Deep Dive from The Japan Times

The Ainu are Japan's indigenous population and Japan Times contributor Mara Budgen has been meeting with them to better understand their remaining culture, the difficulties they face, and to learn about the ongoing efforts to preserve their language. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kokoro Care Packages, delivering curated care packages from Japan, filled with locally made, premium-quality, artisanal Japanese foods. It's the perfect thing to give for Christmas, to treat yourself if you're missing Japan, or to discover something new if you’re living here. For Deep Dive listeners, use the code "DEEPDIVE" to get a 10% discount off your first order of a subscription purchase at kokorocares.com. Read more:  The Ainu language and the global movement for indigenous rights (Mara Budgen and Francesco Bassetti, The Japan Times) Japan's Ainu recognition bill: What does it mean for Hokkaido's indigenous people? (Sakura Murakami, The Japan Times) Japan enacts law recognizing Ainu as indigenous, but activists say it falls short of U.N. declaration (The Japan Times) Kaneto Kawamura Ainu Museum (Lonely Planet)  New Ainu culture complex generating little buzz outside Hokkaido (The Japan Times) On this episode: Mara Budgen:  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: Hisae Kawamura sings an Ainu folktale at the Kaneto Kawamura Ainu Museum in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. | Oscar Boyd

11 Nov 202032min

In his research, Dan discovers the long history of cannabis in Japan, talks to groups campaigning for the legalization of medical marijuana and the people selling CBD as a relaxation agent during these ever so slightly stressful times. Read/hear more: Is Japan ready to embrace CBD? (Dan Buyanovsky, The Japan Times) Cannabis — The fabric of Japan (Jon Mitchell, The Japan Times) Japan’s First Lady Touts Revival of Hemp Culture (The Wall Street Journal) Green Zone Japan Japanese Magenese — "Real Stoner" (YouTube) Mega-G and Dogma — "High Brand" (YouTube) Man in battle against cancer leads Japanese fight for medical use of marijuana (Tomoko Otake, The Japan Times) Japan sees record 4,300 cannabis offenders in 2019 (The Japan Times) Five U.S. states pass legal marijuana measures (Bloomberg via The Japan Times) On this episode: Dan Buyanovsky: Website | Instagram 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: CBD is added to coffee at Tokyo's CBD Coffee | Dan Buyanovsky

5 Nov 202028min

As Halloween approaches, author, Bram Stoker Award nominee and host of the podcast "Uncanny Japan," Thersa Matsuura joins us to share her fascination with the Japanese supernatural, and reads us her version of one of Japan's most famous ghost stories, "Okiku and the Nine Plates." Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Democrats Abroad Japan, a volunteer organization that helps Americans overseas register to vote. If you're a U.S. voter living abroad and haven't received your absentee ballot, or are afraid the one you've sent won't arrive in time, you're still in luck. An emergency backup ballot is your second chance! Head to VoteFromAbroad.org/fwab to learn how you can fill out and send in your backup ballot per your state's guidelines. Read/hear more: Yuurei: Japanese Ghosts from Protective to Wrathful (Uncanny Japan) 10 days of J-horror: Films to get your fill of screams and scares (Mark Schilling, The Japan Times) 'Japanese Ghost Stories': The ghostly ascent of Lafcadio Hearn's tales of the supernatural (Damian Flanagan, The Japan Times) Unsolved mysteries: Japanese fans of the occult are engaged in a never-ending search for the truth (Alex Martin, The Japan Times) The story of Yotsuya Kaidan — The Ghost of Oiwa (Uncanny Japan) On this episode: Thersa Matsuura: Twitter | Podcast & 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: Utagawa Kuniyoshi's "Haunted Old Palace at Soma" (ca. 1845-46), in which a sorceress draws forth a giant skeleton to attack a warrior. | Private Collection

28 Okt 202033min

Japan has an uncomfortable relationship with tattoos, which are associated with the yakuza and the criminal underworld of Japan. We’re joined by Japan Times contributor and former columnist Alice Gordenker, who hopes to challenge that stereotype, through a new documentary she’s produced called “Horimono: Japan’s Tattoo Pilgrimage,” which follows the annual pilgrimage of the Choyukai, a group united by their full-body tattoos. We discuss Alice’s film, misconceptions about tattoos in Japan, and how tattoos turned from celebrated body art of the Edo Period to something thought of as a criminal accessory. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Democrats Abroad Japan, a volunteer organization that helps Americans overseas register to vote. If you're a U.S. voter living abroad and haven't received your absentee ballot, or are afraid the one you've sent won't arrive in time, you're still in luck. An emergency backup ballot is your second chance! Head to VoteFromAbroad.org/fwab to learn how you can fill out and send in your backup ballot per your state's guidelines. Watch the film: “Horimono: Japan’s Tattoo Pilgrimage,” can be watched on Vice News' YouTube Channel. Read more:  Japan's top court rules tattoo artists don't need medical license (The Japan Times) Find tattoo friendly establishments in Japan (Tattoo Friendly) Tokyo man fired by sushi restaurant over tattoo rumor seeks damages (The Japan Times) Loved abroad, hated at home: The art of Japanese tattooing (Jon Mitchell, The Japan Times) Jomon revival: Interest in Japan’s indigenous hunter-gatherers grows (Alex Martin, The Japan Times) On this episode: Alice Gordenker: Twitter | Articles | 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: “Praying for Hits in the Waterfall of Answered Prayers” (1863) Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III). Courtesy of Isehara

21 Okt 202029min

News editor Joel Tansey discusses the impact of Naomi Osaka’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement both in the U.S. and Japan, and what a new wave of activism in sports might mean for next summer's Tokyo Olympics. 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. Many states have their deadlines on Saturday Oct. 17, so request your ballot now. Read/see/hear more:  Outstanding Osaka: Japanese star captures second U.S. Open title (Joel Tansey, The Japan Times) Naomi Osaka is the role model that Japan needs right now (Baye McNeil, The Japan Times) Black Lives Matter prompts important conversations in Japanese sports (Kaz Nagatsuka, The Japan Times) Naomi Osaka's Japanese sponsors hesitant to comment on activism (AP via The Japan Times) Naomi Osaka gives voice to victims of racial injustice at U.S. Open (Kyodo) Episode 6: What a week for Naomi Osaka (Deep Dive) U.S. Open 2020 Winner's Speech (U.S. Open via YouTube) Naomi Osaka on leading tennis to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake (ESPN via YouTube) Sebastian Coe says athletes should be allowed to protest at Tokyo Olympics (AP via The Japan Times) I used the podium to protest. The Olympic Committee punished me. (NYT via The Japan Times) On this episode: Joel Tansey: Twitter | Articles 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: Naomi Osaka adjusts her mask after defeating Jennifer Brady in their U.S. Open semifinal in New York. | AP

14 Okt 202027min

Ginny Tapley Takemori is probably best known for her 2018 translation of "Convenience Store Woman," the bestselling novel by Sayaka Murata, which won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize when it was first published in Japanese in 2016. Like the original, the English translation was a bestseller, and the author and translator have collaborated again to translate Murata’s 11th novel, "Earthlings," which was published at the beginning of October. We hear from Ginny about the art of translation and why she thinks we should all be reading more books from other cultures. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Elite Havens. This ski season, enjoy a 15% discount on Elite Havens' Niseko accommodations for bookings confirmed from now until Nov. 30, 2020, for stays between Dec. 24 and March 31, 2021. Enjoy an additional 5% off your next booking when you book now. Just mention the promo code JAPANTIMES to your reservation specialist. Terms and conditions apply. Read more: Reviews of new and classic books in The Japan Times Books section In "Convenience Store Woman," Sayaka Murata questions normality in modern Japan (Nicolas Gating, The Japan Times) Sayaka Murata's 'Earthlings': Alienated misfits fight against the ties that bind (Kris Kosaka, The Japan Times) Strong woman, soft power (David Jacobson, GLLI) Order a copy of 'Earthlings' (Granta) On this episode: Ginny Tapley Takemori: Author profile 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: Sayaka Murata's "Convenience Store Women"

8 Okt 202028min

Japan Times food editor Claire Williamson joins Deep Dive to discuss her new found passion for Aspergillus oryzae, the mold better known in Japan as kōji. Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih, authors of "Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-based Fermentation," also give us the lowdown on what makes the mold so exciting for them. Hosted by Oscar Boyd Read more:  ‘Koji Alchemy’: Fermentation enthusiasts are making mold magic (Claire Williamson, The Japan Times) Recipe: Kōji — Japan's vital hidden ingredient (Makiko Itoh, The Japan Times) The fermentation power of kōji, Japanese food's secret ingredient (Momoko Nakamura, The Japan Times) Claire's favorite brand of shio kōji (Uminosei) Order some kōji spores (Higuchi Moyashi) On this episode: Claire Williamson: Articles | Instagram Special Guests: Jeremy Umansky, Rich Shih and Thomas Frebel Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Koji Alchemy: Get your hands on a copy of Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih's book "Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-based Fermentation" now. Order online via Wordery or Amazon. 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 bowl of kōji-infused rice, Getty Images

30 Sep 202026min

This episode is based around an extract from the audiobook of "Pure Invention." We join in the middle of chapter 5, which is all about the invention of the Walkman. We hear from Matt as he describes a conversation between the two co-founders of Sony, Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka — a conversation that would lead to the creation of the iconic portable music player that completely redefined how we listen to music today. Read more: Episode 57 — Has Japan's pop culture conquered the world? 'Pure Invention': How Japan's pop culture became the 'lingua franca' of the internet On this episode: Matt Alt: Website | Twitter 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. Credit: Audiobook excerpt courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from "Pure Invention: How Japan’s pop culture conquered the world" by Matt Alt, read by the author. Photo: Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka, Sony Press Centre.

23 Sep 202016min