139: The Church, the State and Kishida's headache
When former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot earlier this year, the incident shone a spotlight on the links his fellow Liberal Democratic Party members had with the controversial Unification Church....
7 Des 202224min
138: How making alcohol from trees could give rural Japan a buzz
Could drinking help the environment and rural communities? You might be surprised. Researchers in Japan have figured out how to make drinkable alcohol from wood, and the knock-on effects are much bigg...
30 Nov 202225min
137: Is Japan the model for Elon Musk’s Twitter?
As news about Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter continues to emerge, we’ll talk to Elizabeth Beattie about how the social media platform’s Japan team has been affected. Are you thinking of jumping the T...
24 Nov 202225min
136: Samurai Blues: The J. League, the World Cup and Japan’s place in global soccer
The Samurai Blue are headed for Qatar to play in this year’s World Cup. This year also marks 20 years since Japan co-hosted the event with South Korea and a lot has happened in this country’s soccer s...
16 Nov 202227min
135: ‘High waves and dangerous storms’: How China’s moves are affecting Japan
Despite a recent spate of North Korean missile tests, Japan’s larger concerns have mainly focused on activities taking place to the south of the country — specifically, those involving China and Taiwa...
9 Nov 202228min
134: Hey Japan, are you happy?
If you’ve ever had to endure a Tokyo commute at rush hour, you may not get the sense that the Japanese are very happy. However, Japan Times senior staff writer Alex K.T. Martin has been keeping track ...
2 Nov 202224min
133: Japanese pop culture in China: It's complicated.
Despite having played a major role entertaining Chinese citizens following the Cultural Revolution, Japanese musicians are finding it increasingly difficult to grab a toehold in the region thanks to g...
26 Okt 202225min
132: Japan reopens its borders. Are tourists ready to return?
Not since 1853, when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its borders to trade, has a reopening been so newsworthy. This time, instead of Black Ships, the country faced a trickle of touri...
19 Okt 202223min
