What do street-kid influencers, fantasy boyfriends and around 280 bars crammed into six allies have in common? They are all a part of Kabukicho, an area of Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward that is either a tourist trap or sleazy red-light district depending on who you ask. This week, join us to hear stories from one of Japan's most infamous neighborhoods.    Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | X | Instagram Alex K.T. Martin: Articles |...

Japan’s summer music festivals survived the pandemic but they now face new threats: extreme heat, a weak yen and aging audiences. Music writer Patrick St. Michel joins us to talk about the “Big Four” festivals and how these challenges are changing the way we have fun during summer.    Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Patrick St. Michel: Articles | Twitter  Read/watch more:  Can Japan’s summer music...

On this week’s Deep Dive, we speak to Alex K.T. Martin who has done a series of pieces exploring what lies beneath the surface of Tokyo. Hidden rivers, ancient artifacts and crumbling infrastructure are just a few of the discoveries he made during his reporting. And while it’s important to know how we’re going to manage these things as climate change — or more importantly, the possible flooding that comes with it — worsens, sometimes it’s just fascinating to learn about the city beneath our...

Japan is known for its convenience, but if you want to see some of the best artwork the country has to offer you’ll need to travel way off the beaten path. It involves trekking, sweating and, on the odd occasion, you don’t even know if the art will be there when you arrive. This week, writer Thu-Huong Ha is our tour guide into the world of Japan’s inconvenient art movement.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter |...

With temperatures rising we can all feel how climate change is affecting our lives, but what if we could hear it too? This week, Japan Times climate editor Chris Russell joins us to discuss what researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology are listening to when it comes to biodiversity on the island. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode: Shaun McKenna: Articles | X Chris Russell: Articles | X Read more:  Hearing the impact of climate...

With an increase in tourists heading to these parts, some may be wondering if Japan is a safe destination for those with disabilities. If you’re concerned, Josh Grisdale from the website Accessible Japan is here to help. Check out this past interview with him on everything from accessibility in Tokyo to dealing with trains and the country’s shifting attitudes.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. Read more:  Accessible Japan Breaking down barriers (Andrew McKirdy, The...

We are revisiting some past content on the science, economics and culture of cherry blossom season. Most importantly, we talk about some of the best spots to check them out in the Tokyo and Osaka areas.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. Read more:  In Japan, cherry blossom forecasting is a big deal. Warming is making it harder. (Thu-Huong Ha, The Japan Times) We invite you to get ready for this year’s cherry blossom parties (Cassandra Lord, The Japan Times) Toshio...

Three residents with foreign roots have filed a lawsuit claiming Japanese police officers routinely target visible minorities with searches. In this week’s episode, we speak with the lawyer and one plaintiff about what prompted them to bring the case forward and what they hope to achieve with it.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode: Shaun McKenna: Articles | X  Read more:  Lawsuit filed in Tokyo over alleged racial profiling by police (Karin Kaneko, The...

This week on Deep Dive, contributing writer and photographer Lance Henderstein reads us his article on traveling Okinawa during the rainy season.   Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Lance Henderstein: Articles | Instagram | Threads Read/Listen more:  My annual pilgrimage to Okinawa (Lance Henderstein, The Japan Times) Akiko Mizuno: ‘Time moves forward. Photographers stop time.’ (Lance Henderstein, The...

At 12, Miku Narisawa experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake. The ensuing and tsunami destroyed her home. Instead of running from the ocean, however, she is now working to try to protect it through her Odyssey Nature Japan initiative.  On this episode: Miku Narisawa: Instagram | Odyssey Nature Japan Read more/Listen more:  After 3/11, an environment education rethink takes shape in Japan (Francesco Bassetti, The Japan Times) COP28, didn't the oceans deserve more attention? (Miku...

You probably don’t think of guns when you think of Japan, but Hokkaido’s hunters do. Hokkaido-based writer Justin Randall says newly proposed gun laws may make their lives more dangerous. Later, Shaun McKenna and Alyssa I. Smith discuss something less dangerous: Taylor Swift’s sold-out Tokyo shows. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode: Justin Randall: Articles | Linktree Alyssa I. Smith: Articles  Read more/Listen more:  Hokkaido hunters say more firepower...

Who wants to live forever? As scientists and tech billionaires attempt to tackle the problem of aging and death, we discuss Japanese ideas about immortality. Later, our games writers discuss the recent Palworld-Pokemon flare up.   On this episode: Elizabeth Beattie: Articles | X Owen Ziegler: Articles  Ann-Loy Morgan: Articles Read more/Watch more/Play more:  Eternal pursuits: A history of Japanese quests for immortality (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times) Living until 100, if not...

Japan made history last month when it became the fifth nation to soft land on the moon. What’s more, they landed it close to their target, a feat that could be a gamechanger for space travel. This week we discuss the science and the politics behind Japan’s lunar landing.  On this episode: Joel Tansey: Articles | X Tomoko Otake: Articles | X Gabriel Dominguez: Articles | X Read more/Watch more/Play more:  Japan makes history as spacecraft lands on the moon (Tomoko Otake and Joel Tansey,...

It was a rough start to 2024 for Japan, with a magnitude 7.6 earthquake and an airplane collision at Haneda airport in the first week of January. On our first episode of the year, we report on the impact of the Noto Peninsula earthquake and what can be learned from rural disasters. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Jordan Allen: Articles Karin Kaneko: Articles | X Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | X Read more:  “Noto is kind, right down to its soil”: A...

For our last episode of the year, we’re summing up the year in culture with Matt Schley, Alyssa I. Smith, Thu-Huong Ha and Owen Ziegler, who tell us why anime dominated in 2023, which books stood out among a lackluster crowd and why the Zelda franchise is experiencing a renaissance. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode: Shaun McKenna: Articles | X  Matt Schley: Articles | X  Alyssa I. Smith: Articles Thu-Huong Ha: Articles | X  Owen Ziegler: Articles  Read...

In a year that saw Japan release 24,000 tons of wastewater (so far) from Fukushima No. 1 as the planet smashed heat records, it’s no wonder climate anxiety is on the rise. Mara Budgen joins us to break down the year in environment news, where we could see hope, and what we should be worried about. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. Excerpt for Audioboom:  On this episode: Shaun McKenna: Articles | X  Mara Budgen: Articles | X  Read more:  How simple steps can help...

An “Otaku Dictionary” has Japan’s subcultures upset at an attempt to define them. Thu-Huong Ha and Yukana Inoue join us to explain the linguistic scandal before discussing whether or not Japan has mastered “sitting.”  On this episode: Shaun McKenna: Articles | X  Thu-Huong Ha: Articles | X  Yukana Inoue: Articles Read more:  How a dictionary came to spark outrage among the web’s otaku (Thu-Huong Ha and Yukana Inoue, The Japan Times) Test your otaku vocabulary, from 'oshi' to bacon...

Chinese President Xi Jinping made the rounds at APEC last week, Gabriel Dominguez tells us what it means for Japan. At home, NHK has announced its “Kohaku” lineup — with nary a Johnny’s act to be found. Patrick St. Michel discusses the year’s most notable snub.  On this episode: Shaun McKenna: Articles | X  Gabriel  Dominquez: Articles | X  Patrick St. Michel: Articles | X Read more:  Kishida and Xi aim for trade progress despite lingering tensions (Gabriel Dominguez and Gabrielle...

As nature reclaims depopulated villages and climate change wreaks havoc on food sources, Japan’s animal population has been inching closer to the country’s urban areas. This week, Alex K.T. Martin joins us to discuss why people are encountering bears, boars and other wildlife in the most unlikely of places. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | X  Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | X  Dave Cortez: Articles | X Read more:  The concrete...

Baseball writer Jason Coskrey and editor Joel Tansey discuss the Hanshin Tigers’ Japan Series victory; Gabriele Ninivaggi explains how the prime minister hopes to get a home run with his tax plan. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | X  Gabriele Ninivaggi: Articles | X  Dave Cortez: Articles | X Jason Coskrey: Articles | X Joel Tansey:  Articles | X Read/View more:  Hotly debated tax cuts risk backfiring on Kishida...

Single parents in Japan have it tough, but these hardships seem to disproportionately affect single mothers more. This week, filmmaker Rionne McAvoy joins us to discuss the hidden poverty present in one of the world’s richest nations. Hosted by Mara Budgen and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Mara Budgen: Articles | X  Rionne McAvoy: Website | X  Read/View more:  Documentary shines a spotlight on Japan’s single mothers (Louise George Kittaka, The Japan Times) Pandemic...

One year on, Elizabeth Beattie joins us to discuss where Itaewon stands after its Halloween disaster, and what its legacy means for celebrations in Japan. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | X  Elizabeth Beattie: Articles | X  Read/View more:  Halloween’s rise in the 2010s provided Shibuya crossing with plenty of tricks and treats (Mike Sunda, The Japan Times) ​​Halloween spooks Shibuya (Matt Alt, Matt Alt’s Pure...

This week on Deep Dive, Alex K.T. Martin noticed a dip in the national caloric intake and it turns out that a graying population that is increasingly single has something to do with why Japan is gradually downsizing dinner. Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | X | Instagram Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | X | Instagram  Read/Listen more:  Downsizing dinner: Aging Japan is eating less (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times) Inside...

This week on Deep Dive, Shaun McKenna and Dave Cortez discuss a few horror movies before “Uncanny Japan” podcast host Thersa Matsuura tells a classic Japanese ghost story.   Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | X | Instagram Dave Cortez: Articles | X  Thersa Matsuura: Website | X | Instagram | YouTube Read/Listen more:  The ghosts that have been haunting cinema-goers in Japan for over a century (Mark Schilling, The Japan...