Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture & the Japanese Language

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about the history of font design in Japan, the history of the Nintendo font and how Daniel Kaihatsu became a type face designer in Japan.

👉Topics Discussed

• Why Daniel Kaihatsu became interested in learning Japanese
• How Daniel Kaihatsu became interested in Japanese font design
• About doing research for video...

This was originally broadcast as episode 21 of Ichimon Japan.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What's so scary about the hour of the ox?

Topics Discussed

• All about Japan's old way of telling time that was based on the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac (eto)
• Which "animals" in the old Chinese Zodiac based way of telling time correspond to which hours in the modern way of telling time
• ...

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about the difference between the Japanese word kaze (cold, 風邪) and kaze (wind, 風). Why do they share the same pronunciation? Are they related? Or is this all just a big coincidence? Listen to find out!

👉Topics Discussed

• About visiting Japan for the first time
• What the difference between kaze (風邪) and kaze ...

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about some of the annoying things people have to deal with when moving to Japan. Our guest this time is the CEO of Mobal, Declan Somers.

👉Topics Discussed

• About visiting Japan for the first time
• About moving to Japan and working in a Japanese company in the late '90s
• Japan in the '90s versus Japan today
• Ab...

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking to Quinlan from the GoNorth Japan YouTube channel about surviving a bear encounter in Japan, hiking in the Tohoku area of Japan and more.

👉Topics Discussed

• About bear attacks and encounters in Japan
• How to prevent encounters with bears while hiking in Japan
• Whether bear bells and whistles are effective in ...

On this episode of Japan Station we ask: What was it like walking the Tokaido Road?

NOTE: This is a re-broadcast of episode 78 of the Ichimon Japan podcast.

Topics Discussed

• About the Tokaido Challenge
• About what it was like walking the Tokaido Road
• About the challenges of walking the Tokaido Road
• About what it was like walking from Kyoto to Tokyo
• About getting stopped by police in Kyoto
• Ab...

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about train etiquette in Japan. We're covering a recent Japanese survey that lists the 8 most irritating things people do on trains in Japan.

👉Topics Discussed

• Eight things you shouldn't do on Japanese trains
• A survey indicating eight annoying things people do on Japanese trains
• How people in Japan deal wi...

On this episode of Japan Station, Kevin Tarpey joins us to talk about what it was like doing Shikoku's famous 88 Temple Pilgrimmage and why Japan is such a great place for long-distance walking.

👉Topics Discussed

• Why Japan is such a great place for long-distance walking
• About the famous Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimmage (Ohenro, お遍路)
• What it's like walking ...

On this episode of Japan Station, we learn about traditional Japanese indigo dyeing from Sally Hancox, one of the co-owners of AiAii Worshop & Shop on Awaji island. This is a conversation to dye for! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

👉Topics Discussed

• About AiiAii Worshop & Shop
• About the aizome (indigo dyeing) process
• About farming and preparing indigo fo...

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about scandals in Japan. My guest Dr. Igor Prusa tells about how scandals in Japan work, how they surface and how entertainers/business people/politicians who get caught in scandals try to deal with them. This is a truly SCANDALOUS episode. Sorry, couldn't resist.

👉Topics Discussed

• The characteristics of a Japan...

This episode was originally released as episode 3 of the Ichimon Japan podcast.

Today's Question

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Why do Japanese train stations do that?

Topics Discussed

• The train system in rural areas versus urban areas in Japan
• Trains in Kagoshima and Ishikawa
• What a Wanmanressha (one man trains) is
• Unmanned rural train station...

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about the Japanese word funiki (雰囲気) and other words that aren't read the way they are written.

👉Topics Discussed

• About the Japanese word funiki (雰囲気)
• What the correct way to read/pronounce funiki is
• Whether you should read funiki as fun'iki （ふんいき) or fuinki (ふいんき)
• Why so many people pronounce funiki incorrectly
...

This episode of Japan Station is a rebroadcast of episode two of Ichimon Japan.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Do Japanese people have longer intestines than Westerners?

Topics Discussed

• Whether Japanese people have longer intestines than Westerners
• The idea that longer intestines are a result of the Japanese people having a diet centering around rice, grains, and vegetables
• The i...

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about why there's so few trash cans in public places in Japan.

Despite what many sources say the 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo is not the reason there are so few trash cans in public places in Japan. It's actually more complicated than that. While yes, it is true that there was a reduction in the amount of trash cans in some places in Japan--particularly the subway line targeted by Aum Shi...

This episode of Japan Station is a rebroadcast of Ichimon Japan episode 12.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Why are vegetables so unsulting in Japanese? On this episode we are honored to once again be joined by Kyle Broyles of the Tokyo Splosion podcast and Hard Officers YouTube channel.

Topics Discussed

• Some funny Japanese vegetable-based insults and their (supposed) etymologies
• W...

On this episode of Japan Station, I break down what the Japanese term "plus alpha" (purasu arufa/プラスアルファ) means and its possible origins.

On this episode of Japan Station, Dr. Eric C. Rath joins us to talk all about the history of what may be Japan's most famous cuisine: SUSHI! We discuss its origins, evolution and more!

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about my upcoming walk across the island of Kyushu. This fall I will be walking roughly 500 km from Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture all the way down to Kagoshima as part of what I'm calling the Kyushu Challenge, part three of my ongoing Blind Japan Project. Listen to find out more and please consider coming on as a sponsor or supporting in any way you can!