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Japan Unboxed

by Japan Unboxed

Welcome to Japan Unboxed where you can find all related to Japan, its culture, and lives. We help you get the real feelings of Japan without having to leave your room. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know at our twitter account @JapanUnboxed!Your subscription is always appreciated.

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Episodes

  1. What is MIRIN? Do you need it?

    What is Mirin? Once you know this secret ingredient in Japanese cuisine, you won’t cook without it. Please visit our website to explore more insight on Japan at www.japanunboxed.com !

  2. Passion Is What Made A Recovery Possible For A Local Logistics Company [Kazuo Inamori's Teachings]

    Original article for this quote: https://bizhint.jp/report/841348

  3. #61 To Realize the World That People Can Walk At Age 100

    One of the characteristics of Japan is that people’s life expectancy is Long. However, the healthy life expectancy is only about 70 years. In this age of 100 years of life, more people should be walking until much after 70. Mr. Okabe Daichi, is a medical doctor who owns a startup company in Tokyo...

  4. #60 A Woman Who Tossed Up A Super Local Supermarket to A Stardom

    Have you ever seen pictures of delicious looking skewered fruit sitting on top of the plastic cup on Instagram? The chances are it is by one woman who works at a local supermarket in Aichi pref. Let’s see if her story as a grocer can unbox Japan. 爆盛り、映え、お値打ち！...

  5. #59 Bento Should Be Eaten Cold. Why?

    Everyone who buys bento at a convenience store in Japan makes it sure that they have their bento microwaved before they leave the store. But Mr. Kasaoka Seiichi, Professor, at Bunkyo University in Tokyo says otherwise. Why does he think bento should be eaten cold? Let’s see if his theory for...

  6. #58 Her Dream Was to Run A Wholesale Fish Market with Her Father, and DX

    In English, there is a saying such as “Like father, Like Son” but there are daughters who believe that phrase is for themselves. Ms. Mori Asana must be feeling the same way as she took up responsibility with her father who owns a fish wholesale store in Nagoya city, Aichi Prefecture. Her dream...

  7. #57 Proved Success of Diversity at Supplier for Formula One

    There is a conception widely believed outside Japan that Japan is the worst place for foreigners to work because of lack of diversity. There is a company in Iruma City, Saitama that has hired 10% of employees who are foreigners in the last 15 years. Kamoshita Yusuke, a president of Koganei Seiki...

  8. #56 Out With HO-REN-SO And In With ZASSO, Says Sonic Garden CEO

    One of the key concepts of communication when you work at Japanese company is called “HOU REN SOU”. HO is short for HOKOKU is to report, REN is short for RENRAKU is to let others know, SOU is short for SOUDAN is to consult. None of these can be missed when you work as a team member in order to…

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  9. #55 A Cook and An Actor Hayami Mokomichi Shares His Passion for Olive Oil

    Olive oil started to be recognized by Japanese celebrities around 2000. There is one Japanese actor and cook who is known as an olive oil expert who loves using olive oil in his recipes. His name is Hayami Mokomichi. At first, his cooking style was perceived as strange but as he continued posting...

  10. #54 Two Kinds of Food That Are Sold More During Pandemic

    After over a year of the Corona pandemic, there are new trends that are sold more than conventional food. One is Onigiri, a rice ball and another is loaf of bread. Both specialty kinds. Let’s find out how these items became hot and see if that can unbox Japan....

  11. #53 Murasaki, the sweet but powerful superfood

    https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ef94cf5a17862e314f940aaa2ed24f7a85191fea?page=3 Apr. 18 (Sun) Japanese sweet potatoes have been a popular snack for children especially in the winter time. Recently, that snack is in the spotlight as a superfood because of its nutrition not only in Japan but also...

  12. #52 A Top Swordsman Explains How to Keep the Kendo Spirit

    In Japan, there is an exam that is the most difficult with a passing rate of less than 1% every year. It is the 8th-dan examination, the highest rank in Kendo, the swordsmanship. Every year only a handful of swordsmen pass this exam. NabeyamaTakahiro who holds this 8th-dan rank, is an associate...

  13. #51 CIO Who Digitized The Instant Noodle Company, Nissin Foods

    One of the world’s favorite Japanese foods is instant noodle. It is even eaten in the International Space Station. Nissin Foods which is the legend of the industry has been emphasizing the digitalization of the company. Mr. Kitara Shigeo who was CIO of Nissin Foods recently left the company and...

  14. #50 To Make Spring Cleaning Successful Japanese Way

    Right now, Japan is on a longer holiday which is called Golden Week. Like last year, this year’s golden week will be another long one due to Covid-19, especially in urban areas. The weather is good during the holidays, many families may do some spring cleanups. Let’s see if learning how to tidy…

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  15. #49 Finding a Way to Survive in Japan: Night School in Hachioji City

    There are night schools in Japan that started in 1947 after World War II for the people who could not afford to attend regular school for financial reasons when they were young. Now some of those schools serve to teach the immigrants Japanese language after work. Mr. Sekimoto Yasutaka worked as a...

  16. #48 Who Sets The Trend In The Manga World? Elementary School Kids Do.

    In the age of diversification, it is not easy to predict any kind of trend. That applies to the manga world as well. After "Daymon Slayer", every one must be wondering what’s next. It seems who set the trend is actually elementary school students who are sensitive to new things and cannot be...

  17. #47 “Work Wear” That Made a Job Boundaries Disappear

    There is a term called “Work Wear’ in Japanese. It is meant for a line of clothing that is comfortable and stretches to fit for any body movements. People wear those clothes for outside work, hobbies and so on. The category was mainly used for construction workers in the past but nowadays it is...

  18. #46 KuraZushi, IT Sushi Chain Restaurant with A Spirit of Hospitality

    https://bizgate.nikkei.co.jp/article/DGXMZO7076252007042021000000?page=2 Sushi became more popular in Japan after 1978 once the copyright of sushi belt conveyors expired and cheaper restaurants emerged. Kura Zushi is one of the survivors among the fierce competition, providing entertaining...

  19. #45 Olympus Way: Is Western Style Employment System Really Cold Blooded?

    https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/2104/16/news009.html The traditional way that majority of Japanese companies hire employees is a membership based system where employees are allocated to jobs accordingly and almost guaranteed lifetime employment called 終身雇用. However, more companies are...

  20. #44 DX challenge for Underwear Brand, Wacoal

    https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/2104/07/news010.html Wacoal, a major Japanese underwear company, is offering a service that uses a 3D body scanner. It only takes about 5 second to measure the shape of the body. This is a service called "3D smart & try" and provides remote counseling…

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  21. #43 An Unusual Pledge by President of Toyota Mortors, Toyoda Akio

    The president of TOYOTA Motors, Toyoda Akio pledged his support for global economy a year ago. Things are a bit better but not entirely. Let’s see if his announcement can unbox Japan. Hashtag #sake #Sushi #Japan #Japanese #JapanUnboxed #nihongo #にほんご #learnJapanese #studyJapanese #madeinjapan...

  22. #42 What Is A 100 YO Japanese Company Doing In India? The Story of Daikin Industries

    2021/03/24 https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/409541 There are quite a few Japanese companies that are very global but under the radar. Daikin Kogyo is one of them. They have more than 100 production bases around the world and operate in more than 150 countries and regions. One of their...

  23. #41 A School in Gifu Offers A Solutions For Those Who Were Chronically Absent From Schools

    https://forbesjapan.com/articles/detail/40608/4/1/1 2021/03/30 There are a certain number of school age children in Japan who haven’t attended schools for prolonged time and it has been a social problem. The reasons are chronically ill such as depression or mentally disabled from being bullied…

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  24. #40 What’s In Common Between Demon Slayer and COVID19?

    A TV anime and movie “The Demon Slayer” based on the manga, Japanese comic, has now become a social phenomenon worldwide. Set in the Taisho era in the 1900s, the story is about the adventures of かまどたんじろう, whose sister was killed by demons and trying to bring her back into a human. With the…

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  25. #39 BuddhaBot, A Peaceful Collaboration Of Buddhism and AI

    In recent years, religions seem to be facing an issue to become a thing of the past globally. On the other hand, there is a huge demand for mindfulness in the stressful society as well. There is one team in Kyoto city that has announced that they have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)…

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  26. #38 14 Years of Social Withdrawal Solved by UberEats

    Social Withdrawal called HIKIKOMORI in Japanese has been a problem in Japan for at least 30 years or so. Most of them are younger adults who were withdrawn from society for various reasons and do not or cannot go to work and stay home most of the time while having their elder parents take care of...

  27. #37 “Lunch On!” Marks 10th Anniversary With Every Bite

    Have you ever heard of a show called Lunch ON! ? It is one of my favorite shows on NHK world. In the show, a team of producers and a camera crew travel places in Japan to ask people to show their lunches. The episode always includes surprises and small heartwarming dramas. Narration by an actor...

  28. #36 A Brilliant Way To Get Young Voters To Vote

    A Brilliant Way To Get 18 Young Voters To Vote Earlier this year, I received a request to do a podcast on politics in Japan. Unfortunately I had to decline it because we are trying to be politically mutual. Although our stance remains the same, today's topic is a rather brilliant way to encourage...

  29. #35 An Architect Kuma Kengo Pours His Lifelong Passion In Yoyogi National Stadium

    Tokyo Olympic seems to have received a go with or without a big spectator. The venue for the opening ceremony is Yoyogi National Stadium which was a symbol of Japan’s economic growth since the 1950s. It needed a full size renovation. An Architecture Kuma Kengo designed this nature conscious...

  30. #34 Robot, The Convenient Solution for Family Mart

    Most convenience stores in Japan operate 24-hour. However, this business model is now an issue due to the labor shortage. The convenience stores need to improve productivity and the unattended cash registers are introduced but that is not enough. One of the major chain convenience stores,...

  31. #33 Funeral Industry in Japan To Face New Challenge After COVID19

    March 11 is the day the enormous earthquake hit east Japan 10 years ago. I’d like to express many thanks who offered support from all over the world to my home country, Japan. The total deaths of 15,899 and over 2,500 people are still missing. The Tohoku area is recovering day by day but will…

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  32. #32 Is plant meat cool or not cool?

    In Japan, soybeans are considered as the meat of the field due to the high content of protein. So, there are many recipes using tofu or other soybean products in Japanese cuisine. With recent demand for alternative sources of protein, there are several Japanese companies which are challenging…

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  33. #31 Choshi Electric Railway’s survival by using AIDMA model

    The Choshi Electric Railway, about 1 hour away from Narita Airport has faced the danger of closing down many times, but has been able to pull through the crisis with its unparalleled survival skills. The company has turned its debt into a leverage and has increased its fan base through innovative...

  34. #30 Future of Digital Transformation for Retail, a store that doesn't sell　

    https://business.nikkei.com/atcl/gen/19/00163/011500052/ In August 2020, b8ta, a store originated in San Francisco, California landed in Japan. The store was known for its revolutionary business model that allows customers to experience innovative gadgets. 2 locations in Tokyo were picked. Mr....

  35. #29 Suzuki, the Small Giant’s Last Decision

    After graduating from Chuo University in 1953, Mr. Suzuki Osamu worked at a bank before joining Suzuki Motor Corporation in 1958. He is married to a daughter of Mr. Suzuki Shunzo, the second president of the company. After serving as a President in 1978, Chairman in 2000, he became President…

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  36. #28 Don’t Aim for Sale or Profits but Happiness: Funabashiya, 200 yo Kuzumochi Maker’s Success on SNS

    Funabashiya, a traditional confectionary store in Kameido, Tokyo, with a history dating back to 1805. Its signature dish, "kuzumochi," has been loved by historical story writers such as Akutagawa Ryunosuke or Nagai Kafu, and an influential samurai in Japanese history who led the Meiji...

  37. #27 SPIBER Finds New Way to Raise Money for Realizing New Material Based on Protein

    An American apparel brand North Face has known for high quality and has been popular in both the US and Japan. In 2019 the brand has added one particular type of material to its fabric used in the product which is made in Japan. The product is called MOON PARKA. Japanese textile research company...

  38. #26 If You Are Intermittent Fasting, Know What Autophagy Is

    In Japan, Intermittent fasting is getting popular and it is common to believe being overweight is the source of many diseases. Autophagy, known as the research of Dr. Osumi Yoshinori, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 2016, has been known to keep various diseases away...

  39. #25 An Orphan Finds A Hometown in Her Heart in Japan

    She was born as the youngest of 12 during the Iran-Iraq War. The sound of fireworks still reminds her of an air raid. In elementary school she attended in Saitama, she was shocked she had to sit next to a boy. In Iran, which is a Muslim country, boys and girls are separated until high school, and...

  40. #24 So, Why Can’t Japanese Speak English?

    If you are a Japanese and have a college degree, the total number of years to have studied English would be more than 12 years. Yet you still can’t speak English. That’s how the majority of Japanese people feel. We know a few English words. We know a fair amount of grammar. But why are there so...

  41. #22 Dan Takahashi’s Ambitions to Raise Financial Literacy in Japan

    Any working adult is required to have a wider variety of skills such as language skills, communication skills in order to make a living. Investment skills may also become important especially for Japanese who have very strong resistance to. YouTuber Dan Takahashi has about 356,000 subscribers on...

  42. #21 Individuality Matters For Food Truck Business

    Restaurants are struggling in the wake of the spread of the new coronavirus. According to Teikoku Databank, a major data company, 780 restaurants went bankrupt in 2020, the highest level on record. Struggling restaurant owners are starting take-out and delivery services. Food truck may be one to...

  43. #20 $20M Superfood Business Far Away From Tokyo

    In general, it is an advantage for the farmers to be close to the metropolitan area, as it is easier to keep freshness and cheaper to transport the vegetables. The Broccoli division of JA Shimabara-Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture which is almost 6,800 miles away from Tokyo has disproved such a…

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  44. #19 Mechanism of Disposal Body Warmer Revealed

    The season has come for the common entrance exam for colleges in Japan. With COVID19 and the severe cold weather, students must not only wear masks to prevent infection, but also protect themselves against the cold. Disposable body warmers are a must-have item for those students taking the exam....

  45. #18 The Myth of Japanese Economy: SMEs

    Former Goldman Sachs analyst, Mr. David Atkinson was born in England in 1965. He studied Japanology at Oxford University. After leaving Goldman Sachs in 2007, he joined Konishi Bijutsu Kogei in 2009 which has been repairing Japanese national treasures and important cultural properties for more…

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  46. #17 Egypt: Any room for Sushi?

    Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the food service industry has been greatly affected in many countries around the world. Egypt is no exception. The general manager and the chef of Makino, one of the few traditional Japanese restaurants in Egypt, explained the situation of the restaurant...

  47. #16 Hoshi-Gaki, the winter beauty brought in by American farmer

    Sakai Sonoko was selected as one of the 15 creative women by the New York Times in 2020. Her recipe book, "Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors” is rated 5 stars on Amazon. Today’s episode is about how she discovered Japanese beauty in California through a local farmer who...

  48. #15 “Packun”, a comedian offers aspiration to young adults who celebrate coming of age

    January is a special month not only because of a new year but the event of coming of age to celebrate the milestone of turning 20. There is an American who graduated from Harvard University, and became a comedian in Japan. His name is Patrick Harlan, aka Pacun. He talks about his young adult life...

  49. #14 New Eye Opening Way of Using Shinkansen

    Among depressing news, Japan’s bullet train, Shinkansen was reported to find a new eye opening way of its use. This time they don’t transport people but produce! Japan is known for delicious fruits and produce, why not use the fast train to reach cities far away? Let’s see how the new business of...

  50. #13 Watanabe Naomi: Influencers! Act with passion and go forward with your opinion.

    COVID19 sure has forced us to change how we live our lives in many ways. There is one Japanese comedian who decided to live between NY and Tokyo in the midst of a pandemic even though she is successful in Japan as a comedian. Watanabe Naomi has over 9 million followers on her Instagram, and…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Welcome to Japan Unboxed where you can find all related to Japan, its culture, and lives. We help you get the real feelings of Japan without having to leave your room. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know at our twitter account @JapanUnboxed!Your subscription is always appreciated.

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Welcome to Japan Unboxed where you can find all related to Japan, its culture, and lives. We help you get the real feelings of Japan without having to leave your room. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know at our twitter account @JapanUnboxed!Your subscription is always...

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