Unpacking Japan cover art

All Episodes

Unpacking Japan — 214 episodes

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1

What it takes to be a translator for Square Enix

2

The reality of being a black woman in Japan

3

Why Japanese universities are becoming more international

4

The challenges of being a single mother in Japan

5

Japanese fashion from a sociological perspective

6

Understanding jirai-kei and Japan's fashion subcultures

7

The reality of being a mixed artist in Japan

8

What happened to PiNKII's idol career

9

Sitting down with a renaissance samurai

10

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

11

Berry's idol life could be an anime

12

What life in a 1970s Japanese farmhouse was like

13

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

14

Meet Japan's Mr. Rogers of math

15

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

16

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

17

The reality of being Muslim in Japan

18

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

19

How safe is Japan for women? ft. eviebunniex

20

Why early kabuki performances were banned

21

The effect of Japanese housing regulations on tourism

22

The father of Japanese capitalism warned us this would happen

23

How Sora the Troll learned to be proud to be Japanese

24

This traditional Japanese theatre will be gone in 20 years

25

How do Japanese people react to a foreign doctor?

26

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

27

Why being transgender was never an issue in Japan

28

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

29

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

30

How Tokyo Llama found their dream house in Japan

31

Why the tea ceremony is unlike any other Japanese art

32

Is Japan's matcha industry a bubble?

33

Do Japanese baseball fans like foreign players?

34

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

35

8 million gods: understanding Japan's unique spirituality

36

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

37

The strange logic behind Japan's constant media scandalsold

38

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

39

What you should know before opening a restaurant in Japan

40

How to solve Japan's overtourism problem ft. YamaTrips

41

The challenges of tourism for a small Japanese town

42

How underground black queer culture ended up in Tokyo

43

Why being a chef in Japan is so exciting

44

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

45

What life is like in a Japanese mountain village

46

The Sword Specialist: Why swords are the Soul of Japan

47

The harsh reality of adopting in Japan

48

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

49

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

50

The insane reality of video game music composers

51

Japan's most misunderstood drink

52

History professor explains why Tokyo is built the way it is

53

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

54

How this Tokyo chef broke free from the stereotypical immigrant restaurant

55

40 years of crazy stories from a Japanese wedding MC

56

How Japanese pop culture conquered the world ft. Matt Alt

57

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

58

The challenges of doing business between Africa and Japan

59

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

60

More people should know about Japan's gun martial art

61

Japanese MMA is actually insane

62

Why people love Japanese bento boxes

63

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

64

What can we ACTUALLY do with abandoned Japanese buildings?

65

How Tokyo Lens finds Japan's most interesting people

66

What people don't understand about the anime industry

67

What it takes to be a published manga author in Japan

68

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

69

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

70

Matt vs. Japan's secret to Japanese fluency

71

Ryokan owner shares the secret to Japanese hospitality

72

Architect explains Tokyo's unique skyline

73

Tokyo Portfolio explains why the Japanese real estate market is changing

74

Meilyne on building GeeXPlus and the secrets to its success

75

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

76

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

77

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

78

Economist debunks Japan's "stagnant" economy

79

Psychologist talks mental health issues faced by foreigners in Japan

80

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

81

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

82

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

83

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

84

Bridging Vietnamese and Japanese cultures through music

85

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

86

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

87

How Japanese rakugo is different than Western comedy

88

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

89

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

90

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

91

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

92

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

93

Kendo master shares what martial arts taught him about life

94

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

95

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

96

How Westerners are reviving this dying Japanese instrument @TairyuShakuhachi ​

97

How Katsura Sunshine brought Japanese comedy to broadway

98

Importing Salmon and Pisco from Chile to Japan

99

Why Japan has so many unique fashion styles

100

Moving to Japan as a skilled tradesman

101

Cultural differences between India and Japan ft. Nikhil_kun

102

Life lessons from Japanese car culture ft. Dino DC

103

Why Japan is so behind on cybersecurity

104

Cultural differences between Japan and the Philippines

105

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

106

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

107

Ananya's secret to Japanese fluency

108

LGBTQ+ Documentary Filmmaker Discusses Queer Rights in Japan

109

AV Actress June Lovejoy explains the Japanese porn industry

110

Interviewing the most recognizable voice in Japan

111

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

112

Why Japan is at the forefront of the next AI revolution

113

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

114

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

115

Dogen's secret to Japanese fluency

116

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

117

What life is like as a farmer in the Japanese countryside

118

Is Japan a good place to retire?

119

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

120

How has Japan been recovering since Fukushima?

121

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

122

Expo 2025: How the Netherlands is Shaping the Future

123

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

124

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

125

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

126

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

127

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

128

How Mr. Yabatan became Japan's favorite foreigner

129

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

130

The story of Ladybeard: Japan's loudest pop idol

131

The biggest challenges for westerners in Japan

132

How this entrepreneur is creating a brand for Mongolia in Japan

133

Manzai comedian explains the problem with Japanese comedy

134

Understanding Japan's complicated relationship with North Korea

135

The challenges of running a halal restaurant in Japan

136

What makes Japanese knives so special?

137

What life is like running a film production company in Japan

138

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

139

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

140

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

141

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

142

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

143

Tokyo street interviewer explains his secret to viral videos

144

What life is like for immigrant factory workers in Japan

145

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

146

Zen master explains why you will never reach enlightenment

147

GaijinPot marketer breaks down the Japanese job market

148

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

149

Startup consultant breaks down everything you need to succeed in Japan

150

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

151

What modern companies can learn from 1800s Japanese philosophy

152

What are Japanese forest gardens and why you should want one

153

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

154

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

155

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

156

Kaiseki explained: the traditional Japanese multi-course meal

157

Being a lawyer is complicated. What about in Japan?

158

What life is like as a foreign journalist in Japan

159

The struggles of making reaction content in Japan ft. Akasan

160

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

161

Tokyo Portfolio explains why Japanese housing is so cheap

162

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

163

What life is like as a priest in the Japanese mountains

164

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

165

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

166

What people don't understand about the Fukushima nuclear accident

167

What life is like running a voice acting studio in Japan

168

Fitness researcher breaks down Japanese beauty standards

169

How to get investments and start a business in Japan

170

What living in the Japanese countryside is REALLY like

171

Why Japan can't stop using so much plastic

172

Why this Rockstar developer left to make games in Japan

173

What life is like as a performing magician in Japan

174

What life is like as a DJ in Japan

175

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

176

Why Japan needs foreigners

177

What being a Japanese politician is REALLY like

178

What life is like as an office artist in Japan

179

What life is like as a traditional Japanese indigo farmer

180

Understanding the Japanese art of ikebana flower arrangement

181

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

182

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

183

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

184

Everything you need to know about buying anime figures in Japan

185

The history of veganism in Japan

186

Understanding the history of the Japanese tea ceremony

187

The struggles of being a female DJ in Japan

188

Fashion designer breaks down Japanese streetwear

189

What life is like running a Tiki bar in Japan

190

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

191

The challenges of developing esports in Japan

192

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

193

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

194

What life is like running a cafe in Japan

195

The Challenges of IRL Streaming in Japan

196

Everything you need to know before buying a car in Japan

197

What being queer in Japan is REALLY like

198

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

199

The struggles of finding transgender healthcare in Japan

200

The challenges of doing street photography in Japan

201

What you REALLY need to succeed as a musician in Japan

202

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

203

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

204

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

205

Japanese idol fan meets are crazy

206

Japanese vs. western cosplay scenes

207

Everything you need to know about gambling in Japan

208

HR professional explains how to survive the Japanese job market

209

Everything you need to know about teaching English in Japan

210

Everything you need to know to find a job in Japan

211

Your biggest challenge moving to Japan: paperwork

212

Everything you need to know about Japanese housing

213

Everything you need to know about Japanese public transportation

214

Everything you need to know about grocery shopping in Japan