56 episodes

The podcast where scholars of Japanese studies bring their expertise to bear on issues in the news. Hosted and produced by Tristan R. Grunow, Visiting Assistant Professor of Modern Japanese History at Pacific University.

Japan on the Record Tristan Grunow

    • History

The podcast where scholars of Japanese studies bring their expertise to bear on issues in the news. Hosted and produced by Tristan R. Grunow, Visiting Assistant Professor of Modern Japanese History at Pacific University.

    Japanese Opposition Politics on the Record with Roméo Marcantuoni (Waseda)

    Japanese Opposition Politics on the Record with Roméo Marcantuoni (Waseda)

    In this episode, Roméo Marcantuoni (Waseda) gauges how the surprise resignation of former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and the upcoming snap election will impact Japan's opposition parties, especially in light of a series of surprising victories in elections around the country that raised questions about whether or not the ruling Liberal Democratic Party would finally lose control and about the health of Japan's democracy.

    • 17 min
    Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan on the Record with Dr. Andrew Gordon (Harvard) and Dr. Michael Reich (Harvard)

    Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan on the Record with Dr. Andrew Gordon (Harvard) and Dr. Michael Reich (Harvard)

    In this episode, Dr. Andrew Gordon (Harvard) and Dr. Michael Reich (Harvard) respond to reports of low vaccine confidence in Japan by outlining the history of vaccines in the country, noting shifts in popular and bureaucratic attitudes towards vaccines, and comparing anti-vaxx movements in Japan and the US along with the role of the media in shaping reactions in both countries, before reflecting on what lessons can be applied to future pandemics.

    • 25 min
    Nagasaki Anti-Nuclear Movements and the TPNW on the Record with Dr. Gwyn McClelland (UNE)

    Nagasaki Anti-Nuclear Movements and the TPNW on the Record with Dr. Gwyn McClelland (UNE)

    In this episode, Dr. Gwyn McClelland (UNE) discusses Japan's refusal to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons despite outspoken criticism from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, before introducing the complex history of anti-nuclear movements in Nagasaki and touching on local responses to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

    • 19 min
    Foreign Media and Japan's Postwar Pacifism on the Record with Dr. Tom Le (Pomona)

    Foreign Media and Japan's Postwar Pacifism on the Record with Dr. Tom Le (Pomona)

    In this episode, Dr. Tom Le (Pomona) responds to recent news coverage of Japan's security position towards Taiwan, counters media narratives about resurgent Japanese militarism by emphasizing demographic barriers and the postwar peace culture that limit the government and Self Defense Forces, and offers Japan as a new model of international relations focused on human welfare rather than military might.

    • 18 min
    Foreign Students and Japan's Border Closures on the Record with Dr. Chelsea Szendi Schieder (Aoyama Gakuin)

    Foreign Students and Japan's Border Closures on the Record with Dr. Chelsea Szendi Schieder (Aoyama Gakuin)

    In this episode, Dr. Schieder discusses the impacts of Japan's COVID-related border closures on foreign students, scholars, and researchers waiting to enter Japan, introduces actions taken by community members in the form of an open letter, online petition, and press conference to raise awareness of this issue, and cautions what border closures could mean for Japanese attitudes to foreign residents and for universities that rely on foreign students.

    • 15 min
    Demon Slayer and the Future of Anime on the Record with Dr. Patrick Galbraith (Senshu)

    Demon Slayer and the Future of Anime on the Record with Dr. Patrick Galbraith (Senshu)

    In this episode, Dr. Patrick Galbraith (Senshu) reacts to the global popularity of Demon Slayer before explaining why it has become so popular so quickly, how Demon Slayer marks a major shift in anime production away from directors like Miyazaki Hayao, and what online distribution platforms mean for the future of anime around the world.

    • 18 min