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Living Japan discusses modern Japanese culture, social issues, current events and news, and many other Japan related topics. We aim to appeal to people who have lots of experience and knowledge on Japan as to those who are just beginning to learn about Japan or are thinking of coming here for short or long term stays. On the web, you can find us at livingjapanpodcast.wordpress.com Email us any questions or comments at livingjapanpodcast@gmail.com Thanks for listening!
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It is Episode 81 and the Living Japan crew are fired up to talk about the most recent Sumo controversy, shed some light on the troubles the sport has had in the past decade and then wrap it all up by discussing some ongoing gender issues in our home of Japan! Thank you for listening! Please like us on Facebook and rate and review us on iTunes! Edga…
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On Episode 80, the Living Japan crew discusses about the call for volunteers to work at the Tokyo Olympics, asking for high skills professionals not only to donate their job, but to also cover all their expenses to work at the event. Is the organizing committee asking too much from these medical and language professionals? We also talk a little bit…
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Hello Everyone! We are back for a whole new season of Living Japan Podcast. This year we made the commitment to at least do 25 new episodes! On episode 79 Motoi, Brent and Edgar discuss the Coming of Age ceremony that usually takes place during the first month of the year, the different styles of kimono the new adults wear and some problems that di…
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The Living Japan got together one last time before the end of the year to share some of the latest news that have been happening in Japan. Motoi, Brent and Edgar discuss about the accusations against the author of the famous manga Rurouni Kenshin as well as the recent problems that companies like Subaru and Kobe Steel have been facing. Join the dis…
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We look in depth at the recent incident where a high school student in Osaka was not allowed to attend class for having different hair. We also talk about single families. Kind of a somber episode all things considered. https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/livingjapan-ep-77.mp3By Living Japan
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Edgar is off to his homeland living Brent alone to edit and put out this episode. That can’t be good. But there is good news! A new episode!! The three of us got together and had a nice chat that went from the use of bicycles in everyday life, what to do if a bike gets stolen, crime and then how community plays into all of this. https://livingjapan…
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Ohisahiburi! Long Time no see! We have been very busy in the last month, but we finally have a new Episode! This time, Motoi, Brent and Edgar discuss different topics, from the launch of a North Korean missile that pass over Japan; a scandal involving a female politician with a progressive agenda, and the recent fights between different factions of…
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Hello everyone!!! We have a new episode for you! Finally, after almost 6 months (more or less) we get back to our original format, commenting on three different news that caught our eyes. First, we talk a little bit about the Onsen Theme Park in the city of Beppu, which this month show a little bit of what it will be built to the people who backed …
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Hello everyone! It’s already been two weeks from our last Episode and we are back! On Episode 73 the Living Japan crew talks about two very important topics: vending machines and sexless Japan. How many vending machines are there in Japan? Are all as crazy as it looks on the internet? Are there vending machines with Adult Content? And finally, the …
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Greetings Everyone! Apologies for the long wait! Today’s episode is a especial two parts, the first half we have the presence of Brent’s son while the gang talks about the new Live Action series of Cowboy Bebop and some the Konami-Kojima drama which still continues. This starts a debate about the different changes that some companies and the govern…
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Brent opened this week’s conversation by asking Motoi and Edgar about their thought’s on the recent arrival of Carl’s Jr. to Japan, specially because their presentation is very different to the image this fast food chain has in Japan. Next, we talk about our main topic, the engagement of Princess Mako and the debate about the role of women on the J…
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Greetings from the Living Japan Crew! Apologies for being late to upload this new episode. This week, Motoi, Brent and Edgar discuss about what they did during the Golden Week, the different celebrations for Children’s Day that exist in Mexico and Japan, as well as explain a little bit of the folklore behind this celebration. Next, Edgar talks abou…
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It’s time for a new episode of Living Japan. On today’s Episode, Motoi, Brent and Edgar talk about the reactivation of the nuclear plants that were closed after the Fukushima disaster. Join us, as we talk about the implications of using and not using nuclear energy in Japan. Join the discussion, let us know what you think about the usage of nuclear…
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Hello Everyone! We want to apologize for getting behind our schedule, but finally we were able to meet and record a new episode. Today, we have a fun episode talking about a recent trend on Twitter with the hasthag #gaijinconfessions. The Living Japan crew tell us some confessions of their own before moving on to our main topic: Myths about the Jap…
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As every two weeks, the Living Japan crew is back! Bringing you the latest news on what is happening in Japan. In this week’s episode we talk about MariCar, a company that is being sued by Nintendo for using its characters and the concept of Mario Kart to make business in Tokyo. Later on, Motoi, Brent and Edgar address an issue that has been recent…
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Welcome to a new episode of Living Japan! As the month of love ends, Motoi, Brent and Edgar discuss about the protest against Valentine’s Day that a cranky group of Marxist had in Tokyo, opposing the discrimination against unattractive men. Later on, the crew talks about our main topic “Train Etiquette.” There are many written and unwritten rules t…
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Hello Everyone!! On this week’s new episode Motoi, Brent and Edgar talk about some of the latest news, such as the passing away of Masaya Nakamura, who’s company created Pac-Man and the controversy surrounding the APA Hotels’ CEO. Later on we move to our main topic of the day, which is cheating in Japan. There are many different perceptions about l…
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Hello Everyone! We are trying to start 2017 with the right foot and working hard to have a new episode for you every two weeks. Since Motoi had to travel abroad for work, we decided to record a new Nerd Talk episodes, because without her, Edgar and Brent are not cool, just a couple of Nerds! Haha! Our favorite nerds talk about the announcement by t…
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Hello everyone!! Happy New Year! We start the podcast for 2017 with a very interesting episode. First, we talk a little bit about Brent’s trip with his family to the US for the Holidays, how easy and difficult it was to travel with a child from Japan and coming back, as well as some funny stories about the little differences of everyday life little…
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Today Dr. Michael Dziesinski, a visiting scholar from the University of Hawaii, joins us to talk about a social phenomenon of Japan: Hikikomori. Today, they are many different portrayals of Hikikomori on mass media and popular culture, but… are they really as they are showcased? What is hikikomori? How do hikikomori people behave? Is it only a prob…
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Hello Everyone!!! We are back with a new episode! On today’s show we talk about the latest Ghost in the Shell trailer (sorry for repeating the topic for the third time), and later on we talk about the criticism that a Japanese news outlet received due their bad translation of a protest of Lady Gaga against Trump, the conversation moved towards the …
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Hello everyone!!! We are back with a new episode! This week Motoi, Brent and Edgar discuss about the sudden appearance of a sinkhole in Fukuoka, the possible movement of Tsukiji market and their main topic, an incident that happened in a sushi restaurant in which they where serving great amounts of wasabi to foreign costumers, making it almost impo…
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A delayed train stopped Motoi for joining Brent and Edgar at the studio, so the guys decided to use this time to do another Nerd Talk Episode, talking about the new trailer of Ghost in the Shell, the most recent announcement of Nintendo, a little bit of Pokemon Go losing its hype and finally they discuss the case of a fan who has threaten an idol o…
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This was a busy week at the Living Japan studios and our crew got really deep into so many topics. Join us as we discuss the role of Cool Japan in promoting the Tokyo Olympics, later on we move to a text Brent found on the web about the depiction of Japanese women, is this idea of the Mysterious Japanese lady true? Finally, we discuss a little bit …
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The Living Japan crew is back this week! Join us while we discuss about the arrival of Pokemon Go to Japan and how people has been reacting to it. We also talk about the moving of the Tsukiji Fish Market, is it happening? Finally, we also talk a little about the next Tokyo election. https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/episode59.m…
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Hello Gang!! We are catching up and soon we will have episodes on time! On today’s episode we answer to one of our listeners questions, Purikura, Gachapon adn Arcade culture in Japan. Listen to the Living Japan crew talk about their experiences with this form of entertainment, which are their favorite games? do they collect gachapon? how many purik…
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The Living Japan crew is back! This time, we once again talk about Japanese pop culture and how it has been adapted in the West by analyzing the debate around the casting of Scarlett Johanson as Motoko Kusanagi for the movie adaptation of Ghost in the Shell. Is it really white washing? Can foreign actors representing characters conceived in Japan h…
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Hello Gang!!!!! It’s time for another quick episode of Living Japan! This time, we discuss and article that our sweet Motoi found on the web enlisting the 10 things that Japanese People do better than the rest of the world… but is it really like that? Join us on this small chat where we talk a little bit of everything from public transportation to …
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We are back!!!!!! Apologies to all of our listeners!!! For health reasons we had to take a short break for the podcast, nothing to worry, but finally we were able to record a new episode. Brent, Motoi and Edgar discuss a recent news that take over Japan about a young child that got lost in the forests of Hokkaido. As part of the talk, they discuss …
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On this week’s episode we discuss an update on the case artist Megumi Igarashi who was found guilty by the Court of Tokyo of obscenity. We also talk about the collaboration of NHK’s mascot, Domo-kun with the idol group Tokyo Performance Doll to present a new song called “Domobics” that aims to introduce Japan and it’s culture to a wider audience. F…
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We start out with a little information about Golden Week before moving into some Cool Biz. Finally, Edgar shares his recent experiences hitch hiking from Tokyo to Nagoya. https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/livingjapan-ep-53.mp3By Living Japan
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We are back in the mobile studio as the Living Japan Trio sit down to talk about the recent earthquakes, the popularity of Babymetal and possible problems with Japanese movies. https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/livingjapan-ep-52.mp3By Living Japan
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On Episode 51 Motoi, Brent and Edgar respond to some of our listeners questions. Later we move on with the news that recently the number of born children with a foreigner parent has increased in Japan and we also discuss a little bit about the process of renewing your visa in Japan as well as our experiences dealing with bureaucracy. https://living…
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What happens when Motoi leaves Brent and Edgar alone in the studio?? They start to talk about nerdy stuff!!! Join us while Brent and Edgar talk a little bit about the differences between comics and manga. https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/nerdtalk.mp3By Living Japan
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Didi stayed with us for one more episode in which we talk about the difficulties of being vegetarian in Japan and do a comparison between the original Italian food and the one that is served in Japan. We also talk about the stereotypes of the Italian and Latin men and the differences with Japanese men, which give us the perfect excuse to talk once …
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This week music journalist and friend of the show Didi comes to talk with Motoi, Brent and Edgar about Visual Kei. Is this a music genre? A fashion style? Is it easy to go to a Visual Kei concert in Japan? Learn the answer to these and many more questions about VK. https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/episode-49.mp3 If you are int…
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Happy 2016 Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On the first Episode Motoi, Brent and Edgar talk about how they spent the New Year’s eve and respond to a listener request to talk about Water and other drinks in Japan. Issues like, is it safe to drink tap water in Japan? which is the perception of Japanese people about bottled water? and which are the favorite dr…
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We end our Living Japan year talking over tattoos and just generally chatting about how to end the year. Happy Holidays and see you in 2016! https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/livingjapan-ep-47-tatoos-and-the-end-of-the-year.mp3By Living Japan
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Today we mourn an influential manga-ka, talk over some Christmas options and basically just chatter about some fun differences. And tease Edgar about Taco Bell. Help Brent by going to https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/print-edition-of-deadly-troubadours/x/12747462#/ Intro music by Manny Marx. Outro music by Motoi. https://livingjapanpodcast.files.…
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On this week’s episode Brent talk to us about his first acupuncture experience in Japan. Later on we talk about the message of the UN representative Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, who urged Japan to have stricter laws in order to ban the sexual depictions of underage characters in manga. Finally, we answered our first ever Facebook message from our liste…
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This week we celebrate same sex civil union certificates in Shibuya and talk about families that want to have different surnames. https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/episode-44-more-marriage-and-more-family-names.mp3By Living Japan
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On Episode 43 Edgar share’s with us his thoughts after covering the Tokyo Game Show 2015. We discuss a little bit about the changes that are taking place inside the Japanese Gaming industry. The Living Japan crew also discusses about a recent controversy involving an idol that “broke” some stipulations on her contract and will have to pay an import…
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On Episode 42 the Motoi, Brent and Edgar discuss about the answer to the ultimate question: Beer and Snacks in Japan!!!! Following a recent trend and the appearance of more places that sell craft beer, the Living Japan crew has decided to talk about their favorite Japanese beers and which snacks they like to have while drinking. Are they the same t…
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On this episode the Living Japan crew answers to one of our listeners questions and talk about how Japanese people exercise, keep fit and practices sports. Joing the discussion, do people in your country exercise as much as Japanese people? How is the sports and fitness culture?? Let us know in the comments!!! https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordp…
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On the latest Episode of Living Japan, we congratulate the team Twin Cosplay, who represented Mexico at the World Cosplay Summit 2015 and got the first prize for their Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask performance. Later, Motoi, Brent and Edgar talk about some of the problems that the organizing committee for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are facing, specia…
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On this episode the Living Japan crew talks about the anniversary of the Second World War and how this conflict was lived and taught in their different countries. They also talk about how the history of this conflict is being taught in Japan, the importance of not forgetting history and their hopes for the future. Join the conversation, did you hav…
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On Episode 38 we talk about the selection of Ariana Miyamato, a half-Japanese half-African American woman,as Miss Japan and the debate it has created on the Japanese media. Friend of the show Stephanie joins us to talk about the experience of growing in Japan as the daughter of an international marriage. Join us as we talk about the ethnic percepti…
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On Episode 37 we first give a nice shout out to all the video game fans as we talk about the new trailer for the remake of FFVII. Later on we talk about the initiative of the METI to bring back kimono. Finally, as our main topic of this week, we answer one of our listener’s question about Fast Food in Japan, what options are there? is it different …
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In Episode 36, Brent narrates the story of his son’s birth. All the details in preparation for the arrival of the new family member, hospital vs. midwifery, health insurance coverage and other issues related to the issue. Congratulations Brent and Rikka!! Welcome Baby Leo!!! Your dad, Uncle Edgar and Aunt Motoi love you!! https://livingjapanpodcast…
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This week we have lots of news worth discussing including the Dirty Korean Beer twitter-storm, some ongoing news about aquariums acquiring dolphins, and possible new rules for overtime. https://livingjapanpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/episode35.mp3By Living Japan
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