Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
Japan Station helps you understand Japanese culture, language, and society on a deeper level. Hosted by The Anime Linguist, Tony R. Vega, the show features expert interviews and deep dives into topics you won't find anywhere else—sometimes with ridiculous tangents. Each episode dives into everything from Japanese language and linguistics to history, food, travel, and pop culture. You'll also hear stories from foreigners living in Japan, giving perspective on life in the country beyond the usual guidebook tips. Whether you're learning Japanese, planning a trip, or just passionate about Japan, each episode delivers insight, humor, and useful information. Topics we explore include: ・Japanese culture and society ・The Japanese language (learning, linguistics, nuance) ・Japanese history and traditions ・Food, regional specialties, and travel tips ・Anime, manga, and pop culture ・Experiences of foreigners living in Japan ・And much more Contact: mail@japankyo.com About the host Tony R. Vega is the founder of JapanKyo.com and creator of The Anime Linguist YouTube channel. He holds an M.A. in Japanese language and linguistics from the University of Hawaii and has hosted Japanese-language content for native speakers. As a legally blind creator, Tony advocates for accessibility while offering a perspective on Japan and its language that few can match.
Episodes
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about my upcoming long distance walking challenges and the event I'll be holding at Pintology in Tokyo On November 15th, 2026.
👉Topics Discussed
- About the Izumo Challenge
- About the Chichibu 34 Challenge
- About the Utsunomiya Challenge
- About the sponsors and special supporters of my 2026 long distance walkin...
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about the emergence of a new slang term used to describe people who walk abnormally long distances/long amounts of time.
👉Topics Discussed
- What does Inō Tadataka kaiwai mean? (伊能忠敬界隈)
- Who Inō Tadataka 伊能忠敬界隈 was
- The origin of Inō Tadataka Kaiwai
- About the "kaiwai" term trend
- And much more
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On this episode of Japan Station, Lesley Chan Downer tells us about what it was like walking and hitchiking through the Tohoku area in the '80s while recreating Matsuo Basho's most famous journey.
👉Topics Discussed
- About moving to Japan in the 1980s
- About participating in the predecessor of the JET Program
- About On the Narrow Road to the Deep North ...
This is a rebroadcast of an episode of Ichimon Japan that was originally released 4/12/2020.
Today's Question
On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What's better: rural life or city life in Japan?
Topics Discussed
- The pros and cons of living in rural Japan
- The pros and cons of living in a big city in Japan
- Life in Ishikawa Prefecture
- Life in K...
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about dead slang from the heyday of Japanese cell pnones (ケータイ, kētai).
👉Topics Discussed
- About the evolution of Japanese cell phones
- Wha tis a shame 写メ
- What is dekome デコメ
- The origins of shame
- About decorating Japanese cell phones keitai
- The connection between gyaru and Japanese cell ph...
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about life in Shimane Prefecture.
👉Topics Discussed
- About the unique cultural quirks of life in Shimane Prefecture
- Where Shimane is located
- How people often get Tottori and Shimane confused
- A funny example of a dialect from Shimane Prefecture
- About food in Shimane Prefecture
- What is wariko soba?
- About Izum...
On this episode, we ask: Whar are buruma?
This is a rebroadcast of episode 53 of Ichimon Japan.
Topics Discussed
- What buruma/bloomers are
- A brief overview of the history of school uniforms in Japan
- About the gakuran style school uniform
- About the supposed link between gakuran uniforms and Prussian military uniforms
- About sailor uniforms (sērā fuku)
- About "blazer" sty...
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about what it's like to cycle the entire length of Japan with journalist Oscar Boyd.
👉Topics Discussed
- Why Japan is so great for cycling
- About transporting a bike from the UK to Japan
- About biking from Kagoshima to the northernmostpoint of Japan over the course of 28 days
- Why Oscar decided to start his cyc...
On this episode of Japan Station, Jake Adelstein joins us to discuss immigration policy in Japan and why the Takaichi government has decided to make it more difficult for foreigners to get permanent residency.
👉Topics Discussed
- Why you (probably) will never get permanent residence in Japan
- The ill-defined changes to requirements for permanent residency ...
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about the recently created Japanese word dopagaki (ドパガキ). What does it mean and what are its origins? Listen to find out!
👉Topics Discussed
- The meaning and origin of dopagaki
- What does dopajita (ドパ舌) mean?
- What does doparu mean?
- What does zonbisukurōru (ゾンビスクロール) mea...
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about English words that are tricky to translate into Japanese.
👉Topics Discussed
- English words that are surprisingly difficult to translate into Japanese
- How to say jaywalking in Japanese
- How to say zesty in Japanese
- How to say touch grass in Japanese
- And much more
On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about the 2926 Kumamoto earthquake and how you can help.
👉Topics Discussed
- The effects of the Reiwa Year 8 Kumamoto earthquake
- How to help and where you can donate
- And much more!
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On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about some of the more creative ways people in Japan are battling the intense summer heat.
👉Topics Discussed
- What is kokushōbi (酷暑日)
- How kokushōbi was decided via a survey
- About the Dohiemon Box/Human Refrigerator
- About Mandom's "Sweat Management" seminars
- About ice cream holders
- About the parasol curtain from T...
On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about what it's like doing an intensive sushi preparation course with Travin Keith, owner of Sushi Kita in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
👉Topics Discussed
- Where Miyagi Prefecture is located
- What it was like trying to open a ramen shop in Kosovo
- The problems with trying to open a ramen shop in Kosovo
- Why Trav...
This episode is a re-broadcast of episode 61 of the Ichimon Japan podcast (originally released 6/21/22).
On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is a famiresu?
Topics Discussed
- What famiresu are
- The characteristics of famiresu (family restaurants)
- About the history of famiresu in Japan
- The first famiresu in Japan (Skylark)
- Some of the most popular famiresu in Japan
- About Big Boy a...
On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about the unique cultural and geographic quirks of life in Miyagi Prefecture.
👉Topics Discussed
- Where Miyagi Prefecture is located
- The population of Miyagi Prefecture
- Miyagi's mild weather
- What izui means
- What is gyūtan (牛タン)
- About Sada Keishiro and the origins of gyūtan (beef tongue)
- How most people i...
On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about "May sickness" and "June sickness." What are these sicknesses? Are they real? Should you be concerned?
ðŸ'‰Topics Discussed
- What is gogatsubyÅ (äº"津病)
- What is rokugatsubyÅ (å…月病)
- The origin of "May sickness"
- Why April-June has a reputation for being a stressful time...
On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about the origins of the famous custom of Japanese World Cup soccer/football fans cleaning stadiums after a match is over. Where did this custom originate? Who started it? Why do they use blue garbage bags? We talk about all that and more!
👉Topics Discussed
- The history of the Japanese soccer/football fan cleanin...
On this episode of Japan Station, we're joined by the first confirmed American to climb Japan's "100 famous mountains" (hyakumēzan, 百名山): Wes Lang. We also talk about his experiences climbing Japan's tallest mountains and more.
👉Topics Discussed
- About climbing Japan's hundred famous mountains (hyakumēzan, 百名山)
- Animal encounters while climbing mountains ...
This is a rebroadcast of Ichimon Japan episode 47 (originally released 07/07/21).
On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What was good and bad about your JET experience?
Topics Discussed
- What the JET Programme is
- The various positions available to JET applicants
- Some troubles experienced while on the JET Programme
- Rural placements
- Japan's shrinking population
- On getting placed in Yama...
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