Tokyo Wave

Tokyo Wave

By Aaron Randall & Parker AllenSociety & CultureNews
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Tokyo Wave episodes

  • #83 - Japanese Startups
    Are Japanese startups finally beginning to attract the attention of overseas investors? Will PM Kishida order the disposal of over 100k boxes of Abenomasks? Aaron and Parker discuss Japan's record $320 billion stimulus budget and new simplified entry procedures for wealthy travelers entering Japan on private jets and superyachts.
    37 min
  • #82 - Japan China

    Asian public policy expert, political science professor, and politics commentator Dr. Stephen Nagy shares his insights on Japan-China relations, the US-led Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics boycott, and which movie character he resembles most. Aaron and Parker discuss Japan's 100,000-yen handout and glowing masks developed by Japanese scientists that detect the coronavirus.

    1 hr 11 min
  • #81 - Entry Restrictions
    Why did Japan close its borders again? How long will this measure last? Aaron and Parker discuss unused cloth masks procured by Japan, with 100k boxes sitting in warehouses, and Kobe's plan to use avatar robots to ease hikikomori back into society.
    43 min
  • #80 - Matsuri Festivals

    What are some of Japan's best local matsuri festivals, and will they be held in 2022? Why do people keep getting injured by the rollercoaster at the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park? Aaron and Parker discuss Japan releasing hundreds of thousands of kiloliters of reserve oil, and a Tokyo assembly member who resigned for driving without a license.

    48 min
  • #79 - Goat Caper
    What do Japan's new visa entry procedures mean for business travelers, technical trainees, and international students? When will Japan reopen to tourists? Aaron and Parker discuss Japan's record 55.7 trillion yen economic stimulus package, the resignation of Mizuho Financial and Mizuho Bank heads, and a young goat who disappeared overnight in Ibaraki prefecture in a suspected theft.
    44 min
  • #78 - Coda Funk

    Take a listen to the lo-fi hiphop sounds of the Coda Funk EP, 7 tracks co-created by Aaron. We talk about the musical inspirations together with frequent contributor and music aficionado Matt Ketchum. Aaron and Parker discuss the restart of Japan's Go To Travel campaign, PM Kishida's plan to raise defense spending, and Sony cutting its PlayStation 5 production outlook due to a component snag.

    1 hr 1 min
  • #77 - 2021 Election

    How did PM Kishida's LDP perform in the October 31 Japan House of Representatives Election? What is going to be the focus of the new Kishida administration? Aaron and Parker discuss Japan lifting the entry ban for business visas, students, and interns, and police on the hunt for a monkey running wild in Tokyo and Saitama.

    34 min
  • #76 - Zen Buddhism
    Writer, translator, Cool Japan Ambassador, global communications specialist, and mahjong expert Benjamin Boas shares his experience hanging out with Zen monks, and the backstory to why Zen Buddhism is so popular overseas. Aaron and Parker discuss the Japanese government making COVID-19 booster shots available and a man who died after a tunnel collapsed at a maglev bullet train construction site in central Japan.
    1 hr 19 min
  • #75 - Shibuya Halloween

    Why has Shibuya declared war on Halloween? Can SoftBank ever recoup its massive investment on now-public WeWork? Aaron and Parker discuss the looming hostile takeover of Shinsei Bank and a US serviceman arrested in Tokyo with LSD.

    40 min
  • #74 - Videogame Nostalgia

    Akiya hunter, black metal musician, and real estate consultant Matt Ketchum talks about visiting vacant houses with Youtuber Tokyo Llama and his love of vintage Japanese video games. Aaron and Parker discuss Japan's upcoming lower house election, the Japanese health ministry recommending Pfizer shots for young men over lower inflammation risk, and the battle among prefectures to avoid the 'least attractive prefecture' title.

    29 min

About Tokyo Wave

From the publisher's feed

Weekly updates from Japan with Aaron & Parker, two Americans with a passion for telling you what's going on right now on the ground in Tokyo, straight from our studio in Harajuku. Join us in…