Unpacking Japan

Meet James Farrer, Professor of Sociology and Global Studies at Sophia University. He sits down to talk to us his sociology study in China and Shanghai, before moving to Tokyo and finding his own community by studying the third spaces that exist in the restaurants around train stations.

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0:00 Intro

0:44 Meet James

3:32 Shanghai in the 90s

8:27 Studies at Fudan University

12:18 Coming to Japan

15:34 Finding community in Tokyo

18:14 The reality of Midnight Diner

21:20 Experiences as an outsider

28:42 Differences in Tokyo neighborhoods

33:53 Street food in Japan?

37:02 James's NHK program

41:42 Differences between Tokyo and Shanghai

46:23 Foreigner-run restaurants

50:50 Challenges telling stories on TV

55:10 Kabukicho nightlife

59:30 How comparable are Tokyo and Shanghai really?

1:02:36 Have you found your place in Tokyo?

1:09:24 The paradoxical freedom of big cities

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Follow James:

https://www.nishiogiology.org/

https://www.instagram.com/japanfoodresearch/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesfarrer/

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https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan

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Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan!

Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Kristine aka Kfel, a Filipino Canadian content creator based in Tokyo completing what she calls "magical girl sidequests." She sits down to talk to us about her interest and subsequent internship in Japan, her journey to fluency, going viral on TikTok, and becoming a magical girl

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0:00 Intro

0:45 Meet Kristine

7:07 Internship in Japan

18:47 Start in content creation

20:58 Getting her first sponsor

26:52 The struggle of bringing cats to Japan

33:09 How Kfel got so fluent

41:47 Moving to Japan

43:55 Finding a community here

48:17 How Japan changed her videos

50:34 How girl walk in Tokyo

56:28 Working with GeeXPlus

1:01:12 Advice for aspiring creators

1:04:05 Getting into cosplay

1:07:40 What's next

1:09:57 Kfel's favorite anime

1:13:07 What makes a good anime?

1:15:28 Kfel's struggle with identity

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Follow us:

https://unpacking.jp/

https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan

https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan

https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan

https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts

https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan

Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan!

Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet River, a correspondent for the New York Times based in Japan. She sits down to talk to us about Japan's current political and economic climate, the life of a journalist in Japan, and the role of a journalist in the age of social media.--0:00 Intro0:45 Meet River4:40 Deciding to stay in Japan9:05 Being a journalist in the Trump presidency12:18 Start at WSJ and Bloomberg16:11 Being unbiased a a journalist19:40 Moving to Japan as a journalist26:32 Journalistic ethics vs business31:03 Personal interest in stories35:40 Finding experts to interview40:31 Investigative journalism42:30 Where are you when big events happen?47:01 The Alaska LNG story55:00 Treatment as a female journalist59:19 Role of written journalism1:06:47 Balancing business and integrity1:10:41 What's next for River1:12:52 Portrayal of Takaichi 1:16:13 How much context readers need--Follow River:https://www.nytimes.com/by/river-akira-davishttps://x.com/riverakiradavisFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Paula, English localization lead at Square Enix in Japan. She sits down to talk to us about how she broke into the localization industry, misconceptions about game translation, what it was like to work on titles like Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana, and how she got the chance to sing for Final Fantasy XIV.--0:00 Intro0:45 Meet Paula2:11 Teaching on the JET Programme9:45 Start in localization industry14:25 Misconceptions about game localization22:37 Challenges in localization25:53 How long does localization take?27:30 Naming consistency31:42 Gaming as work vs. hobby33:15 Context when translating34:22 Translating Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters42:31 How big is the localization team?43:41 Fan reaction45:53 Other big projects at Square Enix48:31 Localization process between games49:52 Changing industry51:29 Singing/voice acting for Final Fantasy59:56 Voice director for Visions of Mana1:02:00 How to be a good translator1:04:44 Upcoming projects1:06:32 More localization misconceptions--Square Enix:https://www.square-enix.com/Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Avril Haye-Matsui, a professor at Aichi Prefectural University in Nagoya. She sits down to talk to us about the reality of being black in Japan, raising mixed black children here, how people treat black people can vary depending on what country you're from, and --0:00 Intro0:45 Meet Avril3:36 Arriving on the JET Program9:16 Staying and moving to academia14:57 Research on identity in Japan18:54 PhD studies24:33 Study into being black in Japan28:33 Students' perception of identity37:47 Changing perception of blackness today39:55 Personal experience of blackness in Japan44:01 Avril's children's experiences51:03 Being black as children vs. teenagers53:53 Interactions with Japanese schools57:35 Women's empowerment circle1:06:56 Advice for black people coming to Japan--Follow Avril:https://womenempowermentcirclegroup.net/https://www.instagram.com/bwijgroup/Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet David Kornhauser, Director of Global Communications at Kyoto University. He sits down to talk with us about how Japanese universities are becoming more international, his work in science communication, and the proliferation of nobel prizes from Kyoto University.--0:00 Intro0:45 Meet David3:15 Rediscovering Japanese roots9:46 International bubble universities12:41 PR for Tokyo Electric Power17:30 Working in foreign services in China22:48 Connection to Japan while abroad25:53 Returning to Japan30:03 Working for Kyoto University32:54 Language barrier at international universities37:48 How Japanese universities operate39:44 Perception of international students47:36 Nobel prizes from Kyoto University52:31 Science communication1:02:07 Kyoto's Yoshida dorm1:12:31 The importance of Japanese universities--Kyoto University:https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/enFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Dr. Harriet Ocharo, an applied AI researcher from Kenya working in Tokyo. She sits down to talk to us about coming to Japan on the MEXT scholarship, moving to Tokyo to work in the tech industry, and her experiences as a single mother here in Japan.

--0:00 Intro0:45 Meet Harriet4:55 Why Japan?8:13 MEXT scholarship10:25 Arriving at a Japanese university20:17 Cultural surprises27:02 Move to Tokyo30:55 Japanese questions about Kenya35:17 Joining a large Japanese company38:11 Challenges joining a Japanese company41:49 What AI is actually useful for47:11 Japanese AI situation52:47 Do Japanese companies want foreigners?54:19 Being a single mother in Japan1:00:40 What support does Japan provide?1:03:49 Raising black children in Japan1:07:05 What made you stay?1:08:55 Next steps--Follow Harriet:https://savvykenya.com/https://x.com/savvykenyahttps://www.instagram.com/savvykenya/https://savvykenya.wordpress.com/Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet David, a writer based in Japan, who sits down to talk with us about the origins of Western fashion and culture in Japan. He tells us about how Western fashions are brought over, common misconceptions people have, and how Japanese culture actually develops over time.--0:00 Intro0:46 Meet David5:04 Moving to Japan12:35 Unpacking the myth of Japanese culture23:02 Interest in fashion25:56 Evolution of fashion in Japan vs. the US29:18 Fashion genres in Japan33:30 David's book about social status40:02 Research for cultural analysis43:32 Societal value changes over the last 25 years49:38 Work on The New Japan magazine53:34 Rediscovering rural Japan1:02:29 Japan's disappearing places1:09:15 Japanese fashion magazine authority1:15:19 Do you understand Japanese culture yet?1:18:07 Japan is not an other--Follow David:https://www.neomarxisme.com/https://culture.ghost.io/https://www.instagram.com/wdavidmarx/https://x.com/wdavidmarxhttps://bsky.app/profile/wdavidmarx.bsky.socialFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Yumechi, a fashion creator living in Tokyo and working for the brand ACDC RAG. She sits down to talk to us about the birth of fashion subcultures, how trends change over time, and her work in the Japanese fashion subculture world.--0:00 Intro0:44 Meet Yumechi2:47 Interest in j-fashion9:56 Finding a community through fashion13:06 Gyaru and lolita today15:02 What makes j-fashion trends so interesting17:00 The sad story behind jirai-kei23:56 Has jirai affected mental health discussion?27:33 Yumechi's fashion styles29:07 Fashion vocabulary30:17 Working for ACDC RAG36:13 Fashion trend cycles38:38 J-fashion overseas41:57 How social media affected trends44:20 Communicating trends to overseas audiences47:06 How fashion affects perceptions of mental health49:31 Who wears these fashions?51:03 Dealing with trends as a brand54:59 Do subcultures branch out to the mainstream?57:34 Growth of j-fashion overseas1:00:25 Yumechi's content journey1:02:43 What is oshikatsu?1:06:04 Yumechi's time as an idol1:07:08 How important are fan groups?1:10:58 The growth of kpop in Japan1:15:57 Looking forward--Follow Yumechi: @yumechi15 https://www.instagram.com/yume.chii/Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Shala, a singer, dancer, and musician who was born in Nagoya and grew up in London. She sits down to talk to us about her career across the 2 countries, and her identity as a biracial and bicultural artist.--0:00 Intro0:44 Meet Shala4:03 Interest in music6:54 Interest in dancing11:09 Growing up mixed in London13:16 Moving back to Japan15:48 Dance career in London25:53 How being Asian affected her career35:46 Finding her own path as an artist39:55 Shala's first viral hit45:03 Writing an album48:10 Whitewashing and cultural homogenization53:25 The importance of an album58:33 Writing a bilingual album1:01:41 Japanese music industry vs. multiculturalism1:04:45 Shala's new single--Follow Shala:https://www.wabisabishala.com/ @wabisabishala  https://www.tiktok.com/@wabisabishalahttps://www.instagram.com/wabisabishalahttps://x.com/wabisabishalahttps://soundcloud.com/wabisabishalaFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/