50: How Japan's 'murder hornet' got its new name w/ Matt Alt

Rene Redzepi’s groundbreaking restaurant Noma is known as one of the world’s best, so it came as a huge shock last year when he announced he would be shutting it down in 2024 — at least in its current form. The Danish chef and a team of over 100 have currently descended on Kyoto to create a culinary experience that has become one of the hottest tickets on the planet. Japan Times food critic Robbie Swinnerton joins us this week to discuss Noma, the Kyoto pop-up and where fine dining goes from here.  Hosted by Jason Jenkins and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Jason Jenkins: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Robbie Swinnerton: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Read more/Hear more:  At Noma Kyoto, chef Rene Redzepi plants ‘seeds’ for the future (Robbie Swinnerton, The Japan Times) Noma sets sights on Kyoto, and diners bite in droves (Robbie Swinnerton, The Japan Times) Noma, rated the world’s best restaurant, is closing its doors (Julia Moskin, The New York Times) Redzepi: 'I think the restaurant staff in Japan are some of the best on Earth' (Robbie Swinnerton, The Japan Times) Thomas Frebel — a top chef in a city of stars (Oscar Boyd, Deep Dive from The Japan Times) Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!  Photo: A colorful noren (traditional Japanese fabric curtain) hangs above the entrance to Noma Kyoto, separating it from the Ace Hotel. | PHOTO BY KOTARO TANAKA

13 Apr 202330min

The number of foreign residents in Japan recently surpassed the 3 million-mark. What does that mean for the Japanese corporations hiring them? Might they get an influx of new ideas and skilled employees? Consultant Rochelle Kopp joins us to discuss the sought-after “agent of change” and Anika Osaki Exum updates us on government plans to boost the number of foreign exchange students.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Anika Osaki Exum: Articles | Twitter  Rochelle Kopp: Articles | Twitter Read more:  Help wanted: The (sleeper) agent of change (Rochelle Kopp, The Japan Times) Japan makes renewed push to internationalize higher education (Anika Osaki Exum, The Japan Times) Foreign residents in Japan hit record 3 million at end of 2022 (Jiji) Ryuichi Sakamoto calls for stop to redevelopment plan for Tokyo’s Jingu area (Kyodo) Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!  Photo: Commuters transfer at Shinagawa Station in Tokyo, one of the busiest stations in the world. | KYODO

5 Apr 202326min

He launched a career on YouTube running his mouth on celebs, but in less than a year Yoshikazu “GaaSyy” Higashitani has gone from that to running successfully for office to running from the law. Politics reporter Gabriele Ninivaggi joins the show this week to discuss what this parliamentary upstart’s rise and fall says about how politics is done in Japan. And, who exactly are the Party Politician Girls who replaced him? Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Twitter | Instagram Gabriele Ninivaggi: Articles | Twitter  Read more:  YouTuber turned politician GaaSyy likely to be expelled from parliament (Gabriele Ninivaggi, The Japan Times) Upper House committee votes to expel GaaSyy from Japan’s parliament (Gabriele Ninivaggi and Kanako Takahara, The Japan Times) YouTube and Japan’s new political underground: The rise and decline of the Party to Protect People from NHK (Max Guerrera-Sapone, Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus) Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!  Photo: Former Upper House member GaaSyy is seen via video from his base of operations in Dubai during a press conference with NHK Party head Takashi Tachibana. | KYODO

29 Mars 202324min

It’s been three years since people in Japan could welcome spring with traditional picnics under the country’s millions of cherry trees. This week Kathleen Benoza explains how much money is at stake during the season, while Thu-Huong Ha and Alyssa I. Smith discuss the science, symbolism and culture surrounding the cherry blossoms in Japan. On this episode:  Kathleen Benoza: Articles | Twitter  Alyssa I. Smith: Articles  Thu-Huong Ha: Articles | Twitter  Jason Jenkins: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Read more/Watch more:  Japan's economy to bloom as hanami season kicks off (Kathleen Benoza, The Japan Times) In Japan, cherry blossom forecasting is big business. Warming is making it harder (Thu-Huong Ha, The Japan Times) The Best Places to See Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo (Aimee Gardner, Tokyo Cheapo) Our guide to family hanami hot spots (Jason Jenkins, The Japan Times) Go west to enjoy a family hanami party (Jason Jenkins, The Japan Times) Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!  Photo: People wearing wigs that represent cherry blossoms drink in Tokyo’s Ueno Park in 2017. | JASON JENKINS

23 Mars 202328min

Last month, it was announced that Haruki Murakami would release a new full-length novel. True fans, also known as “Harukists” may note that the title for the upcoming work is the same as one of the author’s past “failures.” Harukist Daniel Morales joins the show to decipher clues as to what is going on. Later, Patrick St. Michel and Shaun McKenna discuss their thoughts on a BBC documentary on controversial J-pop titan Johnny Kitagawa.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Shaun McKenna: Twitter | Instagram Daniel Morales: Articles | Twitter | TikTok Patrick St. Michel: Articles | Twitter | Substack Read more/Hear more:  What to prepare for when you’re expecting one of Murakami’s mammoths (Daniel Morales, The Japan Times) Conquering ‘Commendatore’: Murakami brandishes familiar lexicon in latest novel (Daniel Morales, The Japan Times) The guilt of fatherhood helped shape Kenzaburo Oe’s literary vision (Thu-Huong Ha, The Japan Times) How To Japanese podcast (Daniel Morales) Johnny Kitagawa: The mogul who defined and controlled Japan’s entertainment industry (Patrick St. Michel, The Japan Times) Deep Dive: The Death of Johnny Kitagawa, J-pop’s puppet master (Oscar Boyd, Patrick St. Michel, W. David Marx) Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!  Photo: Novelist Haruki Murakami (right) receives an award for artistic contribution at Waseda University in 2021. | KYODO

15 Mars 202333min

This week marks the 12th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear meltdowns that took place in its wake. Alex K.T. Martin joins us to discuss where Fukushima is in terms of its recovery and drive to repopulate. Of course, before they bring people back, they’ll need to deal with the wild animals that have moved in.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Shaun McKenna: Twitter | Instagram Read more:  Abandoned after 3/11, Fukushima starts attracting new residents (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times) In the shadow of the Fukushima disaster, an unusual experiment in rewilding (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times) With wildlife pests on the rise, Japan turns to novel countermeasures (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times) Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!  Photo: A wild boar crosses a railway line in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture. | KYODO

8 Mars 202322min

You may know Yayoi Kusama for her polka-dotted pumpkins or Insta-ready exhibitions, but this artist from Matsumoto has a long history of radical forms of expression. This week, culture critic Thu-Huong Ha joins the podcast to explore Kusama’s past and the latest stage in her evolution.  Hosted by Jason Jenkins and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode:  Thu-Huong Ha: Articles | Twitter | Instagram Read more:  Is this Yayoi Kusama's final evolution? (Thu-Huong Ha, The Japan Times) Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!  Photo: People watch as a lifelike robot of Yayoi Kusama paints polka dots on the window of the luxury retailer Louis Vuitton store in Paris. | REUTERS

2 Mars 202325min

On the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gabriel Dominguez joins the podcast to talk about the effects this war in Europe has had on Japan. We then speak to Japanese photojournalist Saphryn Shikaze, who is on the front lines of the conflict. Then, we ask Ukrainian student Natalia Makohon about her experience as an evacuee here in Tokyo.  Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez. On this episode: Gabriel Dominguez: Articles | Twitter  Saphryn Shikaze: Homepage | Twitter | Instagram Read more/Learn more:  One year on, Ukraine war accelerating changes in Japan’s defense posture (Gabriel Dominguez, The Japan Times) “We’re all different”: Russians in Japan reflect on year since Ukraine invasion  (Anika Exum Osaki, The Japan Times) Japan accepted over 2,300 Ukrainians last year. Is its refugee policy finally changing? (Kanako Takahara, The Japan Times) Sakura to Himawari  Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!  Photo: Volunteer forces fighting for Ukraine pose for a picture on an abandoned Russian tank. | SAPHRYN SHIKAZE

22 Feb 202328min