Unpacking Japan

Produced by ZenStudio
  • 4.6 (17)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

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. 1d ago

    Matcha Samurai on on the state of Japan content

    Meet Matcha Samurai, a Japanese creator known for his infectious laugh. He sits down to talk to us about his identity as someone from Kochi, his life abroad in London, and being a creator with the role of assumed Japanese culture expert. A big thank you to our colleagues from ZenMarket for sponsoring this episode. Interesting in buying anything from Japan? Find out more here: https://go.zenmarket.jp/unpackingjapan -- 0:00 Intro 1:07 Meet Matcha Samurai 3:14 Interest in studying abroad 6:02 Arriving in London 10:32 Start as creator 13:08 Role as defacto culture expert 17:40 Thoughts on "JaPaN" as a Japanese 21:42 Why he doesn't monetize his videos 23:26 Career in London 25:40 Trying not to get cancelled 31:25 Topics he avoids 33:14 On his unique laugh 39:52 Looking back on 10 years in London 47:11 Kochi people are different 51:46 Where to go in Kochi 56:47 Why everywhere in Japan is so different 59:12 Looking back 1:03:01 What to know coming to Japan -- Follow Matcha Samurai: https://www.youtube.com/@matcha_samurai https://www.tiktok.com/@matcha_samurai https://www.instagram.com/matcha_samurai 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/

    1h 6m

  2. 4d ago

    What it's like playing in a Japanese orchestra

    Meet Harald Naess, a trumpeter for the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. He sits down to talk to us about moving to Japan, learning Japanese while finding a common language in German, and the differences in work ethic and performance in Japan. -- 0:00 Intro 0:45 Meet Harald 4:14 First music study 6:35 Arriving in Japan 10:00 Differences playing in Japan 14:05 Japanese approach to music 18:39 First performance in Japan 24:00 Why Harald was selected 28:12 Music is like noodles 33:04 Impactful performances 39:59 Orchestra group dynamics 44:10 Bringing a younger audience 45:17 Teaching Japanese students 57:47 Looking back 59:29 Sailing in Japan 1:04:05 Getting a license 1:08:56 Sailing experiences 1:11:30 Why moving here was easy -- Follow Harald: https://www.facebook.com/kyototrumpet/ https://www.instagram.com/kyotoviking/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xLfjz5BJ3y6LzJZP0YFIO?si=QMojHzocS52j8axopG12vg 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/

    1h 15m

  3. Jun 12

    From salaryman to drag bar: a conversation with Japan's biggest diva

    Meet Sylvia Manchester, a self-titled Natural Born Diva working as an entertainer and drag bar host in Tokyo. She sits down to talk to us about her studies abroad, interest in queer literature, coming out, and the birth of the Sylvia Manchester character.A big thank you to our colleagues from ZenMarket for sponsoring this episode. Interesting in buying anything from Japan? Find out more here:https://go.zenmarket.jp/unpackingjapan -- 0:00 Intro 1:07 Meet Sylvia Manchester 6:35 First interest in drag 7:54 Being gay in Tokyo vs. Britain 12:10 Starting drag in Japan 14:02 Queer literature and gay identity 22:08 Start in drag bar 24:54 Being closeted in a Japanese office 27:37 Becoming a professional drag queen 32:16 Golden Gai 35:45 Interest in Chanson 41:30 Birth of Sylvia Manchester 43:29 Busking in Tokyo 47:15 Finding a place in the Tokyo drag community 50:00 Translating Chanson to Japanese 51:43 What Golden Gai is like 58:32 Balancing drag and normal personas 1:00:36 The Sylvia Manchester queendom 1:03:40 Sylvia's literature reviews -- 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/

    1h 12m

  4. Jun 9

    The reality of being gay in Japan ft. Will from Japan Gay Guide

    Meet Will, a host and content creator for Japan Gay Guide in Tokyo. He tells us about how his love for the band Perfume brought him to Japan, what being gay in Japan is like, and his work in LGBT tourism with Japan Gay Guide. -- 0:00 Intro 0:46 Meet Will 5:30 Arriving in Kagoshima 10:35 Coming back to Japan 17:49 Being gay in Japan vs. Sydney 25:45 What is Japan Gay Guide? 28:40 Japan as a safe haven 32:58 Planning what to publish 38:01 How views on LGBT have changed 41:52 Where to go in Japan 46:55 What's next -- Follow Will: @willbennett2000 https://www.instagram.com/willbennett2000/ https://www.tiktok.com/@willbennett2000 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/

    51 min

  5. Jun 5

    The British comedian who became an honorary Kansai Japanese

    Meet Lawson, a British creator who first came to Japan living in Kobe and Nishinomiya, where he quickly picked up the Kansai dialect. Now living in Tokyo, he's become known for his fluent dialect as a foreigner. A big thank you to our colleagues from ZenMarket for sponsoring this episode. Interesting in buying anything from Japan? Find out more here: https://go.zenmarket.jp/unpackingjapan -- 0:00 Intro 1:07 Meet Lawson 4:36 Learning Japanese 7:41 Studying Japanese in university 10:19 Coming to Japan 16:11 Becoming a salaryman 25:18 Origin of name Honmani Lawson 29:51 Move to comedy videos 36:39 How Japanese comedy works 41:42 Reacting to videos as a foreigner 43:22 Learning Japanese comedy 48:08 Does this interfere with your job? 52:14 How comedy changed his life in Japan 54:30 Looking back 58:31 Impact of his platform -- Follow Lawson: @honmanilawson https://www.instagram.com/honmanilawson/ https://www.tiktok.com/@honmanilawson https://honmanilawson.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/

    1h 5m

  6. Jun 2

    Genoa's very unique journey to Japan – from cult to Okinawa to going viral

    Meet Genoa, a content creator with a very unique life that brought him to Japan. He sits down to talk to us about growing up in a cult, before leaving and eventually coming to Okinawa as an exchange student in high school, and his current life preparing for studying at language school and going viral sharing his experiences in Japan. A big thank you to our colleagues from ZenMarket for sponsoring this episode. Interesting in buying anything from Japan? Find out more here: https://go.zenmarket.jp/unpackingjapan -- 0:00 Intro 1:07 Growing up in a cult 5:07 Reactions to cult story 9:55 Interest in Japan study abroad 13:02 Arriving in Okinawa 17:26 Life in Okinawa 21:14 Japanese high school 25:43 Comparisons to American school 33:42 Going viral 41:28 Thoughts on social media career 48:02 Genoa's view on "Japan" content 51:21 Consulting Japanese on his comedy 53:09 Working with brands 56:04 Language school in Japan -- Follow Genoa: https://www.instagram.com/genoaorion/ https://www.tiktok.com/@genoaorion @genoaorion 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/

    1h 2m

  7. May 29

    What it's like growing up in a "foreign bubble" in Japan

    Meet Gia, a Korean born creator who grew up in Tokyo. She sits down to talk to us about her very multicultural and multilingual life in Japan, from international school to Waseda University.--0:00 Intro0:45 Meet Gia5:17 Internation school in Tokyo9:25 Applying to Waseda12:39 Growing up in a foreign bubble16:28 Student life at Waseda20:07 Studying at Waseda22:43 International school vs. university in Japan26:17 University life29:46 Content interviewing other students33:40 Transitioning to full-time creator36:02 Japanese vs. foreign viewers39:44 Waseda vs. other universities43:32 Looking forward46:02 Being Christian in Japan51:56 Seoul Sista podcastFollow Gia: @gialores  https://www.instagram.com/gialores/https://www.tiktok.com/@gialores Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe 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/

    58 min

  8. May 26

    Sitting down with Japan's most unconventional influencer

    Meet Bernd Kestler, a German knitter living in Japan. He sits down to talk to us about moving to Japan in the 80s, his love for knitting, and exactly how he's established this unconventional career in Japan. -- 0:00 Intro 0:45 Meet Bernd 7:08 First interest in knitting 12:32 Knitting in Japan 14:55 Knitting full-time 16:54 Knitting in Japan vs. Germany 22:27 Understanding knitting designs 24:03 Japanese knitting designs 28:33 Guiness record blanket for Tohoku 37:07 First knitting book 42:29 Japanese yarn 44:28 How the book affected his career 46:51 Translating knitting concepts to Japanese 49:36 Collaboration with Komeda Coffee 54:10 Knitting creative projects 58:55 Japanese color palettes 1:01:30 Those spiky things on the table 1:08:51 Looking back 1:16:29 Knitting innovation -- Follow Bernd: http://berndkestler.com/ ⁨@BerndKestler⁩ https://www.instagram.com/berndkestler/ https://www.facebook.com/bernd.kestler/ https://linktr.ee/berndkestler 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/

    1h 20m
See All (225)

4.6
out of 5
17 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
    225
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Produced by ZenStudio
  • Show Website
    Unpacking Japan

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