Unpacking Japan

Meet Dani, a content creator from Venezuela also known as the guy in the fox mask. Dani sits down to talk to us about his journey to Japan, what it was like for him to work here, the reality of being a Japan content creator, and where the heck the mask came from.

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0:00 Intro

0:44 Meet Dani

6:37 Start in content creation

9:24 Content creation process

13:06 Becoming a full-time creator

16:52 How to stay unique in a sea of content

19:15 Story behind the mask

22:06 Taking off the mask

24:46 Thoughts on overtourism and content creation

30:11 Favourite areas of Japan

34:34 Is it possible to stay authentic?

37:41 Misconceptions about Japan creators

39:57 Moving forward

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Follow Dani:

⁨@foxmaskdaze⁩

https://www.instagram.com/foxmaskdaze/

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

https://www.facebook.com/foxmaskjapanon/

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https://unpacking.jp/

https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan

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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 Evie, a fashion model and content creator living in Tokyo. Evie sits down to talk to us about her interest in Japanese fashion, how Japanese styles are being taken overseas, and her own fashion and feminism content.--0:00 Intro0:44 Meet Evie5:44 Coming to Japan for fashion8:57 Where subcultures come from11:19 Foreign view on subcultures12:12 Moving to Japan16:35 Job hunting in Japan21:11 Start in content creation24:23 Is Japan safe for women?28:10 What does feminism mean to you?31:47 Feminism in content creation34:03 What's changed in Japan?39:04 Is it difficult to talk about Japan's problems?42:19 Evie's life in Japan now44:06 Do you feel responsibility as a creator?46:31 Working with Japanese brands as a creator51:57 Using her philosophy degree52:55 Mixing business and content creation54:24 Misconceptions about feminism in Japan--Follow Evie: @eviebunnie https://www.instagram.com/eviebunniex/https://www.tiktok.com/@eviebunnieFollow 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 Tove Bjoerk, a professor of Japanese culture and kabuki researcher at Saitama University, who sits down to talk to us about the history of kabuki. She tells us about the origins of kabuki performances, how it's evolved throughout the years, and the secret to why it remains so successful to this day.--0:00 Intro0:44 Meet Tove8:48 Interest in theatre9:56 Interest in Ichikawa Danjuro14:24 What makes kabuki special16:36 A stage art for the poor19:27 Kabuki was banned23:11 How popular was kabuki?27:15 Was kabuki style consistent across Japan?28:43 Diaries of Ichikawa Danjuro34:40 What do you need to know before seeing kabuki?37:33 Kabuki gets banned again44:52 Bjoerk's least favorite play47:09 Kabuki acting56:25 Ongoing research1:00:31 Founder of kabuki1:03:58 Kabuki today--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 Chai Kanda, CEO of Shiki Properties in Kyoto, who sits down to talk about Japan's short-term rental market. He talks about his work restoring machiya for vacation rentals, Japan's tourism boom, and how regulations affect Japan's tourism industry.

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0:00 Intro

0:45 Meet Chai

1:07 What brought Chai to Japan

2:07 Chai’s childhood in Japan

2:27 Leaving Sydney for Japan

2:51 Chai’s original vision for Japan

3:52 Chai’s first job in Japan

4:11 Staying in Kansai long term

4:36 Discovering real estate

6:43 From rentals to acquisitions for Chai

9:30 The pros and cons of machiya investment for Chai

11:38 The charm of machiya

12:15 Chai on Airbnb in Japan

13:58 Chai on renovation budgets

16:27 Chai navigating funding and partnerships

17:35 Chai on customer demand for machiya

18:55 Adapting to rapid growth

20:17 How booming tourism affects regulations

24:32 Kyoto-specific rules

25:29 Expanding beyond Kyoto

29:02 Expanding into Japan's "Little Venice"

32:37 Chai comparing markets

34:20 The usual process of starting in a new area

36:56 Tourism and neighborhood change

39:55 Evaluating sustainable tourism markets

43:09 Chai on overtourism in Japan

45:13 Crowded buses and local frustration

47:27 Transit expansion challenges

48:10 Untangling the tourism challenge

50:27 Chai’s long-term vision

52:36 From real estate to hot sauce

54:12 The reality of launching food products in Japan

56:04 Chai’s Scoville rating

56:55 Key lessons from two decades in business

58:25 The fear of failure in Japan

1:00:39 Being prepared for business in Japan

1:03:26 Wrapping up

1:04:01 Outro

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Shiki Group:

https://linktr.ee/shikigroup

Shiki Properties IG:

https://instagram.com/shiki_properties

Shiki Real Estate:

https://linktr.ee/shiki.realestate

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 Ken Shibusawa, an economist and great-grandson of Eiichi Shibusawa, the father of Japanese capitalism. He sits down to talk to us about moving to Japan to rediscover his roots, discovering his great-grandfather's writings, and his own finance career in social entrepreneurship and connecting Japan to Africa.

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0:00 Intro

0:46 Meet Ken

3:30 Moving to Japan

9:06 Starting a finance career in the bubble era

14:35 Finance philosophy in Japan vs. the US

19:17 Discovering Eiichi Shibusawa's writings

25:36 Starting an investment advisory firm

35:51 Focus on social entrepreneurship

38:56 Funding African startups

45:08 Connecting Japan and Africa

51:41 Challenges seeking investment for Africa

55:18 Change in industry over time

58:52 Hope for the younger generation

1:03:30 What Ken wants to leave behind

1:04:51 Japan is in a new era

1:07:24 Japan needs another Meiji Restoration

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Follow Ken:

https://www.shibusawa-co.jp/

https://x.com/shib30

https://www.instagram.com/kenshibusawa/

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 Sora, a voice actor from Japan*, who sits down to talk to us about his life and career. He tells us about his struggles with his identity and how weebs helped him learn to be proud of his country, his journey from English teacher to voice actor and creator, and the absolute state of Japan content.

*yes really

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0:00 Intro

0:46 Is Sora actually Japanese?

4:21 How weebs changed his perception of Japan

10:28 Becoming an English teacher

15:20 Start as a voice actor

19:15 Sora's most viral roles

23:33 Becoming a meme

27:57 Mindset as an actor

29:22 Being cringe on YouTube

34:04 Making skits about Japanglish

37:59 Is his channel still for weebs?

41:31 Sora's opinion on VTubers

45:20 Sora's opinion on "Japan" content

48:50 Does Sora feel any pressure as a Japanese?

53:44 Sora's obsession with Chris Broad

1:00:57 What fame means living in Japan

1:03:29 Living in Tokyo vs. Osaka vs. Chiba

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Follow Sora:

@sorathetroll

Follow us:

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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 Chloé Viatte, a French professor and bunya ningyo joruri puppeteer, who sits down to talk to us about this rare Japanese theatre. She tells us about her journey to Japan and interest in puppeteering, how these puppets are operated, and why they might disappear forever.

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0:00 Intro

0:44 Meet Chloe

5:35 Planning to move to Japan

7:35 First time in Japan

10:03 Life in Niigata

12:06 Interest in Kunio Yanagita

12:52 Interest in bunya joruri

18:56 What is Japanese puppet theatre?

21:06 When did it start?

22:36 Who was Chikamatsu Monzaemon?

24:14 Studying puppet theatre as a foreigner

26:40 Puppet troupes

28:14 Japanese vs. French plays

33:26 How puppeteers perform

36:20 Understanding the characters

38:45 How the puppets are operated

43:52 How the stories are performed

47:49 Why bunya joruri might disappear

50:26 How bunya joruri changed Chloe's life

54:10 Chloe's NHK French program

57:35 Is it important to keep traditional arts alive?

59:29 Where to watch bunya joruri

1:00:29 Tobi tries puppeteering

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Follow Chloé:

https://x.com/Yasathem

Follow us:

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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 Osama Ibrahim, an Egyptian opthamologist practicing in Japan. He sits down to talk to us about getting his medical license here, his work as a researcher, and the challenges he's had as a foreign doctor in Japan.

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0:00 Intro

0:46 Meet Ibrahim

4:21 Coming to Japan

8:07 PhD in Japan

14:49 Overcoming the language barrier

19:35 Getting a Japanese medical license

26:03 Passing the exam

30:07 Treating Japanese vs. foreign patients

36:18 Navigating the Japanese medical system

40:01 Research on eye surgery

48:09 Medical tourism to Japan

51:56 Common eye problems in Japan

54:28 Navigating medical regulations

58:53 Looking back

1:02:38 Goals for the future

1:07:20 Advice for anyone considering studying in Japan

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Follow Ibrahim:

https://www.facebook.com/Osamaiburahimu/

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

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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 Chani, a teacher and content creator that sits down to talk with us about moving to Japan at almost 50. She tells us about her first homestay experience in Japan, life as a teacher bringing her students here, buying an akiya here and her big move to her next stage in life.--0:00 Intro0:44 Meet Chani2:52 Homestay in Japan6:03 Move back to Japan9:55 Moving back at 5019:34 Japanese teacher to English teacher26:18 Buying an akiya32:51 Settling in to the house35:55 Starting a YouTube channel40:14 How moving here changed Chani's perspective on life42:06 Adopting a cat in Japan45:31 Finding a community in Japan49:31 Looking back51:48 Advice for people moving to Japan--Follow Chani: @ChaniJapan  https://www.chanijapan.com/https://www.instagram.com/chanijapan/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 Luna, a model living in Tokyo who performs as a drag queen under the name Andromeda. She sits down to talk with us about being queer and transgender in Japan, and why older people keep asking her why being trans is considered an issue

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0:00 Intro

0:45 Meet Andromeda

6:18 Moving to Japan & working at fashion company

11:17 Life in the Japanese fashion industry

12:54 Interest in kimono

17:33 Podcast and LGBTQ activism

22:38 Issues with LGBTQ labels

27:50 Finding community in Japan

35:19 Performing drag in Tokyo

40:46 Start with queer magazine & activism

52:08 Response by Japanese audience

56:09 Why it's important to talk about love

1:00:39 How much work does a magazine take?

1:03:39 How perspective on LGBTQ has changed in Japan

1:06:56 What's next for Luna?

1:08:46 Coming out in public

1:11:01 Why being trans was never an issue in Japan

1:15:18 Where do we stand today?

--Follow Luna:

https://www.instagram.com/luna.andromeda.jp

https://www.instagram.com/moto.iwakan

https://www.tiktok.com/@luna.andromeda.jp

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/