Japan Station: A Podcast About Japan & Japanese Culture by JapanKyo.com

Japan Station: A Podcast About Japan & Japanese Culture by JapanKyo.com

Helping you understand everything you should know about Japan. Interviews with Japan experts, deep dives into Japanese culture and society, and plenty of laughs; every episode host Tony R. Vega sheds light on a different aspect of Japan. Whether you're planning a visit to Japan, learning Japanese or just have a passion for all things Japan, we've got something for you! Common topics include ・Japanese culture ・Deep dives into the Japanese language ・Japanese history ・Japanese food ・Japan travel tips ・Japanese pop culture: anime, manga, movies, etc ・The stories of foreigners living in Japan ・And more! Episodes release on the 1st and 21st of the month. You can reach us via email: mail@japankyo.com About Tony R. Vega Tony R. Vega is the founder of JapanKyo.com, creator of The Anime Linguist YouTube channel, professional MC, and lifelong Japan enthusiast. He has a particular passion for the Japanese language which led him to obtain an M.A. in Japanese language and linguistics from the University of Hawaii. Tony is also legally blind and dedicated to raising awareness of the blind and visually impaired, as well as the problems these individuals face.

Episodes

May 5, 2025 23 mins

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about vocabulary and phrases related to telling time during the Edo Period! This is a surprisingly deep and interesting topic no matter whether you're learning Japanese or not!

👉Topics Discussed

  • What does oyatsu mean? (おやつ)
  • What the origin of the word oyatsu is
  • About the Edo Period time system
  • How to tell ...
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On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about one of Japan's most iconic foods: mochi. Learn all about the history, lore and consumption practices of this important Japanese food!

👉Topics Discussed

  • About the history and origins of mochi
  • What mochi is
  • About how people eat mochi in Japan
  • About yukimi daifuku/ice cream mochi
  • About kagami mochi
  • Wher...
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On this episode of Japan Station, supernatural stories, Japanese folklore, Japanese urban legends and more with Kevin O'Shea, host of the Supernatural Japan podcast.

👉Topics Discussed

  • About the Supernatural Japan podcast
  • About Ikuta Shrine's ghost story
  • About the forest behind Ikuta Shrine in Kobe
  • About exploring spooky places in Japan
  • About the Hakkoda...
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Originally released on 3/21/2024 as pisode 80 of Ichimon Japan.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we talk about what the best kind of English teaching in Japan is: Eikaiwa, JET Programme (ALT) or university teacher.

Topics Discussed

  • What it is like working in an eikaiwa school in Japan
  • What the salary is for an eikaiwa teacher
  • The good and bad about working at an eikaiwa school (private lang...
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On this episode of Japan Station, I dig into the history of a fascinating example of Japanese slang: gyarandu (ギャランドゥ). This is a Japanese word that means refers to the patch of hair some people have between their belly button and public area. Often called "happy trail" or "belly/stomach hair," in English, gyarandu has a really interesting history that goes back to one of Japan's most popular 1980s male pop stars: Hideki Saijo. Lis...

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On this episode of Japan Station, I talk to photographer and journalist Michael Magers. Michael has spent over a decade documenting shokunin (artisans/crafworkers) across Japan. During that time has has had many extremely unique expriences such as ama divers, participating in Osaka's infamous Danjiri Festival, and getting tattooed by a traditional Japanese tattoo artist. He talks about those experiences and much more in today's epi...

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On this episode of Japan Station, I talk to Kyle Broyles of Pintology Craft Beer & Whisky in Tokyo. In this interview we talk about what it's like running a bar in Tokyo, starting a business in Tokyo, Japanese craft beer and more.

👉Topics Discussed

  • About Pintology Craft Beer & Whisky
  • About running a craft beer bar in Tokyo
  • Japanese craft beer in Tokyo
  • G...
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On this episode of Japan Station, I examine the mysterious origins of the Japanese word for cat: neko. Trust me, there's a whole lot more to say about the topic than you might think!

👉Topics Discussed

  • The etymology of neko/cat
  • Various theories that try to explain the origins of the Japanese word for cat
  • Whether the Japanese word for cat traces its orig...
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On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about the many film adaptation of the works of Haruki Murakami, Japan's most well-known and commercially successful novelist.

👉Topics Discussed

  • Why is Haruki Murakami so popular around the world?
  • About the many film adaptations of the books and short stories of Haruki Murakami
  • About the relatability of Murakami'...
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On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about oden, one of Japan's most popular winter foods.

👉Topics Discussed

  • What is oden?
  • Where to buy oden in Japan?
  • What are the common igredients of oden?
  • The history of oden
  • Where the name oden came from
  • About dengaku
  • About regional varieties of oden
  • Whether oden tastes good
  • Should you try oden?
  • What is konjac?
  • ...
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On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about what it was like staying at a new Kyoto hotel before it opened.

👉Topics Discussed

  • About Fushigina Yado
  • Where Fushigina Yado is located
  • About the theme and concept of Fushigina Yado
  • About what it was like staying in Fushigina Yado
  • Why I got to stay at Fushigina Yado before it opened
  • About the shops and resta...
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On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about three obscure Japanese dishes you need to try next time you're in Japan.

👉Topics Discussed

  • What is teppan spa (teppan supa, 鉄板スパ)?
  • What is teppanyaki naporitan
  • About the history of teppanyaki spaghetti
  • About the origin of Nagoya's famous teppanyaki naporitan
  • About Osaka teppanyaki spaghetti
  • About the or...
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On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about hotels in Japan! This episode will give you all the information you need to know before you come visit Japan. Plenty of tips, tricks and basic information!

👉Topics Discussed

  • About the various kinds of hotels in Japan
  • Tips for booking hotels in Japan at cheap prices
  • How much Japanese hotel rooms tend...
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On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about the Senkaku Islands with Dr. Robert D. Eldridge.

👉Topics Discussed

  • What and where are the Senkaku Islands? (尖閣諸島, senkaku shotō)
  • About the history of the Senkaku Islands
  • About Koga Tatsushirō
  • Why people stopped living on the Senkaku Islands
  • How and why it was that the Senkaku Islands came to be disputed
  • Th...
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On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about life in Sanya--Tokyo's infamous day laborer district--with Klaus K.Y. Hammering.

👉Topics Discussed

  • What it is like being a day laborer in Tokyo's Sanya district
  • The dangers of working as a day laborer
  • What kind of people work as day laborers in Sanya
  • About Klaus K.Y. Hammering's experiences working as a ...
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On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about the need for Japan to make the word "anime" a regional designation. The guest is Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World.

👉Topics Discussed

  • The popularity of anime
  • What the word anime means in Japan
  • The origins of anime
  • The usage of the term terebimanga andJapanimati...

On this episod eof Japan Station, we talk to filmmaker and dark sky photographer Gavin Heffernan about his recent Japan-focused project Dreamlapse Japan.

👉Topics Discussed

  • About Dreamlapse Japan
  • About shooting photos and video in Tokyo and other parts of Japan
  • Thoughts on visiting Japan
  • And more!

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On this episod eof Japan Station, we talk about some of the interesting things I experienced during my latest 400 km walk from Kyoto to Miyajima (Miyajima Challenge).

👉Topics Discussed

  • About the Miyajima Challenge
  • About my recent walk from Kyoto to Miyajima, Hiroshima
  • About how I got stopped by police in Hiroshima
  • About the time I had to hitchhike in Ok...
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On this episod eof Japan Station, Dr. Robert D. Eldridge returns to talk about natural disasters in Japan, his work on Operation Tomodachi during the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, Japan's ability to respond to natural disasters and more.

👉Topics Discussed

  • Disasters and earthquakes in Japan
  • About the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake in 1995
  • Abou...

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about Japanese abbreviations/contractions, give 12 examples and discuss their origins.

👉Topics Discussed

  • About abbreviations and contractions in Japanese
  • About waseieigo (made in English)
  • About the origins of the Sharp company
  • About the Japanese word wanchan 
  • About the possible origin of the word potation in Jap...

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