10 Reasons You'll Hate Living in Japan. Really? | Japan Station 192
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
Release Date: 01/14/2026
The Virgin Mary inspired him to make a film in Japan
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
On this episode of Japan Station, filmmaker Cuauhtemoc Velazquez joins us to talk about Apparition, his new short film about a Tokyo izakaya that gets visited by the Virgin Mary. 👉Topics Discussed What Apparition is about What inspired Cuauhtemoc Velazquez to make Apparition Japan's loose but respectful relationship with religion About making a short film in Japan About renting a film set in Japan Whether Japan is a good place to shoot a film Whether filmmaking is affordable in Japan About finding a statue of the Virgin Mary in Japan and carrying it onto a Japanese...
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Tokyo is FED UP with tourists dumping their trash
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about how there's been an increase in the number of tourists from overseas who are dumping their suitcases in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo. We also talk about what you can do if you need to dispose of your suitcase when visiting Japan. 👉Topics Discussed Foreign tourists are dumping their suitcases illegally in the Ikebukuro area of Tokyo Japan's complicated trash system How Toshima Ward's oversized trash collection system wdoes not serve foreign tourists What you should do if you need to throw away your suitcase while in Japan Options for...
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What's it like being a fake priest in Japan? | Japan Station 209/Ichimon Japan 04
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
This is a rebroadcast of Ichimon Japan episode 04 which originally was released on 2/12/2020. Today's Question On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What's it like being a fake priest in Japan? Topics Discussed What a nisebokushi is The different terminology for priests in Japanese (shinpu vs bokushi) The phenomenon of having foreigners dress as priests to officiate weddings in Japan How most "fake priests" in Japan tend to be white men The experiences of someone who worked as a fake priest in Japan How much money one might expect to get paid when working as a fake priest The job duties of...
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Why fans of the supernatural should visit Iwate Prefecture | Japan Station 208
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about Hanamaki and Tōno, two cities in Iwate prefecture known for being great places to visit if you're a fan of the supernatural and fantastic. 👉Topics Discussed How to get to Hanamaki City from Tokyo Station How long the bullet train to Iwate from Tokyo takes About traveling by train from Hanamaki to Tōno About Tōno City and its spooky/supernatural vibe About Tōno Monogatari (The Tale of Tōno) What to expect at the Tōno Folktale Museum What Goemon ramen is About Hanamaki City The Marukan Daishokudō (Marukan Grand Cafeteria)...
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Why life in Iwate is DIFFERENT! | Japan Station 207
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about Iwate Prefecture! We're focusing on the geography, general stats, language and food. 👉Topics Discussed Where Iwate Prefecture is About Iwate Prefecture's large size and sparse population About the weather of Iwate Prefecture About the dialects of Iwate Prefecture About Fukuda Pan/Fukuda Bread, it's history and its many varieties About wanko soba About the supposed origins of wanko soba About Morioka's three famous noodles About jajamen About the other meaning of soba About Morioka reimen How reimen in Iwate is different The...
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A guide to MOVING in Japan | Japan Station 206/Ichimon Japan 73
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
This ia rebroadcast of epsode 73 of Ichimon Japan originally released on 7/21/23. On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is it like moving in Japan? Topics Discussed About what it's like moving in Japan When people in Japan usually move What it costs to move in Japan Why people in Japan usually move in March Expenses associated with moving in Japan About rent prices in Japan Rent subsidies for JET Program participants Setting up internet in Japan About finding an apartment in Japan About reikin/key money The cost of hiring a moving company in Japan Disposing of large garbage in Japan...
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He's walked 30,000+ km across Japan! | Japan Station 205
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
On this episode of Japan Station, we're joined by Jake Davies, a resident of Shimane Prefecture who has walked over 30,000 km in Japan. He talks about his experiences walking around Japan and what it's like living in Shimane, one of Japan's least populated prefecture. 👉Topics Discussed Why Jake Davies moved to Shimane Prefecture What it's like living in rural Shimane Prefecture Why Jake Davies started doing long distance walks in Japan How Jake Davies walked over 30,000 km in Japan Where Jake Davis sleeps while doing long distance walks in Japan About walking the Sea of Japan costline...
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This Japanese pilgrimage should be more famous! A 5-day trip to the Kumano Kodō (plus crazy conbini socks) | Japan Station 204
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
On this episode of Japan Station, travel writer Jennifer Bain joins us to talk about one of Japan's most ancient and famous pilgrimages: the Kumano Kodō (熊野古道). We also talk about Japanese convenience stores and the famous conbini socks. 👉Topics Discussed What the Kumano Kodō (熊野古道) is How to get the Kumano Kodō (熊野古道) is An example of a five day itinerary on the Kumano Kodō (熊野古道) pilgrimage About Daimonzaka and Kumano Nachi Taisha About mikan and oranges in the Kumano area About lodging along the Kumano Kodō (熊野古道) How old empty schools have...
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The ORIGINS of "scammy" SAKURA | Japan Station 203
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about the origins of the word sakura. No not that sakurai. The other sakura. The scammy kind of sakura. Also we're talking about madorā. 👉Topics Discussed The possible origins of the word sakura (サクラ) Why sakura means a fake "scammy" customer What a madorā is And much more! 👉Subscribe to the Podcast! 👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content https://patreon.com/japankyo ...
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Why breakfast deals in Japan are CRAZY now | Japan Station 202
Japan Station: Deep Dives into Japanese Culture, Language & Society
On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about the rise of Japan's $3.5 billion breakfast industry and why Japan is currently in the midst of it's 4th "breakfast boom." 👉Topics Discussed What a typical Japanese breakfast consists of The history of breakfast in Japan Breakfast in the Edo Period Breakfast in Edo vs Kansai during the Edo Period Japan's four "Morning Booms" What 'morning" (モーニング, mōningu) is The origin of "morning" in Aichi Prefecture The rise of kissaten (cafes) in 1950s Japan About Rūe Burajiru (ルーエぶらじる), a restaurant in Hiroshima...
info_outlineOn this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: 10 Reasons You'll Hate Living in Japan. Really?
Topics Discussed
- Reasons why you may hate living in Japan
- No trash cans
- Why there are few public trash cans in Japan
- Where to find trash cans in Japan
- Whether it's rude to walk while eating or drinking in public in Japan
- Lack of soap in public restrooms
- Individually wrapped items
- About not being able to have tattoos in Japan
- Working conditions in Japan
- About salaries in Japan
- About the weird way Japan slices loaves of bread (shokupan)
- About the annoying nature of streets in Japan
- The size of streets in Japan
- Street signs in Japan
- Cheese in Japan
- How difficult it can be to find authentic food and cuisine from other countries
- You you will stand out if you don't look Asian in Japan
- How it will be annoying to live in Japan if you look Asian but don't speak Japanese
- And much more!
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Support on Patreon & Ko-fi
If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month. Patrons get first access to podcast episodes, as well as updates on what I'm working on for JapanKyo.com. If you join the $3 a month tier you get access to the back catalog of the Japanese Plus Alpha podcast (a short series on interesting Japanese words and features of the Japanese language). If you would like to do a one time donation, that is also possible. Just use the Ko-fi link below. All donations are greatly appreciated! And if you can't support financially, that's ok. Consider telling a friend about the show!
- Support on Patreon
https://patreon.com/japankyo - Support on Ko-fi
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Links, Videos, Etc.
To learn more about how the Tokyo sarin gas attack is not the direct cause for there being so few public trash cans in Japan, check out the episode of Japan Station linked below.
To learn more about the MAJISON Tokaido Challenge, check out the latest episode of Japan Station. See the link below
https://japankyo.com/2023/08/im-walking-from-kyoto-to-tokyo-and-im-legally-blind-japan-station-majison-tokaido-challenge/
We Want Your Questions
Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We're always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to ichimon@japankyo.com.
Special Thanks
Opening/Closing Theme: Produced by Apol (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Fiverr)
Ichimon Japan cover art: Produced by Erik R.
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Full Show Notes