Why these Japanese homes are so cheap (and so creepy)
Japan’s stigmatized properties — known as jiko bukken — can sell for a fraction of their normal price if a death, crime or disturbing incident took place inside. This episode explains why some homes b...
1 Aug 20258min
Japan’s far-right surge: Sanseito and ‘Japan First’ politics in 2025
Japan is seeing a surge in far-right activism driven by SANSEITO and a growing wave of “Japan First” nationalism. This episode explains how these groups gained momentum, why their message resonates wi...
18 Juli 202517min
Is Trump blowing up Japan-U.S. relations?
Donald Trump’s return to the political spotlight has raised fresh fears in Tokyo about security guarantees, trade tensions and the future of the Japan–U.S. alliance. This episode explains why Japanese...
11 Juli 20258min
Japan’s newspaper crisis: Losing readers, relevance and the next generation
Japan’s once-dominant newspaper industry is shrinking fast as young readers move online, circulation plummets and trust in traditional media continues to erode. This episode looks at why newspapers ar...
4 Juli 20258min
Japan’s big heat: June’s deadly start to summer
Japan began summer with dangerous early-season heat, record hospitalizations and rising concern over how climate change is amplifying June’s temperatures. This episode looks at why the heat arrived so...
27 Juni 20258min
Why Japan’s 2,000-year imperial family may not survive this century
Japan’s imperial family faces a shrinking number of heirs, strict succession rules and growing public debate about whether the world’s oldest monarchy can survive in its current form. This episode exp...
20 Juni 202512min
Why Japan’s J-pop idol industry bans sex, dating and romance
Japan’s idol industry enforces strict no-dating and no-romance rules that shape the lives of young performers and fuel a multibillion-yen business model built on fan fantasy. This episode explains why...
13 Juni 202510min
Japan’s rice crisis: Why prices are soaring and what’s behind it
Rice prices in Japan have surged as bad weather, supply shortages and changing consumer habits squeeze one of the country’s most important staples. This episode breaks down why prices are rising, how ...
6 Juni 202512min
