Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture & the Japanese Language

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast we're digging deep into the world of Japanese Buddhist statues and iconography. Michael VanHartingsveldt is an expert on Buddhist art and iconography. In 2016, Michael obtained a Master's degree in East Asian Art Business through a joint program offered by the Sotheby's Institute of Art and Claremont Graduate University. He then went on to work as a Collections Management Technician at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art (LACMA). At LACMA Michael worked in the East Asian Art Collection and handled everything from ukiyo-e woodblock prints to Buddhist statues. Michael has also curated art exhibits and given lectures at the Japan Foundation in Los Angeles. In the fall semester of 2019, Michael entered into a PhD program at the University of Kansas. There he will further his research on Japanese Buddhist art and statues. In this episode we discuss: How backpacking around Japan led to an interest in the art and history of Buddhism (and Shinto) in Japan A few tipes for visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha (an important shrine in Kyoto dedicated to the fox god, Inari) Nara's famous Tōdai-ji temple Who the Niō (Two Benevolent Kings) at the entrance of Tōdai-ji are The hierarchy of celestial beings in Buddhism Who Fudō Myōō is What Shugendō is The statues of Zaō Gongen that are at Kinpusen-ji temple on Mt. Yoshino in Nara Prefecture Sanjūsangen-dō in Kyoto and its many statues The bodhisatva Kannon The origins of Amida Nyorai The origins of the Nami-kiri Fudō Who Takuma Kamine is And much more!

15 Sep 201956min

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast we're talking about the Japanese language and the very interesting linguistic phenomenon of "made in Japan English" (wasei eigo). Anne Crescini is an Associate Professor at the University of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture. She has conducted extensive research on the linguistic phenomenon of wasei eigo ("made in Japan English") and has even written a book on the subject called Petto Botoru wa Eigo Ja nai tte Shittō to!? (English: Did you know that "PET Bottle" is not an English word!?). Aside from teaching and her work on wasei eigo, Anne regularly appears on Japanese television, writes a column for a Fukuoka newspaper, and makes her own miso. Anne is also well-known for her mastery of the Hakata dialect. In this episode we discuss: The various types of words that make up the Japanese language The various languages of origin of gairaigo (loanwords/foreign origin words in Japanese) What wasei eigo is Examples of wasei eigo What a "handle keeper" (handoru kīpā) What a "paper driver" is (pēpā) What "magic tape" (majikku tēpu) is What "skinship" is How the need for efficient communication shapes the words people use Possible reasons why wasei eigo came to be so prevalent How wasei eigo can be confusing for both English-speakers and Japanese-speakers Why Anne moved to Japan How Anne became interested in the Japanese language and researching it The changing nature of language Recent Japanese slang such as the use of wanchan and futsū ni (murai, oishii, etc) The use of re-tasu kotoba The use of ra-nuki kotoba The importance of knowing when you should speak formal Japanese versus casual Japanese Anne's interest in cooking Japanese food The potential probiotic benefits of making one's own miso And much more! Follow Japankyo on Facebook and Twitter so you don't miss any updates! For full show notes visit www.japanstationpodcast.com.

1 Sep 201958min

On this extra bonus episode of the Japan Station podcast, we explore the world of yōkai with author and Japan Station listener, Charles Kowalski. Originally from the U.S. Charles Kowalski is a teacher and author living in Japan. His latest book--Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts--delves into the world of the Japanese supernatural creatures known as yōkai through the lens of a young 17th century English boy who gets stranded in Tokugawa-era Japan and has to rely on the yōkai in order get back home. Smon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts is the first book in what Charles is planning to be a trilogy. Charles is also the author of two full-length novels: Mind Virus and The Devil's Son. In this episode we discuss: What a yōkai is The origin of Charles' interest in yōkai The plot of Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts The research process Charles underwent when working on Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts The fascinating life of the English sailor-turned-samurai, William Adams (1564-1620) What the Hyakki Yagyō  (English:"Night Parade of One Hundred Demons") is Teaching in Japan How the Japanese folktale Urashima Tarō does not follow conventional storytelling norms Charles' future plans for the Simon Grey series And much more!

25 Aug 201938min

In this episode of the Japan Station podcast we're going deep into the world of J-pop with Dr. Capital. Dr. Jonathan Patterson is an Assistant Professor of Popular Music in the Division of Jazz Studies of the University of North Texas College of Music. Also known by the stage name Dr. Capital, he is a composer, singer, guitarist, and an all-around expert on Japanese popular music who has been performing music in Japan for around two decades. Over the course of his career he has worked with a long list of prominent figures in Japan's music industry, including Shing02, Ayaka, Miho Nakayama, Angela Aki, and many more. Dr. Capital also runs a popular YouTube channel. In his videos Dr. Capital performs acoustic guitar covers of well-known J-pop songs, as well as explains the many musical concepts within them--and he does this completely in Japanese. In this episode we discuss: What inspired Dr. Capital to start playing the guitar Dr. Capital's first guitar How Dr. Capital became interested in Japan How Dr. Capital became interested in J-pop How Dr. Capital first got to Japan How Dr. Capital met the rapper Shing02 What it was like working with Shing02 The power of music Dr. Capitals passion for teaching people about music What makes Japanese pop music different from American pop music The overabundance of the 1-5-6-4 chord progression in Western pop music The music of Yasutaka Nakata How Dr. Capital came to learn the Osaka dialect (Osaka-ben) And much more! Note: In the intro of this episode it is incorrectly stated that Dr. Jonathan Patterson is an associate professor at the University of North Texas. As of the time of the release of this episode (08/01/19) Dr. Patterson is listed as an Assistant Professor and not Associate Professor. For more extensive show notes, including videos and links the things mentioned in this episode visit http://www.japankyo.com/2019/08/japan-station-podcast-jpop-dr-jonathan-patterson-dr-capital-interview/

15 Aug 20191h 11min

In this episode of the Japan Station podcast I sit down for a thrilling chat with author Barry Lancet. Barry Lancet is the award-winning author of the Jim Brodie series of books. After a long career as an editor at the international arm of one of Japan’s most prestigious publishers—Kodansha—Lancet made his debut as an author in 2013 with Japantown. Lancet’s ability to seamlessly weave Japanese culture and history into his exciting, suspense-filled plots quickly caught the attention of many and won him numerous Best First Novel awards. Since Japantown Lancet has published three more books in the Jim Brodie series: Tokyo Kill, Pacific Burn, and The Spy Across the Table. Aside from working on the next Jim Brodie book, Lancet is currently working on an unrelated thriller set in Hawaii. Japantown has been optioned to be developed into a pilot for a possible show. In this episode we discuss: How Barry Lancet ended up going to Japan for the first time How getting interrogated by Japanese police eventually served as inspiration for the Jim Brodie books How Japantown evolved from a noir book to a mystery-thriller The writing and research process that goes into writing a Jim Brodie book Barry's inability to scale down his stories Restaurants in Tokyo How the Jim Brodie books have been received The time Barry ended up drinking with a Soviet spy at a Japanese wedding party Visiting the Demilitarized zone on the border of North and South Korea The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and the subsequent meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Barry's work on a new book set in Hawaii And much more! NOTE: After the outro music there is a bonus segment in which Barry talks about the last third of his fourth book, The Spy Across the Table. This part contains major spoilers for The Spy Across the Table so if you have not read it yet, it would be best not to listen to it.

1 Aug 201948min

In this episode of the Japan Station podcast Tony has a fun chat with comedian Ollie Horn. Ollie Horn is a stand-up comedian from the United Kingdom who lived many years in Fukuoka, Japan. While there he attended graduate school and worked in the Japanese entertainment industry. In 2014 Ollie Horn came up with the idea that would evolve into Comedy Fukuoka, a group dedicated to performing English-language stand-up comedy in Fukuoka. Horn is also the host of the podcast My Signature Dish and will soon be releasing his first comedy special--called Pig in Japan--which focuses on many of his experiences living and working in Japan. In this episode we discuss: Ollie's podcast My Signature Dish How living in Japan led to Ollie discovering the joy of cooking Danny Piello's amazing chicken sandwich Japanese food A great chicken nanban restaurant in Fukuoka How Ollie ended up living in Fukuoka Ollie's time in graduate school in Fukuoka What it was like writing a thesis in Japanese Ollie's time in the Japanese entertainment industry Japanese copyright law The importance of knowing when to say yes and when to say no What keeps Ollie motivated Ollie's comedy special, Pig in Japan Ollie's tips for learning a language And much more!

15 Jul 20191h 12min

In this episode of the Japan Station podcast we're learning about the amazing story of the first group of Japanese girls to study in the U.S. Janice P. Nimura is the award-winning writer of the book Daughters of the Samurai: A Journey from East to West and Back. In Daughters of the Samurai, Nimura recounts the epic real-life story of a group of Japanese girls who in 1871 were sent to be educated in the U.S. in hopes that this would eventually help Japan in its relentless push to become more like the Western powers of the time. The book specifically focuses on the transnational journey of three girls: Shige Nagai (later Baroness Shigeko Uryū), Sutematsu Yamakawa (later Pricess Sutematsu Oyama), and Ume Tsuda (later Umeko Tsuda). Although of these three it is Umeko Tsuda who is best remembered today as a pioneer of women's education in Japan, all three women did important and inspiring work after their return to Japan despite the many cultural and societal hurdles they had to overcome. In this episode we discuss: What the Iwakura Mission is The factors that led Japanese officials to decide to send young girls to the U.S. to be educated The incredible life of Sutematsu Yamakawa The complicated figure that is Umeko Tsuda The difficulties Shige Nagai, Sutematsu Yamakawa, and Ume Tsuda faced after returning to Japan The importance of portraying historical figures "warts and all" Janice P. Nimura's upcoming book, Sister Doctors, which is about pioneering 19th-century doctors Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell And much more!

1 Jul 201950min

Gaijin Goombah is the guest today on this episode of the Japan Station podcast. Gaijin Goombah is a YouTuber who has made a successful career out of teaching people about the real world culture and history that is present in many of today's most popular video games and anime. Gaijin Goombah's interest in Japan is one that goes quite far back and led him to both study abroad and work in Japan. Aside from running his own very popular YouTube channel he also streams on Twitch. In this episode we discuss: How Gaijin Goombah became interested in Japan The interesting role the film Kill Bill played in Gaijin Goombah's life How Gaijin Goombah went from wanting to be an actor to working with Matthew Patrick (MatPat) of The Game Theorists YouTube channel Gaijin Goombah's time living in Japan Gaijin Goombah's experience teaching English as part of the JET Program The stresses of being a YouTuber How monetization works on YouTube vs. streaming and which is more profitable What Gaijin Goombah finds rewarding about his creating videos The research process Gaijin Goombah undertakes when creating a video Popular misconceptions surrounding ninja Why the recent reboot of GeGeGe no Kitaro is a must-watch anime Gaijin Goombah's views on moe Why anime is an amazing medium And much more!

12 Jun 201953min