Episodes
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Ollie is in Tokyo and Fukuoka (and Hong Kong and KL and Brighton and London and Edinburgh...)
Little message from Ollie to say that he's heading to Japan as part of his stand-up comedy tour. https://tickets.olliehorn.com/tokyo - Friday May 5th @ Good Heavens https://tickets.olliehorn.com/fukuoka - Saturday May 6th @ Shimokitazawa - Tickets now on sale for Brighton Fringe previews and...
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Fancy a Cheeky Valentine's Show? (live show announcement)
Links to tickets! Get your tickets ASAP for guaranteed entry! https://peatix.com/group/12083451/events ★ Support this podcast ★
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The official round-up of 2022 (every single news story) [Part 2: July~December]
We did it! The second half of all of the news that came out of Japan in 2022. All of it. And we don't get side tracked or distracted by other chats. ★ Support this podcast ★
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The official round-up of 2022 (every single news story) [Part 1: January~June]
Part one of a (potential?) two-part run down of every single news story that came out of Japan in 2022. ★ Support this podcast ★
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Why was Shinzo Abe killed? (w/Jake Adelstein)
Shinzo Abe was assassinated. But did he deserve it? Jake Adelstein gets remarkably close to making the case that he did.
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Tokyo, City of Dreams/Permissive Zoning Policy (w/Joe McReynolds)
Joe McReynolds is co-author of a new book about how flexible micro-spaces create the spontaneity and vitality of Tokyo, and how so much the city is built on the often very niche dreams and passions of its citizens, and also slash-fan-fiction. Cruises to deal with inflation and heat stroke. Topics...
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Biden Time! (w/Michelle Ye Hee Lee)
Joe Biden's Straight Talk Express comes to Asia! WaPo Bureau Chief Michelle Ye Hee Lee joins us to talk about what Biden took away from his time in Japan. If he's anything like most Americans, we're betting that list includes a Hello Kitty T-shirt and a fake sword. Ferris Wheel and Kintsugi River...
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Marching into April/Japanese Castles (w/Oleg Benesch)
Japan Scholar Oleg Benesch joins us to to talk about the past, present, and future of Japanese castles, and break down the debates around them, proving that when it comes to historical Japanese strongholds, things aren't always black and shiro. Bobby and Ollie mourn the loss of some of their…
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Imagining a Militarized Japan and then Laughing (w/Tom Phuong Le)
Author of Japan's Aging Peace, Tom Le, stops in to talk about Japan's security concerns and help us think about an important hypothetical question. Ok, Japan, you CAN have a military. NOW WHAT? Ollie's river cruise recommendation is actually in Ukraine this week, but don't worry, if you wait long...
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Locked Out of our $500 Abandoned House (w/Alex Kerr)
Author Alex Kerr may be single-handedly responsible for the current global spotlight on restoring old Japanese country homes, so we talk to him about how these homes may be at the forefront of a new style of Japan tourism... if tourism in Japan ever happens again. Ollie shows us how YOU can go…
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JBRC HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2021, YAY!
If you'd like to be entered for a chance to win Baye McNeil's book "Hi, My Name is Loco and I'm a Racist," Ann Kilzer's 禁 calligraphy, or one of three JBRC merch packs, please tweet and share your favorite episode from this year with a recommendation, and be sure to tag us in it! Archive is here!...
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Married to Our Research (w/Joy Hendry)
Author of the new book, "An Affair with a Village" and leading UK expert on Japan, Joy Hendry joins us to discuss a whole variety of things, like MEXT Scholarships, marriage, and other things that end up letting us down. Ollie gets Scandinavian with it. Bobby is surprised to find out there are as...
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Fumio, Fumio, Whatfore art thou, Fumio? (w/Tobias Harris)
Abe-ographer (The Iconoclast) Tobias Harris stops by to break down the power dynamics in the LDP, speculate on whether or not Kishida's going to get a belated honeymoon (and whether or not his wife will have to stand during it), and discuss why what kills US, makes Kishida stronger. Ollie does…
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Kat(akana) Got Your Tongue? (w/Dr. Wes Robertson)
Why do foreigners in Japan speak in Katakana? Well, Bobby does it because the TV director told him it's funnier that way. But Dr. Wes Robertson has actual NON-anecdotal research into writing system/pronoun choices and how calling yourself ORE isn't conveying what you think it is. Ollie reminds us...
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All in the Same Boat, But We're in Steerage (w/Thalia Harris)
Thalia Harris stops by to talk about second-class citizenship in Japan during the pandemic, and also has such an interesting story about the Titanic that we had NO CHOICE but to actually talk about a cruise ship. Ollie recommends a ship that will have to change its name now. Bobby thinks Maezawa...
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Need a Leader? Try Kishida! (w/Motoko Rich)
NYT Tokyo Bureau Chief Motoko Rich gets onboard to talk about Kishida's first month in office. What has he done so far? What does his administration mean for Japan? And the most important test of a Japanese government official: how well can the man mull? Ollie recommends a river cruise that...
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The Runaway Bride (w/Aya Shimada)
Aya Shimada tells us what the fuss over Princess Mako's nuptials tells us about Japan's treatment of women, how the media affords privacy rights to the famous, and Ollie remembered that he thinks wedding stuff is over-priced again. Bobby knows which one of the two Rising Sun post-covid cruise...
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Burakku Purin: The UK-Japan Trade Deal (w/Pernille Rudlin)
Business consultant Pernille Rudlin helps us look back on the largely disappointing post-Brexit trade deal between Japan and the UK, which may have only been signed because Japan is sympathetic when it comes to saving face. Ollie remembers that people used to be shorter. Bobby gets an exclusive…
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Bonus Extras from E83 (w/Chelsea Schieder)! (No episode this week)
We're really sorry to say we were unable to get an episode to you this week, so enjoy these extras that were previously released only to our monthly members. Thank you sincerely to everybody who still supports this show by listening to the show each week, interacting with our nonsense on Twitter,...
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The Hair Police (w/Anne Crescini)
Anne Crescini talks about how Japanese schools don't have the resources to properly combat bullying, because those resources get used on student hair color and fingernail length. Ollie FINALLY starts studying Japanese again. Wait, wow WAS Bobby looking at the Holocaust before? Topics discussed on...
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How Many Nobel Prizes Does it Take to Make You Japanese? (w/Mary Kobayashi)
Syukuro Manabe and some other people win the Nobel Prize, illustrating a lot about how and why Japan claims people as Japanese. We talk to Mary Kobayashi about how she defines her Japanese identity, and how media representation works to define "Japanese..." as sexy, anime robot. The average age…
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The Secret Ingredient is Entitlement (w/Marc Matsumoto)
Japan's likely new Prime Minister, Marc Matsumoto talks about how to wield Japanese recipes responsibly, and more. Ollie's doing another podcast's work for them. Bobby looks at the new, very strict, tourist entry dress code . Topics discussed on this episode range from: NO PRE-RECORDED MESSAGE…
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Japan's Ready-For-Prime-Time Players (w/Derek Wessman)
Who will be Japan's next Prime Minister? Japanese Margaret Thatcher? The often shaken AND stirred Kono, TARO Kono? Mr. Speak-softly-and carry-no-nukes? Or Woman woman? Former Diet Aide Derek Wessman tells us "the thing" about each of the four candidates. Ollie's disappointed that the new boat...
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A Delhi-cate Predicament (w/Dr. Megha Wadhwa)
Ollie's going to eat both of those pizzas by himself, but HEY, it's his birthday. Bobby looks at the river cruise unions ALLS-WELL-THAT-ENDS-WELL philosophy. Topics discussed on this episode range from: The "rulebook for integration" in Japan, and why it's never been properly translated. The…
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World Suicide Prevention Day (w/TELL outreach director Selena Hoy)
Selena Hoy, outreach director from Suicide Prevention Lifeline, TELL, stops by to talk about the different cultural approaches to managing mental health, and why English-speakers in Japan can benefit from a service like TELL, in one of the rare episodes where we ask you to support something that...
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The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (w/Hiromu Nagahara)
Hiromu Nagahara talks about Princess Mako's engagement and upcoming move to New York and the split in Japanese public opinion, between nationalists, who are angry, and normal people, who don't care. Ollie pays close attention to the head chopping facilities list on this week's cruise...
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The Big 97: Sometimes We Like Japan (w/Brian)
An hour-long celebration of JBRC's 97th episode! We take a moment to catch up and make sure Ollie is actually surviving, roast some headlines, and have an extremely rare discussion about some things we love about life in Japan. Ollie recommends a river cruise that thinks you should quit nursing...
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Land of the Rising Floodwaters (w/ Dr. Wesley Cheek)
After the unprecedented rain and landslides in western Japan, disaster sociologist Dr. Wes Cheek talks about the country's future, and how facing the climate crisis may require never-before-seen levels of "shikata-ga-nai." Ollie recommends a climate change simulating cruise that is ALREADY behind...
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Paralimited Access (w/Mark Bookman)
Disability activist and historian Mark Bookman talks about how accessibility progress is bolstered by the international spotlight of the Paralympics but hampered by the lack of accessibility at the policy-making table. Ollie interrogates the patriarchy. Bobby seems pretty consumed by his anxiety...
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Vax Passports: Valid in Participating Locations ONLY (w/Magdalena Osumi)
Japan Times Journalist Magdalena Osumi updates us on Japan's border entry sitch, and outlines Japan's new "vaccine passport" system, which could help lift some restrictions when entering certain countries (Not Japan, tho). Ollie is MIA and Bobby won't even watch the pirated stuff. Topics…
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Stairy Stories (w/Lindsay Nelson)
What's that awful groaning sound?? Nope, it's not us talking about the Olympics, it's Japanese horror! Lindsay Nelson tells us all about the world of scary Japanese movies, and seven days later, we die. Ollie recommends a battery powered river cruise that has run into a familiar problem. Bobby…
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Bursting the Press Bubble (w/Oscar Boyd)
The Olympics have begun, but more importantly, the MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE OLYMPICS HAS BEGUN! Officially accredited press person Oscar Boyd tells us about all of the rules the press are ignoring, and why he's rooting for American Samoa. Ollie recommends an Amazon sponsored river cruise that helps...
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The Spectatorless, Segregated, Chinese Olympics (w/Meshida)
Japanese comedian Meshida talks what it's like to be a Japanese resident of Tokyo during the ramp up to the Olympics, and how yeah, we're "witnessing history," but so were Black Death survivors. Ollie recommends a cruise that accidentally discovers what's more popular than "canal." Bobby gets…
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"Sustainable Japan Comedy," or "Recycling Content" (w/Dogen)
Dogen drops by to talk about keeping professional and personal separate, how to mine the same old Japan for new jokes, and to settle the issue of whether or not sarcasm exists in Japan, which is great, because NO ONE ELSE has EVER had ANYTHING to say about it. Ollie recommends a River Cruise that...
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Summer Sonic Lineup Lines Up for a Visa (w/Unseen Japan's Noah Oskow)
Unseen Japan's new manager Noah Oskow stops by to talk social media social justice, how Summer Sonic's hopes to skip the visa application line up for THEIR lineup, and how Olympic Fever is on the rise, starting with the Ugandan Team... Ollie talks about the harder to get delicacies available…
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Japan in the Golden Age of Consent (w/Dr. Alexandra Hambleton)
A 50-yr-old Japanese lawmaker says it would be "absurd" if he got arrested for sleeping with a 14-yr-old. The fascinating, funny Dr. Alexandra Hambleton talks about the issues surrounding this story, and also demonstrates how to deny consent when she refuses to let us scan her zairyuu card. Ollie...
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A Japan Less Traveled (w/Alisha Ivelich)
Japan's closed borders mean that foreign production crews can't get in to produce Japan travel features, so creator Alisha Ivelich is taking the opportunity to fill the demand with a Japan travel series that actually cares about Japan. Ollie recommends a privacy-focused cruise that, due to the…
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Localized Pain (w/translator Sarah Moon)
Sarah Moon, anime and game translator, talks about her journey from "weeb suspicious of translation," to "translator that weebs are suspicious of," in the great anime circle of waifu. Ollie recommends a cruise for animal lovers but not loved animals. Bobby looks at how one river cruise company is...
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Bonus: No More Olympic Cutbacks! (w/Rochelle Kopp)
Go sign the petition! And here's your eco/anti-olympic activism vocab list: 剪定 (せんてい、sentei) pruning of trees 伐採 （ばっさい、bassai) felling of trees 請願書 (せいがんしょ、seigansho) petition 署名者 (しょうめいしゃ、shoumeisha) signers of a petition ★ Support this podcast ★
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Japan's Gay Ideal: Macho Matcha Man? (w/Dr. Thomas Baudinette)
Author of "Regimes of Desire: Young Gay Men, Media, and Masculinity in Tokyo," Dr. Thomas Baudinette talks about Japan's young gay men and the emotional damage done by the pressure to act out their gayness in an unfortunate way, namely emulating straight dudes. Ollie's recommendation is pretty...
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Five Rings That Rule Us All (w/Matt Alt)
Author of "PURE INVENTION," (sorry) Matt Alt takes us through his latest for the New Yorker on "Japan's Olympic Sized Problem." If you want to find out just WHAT exactly that Olympic-sized problem is, you'll have to listen to the show. Ollie recommends a cruise that features a very traditional...
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Comfort Women: Why Deny? (w/Chelsea Szendi Schieder)
Japanese history scholar Chelsea Szendi Schieder talks about the inconsistent ways Japan chooses to deal with the dark chapters of its past and how denial is NOT just a river with some amazing cruises. Ollie looks into how the Sumidagawa River Cruise is finally adapting to foreign widths. Bobby...
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What is Visual Kei? (w/Sarahphina)
Music industry and Visual Kei Insider Sarahphina teaches Bobby and Ollie about stuff they're totally unfamiliar with, like X Japan, Japanese rock fandom and humility. Ollie looks into a river cruise dating service for vaccinated singles. All ten of them. Bobby organizes the kind of tourist...
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Games Japan ACTUALLY Wants (w/Stephen Case)
Co-founder of Tanuki Games, Stephen Case talks about the relationship between community building and quality of life abroad and how the rhythms of Japan expat experience have changed during the past year. (They're f***ed.) Ollie recommends a river cruise that's partnered with Elon Musk, so you…
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Hiroshima's First Annual PCR-Palooza (w/JJ Walsh)
Sustainable travel consultant JJ Walsh (and everyone else in Hiroshima) gets a free PCR test! Here's hoping this saliva-filled undertaking amounts to more than just spitting into the wind. Ollie recommends our first ever Fukushima based river cruise, with some pretty interesting side effects.…
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The Children are the Mirai (w/Jason Mitchell from Nihongodomo)
Jason Mitchell, from Nihongodomo, a resource for parents "raising kids in Japanese," stops by to talk about how his parenting process is basically the opposite of Bobby's, by which we assume he means, HE'S doing a GOOD job. Ollie makes the most of an online resource to gather river cruise...
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Japan Stories: More Wack, Less Fact? (w/David A McNeill)
David McNeill explains why sometimes the ancient art of jya-narizamu intersects with the even more ancient art of bullshitto, and how exoticizing foreign countries meant the British newspaper industry died a little slower than it could have done. Ollie recommends a cruise that maritime insurers...
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Olympick Your Battles (with Rochelle Kopp)
Rochelle Kopp tackles the question of whether or not Japan has finally crossed the Rubicon when it comes to going forward with the Olympics? If they have, we hope they checked out the really nice Rubicon River Cruise while they were in the area. Ollie takes a river cruise that lets you play the...
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Late Night Snacks (the Japanese kind) (w/Alice)
Former-idol, former-hostess, and current maid Alice talks about how the pandemic has devastated nightlife businesses, and how the fact that that they might never bounce back could be a blessing in disguise, if the disguise is a really sparkly cocktail dress. (We’re assuming that you know "idol,"...