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 Bieker Production: A. Magdych Editing: L. Nicholas, J. Sketchley Social: J. Sketchley Design: M. Koga

  1. 2d ago

    I was a confused kid—growing up half Japanese in Thailand, with Aki Yamaguchi

    Meet Aki Yamaguchi, a Thai-Japanese content creator and MC living and working between both countries. She sits down to talk to us about growing up in an international school abroad, finding her own identity and starting a visual kei band, and how her unique background led her to where she is today. -- 0:00 Intro 0:50 Meet Aki 1:16 International school in Thailand 7:19 Embracing Japanese side 11:27 Finding her own style 13:20 Starting a band 20:38 Bringing the band to Japan 25:50 Start of MC career 31:33 Covid and growing on TikTok 44:32 Addressing stereotypes online 47:40 Aki's unique opportunities 50:40 Branching out to English content 59:22 Content between languages 1:03:01 Aki's message to the dreamers Follow Aki: @akinoyuutsu https://www.instagram.com/akinoyuutsu https://www.tiktok.com/@aki_yamaguchi https://www.facebook.com/akinoyuutsupage/ Follow us: https://unpacking.jp/ https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

  2. 6d ago

    What it takes to be a Japanese rickshaw driver

    Meet Kenny, a rickshaw driver in Asakusa, Tokyo, who sits down to talk to us about what its like to work as one of these traditional tour guides. He tells us about his professional rugby career, his plans to open a mochi shop, and what it takes to be a rickshaw driver. -- 0:00 Intro 0:50 Meet Kenny 2:08 Starting as a rugby player 6:25 Going pro 10:37 Playing in Australia 18:52 Looking back on rugby career 21:53 Mochi shop 26:30 Becoming a rickshaw driver 33:04 Work as rickshaw driver 36:52 Tour guide in & out of Tokyo 43:37 Working with rickshaw company 45:10 Secret to good service 49:37 Plans for mochi shop 51:43 Most difficult skill for rickshaw drivers -- Follow Kenny: https://www.instagram.com/asakusa_rickshaw https://www.tiktok.com/@kenny_rickshaw Follow us: https://unpacking.jp/ https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

  3. Jul 14

    Is Japan's attitude towards tattoos changing?

    Meet Manami Ozakaki, an author who writes books on Japanese arts and culture. She sits down to talk to us about the history of Japanese tattoos, the artists who made them, and how Japan's tattoo culture is changing in the modern era. -- 0:00 Intro 0:50 Meet Manami 7:31 Moving to Japan 16:23 Writing for magazines 18:25 Manami's books 24:53 History of Japanese tattoos 29:05 Tattoo conventions 34:45 Is perception of tattoos changing? 37:35 The beauty of tattoos 42:26 Japanese tattoo artists 59:28 How to find artists 1:05:06 Japanese book culture -- Follow Manami: https://www.maki23.com https://www.instagram.com/manami.tokyo Follow us: https://unpacking.jp/ https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

  4. Jul 10

    How to ACTUALLY make a career of teaching in Japan

    Meet Jake, an international school principal living in Japan. He sits down to talk to us about the reality of teaching in Japan, including what people should expect, what companies do, and how to actually build a career teaching here.. -- 0:00 Intro 0:50 Meet Jake 5:11 First time in Japan 12:15 First experience as a teacher 20:44 A career in teaching English 27:38 The reality of being an ALT 36:51 The role of teaching companies 43:12 Teaching licenses 48:00 Becoming principal 1:02:11 What people should know 1:06:15 What should change -- Follow Jake: @jakejapanjapan Follow us: https://unpacking.jp/ https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

  5. Jul 7

    The reality of growing up half Indian in Japan

    Meet Priyanka, an Indian-Japanese entrepreneur who sits down to talk to us about her life growing up as a hafu in Japan. She tells us about being the only hafu in Japanese school, winning Miss World Japan in 2016, her time on reality TV show Love is Blind Japan, and her work as a model and entrepreneur. -- 0:00 Intro 0:50 Meet Priyanka 4:46 Moving to California 12:22 Moving back to Japan 14:14 Bullying in Japanese schools 25:53 Becoming a model 30:51 Entering Miss World Japan 34:57 The elephant trainer thing 40:27 Winning as a hafu 50:56 Start as an entrepreneur 1:03:03 Love is Blind 1:16:35 Moving to London 1:20:22 Learning ikebana 1:25:02 Looking back -- Follow Priyanka: https://www.instagram.com/priyankayoshikawa/ https://open.spotify.com/show/4iVGYMYvEtksY766NhicEq?si=b20f3f83bbcf4ba0 https://x.com/priyayoshikawa @AuthenticallyMe-podcast Follow us: https://unpacking.jp/ https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

  6. Jul 3

    Demystifying Japanese home cooking

    Meet Nancy Singleton Hachisu, a cookbook author living on a rural farm in Saitama. She sits down to talk to us about coming to Japan, discovering the beautiful simplicty of Japanese farm food, and writing her cookbooks on Japanese home cooking. -- 0:00 Intro 0:45 Meet Nancy 5:32 Coming to Japan 11:09 Impressions of the food 17:12 Moving to a farm 23:05 Homeschooling and edible schoolyard 32:24 Writing a cookbook 38:54 What you should know about Japanese food 43:11 How to incorporate Japanese ingredients 51:03 Publishing a book in Japan 1:07:04 Current projects 1:16:27 Where to start with Japanese cooking -- Follow Nancy: https://www.nancysingletonhachisu.com/ https://www.instagram.com/nancyhachisu/ https://www.facebook.com/nancy.hachisu Follow us: https://unpacking.jp/ https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

  7. Jun 30

    What it's like building multiple businesses in Tokyo

    Meet Lauren Rose Kocher, an entrepreneur and CEO of multiple businesses in Tokyo. She sits down to talk to us about her journey to Japan, working in the Japanese music industry before leaving to start her own business, and inheriting businesses from her late husband. -- 0:00 Intro 0:45 Meet Lauren 4:30 Teaching English in Japan 8:58 Entering the music industry 15:09 What the music industry is like 19:05 Cyndi Lauper earthquake story 31:50 Working at Sony 44:50 Moving on 47:32 Establishing her own company 51:15 The COVID jackpot 58:00 Expansion and burnout 1:03:52 Having to leave her own company 1:09:13 Lauren's late husband 1:12:44 Starting a new company 1:15:10 Converting defunct family business 1:21:26 Looking back 1:25:32 Husband's businesses -- Follow Lauren: https://www.laurenrosekocher.com/ https://www.instagram.com/laurenrosekocher/ https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenrosekocher https://laurenrosekocher.substack.com/ Follow us: https://unpacking.jp/ https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

  8. Jun 26

    Born and raised as an Indian in Tokyo (as a film director)

    Meet Ameya, an Indian director born and raised in Tokyo. She sits down to talk to us about growing up in Japan, her entry into the Tokyo art scene, and her work as a film director. -- 0:45 Meet Ameya 1:20 Growing up Indian in Tokyo 11:37 Realizing how society views you 14:50 Joining the creative industry 19:18 Stepping behind the camera 23:04 Making connections 28:03 Becoming a filmmaker 37:14 Shooting for big brands 45:25 Differences shooting in Japan 50:58 Ameya's first movie 56:10 The creator economy 1:02:35 Gaining confidence as a creator -- Follow Ameya: https://ameya.click/ https://www.instagram.com/ameya.click/ Follow us: https://unpacking.jp/ https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

See All (234)

4.7
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

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 Bieker Production: A. Magdych Editing: L. Nicholas, J. Sketchley Social: J. Sketchley Design: M. Koga

Information

  • Creator
    Produced by ZenStudio
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    234
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Produced by ZenStudio
  • Show Website
    Unpacking Japan

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