Unpacking Japan cover art

All Episodes

Unpacking Japan — 231 episodes

#
Title
1

How to ACTUALLY make a career of teaching in Japan

2

The reality of growing up half Indian in Japan

3

Demystifying Japanese home cooking

4

What it's like building multiple businesses in Tokyo

5

Born and raised as an Indian in Tokyo (as a film director)

6

The Noh professor: what even Japanese people don't understand about Noh

7

Matcha Samurai on on the state of Japan content

8

What it's like playing in a Japanese orchestra

9

From salaryman to drag bar: a conversation with Japan's biggest diva

10

The reality of being gay in Japan ft. Will from Japan Gay Guide

11

The British comedian who became an honorary Kansai Japanese

12

Genoa's very unique journey to Japan – from cult to Okinawa to going viral

13

What it's like growing up in a "foreign bubble" in Japan

14

Sitting down with Japan's most unconventional influencer

15

How Tokyo breeds third spaces

16

How kfel became a real life magical girl

17

Journalism in Japan in the age of rising nationalism

18

What it takes to be a translator for Square Enix

19

The reality of being a black woman in Japan

20

Why Japanese universities are becoming more international

21

The challenges of being a single mother in Japan

22

Japanese fashion from a sociological perspective

23

Understanding jirai-kei and Japan's fashion subcultures

24

The reality of being a mixed artist in Japan

25

What happened to PiNKII's idol career

26

Sitting down with a renaissance samurai

27

Sofubi: The rabbit hole of Japan's designer toy industry

28

Berry's idol life could be an anime

29

What life in a 1970s Japanese farmhouse was like

30

How Micaela became one of the first full-time j-vloggers

31

Meet Japan's Mr. Rogers of math

32

If you think you know Japanese music, you don't

33

Sitting down with Shibuya Kaho about her life as a writer & cosplayer

34

The reality of being Muslim in Japan

35

The reality of "Japan" content ft. @foxmaskdaze ​

36

How safe is Japan for women? ft. eviebunniex

37

Why early kabuki performances were banned

38

The effect of Japanese housing regulations on tourism

39

The father of Japanese capitalism warned us this would happen

40

How Sora the Troll learned to be proud to be Japanese

41

This traditional Japanese theatre will be gone in 20 years

42

How do Japanese people react to a foreign doctor?

43

Is it hard to move to Japan at middle age? ft. @ChaniJapan ​

44

Why being transgender was never an issue in Japan

45

Gay Japanese monk's secret to a fruitful life ft. Kodo Nishimura

46

Peppe's long journey to becoming a published mangaka (and how Terrace House changed his life)

47

How Tokyo Llama found their dream house in Japan

48

Why the tea ceremony is unlike any other Japanese art

49

Is Japan's matcha industry a bubble?

50

Do Japanese baseball fans like foreign players?

51

What being trans in 90s Japan was like (and how it's changed today)

52

8 million gods: understanding Japan's unique spirituality

53

The economist behind Japan's sudden commitment to "womenomics"

54

The strange logic behind Japan's constant media scandalsold

55

What it takes to be a Japanese race car driver ft. Hana Burton

56

What you should know before opening a restaurant in Japan

57

How to solve Japan's overtourism problem ft. YamaTrips

58

The challenges of tourism for a small Japanese town

59

How underground black queer culture ended up in Tokyo

60

Why being a chef in Japan is so exciting

61

Why Ikea failed in Japan (and what we learned from it)

62

What life is like in a Japanese mountain village

63

The Sword Specialist: Why swords are the Soul of Japan

64

The harsh reality of adopting in Japan

65

Tokyo Hoe Tales: How Yurie Collins is bringing stand-up comedy to Japan

66

Emirichu's secret to creativity and avoiding burnout as a creator

67

The insane reality of video game music composers

68

Japan's most misunderstood drink

69

History professor explains why Tokyo is built the way it is

70

How he went from The Bachelorette to become Japan's most recognizable stadium MC

71

How this Tokyo chef broke free from the stereotypical immigrant restaurant

72

40 years of crazy stories from a Japanese wedding MC

73

How Japanese pop culture conquered the world ft. Matt Alt

74

What life is like after 20 years as a professional Japanese mahjong player

75

The challenges of doing business between Africa and Japan

76

What it's like to gain citizenship after growing up in Japan as a foreigner

77

More people should know about Japan's gun martial art

78

Japanese MMA is actually insane

79

Why people love Japanese bento boxes

80

The writer who brought the world's attention to underrated Japanese cities

81

What can we ACTUALLY do with abandoned Japanese buildings?

82

How Tokyo Lens finds Japan's most interesting people

83

What people don't understand about the anime industry

84

What it takes to be a published manga author in Japan

85

How Wakkyai gaslit Japan into thinking cap throwing is a real sport

86

What people don't understand about otaku culture ft. ⁨@AroundAkibaTV⁩

87

Matt vs. Japan's secret to Japanese fluency

88

Ryokan owner shares the secret to Japanese hospitality

89

Architect explains Tokyo's unique skyline

90

Tokyo Portfolio explains why the Japanese real estate market is changing

91

Meilyne on building GeeXPlus and the secrets to its success

92

Professional cosplayers in Japan need to be PERFECT ft. @YURIKOTIGERjp

93

What life is like for a bunny girl hostess in Tokyo ft. @silviethequeen

94

The adventurous life of the first J-vlogger (and why he came back to retire in Japan) ft. softypapa ​

95

Economist debunks Japan's "stagnant" economy

96

Psychologist talks mental health issues faced by foreigners in Japan

97

Reporting on the dark side of Japanese society, with CNN Asia correspondent Hanako Montgomery

98

NieR Automata singer J'Nique Nicole on performing video game music in Japan

99

How this theater instructor is saving Japan's struggling theater scene

100

What life is like for immigrants working in Japan's growing retirement homes

101

Bridging Vietnamese and Japanese cultures through music

102

Why she quit a dream job at NASA to lead space missions for Japan

103

What it's like to work in Japan's hometown revival program as a foreigner

104

How Japanese rakugo is different than Western comedy

105

Japanese sake is the old man's drink – how can you make it "cool"?

106

How David Hewett became one of Japan's most renowned artists

107

Why traditional Japanese boatbuilding is dying and this American is their last chance to preserve it

108

How Peter Barakan became Japan's most recognizable English TV host

109

Visual Kei to Final Fantasy: Endigo's Journey to Japan

110

Kendo master shares what martial arts taught him about life

111

What it's like to run an English anime studio in Tokyo

112

What it's like to feel like a foreigner in your own country ft. @joshuasjapanchannel

113

How Westerners are reviving this dying Japanese instrument @TairyuShakuhachi ​

114

How Katsura Sunshine brought Japanese comedy to broadway

115

Importing Salmon and Pisco from Chile to Japan

116

Why Japan has so many unique fashion styles

117

Moving to Japan as a skilled tradesman

118

Cultural differences between India and Japan ft. Nikhil_kun

119

Life lessons from Japanese car culture ft. Dino DC

120

Why Japan is so behind on cybersecurity

121

Cultural differences between Japan and the Philippines

122

How studying obscure Japanese arts can help you build a life in Japan

123

"Light in Japan is different. It just is." Photographer Joe Allam on moving to Japan

124

Ananya's secret to Japanese fluency

125

LGBTQ+ Documentary Filmmaker Discusses Queer Rights in Japan

126

AV Actress June Lovejoy explains the Japanese porn industry

127

Interviewing the most recognizable voice in Japan

128

Is Japan still worth it for Asian immigrants? | How to work in Japan on a trainee visa

129

Why Japan is at the forefront of the next AI revolution

130

Where Ricchaado's inspiration for skits about being black in Japan comes from

131

An honest conversation about animal rights in Japan, with a Kobe zoo veterinarian

132

Dogen's secret to Japanese fluency

133

What life is like as a foreigner in a Japanese maid cafe

134

What life is like as a farmer in the Japanese countryside

135

Is Japan a good place to retire?

136

Germans in Japan: the value of immigrant stories ft. MrNippon

137

How has Japan been recovering since Fukushima?

138

Why Nynyhon switched from modeling in Japan to streaming full-time

139

Expo 2025: How the Netherlands is Shaping the Future

140

Japanese sake is WAY more complex than you think – interview with "Sake Evangelist" John Gauntner

141

What life is like as a videographer in Japan's creator economy

142

Japanese labor unions are weirdly powerful. Why don't more people know about them?

143

What life is like as a foreigner in a Japanese idol group

144

How Billy Matsunaga became one of Japan's leading kimono experts @BillyMatsunaga

145

How Mr. Yabatan became Japan's favorite foreigner

146

What it's like being a reporter on Japanese TV as a foreigner ft. Cathy Cat

147

The story of Ladybeard: Japan's loudest pop idol

148

The biggest challenges for westerners in Japan

149

How this entrepreneur is creating a brand for Mongolia in Japan

150

Manzai comedian explains the problem with Japanese comedy

151

Understanding Japan's complicated relationship with North Korea

152

The challenges of running a halal restaurant in Japan

153

What makes Japanese knives so special?

154

What life is like running a film production company in Japan

155

Why this man is walking 2500km across Japan in the middle of summer

156

What life is like in Japan's traditional sake brewing industry

157

Why 80% of Swiss startups survive their first 5 years in Japan

158

What it's like to live in a traditional Japanese temple

159

How storm chasers survive Japan's most dangerous typhoons ft. EarthUncutTV ​

160

Tokyo street interviewer explains his secret to viral videos

161

What life is like for immigrant factory workers in Japan

162

Anton in Japan breaks down everything you need to know about buying an abandoned house in Japan

163

Zen master explains why you will never reach enlightenment

164

GaijinPot marketer breaks down the Japanese job market

165

The challenges of bringing anti-Asian-flush medication to Japan

166

Startup consultant breaks down everything you need to succeed in Japan

167

Extended Reality in Japan, and what to do when Japanese banks don't understand your business

168

What modern companies can learn from 1800s Japanese philosophy

169

What are Japanese forest gardens and why you should want one

170

Why this Facebook engineer left his job and opened a game studio in Japan

171

How to keep a business alive for 100 years | Running a textile company in Japan

172

FFXV animator explains what it's like to work with Japanese game studios

173

Kaiseki explained: the traditional Japanese multi-course meal

174

Being a lawyer is complicated. What about in Japan?

175

What life is like as a foreign journalist in Japan

176

The struggles of making reaction content in Japan ft. Akasan

177

What it's like being a musician for Japan's biggest theme park

178

Tokyo Portfolio explains why Japanese housing is so cheap

179

The best ways to save money in Japan ft. Greg from tokyocheapo ​

180

What life is like as a priest in the Japanese mountains

181

How urban farming could transform how we think about food in Japan

182

How this Australian woman became one of Japan's most prolific consultants

183

What people don't understand about the Fukushima nuclear accident

184

What life is like running a voice acting studio in Japan

185

Fitness researcher breaks down Japanese beauty standards

186

How to get investments and start a business in Japan

187

What living in the Japanese countryside is REALLY like

188

Why Japan can't stop using so much plastic

189

Why this Rockstar developer left to make games in Japan

190

What life is like as a performing magician in Japan

191

What life is like as a DJ in Japan

192

What life is like as a rice farmer in the Japanese countryside

193

Why Japan needs foreigners

194

What being a Japanese politician is REALLY like

195

What life is like as an office artist in Japan

196

What life is like as a traditional Japanese indigo farmer

197

Understanding the Japanese art of ikebana flower arrangement

198

Everything you need to know about podcasting in Japan ft. SmallTalkJapan ​

199

What it's like to have kids in Japan ft. kemushichan

200

How this American woman broke into Japan's traditionally male-dominated film industry

201

Everything you need to know about buying anime figures in Japan

202

The history of veganism in Japan

203

Understanding the history of the Japanese tea ceremony

204

The struggles of being a female DJ in Japan

205

Fashion designer breaks down Japanese streetwear

206

What life is like running a Tiki bar in Japan

207

Why Japan struggles with entrepreneurship — Building a femtech company in Japan

208

The challenges of developing esports in Japan

209

Japanese vs. Western drag — interview with a foreign drag queen in Osaka

210

Why flying cars could be the future of Japan — Urban Air Mobility

211

What life is like running a cafe in Japan

212

The Challenges of IRL Streaming in Japan

213

Everything you need to know before buying a car in Japan

214

What being queer in Japan is REALLY like

215

How this foreigner used YouTube to break into the Japanese music industry ft Dr. Capital ​

216

The struggles of finding transgender healthcare in Japan

217

The challenges of doing street photography in Japan

218

What you REALLY need to succeed as a musician in Japan

219

From 4 to 400 employees in 10 years – life as an entrepreneur in Japan

220

How this Bulgarian man became one of Japan's most popular photography YouTubers

221

What it's like running a retro game bar in Osaka's liveliest nightlife district

222

Japanese idol fan meets are crazy

223

Japanese vs. western cosplay scenes

224

Everything you need to know about gambling in Japan

225

HR professional explains how to survive the Japanese job market

226

Everything you need to know about teaching English in Japan

227

Everything you need to know to find a job in Japan

228

Your biggest challenge moving to Japan: paperwork

229

Everything you need to know about Japanese housing

230

Everything you need to know about Japanese public transportation

231

Everything you need to know about grocery shopping in Japan