happy' attempts to find the answer to the age old question of, what makes people happy?

On this show we continue our Japanese Language Series with Alex Brooke who runs the Learn Japanese Pod website. Alex is the host of the Learn Japanese Podcast and is also an accomplished musician. We delve into the rhythm and the melody of Japanese compared to other languages and even throw in a quick Thai lesson.

We are also joined by Brad Stephenson from 25Cafes who brings us his review of a trendy vegetarian cafe located in Shibuya. 25Cafes is your guide to 100% smoke free cafes in Tokyo.

With a history that dates back hundreds of years and a business empire that stretches into many areas of modern Japan, the Yakuza are a feared and respected part of Japanese society.

On this episode of Tokyo Podcast we talk to Belgian photographer Anton Kusters who spent two years photographing the Japanese Yakuza and has produced a fascinating photo book detailing his journey into the heart of the Japanese criminal world.

One of the most commonly asked questions that we here at Tokyo Podcast get is what is dating like in Japan? Is it the same as dating in a Western country? Are Japanese girls shy? Do Japanese guys flirt?

Intercultural dating is always fraught with challenges and dating in Japan is no exception. To guide us through this dating minefield we have Melissa Feineman who wrote the 'Let's Date' column for the Japanzine magazine.

On March 10, 2011 Sachiko Takao set out on adventure bike tour to experience the wonderful foods that are available in Japan. Starting in Okinawa, Sachiko cycled the 2280 KM over 6 months to the northern tip of Japan in Hokkaido. Along the way she sampled many delicious foods, photographed the amazing scenery and met many friendly and curious people.

https://tokyo-podcast.com/finding-sachi/

During World War II the United States government detained over 100,000 people of Japanese descent in interment camps throughout the west coast of the United States. One particular camp located in Santa Fe, New Mexico was different. It housed Japanese men who were considered the worst of the worst by the United States government. Many of these men were journalists, teachers, ministers or businessmen and until today their story has never been told.

Neil Simon is a documentary filmmaker who's film 'Prisoners and Patriots: The Untold Story of Japanese Internment in Santa Fe' hopes to bring awareness to the camp in Santa Fe and this untold story from World War II.

What happened to the economic powerhouse that Japan was in the 1980's? Where did the innovation and entrepreneurialism go? Is it still alive or has Japan Inc. suffered from too much by bureaucracy and lack of leadership?

Anthony Joh talks to William Saito who is an accomplished entrepreneur, venture capitalist, educator and consultant to governments worldwide. He talks about how the Japanese economic train got derailed and what steps can be taken to get it back on track.

Having grown up in Japan, Yushi Shinoda developed a love of languages at a very young age when he started studying English and Chinese. An opportunity to study in China cemented his love of languages and he has been adding to his repertoire ever since.

Yushi joins us today to talk about how he is able to learn so many languages and offers suggestions on how we can improve our language learning ability.

Moving to a new country and living an expat life can be one of the most rewarding and frustrating things to do, sometimes at the same time! The thrill of experiencing something new and exotic can quickly be replaced with the frustration of struggling to accomplish the most basic of tasks.

Our guest today is Ms. Ashley Thompson who runs a website called 'Surviving in Japan without much Japanese'. On her site she offers all sorts of valuable tips on setting up your new life in Japan. She recently had her first child and joins us to talk about her experience giving birth in Japan.

Of the 3000 castles that once dotted the Japanese landscape only 12 remain in their original condition. From old ruins to modern replicas, on this show we talk to Daniel O`Grady from Japanese Castle Explorer about the historic and modern significance of Japanese castles.

I also post a mini review of the new Sony Playstation Vita. This new gaming machine from Sony has been eagerly anticipated by fans and is an important product for the profit challenged company. Does the Sony Playstation Vita live up to the hype and would I recommend it as a portable gaming device?

Also this is the last show for 2011 and I wanted to thank everyone who listens and supports the show and a special thank you to all my guests who have been on. Without your support Tokyo Podcast would just be me talking to myself and so I thank everyone for making it a huge success.