Japan By River Cruise

Joe McReynolds is co-author of a new book about how flexible micro-spaces create the spontaneity and vitality of Tokyo, and how so much the city is built on the often very niche dreams and passions of its citizens, and also slash-fan-fiction.

Cruises to deal with inflation and heat stroke.

Topics discussed on this episode include:

• What to remember about your successes or failures on the JLPT
• Bobby's continuing BBQ tribula...

Joe Biden's Straight Talk Express comes to Asia! WaPo Bureau Chief Michelle Ye Hee Lee joins us to talk about what Biden took away from his time in Japan. If he's anything like most Americans, we're betting that list includes a Hello Kitty T-shirt and a fake sword.

Ferris Wheel and Kintsugi River boats!

Topics discussed on this episode include:

• How much we POTENTIALLY appreciate Elon Musk
• Bobby's BBQ shop gets even closer ...

Japan Scholar Oleg Benesch joins us to to talk about the past, present, and future of Japanese castles,
and break down the debates around them, proving that when it comes to historical Japanese strongholds, things aren't always black and shiro.

Bobby and Ollie mourn the loss of some of their river cruise sponsors, and play catch up.

Topics discussed on this episode include:

• Our new, hopefully temporary show format
• Ukrai...

Author of Japan's Aging Peace, Tom Le, stops in to talk about Japan's security concerns and help us think about an important hypothetical question. Ok, Japan, you CAN have a military. NOW WHAT?

Ollie's river cruise recommendation is actually in Ukraine this week, but don't worry, if you wait long enough, it'll come to you.

Bobby learned a little bit about haiku so he thinks he's better than you.

Topics discussed on this e...

Author Alex Kerr may be single-handedly responsible for the current global spotlight on restoring old Japanese country homes, so we talk to him about how these homes may be at the forefront of a new style of Japan tourism... if tourism in Japan ever happens again.

Ollie shows us how YOU can go home again, as long as you do it by river cruise.

Bobby's pleased to see more Japanese river cruise companies adopting American busi...

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We ...

Author of the new book, "An Affair with a Village" and leading UK expert on Japan, Joy Hendry joins us to discuss a whole variety of things, like MEXT Scholarships, marriage, and other things that end up letting us down.

Ollie gets Scandinavian with it.

Bobby is surprised to find out there are as many as two.

Topics discussed on this episode range from:

• How the current entry ban is affecting Academia
• Joy's perspective on th...

Abe-ographer (The Iconoclast) Tobias Harris stops by to break down the power dynamics in the LDP, speculate on whether or not Kishida's going to get a belated honeymoon (and whether or not his wife will have to stand during it), and discuss why what kills US, makes Kishida stronger.

Ollie does what we in the media do best: gives a platform to bigots.

Bobby discovers that the stuff he loves is now devoid of humor, but at leas...

Why do foreigners in Japan speak in Katakana? Well, Bobby does it because the TV director told him it's funnier that way. But Dr. Wes Robertson has actual NON-anecdotal research into writing system/pronoun choices and how calling yourself ORE isn't conveying what you think it is.

Ollie reminds us that loose lips sink ships.

Bobby comes to terms.

Topics discussed on this episode range from:

• Brian getting himself into some ...

Thalia Harris stops by to talk about second-class citizenship in Japan during the pandemic, and also has such an interesting story about the Titanic that we had NO CHOICE but to actually talk about a cruise ship.

Ollie recommends a ship that will have to change its name now.

Bobby thinks Maezawa Yuusaku is wasting his money.

Topics discussed on this episode range from:

• The Netflix Cobbo Beebo Remake, and how, boy, oh boy, ...

NYT Tokyo Bureau Chief Motoko Rich gets onboard to talk about Kishida's first month in office. What has he done so far? What does his administration mean for Japan? And the most important test of a Japanese government official: how well can the man mull?

Ollie recommends a river cruise that succeeds, but at what cost? No cost.

Bobby makes a point about the secularization of Christmas that no one has ever made before. 

Topics...

Aya Shimada tells us what the fuss over Princess Mako's nuptials tells us about Japan's treatment of women, how the media affords privacy rights to the famous, and

Ollie remembered that he thinks wedding stuff is over-priced again.

Bobby knows which one of the two Rising Sun post-covid cruise options he wants to take.

Topics discussed on this episode range from:

• Why Aya thinks Japan has what she calls a "purge" culture
• How...