Queers with Accents

Queer ESL with Masaki Seto
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Japanese queer writer and ESL educator Masaki Seto is joined by his fellows ESL speakers (like his students) to discuss social justice and other topics.

  1. 1d ago

    #18: The Art of Forgetting: Driver’s Licenses, Official Letters, and USJ Souvenirs

    Episode Summary In this episode, Masaki catches Kinoko off guard right as the camera turns on, leading into a highly relatable chat about memory lapses and chaotic schedules. Masaki is in a rush to catch a train for a mandatory restaurant sanitary management lecture, which sparks a debate on the difference between a "license" and a "qualification." From there, the hosts exchange stories about their most forgetful moments. Kinoko reveals how she accidentally let her driver’s license expire for over five months after moving from Fukuoka, while Masaki shares his own anxiety-inducing tale of driving on an expired official car insurance policy. They also dive into the nuances of vocabulary for being scatterbrained, the tedious etiquette of Japanese official mail, and whether forgetfulness is an inherent family trait, a cultural difference, or simply a generational reality. License vs. Qualification: Masaki breaks down the legal vocabulary. A license (like a driver's license) must be renewed periodically, whereas a national qualification (like a food hygiene manager) is typically held forever, even if local governments occasionally require refresher lectures. The Five-Month Window: Kinoko recounts her close call in Fukuoka, where she realized her driver's license had expired five and a half months prior—dangerously close to Japan's strict six-month limit that requires retaking the entire examination process. It Runs in the Family: After Masaki admits he accidentally drove with expired mandatory government car insurance until a mechanic friend spotted it, the hosts look at the idiom "runs in the family" to describe shared genetic tendencies. The Bureaucracy of Japanese Mail: Masaki vents about a bank document envelope sitting on his desk since January. He explains the confusing process of crossing out the polite suffix ike (往/行) to change it to on (御中) on return envelopes, only to realize the prepaid postage window had expired in April. The Forgotten USJ Souvenirs: Masaki shares a comedy of errors involving Universal Studios Japan souvenirs that sat by his entrance for a month, were almost melted by the summer heat, and were subsequently forgotten in the back of his mother's car. English Word Corner - Slip My Mind vs. Forgetful: A breakdown of how to express memory slips. The hosts compare describing a person as "forgetful" versus using situational idioms like "it slipped my mind" or analyzing the passive phrase "easy to forget." Tokyo Sharehouse Opening!Kinoko's crowdfunding project is active until June 30th. If you or someone you know is looking for an affordable, flexible, short-term housing option in Tokyo without the massive hotel bills or strict apartment lease rules, check out Kinoko's sharehouse! Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our new homes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and leave us a review! Key Topics CoveredMentioned in This Episode

  2. 1d ago

    #17: The Reluctant Minimalist, Historical Manga, and English Word Secrets

    Episode Summary In this episode, Masaki and Kinoko catch up after a long, relaxing event from the previous day. Kinoko shares updates on moving into her new sharehouse, prompting Masaki to reflect on his chaotic history of moving 18 times throughout his life. The conversation shifts to minimalism, book collections, and the transition from physical copies to ebooks. Masaki then opens up about a surprisingly heavy BL (Boys' Love) manga on his shelf set in the Kamikaze air strike era, which sparks a deep dive into the English vocabulary used for storytelling, artistic intent, and human emotions. The hosts break down nuanced verbs like "depict" versus "describe," the aesthetic spectrum of "aesthetic," and useful idioms for giving in to temptations. The Realities of Moving: Kinoko shares her ongoing DIY bookshelf plans for her entrance and kitchen. Masaki reflects on moving 18 times, noting that no matter how often you do it, you never quite feel fully prepared. Minimalism vs. Book Hoarding: Kinoko reveals she managed her entire recent move in just two round trips, proving her minimalist credentials. Meanwhile, Masaki admits to owning an overwhelming collection of physical books scattered across multiple locations. Depict vs. Describe: A detailed breakdown of artistic vocabulary. The hosts explain that "describe" heavily implies using words, while "depict" carries the connotation of illustrating or capturing an atmosphere visually or artistically. The Nuances of Aesthetic: Understanding "aesthetic" as both a compliment for something visually pleasing and a potential critique ("just aesthetic") when a piece of media lacks deeper narrative substance. Idiom Spotlight - Got the Best of Me: Masaki shares how his curiosity "got the best of me" when buying a historical manga, prompting a breakdown of how emotions or desires can win out over logic. Grammar Corner - Turn Out: A deep dive into the mechanics of the phrase "turn out." Masaki and Kinoko discuss how the subject remains the object (e.g., "the book turned out very good"), while the actual transformation happens within the reader's own recognition. Tokyo Sharehouse Opening!Kinoko's crowdfunding project is active until June 30th. If you or someone you know is looking for an affordable, flexible, short-term housing option in Tokyo without the massive hotel bills or strict apartment lease rules, check out Kinoko's sharehouse! Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our new homes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and leave us a review! Kinoko-san’s X: [suspicious link removed] Kinoko-san’s blog: https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/ Her book: https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA Her interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196 Key Topics CoveredMentioned in This EpisodeLinks

  3. Jun 29

    #16: Earphone Woes, Overcoming a Lisp, and the Beauty of Linguistic "Mistakes"

    Episode Summary In this episode, Kinoko kicks things off with some unfortunate news—she has lost her wireless earphones yet again! This sparks a deeper conversation about the pros and cons of wired versus wireless gear, leading into a fascinating discussion on audio feedback, speech habits, and language learning. Masaki opens up about his personal journey of overcoming a strong childhood lisp in Japanese (but oddly, not in English) and explains the different psychological and anatomical reasons behind speech impediments. The hosts also explore English idioms, the evolution of accents, and wrap up with an exciting update on Kinoko’s Tokyo sharehouse project. Key Topics Covered The Earphone Curse: Kinoko shares her frustration after losing her new Beats earphones just months after losing her AirPods in Hanoi. Wired vs. Wireless: Why Masaki prefers wired earphones for recording to avoid "speaking into the void" and the importance of real-time audio feedback. English Word Corner: Breaking down phrases and definitions, including "lose track," "mumbling," and the pronunciation differences of words like niche, schedule, and Appalachian. Overcoming a Lisp: Masaki discusses his past struggle with a Japanese lisp (specifically with the i-dan row, like pronouncing "lemon tea" as "lemonkey") and how speech retuning works. Are Accents Just Accumulated Mistakes? A fun, philosophical debate on whether accents and language evolution are just the result of "accumulated mistakes" that eventually became mainstream. Platform Update & Sharehouse Crowdfunding: The podcast has officially moved its main hosting to Spotify and Apple Podcasts! Plus, an update on Kinoko’s Tokyo sharehouse crowdfunding campaign, which runs until June 30th. Mentioned in This Episode Tokyo Sharehouse Opening!Kinoko's crowdfunding project is active until June 30th. If you or someone you know is looking for an affordable, flexible, short-term housing option in Tokyo without the massive hotel bills or strict apartment lease rules, check out Kinoko's sharehouse! Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our new homes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and leave us a review! Links Kinoko-san’s X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/kinoko1027⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kinoko-san’s blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Her book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Her interview: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196

  4. Jun 23

    #15 Rainy season, rural Gunma, and not fleeing too far from home

    Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: Kinoko's runny nose and the rainy season being her least favorite season – and the strange gap in English: we have "favorite" but no direct antonym like "hated" (we say "least favorite" or "I hate"). Why the rainy season is discouraging: humidity, rain, feeling lazy to go out – while Masaki actually prefers it over the lethal summer heat (especially in Gunma, one of the hottest areas in Japan, reaching 43°C). Gunma's extreme climate: boiling summers, freezing winters, and famously strong winds that can blow you away (Mary Poppins style). Kinoko's one year living in rural Gunma after quitting her company job, staying in a friend's house near the mountains, using a wood stove, and living next to a dairy farm. Masaki's confession: growing up in the Kanto region, he thought the area west of Gunma was just ocean – because TV weather forecasts only show Kanto with a thick contour, graying out everything else. (He now knows Niigata and the Chugoku region exist.) The word "archipelago" (Japanese archipelago has over 6,000 islands) vs. "rettō" (islands in a line). Kinoko's dream: organizing Poly Lounge events in all 47 prefectures of Japan – she's already done over 10 locations. The dichotomy between city and countryside: big cities aren't always better for queer people; moving somewhere in the vicinity of your hometown can be a good option. Vocabulary: least favorite, lethal, fluctuate, rural, vicinity, dichotomy, archipelago, contour, marginalized. Note: Kinoko is currently working on her crowdfunding campaign for the new sharehouse – still looking for residents and support. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san Kinoko-san’s X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/kinoko1027⁠⁠⁠⁠Kinoko-san’s blog: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/⁠⁠⁠⁠Her book: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA⁠⁠⁠⁠Her interview: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196

  5. Jun 20

    #14 Tokyo Pride, polyamory flags, and who belongs in the queer community

    Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: Kinoko attending Tokyo Pride for the first time in 5–7 years, marching with poly-friendly friends and holding up a polyamory flag (infinity heart symbol). The explosion of LGBTQ+ flags – too many to remember, with some evolving over time (e.g., the progress pride flag's colors representing trans people, BIPOC, and HIV/AIDS awareness). The term BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and its roots in U.S. anti-racism; why the progress flag includes brown and black stripes. The ongoing debate: Is polyamory an orientation or a lifestyle? Many poly people (especially straight-identifying) don't see themselves as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Masaki's argument: polyamory challenges heteronormative family structures and should be included; Kinoko agrees that anyone facing difficulty in their relationships or life practices should be welcome. Kinoko's idea of someday organizing a polyamory parade or float. Masaki's observation: he often feels more understood by working-class straight people (e.g., an old man at an izakaya counter) than by elite LGBTQ+ academics, because shared experiences of hardship transcend identity labels. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san Kinoko-san’s X: ⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/kinoko1027⁠⁠⁠Kinoko-san’s blog: ⁠⁠⁠https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/⁠⁠⁠Her book: ⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA⁠⁠⁠Her interview: ⁠⁠⁠https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196

  6. Jun 18

    #13 Night owls, morning persons, and the joy of trivial research

    Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: Kinoko arriving late due to a typhoon, closing her curtains, and her usual routine as a morning person (waking at 6 AM, bed by 11 PM at the latest) – despite enjoying underground night events, she always catches the last train. Masaki as a night person who stays up until 4 or 5 AM, especially when he has no obligations the next day, doing "trivial research" (e.g., 18 hours on German architecture) just for fun. The difference between obligated (legal/contractual) and obliged (personal/moral feeling); Masaki's "mild obligation" of waking up with his boyfriend helps maintain his daily rhythm. Masaki getting a new passport entirely online (using My Number card, paying by credit card, picking it up in five minutes at the city office) – much easier than in the past. Kinoko's younger self as a night person who would stay up reading books all night, but now her age and nature prevent that; staying up late would waste the whole next day. Surprising shared love for kanbun (classical Chinese literature) – Kinoko finds it fun like a foreign language; Masaki hated it in school and didn't know anyone who liked it. Masaki's reading habits: slow reader, buys books and piles them up unread (tsundoku / book hoarding), but is excited to announce he will publish a book (a compilation of essays) next year. The unique pleasure of paper books: no alerts, no notifications, nothing interrupts the reading experience. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san Kinoko-san’s X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/kinoko1027⁠⁠Kinoko-san’s blog: ⁠⁠https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/⁠⁠Her book: ⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA⁠⁠Her interview: ⁠⁠https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196

  7. Jun 15

    #12 Crowdfunding a queer sharehouse, chaotic Kabukicho, and the right to be ambitious

    Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: Kinoko's crowdfunding campaign for her new sharehouse in Minowa, Tokyo (LGBTQ+ friendly, poly-friendly), with 9 rooms and 7 still empty. She needs both financial support and new residents. Why she runs a sharehouse: as a polyamorous queer person who has had a hysterectomy, she can't form a "normal" family, so she wants to create an alternative, safe, comfortable living space. Future dream locations: Kabukicho and Golden Gai – chaotic, dirty, underground areas where "everyone is strange" and queer people can go stealth because no one cares. The feeling of alienation in mainstream queer circles (often elite, college-educated) versus feeling more at home with marginalized straight people (nightlife workers, factory workers, the economically disadvantaged). Masaki's childhood inspiration from a Takeshi Kaneshiro movie: wanting to live above a shop on a busy street, watching people pass by. Both as queer entrepreneurs – the Japanese cultural reluctance to openly support minority-owned businesses or talk about money, and the suspicion that using one's minority status is for personal gain. The counterargument: marginalized people have every right to be ambitious, make surplus, and use that money to help others in their community, as Masaki experienced after saving money for the first time. Vocabulary: hysterectomy, alienating, tendency, surplus, affluent, loan/borrow/rent, entrepreneur pronunciation, stealth. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san Kinoko-san’s X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/kinoko1027⁠⁠Kinoko-san’s blog: ⁠⁠https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/⁠⁠Her book: ⁠⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA⁠⁠Her interview: ⁠⁠https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196

  8. Jun 12

    #11 Haircuts, consent, and the grammar of getting things done

    Kinoko is one of my ESL students and the author of I Have Two Partners: Living the Polyamorous Life, a ground-breaking book in Japanese about polyamory, as well as the organizer of Poly Lounge, a series of events for polyamorous and questioning people and allies. We publish archived videos of our lessons as a podcast. Today, our conversation covered the following topics: Kinoko's new hairstyle, cut by a friend during a camping trip on a deserted (uninhabited) island, including the difference between "desert" and "deserted." The social pressure on women (especially Asian women) to have long, black, sleek hair, and how cutting her hair short is a form of activism. Why friends hesitate to cut each other's hair: it can be seen as invasive, violent, or a form of punishment (bullying, shaving heads as discipline). The word "fringe" – both for hairstyle (bangs) and for something outside the mainstream, weird, or questionable. The balance between boundaries and autonomy versus the reality that some invasiveness is part of life, and how cutting hair can be an act of trust and leeway. Grammar focus: the "have object passive" construction (I had my hair cut by my friends), contrasting it with regular passive sentences. Tip: Turn on the automatic transcript feature if you’d like to read along. Connect with Kinoko-san Kinoko-san’s X: ⁠https://x.com/kinoko1027⁠Kinoko-san’s blog: ⁠https://ameblo.jp/kinoko1027ameba/⁠Her book: ⁠https://amzn.asia/d/0gusbsvA⁠Her interview: ⁠https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad17531bef6f9307a429f45f450a9fb2817f8196

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About

Japanese queer writer and ESL educator Masaki Seto is joined by his fellows ESL speakers (like his students) to discuss social justice and other topics.

Information

  • Creator
    Queer ESL with Masaki Seto
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Queer ESL with Masaki Seto
  • Show Website
    Queers with Accents

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