Deep Dive from The Japan Times

Japan Times contributor and cross-cultural communications consultant Rochelle Kopp joins to discuss the changes at Japan's border and how they are affecting the people who hope to call Japan home. Read more:  Japan to bar all new foreign visitors as omicron fears grow (Ryusei Takahashi) Scores hoping to enter Japan in limbo — again — after latest entry ban (Jesse Johnson and Ryusei Takahashi) Omicron is the price we pay for vaccine inequality (Brad Glosserman) Japan confirms first case of omicron coronavirus variant (Ryusei Takahashi) Japan to ban all foreign travelers from 10 African countries amid omicron outbreak (Ryusei Takahashi) Japan tells airlines to halt inbound flight bookings over omicron fears (Ryusei Takahashi) On this episode: Rochelle Kopp: Website | Twitter Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified when new episodes 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. 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. Photo: A notice about COVID-19 safety measures pictured next to closed doors at a departure hall of Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture on Tuesday. | REUTERS

1 Dec 202129min

On Nov. 12, COP26 wrapped up in Glasgow, Scotland, after two weeks of tense negotiations attended by heads of state from across the world.  The outcome? The Glasgow Climate Pact, an agreement that aims to hold the world to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius of global heating above pre-industrial levels.  Masako Konishi, Expert Director for Conservation and Energy at WWF Japan, was in Glasgow for the two-week conference and joins Deep Dive to give her insights into what was agreed at COP26, and the role Japan played at this crucial climate summit. Subscribe to The Japan Times One of the best ways that you can support Deep Dive is by subscribing to The Japan Times, and we are currently offering a 30% discount on the first six months of a digital premium subscription. Head to jtimes.jp/deepdive30 and enter the promo code "DEEPDIVE30" to claim the discount, and get unlimited access to The Japan Times' journalism. Thank you as always for your support. Read more:  COP26 seals breakthrough climate deal after major compromises (The Japan Times) Japan, once a leader on climate, under fire at COP26 over coal use (The Japan Times) Kishida places Japan’s business interests at the forefront of climate policy (The Japan Times) Japan gets Fossil of the Day Award at COP26 after Kishida speech (The Japan Times) Toyota defends skipping COP26 emissions pledge (The Japan Times) On this episode: Masako Konishi: Twitter | WWF Japan Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified when new episodes 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. 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. Photo: People dressed as Pikachu protest against the funding of coal by Japan, near the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) venue in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 4. | REUTERS

18 Nov 202131min

In February this year the government created a new cabinet position to try to address the problem of loneliness, the so-called "minister for loneliness." But loneliness did not begin with COVID-19, and has been a growing problem in Japan for decades. Alex K.T. Martin, a senior writer at the Japan Times, recently wrote an article on kodoku, and the fine line between solitude and loneliness that many of us have experienced throughout the pandemic. Subscribe to The Japan Times One of the best ways that you can support Deep Dive is by subscribing to The Japan Times, and we are currently offering a 30% discount on the first six months of a digital premium subscription. Head to jtimes.jp/deepdive30 and enter the promo code "DEEPDIVE30" to claim the discount, and get unlimited access to The Japan Times' journalism. Thank you as always for your support. TELL Japan If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 119 in Japan for immediate assistance. The TELL Lifeline is available for those who need free and anonymous counseling at 03-5774-0992. You can also visit them at telljp.com. For those outside of Japan, visit www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html for a detailed list of resources and assistance. Read more:  Kodoku: The fine line between solitude and loneliness in Japan (Alex Martin, The Japan Times) As suicides rise amid the pandemic, Japan takes steps to tackle loneliness (Tomohiro Osaki, The Japan Times) Escaping COVID-19: When you can’t see the virus for the trees (Alex Martin, The Japan Times) On this episode: Alex K.T. Martin: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified when new episodes 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. 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. Photo: Japan is facing a problem of chronic loneliness | GETTY IMAGES

10 Nov 202128min

This week, world leaders are gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, for COP26, a meeting of nations that has been billed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the world's last chance to avert catastrophic climate change. At this point, the science behind climate change could not be clearer. In August, the IPCC released its most comprehensive report to date on the state of the global climate, and concluded it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.  Japan is an important part of this in two ways. First, it is a significant emitter of CO2, the fifth largest globally by total annual emissions. And second, it is a country that is exceptionally vulnerable to climate change. The climate crisis is here and it is affecting everything from the strength of typhoons and flooding, to the timing of the annual cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.  Read more:  The true cost of the climate crisis on Japan (Eric Margolis, The Japan Times) A crucial U.N. climate summit kicks off Oct. 31. Here's what you need to know. (Eric Johnston, The Japan Times) As Japan looks to expand renewable energy, nuclear power's role remains unclear (The Japan Times) On this episode: Eric Margolis: Twitter | Website Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: 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. 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. Photo: Rescue workers search a flooded area in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, which caused severe floods at the Chikuma River in Nagano Prefecture in October 2019. | REUTERS

3 Nov 202120min

A royal wedding usually involves celebration and pageantry, a ceremony steeped in tradition at an ancient and palatial building, and flag-waving in the streets by a public eager to see the newlywed couple. But for Princess Mako, who married Kei Komuro on Tuesday this week, there was none of that. There was only the perfunctory stamping of documents, followed by a muted press conference. Read more:  What you need to know about the not-so-fairy tale of Princess Mako (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Imperial Household Agency criticized for media strategy — or lack thereof (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Princess Mako's marriage a 'warning sign' for Japan's imperial system (Ami Takahashi via The Japan Times) The world’s oldest monarchy is running out of royals (Marika Katanuma via The Japan Times ) On this episode: Natsuko Fukue: Twitter Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Subscribe to the show and sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list to be notified when new episodes come 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. 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. Photo: Princess Mako (right) and her sister Princess Kako attend the enthronement ceremony for Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in October 2019. | POOL / AFP-JIJI

28 Okt 202126min

Over the past few years a combination of overspending and lack of tax revenue has put the city of Kyoto in a precarious financial situation, made worse by the lack of domestic and international tourism to the city during the pandemic. The Japan Times' senior national correspondent, Eric Johnston, joins us from Osaka to explain Kyoto's problems, and what the city needs to do to get itself out its predicament.  Read more:  Kyoto is facing bankruptcy. What happens now? (Eric Johnston, The Japan Times) Kyoto's reconstruction plan calls for big spending cuts (Eric Johnston, The Japan Times) Kyoto without tourists: How the ancient capital looks without its crowds (Oscar Boyd, The Japan Times) On this episode: Eric Johnston: Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Subscribe to the show and sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list to be notified when new episodes come 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. 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. Photo: Kinkakuji, otherwise known as the Golden Pavilion, was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994 and usually attracts over 5 million visitors per year. During the pandemic it has received a fraction of that number. | Oscar Boyd

20 Okt 202123min

Fumio Kishida replaces Yoshihide Suga as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and as Prime Minister of Japan, and will face a general election at the end of this month where he will hope to cement his position in power. But who is Kishida and how did he rise to become the country’s newest Prime Minister? The Japan Times’ political correspondent Satoshi Sugiyama joins from his desk at the prime minister's office to answer those very questions. Read more:  Challenges await as Kishida takes reins as Japan's prime minister (Satoshi Sugiyama, The Japan Times) What Kishida's Cabinet picks tell us (Michael MacArthur Bosack, The Japan Times) Kishida off to rocky start in approval polls (The Japan Times) Japan's general election to be held Oct. 31, new PM Kishida says (The Japan Times) On this episode: Satoshi Sugiyama: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Subscribe to the show and sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list to be notified when new episodes come 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. 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. Photo: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Monday. | Bloomberg

7 Okt 202124min

At every Olympics there is one cycling event that stands out above all the rest: keirin. It’s been in the Olympics since Sydney 2000, but it’s actually based on a form of track cycling that originated in post-war Japan.  Keirin is a gambling sport in Japan, and though it’s nowhere near as popular as the national pastime baseball, or held in the same regard as sumo, it is still a multi-billion dollar industry, with races taking place up and down the country on an almost daily basis. The War on Wheels Justin's book "The War on Wheels: Inside the Keirin and Japan's Cycling Subculture" is out now via all major book retailers. Get your hands on a copy here, or read The Japan Times' review. Find out more about keirin and where to watch it at keirin.jp On this episode: Justin McCurry: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Subscribe to the show and sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list to be notified when new episodes come 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. 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. Photo: Keirin riders race around the Omiya velodrome in the outskirts of Tokyo. | Oscar Boyd

22 Sep 202131min