Deep Dive from The Japan Times

Staff reporter Ryusei Takahashi joins Oscar Boyd to discuss the idea, opportunities and difficulties of a green recovery in Japan. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Democrats Abroad Japan, a volunteer organization that helps Americans overseas register to vote. VoteFromAbroad.org makes the ballot request process simple and easy, so if you need to vote from overseas, visit VoteFromAbroad.org. Ballots for the U.S. election will be sent out Sept. 19, so request yours now! Read more: 'Green recovery' offers Japan a chance to slash carbon emissions (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times) Separating environmental issues from business matters in Japan (Philip Brasor, The Japan Times) Japan urged to boost green power to achieve Paris climate goals (Bloomberg via The Japan Times) Japan's climate change efforts hindered by Keidanren bias, study says (Reuters via The Japan Times) Think 2020's disasters are wild? 'It’s going to get a lot worse' (AP via The Japan Times) On this episode: Ryusei Takahashi: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. Photo: A satellite image shows Typhoon Haishen barreling toward Kyushu in September 2020. NASA VIA AP

16 Sep 202026min

We’re joined by Tobias Harris, author of “The Iconoclast,” a biography of Shinzo Abe. Harris gives his take on Abe’s legacy, examining everything from his foreign policy to the missed opportunities. Also on the show is Wakako Fukuda, one of the cofounders of the activist group SEALDs, who led some of Japan's biggest protests since the 1960s against Abe’s proposed changes to security laws in 2015. She’ll be talking about why so many people joined SEALDs and what she hopes a future PM will do to support women. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Democrats Abroad Japan, a volunteer organization that helps Americans overseas register to vote. VoteFromAbroad.org makes the ballot request process simple and easy, so if you need to vote from overseas, find out more at VoteFromAbroad.org. Ballots for the U.S. election will be sent out Sept. 19, so request yours now! Read more:  Episode 63: The end of Shinzo Abe: What happened and who's next? (Deep Dive) What will be Abe's legacy as the longest-serving prime minister? (Editorial, The Japan Times) For Abe, latest milestone is a moment of trepidation (Tobias Harris, The Japan Times) What Abe leaves behind for Japan and the world (Brad Glosserman, The Japan Times)  Abenomics here to stay despite Japan PM's looming departure (Kazuaki Nagata, The Japan Times) Suga, favored to succeed Abe, says won't lead 'interim' government (Kyodo) On this episode: Tobias Harris: Twitter | Articles | Book Wakako Fukuda: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram The Iconoclast: Tobias Harris' biography of Shinzo Abe, "The Iconoclast" is out now. Deep Dive listeners can get a 25 percent discount by using the promo code ICONOCLAST25 if you order the book through the Hurst website. Announcements: This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. Photo by Reuters

9 Sep 202041min

We're joined by Tobias Harris, author of "The Iconoclast," a  biography of Shinzo Abe that was published the day before Abe resigned. Harris talks about Abe's last few months in office, and who might be the next prime minister of Japan. Also, Japan Times politics reporter Satoshi Sugiyama describes his day reporting on Abe's historic resignation announcement. Read more:  Suga, Abe’s right-hand man, declares candidacy for LDP leadership vote (Satoshi Sugiyama, The Japan Times) Abe right-hand man Yoshihide Suga emerges as a top pick to replace him (Satoshi Sugiyama, The Japan Times) Former Japan defense chief Shigeru Ishiba to run in LDP leadership race, report says (Reuters, The Japan Times) How possible successors stack up if Abe resigns (Reuters, The Japan Times) Ruling LDP to skip rank-and-file votes in party election for Abe's  successor (Satoshi Sugiyama, The Japan Times) Abe to resign over health, ending era of political stability (Satoshi Sugiyama, The Japan Times) Abe's resignation catches even Japan's political insiders off guard (Satoshi Sugiyama, The Japan Times) On this episode: Tobias Harris: Twitter | Articles | Book Satoshi Sugiyama: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram The Iconoclast Tobias Harris' biography of Shinzo Abe, "The Iconoclast" is out now. Deep Dive listeners can get a 25 percent discount by using the promo code ICONOCLAST25 if you order the book through the Hurst website. Announcements This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. Photo via Reuters

2 Sep 202032min

In next week’s episode we’ll be looking at the latest news in much more depth, but for now we’re bringing you an episode from the archives, episode 32, somewhat ironically titled "What’s the secret to Shinzo Abe’s longevity?" This episode was originally recorded in December 2019, in a world that had not yet gone through the trials of the coronavirus, and when Japan was looking ahead to hosting the Olympics this summer. Much has changed since we recorded the episode, but it still paints a really good picture of who Abe is, and how he rose to become Japan’s prime minister, not once, but twice.  Read more: Abe to resign as prime minister due to health condition (Satoshi Sugiyama, Eric Johnston The Japan Times) The Japan Times' latest reporting on Shinzo Abe On this episode: Sakura Murakami: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback.  Photo by Getty Images

28 Aug 202029min

On this episode we’re taking a look at how Japan’s international students and academics have been affected by the entry bans. Though the government is expected to change its policy imminently, to date the border closures have had an overwhelmingly negative impact on Japan’s universities, even as the country tries to position itself on the international stage as a more attractive place to study.  We hear from regular Japan Times contributor and consultant Rochelle Kopp about how the border closures have impacted international students in Japan, and also from masters student Angus Watson about his experiences coming back to Japan after being stuck outside for six months. Read more:  Japan may allow in all stranded foreign residents from September (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Japan's re-entry ban threatens scholarships, admission and graduation for foreign students (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Travel bans throttle Japanese universities’ global ambitions (Rochelle Kopp, The Japan Times) I'm happy to be in Japan, but it shouldn't have taken this long to get back (Angus Watson, The Japan Times)    Episode 60: Japan's foreign residents are trapped — Part 2 (Deep Dive) Episode 51: Japan's foreign residents are trapped - Part 1 (Deep Dive) On this episode: Rochelle Kopp: Twitter | Articles | Consultancy Angus Watson: Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback.

25 Aug 202035min

This episode, our guests are Robbie Swinnerton and Melinda Joe. Robbie has been writing Tokyo Food File, his restaurant review column for The Japan Times, since 1998 and Melinda has been writing her column Kanpai Culture, all about Japan’s drinking culture, since 2011. With well over 30 years experience of eating, drinking and writing about the capital's food scene between them, we hear from Robbie and Melinda about what makes Tokyo the gastronomic phenomenon it is, how coronavirus has impacted upon the restaurant business and where Japan's hospitality industry goes from here. Read/hear more: Tokyo Food File (Robbie Swinnerton, The Japan Times) Kanpai Culture (Melinda Joe, The Japan Times) How COVID-19 has reshaped Japan's drinking culture (Alex Martin, The Japan Times) Tokyo’s restaurants stare down COVID-19: ‘We have to stay open’ (Dan Buyanovsky, The Japan Times) Tokyo's restaurants again boast world's most Michelin stars in 2020 guide (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Japanese Kitchen (Makiko Itoh, The Japan Times) Welcome aboard SG Airways, Shingo Gokan’s cocktail-pairing pop-up (Melinda Joe, The Japan Times) Episode 11: Thomas Frebel — a top chef in a city of stars (Deep Dive) Still eating, still writing: Robbie Swinnerton reflects on 20 years of Tokyo Food File (Oscar Boyd, The Japan Times) On this episode: Melinda Joe:  Twitter | Articles | Instagram Robbie Swinnerton:  Twitter | Articles | Instagram Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Want to learn Japanese cooking? Follow Makiko Itoh's monthly Japanese Kitchen column for easy to make, seasonal recipes. Free for all readers of The Japan Times Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Photo by Dan Buyanovsky

19 Aug 202040min

In May, we talked to The Japan Times' Magdalena Osumi about Japan’s entry-ban list, which is stopping foreign residents from leaving or returning to Japan. Today, we hear an update from Magda, as some residents start to be allowed to return but many are left trapped. Hosted by Oscar Boyd. Read more: Japan to allow back foreign residents who left before entry ban (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Re-entry ban horror stories pile up in Japan's Indian community (Megha Wadhwa, The Japan Times) Japan's foreign residents are trapped — Part 1 (Deep Dive) Japan's re-entry ban list (The Japan Times) ACCJ calls for equal treatment of non-Japanese residents hit by travel ban (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Japan to impose stricter re-entry procedures for travelers from four countries (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Stranded foreign nationals in limbo as speculation over easing Japan re-entry requirements mounts (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Magda Osumi: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles Deep Dive: Twitter | deepdive@japantimes.co.jp Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Photo by Bloomberg

13 Aug 202020min

The people alive today who survived the bombing of Hiroshima, and the subsequent destruction of Nagasaki, are known in Japanese as hibakusha. But 75 years on from the bombing, the number of survivors able to tell their stories is dwindling as they grow old and die. Japan Times contributor and Hiroshima resident Peter Chordas joins to discuss the effects of the bomb on the city, and how those survivors' legacies are being preserved. Hosted by Oscar Boyd. Read more:  Is time running out to preserve Japan’s A-bomb legacy? (Peter Chordas, The Japan Times) Sharing Hiroshima's legacy in the age of COVID-19 (Peter Chordas, The Japan Times) Shinzo Hamai's Peace Declaration for the City of Hiroshima (City of Hiroshima) Hiroshima marks 75th atomic bomb anniversary, calls for unity amid pandemic (Kyodo, The Japan Times) Nearly 80% of A-bomb survivors struggle to pass on experiences (Kyodo, The Japan Times) Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Photo by Peter Chordas

6 Aug 202032min