Voices in Japan

Drinking is such a big part of Japanese life. People drink to build relationships with colleagues and business clients, and of course to relieve stress or relax. Many people, especially businessmen, take full advantage of these drinking opportunities often ending the evening with a pavement pizza, and passing out on the streets. We see it all the time!

Conversation highlights:

• What our podcasters like to drink during a night out on the town.
• the growing popularity of craft beer in Japan.
• Do people drink Sake/nihonshuu at the beginning of a night out?
• Work parties in Japan being a big part of business culture. “nomunication” - drink and communicate.
• What are some unique customs when drinking with colleagues and friends?
• Why drinking with co-workers and clients is important in Japan.
• The infamous Nomihodai (All-you-can-drink) plans and why they work in Japan.
• Are Japanese people strong drinkers?
• Drunken businessmen getting wasted and passing out on the streets and subways.
• Comparing alcohol related violences between Japan, the US and the UK. 
• Alcohol making Japanese people more friendly and open.
• The best time of the year for our podcasters - The Sapporo Beer Garden in the summer.
• Jingiskan - A very popular dish of barbecued lamb originating from Hokkaido.
• Types of Shochu, which is a strong potato based spirit.
• Cocktails unique to Japan and the growing popularity of Highballs.
• Japan is so safe that businessmen feel comfortable passing out in the streets, and women walk alone through parks.

The most unique drinking custom is the Nomihodai (all-you-can-drink plan), which sounds pretty crazy and would never work in countries such as the UK and the US, but the Japanese don’t take advantage of this. When our podcasters first arrived in Japan, hearing about this drinking plan brought shock and excitement, resulting in many an early night of debauchery and blackouts. 

Throughout the years, the Nomihodai is still a firm favourite on nights out, but the drink-as-much-as-you-can mentality has slowly worn off. Nowadays, as the guys have aged, so have their drinking habits, having a preference for sipping good quality Sake or a couple of glasses of tasty craft beer over dribbling into empty shot glasses in the dingy nightclubs of Sapporo at 4am. Getting old and boring is real!

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Looking for a career in Japan?  Get ready for the crazy welcome parties, off the cuff greetings and farewell speeches, morning stretches, meetings on top of meetings, and the possibility of literally working to death, aka karoshi! Can the government policies being introduced actually reform the challenges affecting Japan's labor force? Find out how our podcasters have been navigating their way over the years and surviving the notorious Japanese working culture!

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In uber fashion-conscious Japan, the styles of men and women continue to converge. Did you know that even men are wearing makeup and spending their yen on skincare products? What is driving these trends, and have our podcasters tested their masculinity by taking part? 

Conversation points:

·      Getting your forehead shaved at the hair salon or barbers.

·      Men trimming their eyebrows.

·      Men using skin creams, lotions, and moisture masks.

·      Burke wearing makeup on his wedding day.

·      What types of men do Japanese women find attractive?

·      The beautiful men in the entertainment and J-pop industry.

·      Why are the most popular J-pop groups so bad?

·      Men using women style handbags.

·      J-pop artist Gakt and how his androgynous style has influenced Japanese society.

·      The podcasters share their personal experiences with using skin lotions.

·      Subway operators suing their bosses for being penalized at work for having facial hair.

·      The rules of facial hair in the Japanese work environment and how the podcasters have been affected by them.

The world is constantly changing at a rapid pace that things such as men’s makeup are becoming more common place. Is it a good thing? For the younger generation, trimming your eyebrows and using skin products and lotions to improve your appearance can only be a positive. But, can it go too far? Are men losing their masculinity by using women’s handbags? There may come a day when both sexes look and dress completely the same, and who’s to say that it’s a bad thing. In any case, androgynous Japan is leading the way in the ever-evolving fashion world.

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Having lived in Japan for a combined 25 years, how much have our podcasters mastered Japanese?  Find out now as they discuss overcoming the struggles of learning kanji, give great advice on studying techniques like finding a Japanese girlfriend or memorizing numerous conversations from textbooks, grinding it out to pass the Japanese proficiency tests, and much more!

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Japanese students are mega busy. Many of them go to school 6 days a week! They join school clubs, go to cram school, AND they have homework. It’s not cruisy like their western counterparts.

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How is Japan still trying to recover from the 9.0 megaquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant meltdown - a triple disaster that struck on March 11, 2011? Listen now to hear our hosts describe their experience, the ongoing suspicions about the disaster area, and much much more!

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In September 2018, Hokkaido was hit by the biggest earthquake ever recorded on the Northern Japanese island. 5 months later, another earthquake hits the same area. Burke and Ben share their experiences during those worrying times. 

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The streets are filled with kimono, hakama, and drunk Japanese 20 year olds on Coming of Age Day. But many people question the meaning of this holiday. Find out why in this episode. 

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Website:

https://www.voicesinjapan.com/

YouTube

https://youtu.be/G78DxDtFl-w

Follow us and check out our other content:

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What do you think annoys Japanese people on the subway? In Japan, there is a lot of things and some of them are not so obvious, such as doing make up. Ben bets with Burke that he can guess what the Japanese find most offensive when riding the subway. Who will win? 

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Website:

https://www.voicesinjapan.com/

YouTube

https://youtu.be/G78DxDtFl-w

Follow us and check out our other content:

https://twitter.com/voicesinjapan

https://www.facebook.com/voicesinjapan/

https://www.instagram.com/voicesinjapan/

Get in touch: 

[email protected]

Support the show

Discover the unique twist to how Japanese people celebrate February 14th, and enjoy hearing how these expats first encountered romance upon arriving in Japan.

Support the show

Website:

https://www.voicesinjapan.com/

YouTube

https://youtu.be/G78DxDtFl-w

Follow us and check out our other content:

https://twitter.com/voicesinjapan

https://www.facebook.com/voicesinjapan/

https://www.instagram.com/voicesinjapan/

Get in touch: 

[email protected]

Support the show