DEEP DIVE Sep 23, 2020

[Bonus episode] The making of the Walkman

This episode is based around an extract from the audiobook of "Pure Invention." We join in the middle of chapter 5, which is all about the invention of the Walkman.

DEEP DIVE Jul 15, 2020

Episode 57: Has Japan's pop culture conquered the world?

From the karaoke machine and the Walkman to Hello Kitty and the Game Boy, Japan’s cultural influence can be felt almost everywhere.

DEEP DIVE May 21, 2020

Episode 50: How the 'murder hornet' got its name

The Asian giant hornet is common to Japan and regularly terrorizes the country’s residents during the summer months. So how did end up being known as the 'murder hornet'?

Food & Drink Mar 24, 2018

Good libations: Examining the evolution of Japan's rich cocktail culture

The art of the cocktail is indisputably non-Japanese. The word itself is old American slang for a pick-me-up, referring in modern parlance to any mixed drink containing liquor and at least one other ingredient. Even if you aren't a drinker, chances are you can ...

TV Jul 16, 2016

Ultraman: Ultracool at 50

Ultraman has been defending humanity against monsters and aliens for half a century. We examine the superhero's enduring legacy.

Books / Reviews Feb 15, 2014

Miyuki Miyabe's latest puts the history in Japanese horror

Better known for her crime and fantasy writing abroad, precious few of the prolific Miyuki Miyabe's tales of terror have actually made it into the English language. Haikasoru's publication of "Apparitions: Ghosts of Old Edo" addresses this oversight. Capably translated by Daniel Huddleston, this ...

Culture Jan 9, 2014

Will Cool Japan finally heat up in 2014?

After years of talk, 2013 marked a watershed moment in the government's Cool Japan campaign. Which begs the question: Is Japan cool? As a robot-obsessed kid growing up in the 1970s and '80s, I always thought so. But for years, the anime and manga that ...

Film Aug 15, 2013

Dōmo arigatō, giant robotto

My name is Matt, and I have a problem: I'm a grown man who thinks way too much about giant robots. Actually, I'm just kidding — it isn't a problem at all. Japanese robots literally changed the course of my life. Without robot anime, manga ...

Language | BILINGUAL Jul 21, 2013

Summer brings out the creepy crawlies

Now that the tsuyu (梅雨, rainy season) has ended and the dreaded heat has descended upon the city, most of us have taken refuge indoors, camped out in front of the eakon (エアコン, air-conditioning) in a desperate attempt to wick away some of summer's ...

Art Aug 17, 2012

The art of making monsters

Good news for monster fans: Not one, not two, but three separate tokusatsu exhibitions are stomping their way through downtown Tokyo as you read these words. While you may never have heard the word "tokusatsu," you are likely familiar with what it is. A contraction ...