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PODCAST

Unpacking Japan

Produced by ZenStudio

Unpacking Japan explores Japanese arts, culture, and business through the lives of foreigners who have made this amazing country their home. While we’ve all seen vlogs and movies showing Japan from a pop culture perspective, Unpacking Japan tells the stories that get left by the wayside—the immigrants, the entrepreneurs, and the artists. Tune in every week for an authentic, inspiring conversation with someone who’s carved out their own, unique place in this beautiful country. Host: Tobias

society & culture

All Episodes

01:33:16

How being punched by a teacher in Japan changed his...

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/06/13

Today kendo master and historical researcher, Alex, joins us to talk about his unexpected journey into the world of kendo as we deep dive into the practices and cultural background surrounding the way of the sword.Follow AlexAlex's

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01:07:43

What it's like to run an English anime studio in Tokyo

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/06/09

Today we talk to Mar, founder and director of animation studio Mar Exposito, who will share with us insights of being an animator in Japan as well as the unique career path of creating your own studio vs joining an big anime studio.Liked this episode? Check out our interview with Joshua, a "foreigner" born and raised in Japan who shares his perspective on being a foreign Japanese native! https://youtu.be/Pp1vdHkhn48--Follow

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00:58:13

What it's like to feel like a foreigner in your own...

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/06/06

Today we sit with Joshua, who was born and raised in Japan despite his "foreign" appearance. Joshua is a content creator and is passionate about sharing stories like his, of foreigners living in Japan with unique backgrounds and stories that challenge many perspectives of what a "Japanese" person is. He shares his experiences born and raised in Japan and the many challenges he's faced with his identity.Follow

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00:58:46

How Japanese music is different from Western music...

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/05/30

Meet Shawn, a master shakuhachi player, who sits down to talk to us about the history and cultural significance of one of Japan's most ubiquitous, yet paradoxically unknown instruments.Shawn teaches us about the challenges of learning shakuhachi as well as his thoughts on the recent popularity of the instrument in the west. Stay tuned for a beautiful performance from Shawn at the end of the episode!Follow Shawn:https://www.youtube.com/@TairyuShakuhachihttps://www.shawnheadmusic.com/Follow us on

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01:07:22

How Katsura Sunshine brought Japanese comedy to broadway

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/05/23

Today we are joined by Sunshine, a Rakugo storyteller who dives into the world of Rakugo and what it's like being one of the only foreigners to take on this role. We talk about the tradition of Rakugo storytelling, the apprentice-master dynamic, and the overall apprenticeship experience in the journey to becoming a Rakugo storyteller.Follow

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00:57:51

Importing Salmon and Pisco from Chile to Japan

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/05/16

Joining us today is Nury, a trade and agricultural attaché to the Embassy of Chile, who shares what it's like to bring new products from Chile to Japanese markets and how to navigate trade relations with Japan and all of it's meticulous business practices.Follow Nury:https://jp.linkedin.com/in/nury-disegni-gili-90750754https://www.chile.gob.cl/japon/enFollow us on our social

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00:52:39

Why Japan has so many unique fashion styles

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/05/09

Today we talk with Capsule Bunny, a content creator and fashion designer who makes content about Japanese fashion and it's subcultures in Japan. In this episode we take a dive into the world of J fashion and talk about Tenshi Kaiwai, designing clothes, and other unique aspects of Japan's fashion culture.Follow Capsule Bunny:https://www.instagram.com/CapsuleBunnyhttps://www.youtube.com/c/CapsuleBunnyhttps://www.x.com/capsulebutthttps://www.capsulebunny.blogspot.jpCheck out her

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00:56:55

Moving to Japan as a skilled tradesman

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/05/02

Today we are joined by Sergio, an American welder living and working in Japan. He shares his inspiring journey from U.S. shipyards to becoming the first foreign employee at a Japanese manufacturing company. We talk about his path to learning Japanese, getting the Specified Skilled Worker visa, adapting to life in Japan, and his thoughts on Japanese work culture, language, and society.Follow Sergio and learn about his

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01:03:32

Cultural differences between India and Japan ft....

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/04/25

Meet Nikhil, a content creator from India, who sits down to talk to us about his journey to Japan, becoming fluent in Japanese, and the anime that started it all.Follow Nikhil and his channel:https://www.youtube.com/@Nikhil_kunhttps://www.instagram.com/nikhil__kunJoin Nikhil Kun's WhatsApp Japanese Learning Group:https://chat.whatsapp.com/LggWDlqIVyS52jYGVYFbttFollow us on our social

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01:01:39

Why Japan's car culture is so diverse ft. Dino DC

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/04/18

Meet Dino, a car enthusiast, journalist and vlogger based in Japan, who sits down to talk to us about his journey into the Japanese car scene, why it's so diverse, and how foreigners can participate in Japan's unique car culture.Follow Dino:https://www.youtube.com/@dino_dchttps://dinodc.co/https://www.instagram.com/dino_dalle_carbonarehttps://www.facebook.com/p/Dino-DCFollow us on our social

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56:03

Why Japan is so behind on cybersecurity

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/04/11

Meet Chinyere, cyber security expert and personal finance consultant. She talks about Japan being extremely behind in cyber security knowledge and other topics. Follow Chinyere: https://thesistafund.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7UdPuAihqNSIv8-Eupfjyw https://www.linkedin.com/in/chinyere-okoli-816b2b64 https://www.facebook.com/thesistafund/ Follow us on our social media: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158416 https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.instagram.com/unpa...

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47:24

Cultural differences between Japan and the Philippines

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/04/04

Meet Mickael, a half Japanese, half Philippino vlogger, who makes content about life in Japan in Tagalog. He sits down with us to share his story of growing up hafu in Japan, before rediscovering his roots in the Philippines. Follow Mickael on social media: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikasan__ https://www.youtube.com/@mikasan_ https://www.instagram.com/mickaelshimizu_ https://www.facebook.com/mikasaninosaka/ Follow us on our social media: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158416 https://www.youtube....

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65:46

How studying obscure Japanese arts can help you build...

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/03/28

Meet Justin, a foreigner who has been studying the ancient art of shigin for more than 10 years, after accidentally discovering it one day while living in the Japanese countryside. He sits down with us to share his story of moving to Japan and falling in love with this beautiful, yet incredibly difficult, traditional art form. Follow Justin https://youtube.com/@theshigingaijin1985 https://www.instagram.com/shigin_gaijin/ https://www.x.com/shigin_gaijin https://youtube.com@Orthodox_In_J...

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65:03

"Light in Japan is different. It just is."...

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/03/21

Meet Joe Allam, a British filmmaker and a photographer who was fascinated by Japan so much that he decided to move to Osaka and restart his entire life in Japan. Follow Joe Allam: https://joeallam.co.uk/about/ https://www.youtube.com/AllamJoe https://www.instagram.com/joeallam http://facebook.com/JoeAllamLtd http://twitter.com/joeallam Follow us on our social media: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158416 https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan htt...

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55:00

Ananya's secret to Japanese fluency

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/03/14

Today we are joined by Ananya, who shares her unique perspective on living in Japan as a content creator. Ananya makes both educational content to help teach Japanese, and also comedic skits that reflect her personal experiences in Japan. Follow Ananya: https://www.instagram.com/hiananyaa_ https://www.youtube.com/@hiananyaa https://x.com/hiananyaa https://www.tiktok.com/@hiananya Check out Ananya's Japanese course: https://japanese.hiananya.com/ Follow us on our social media: https://www....

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53:55

LGBTQ+ Documentary Filmmaker Discusses Queer Rights...

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/03/07

Join us today with Felicity, a filmmaker who explores topics of identity in here documentaries. We explore the recent social climate in Japan in regards to progressive topics such as multiculturalism and queer awareness. Follow Felicity's work: https://www.instagram.com/wherenextjapan https://www.wherenextjapan.com Follow us on our social media: https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158416 https://www.instagram.com/@unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@...

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58:49

Interviewing the most recognizable voice in Japan

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/02/21

Today on the podcast we are joined by actress and singer Donna Burke, who has voice acted and sang theme songs in games like Metal Gear, Silent Hill, as well as shows like Tokyo Ghoul, and most famously the voice of the Shinkansen! She'll talk about what it's like embodying some of these roles, as well as her journey as an entrepreneur! Follow Donna: https://www.donnaburke.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwl3O6yIEVSY49XwOS1QTpA https://www.instagram.com/thedonnaburke https://www.x.co...

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48:14

Is Japan still worth it for Asian immigrants?

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/02/14

This week, Jheadear sits down to talk to us about life as a technical trainee from the Philippines. We discuss her daily routines and workflow, her challenges in adapting to Japanese culture and work environment, as well as her work as an influencer helping her fellow Filipinos secure work placements in Japan. Follow Jheadear https://www.youtube.com/@jeadelosreyes3720 https://www.tiktok.com/@jeadelosreyes Follow us on our social media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx3XoY5gyyPvCe4FdwdFJ...

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59:00

Why this Google tech lead left to start an AI company...

Unpacking Japan ·

2025/02/07

Joining us is Jad, cofounder of Integral AI which works on the development of a system called universal simulations, in order to help advance AGI (artificial general intelligence). We talk about the future of AI and how we can develop it in a way that benefits us while without becoming a detriment to our society. Follow Jad & Intergral AI https://www.x.com/jad_tarifi https://www.integral.ai Follow us on our social media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx3XoY5gyyPvCe4FdwdFJQA https:/...

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163 results

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