Informational Japan Pt. 1

At the moment I'm pretty obsessed with Japan, but since I have no idea if or when I will be going back I have to content myself with listening and reading about it. I figured now would be a good time to go over some of my favorite informative online sources for information about Japan that isn't necessarily pop-culture related.

Podcasts

Just Japan Podcast - By far my favorite Japan podcast at the moment. Kevin O'Shea has more than fifty podcast episodes in which he interviews various people living in Japan about a wide range of topics. He has a very original point of view being a mature family man and his topics range from questions about the JET Program to community involvement, fast food and being a foreign woman in Japan. Not only is the podcast a great listen, but Kevin is very involved with his listeners and often gets his topic suggestions from them.

GaijinPot - Another great Japan podcast, although the episodes don't come out quite as often they are usually worth waiting for. His topics and interviews are very professional and informative. He has great information about getting to Japan, apartments, language and other resources for Japan information.

Mully's Place Podcast - Mully is a really interesting fellow and his podcast is usually a chatty style with Dave or his wife Tomoko. My favorite are the bedcasts and drivecasts with his wife (although I tend to relate more to her point of view than his.)

Youtube

Myargonauts Jason - I've spent many hours watching most of his old videos and I'm always looking forward to his new ones. He is fairly informal but extremely informative about everyday life in Japan. He has a lot of older videos about the JET Program but lately he's mostly focusing on his current teaching and life experiences.

Rachel & Jun - A newer find for me, I am blasting through these videos. Rachel is very intelligent and well educated and brings a scientific viewpoint to a lot of Japan related questions. It's also nice to watch Japan videos from a married female perspective. I particularly like her videos about Japanese deodorants and the Senkaku Islands. Alternatively her husband also does videos from a Japanese perspective which is harder to find, my husband really relates to the "Being Tall in Japan" episode and he has some great language learning tips.

Cooking with Dog - Despite the unfortunate name choice (my husband can't help snickering whenever I mention it) the recipes on this channel are fantastic. The narrator is witty and well spoken and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. The recipes range from Japanese sweets and cakes to traditional Japanese dishes and Western-influenced foods.

Kimono World - I really love the videos on this channel despite the fact that there are only a few available. Sheila Cliffe is an Englishwoman who is a kimono expert and introduces various types of Kimono, shops and kimono making techniques. Beautifully produced and narrated these videos are really wonderful for the Kimono enthusiast. I am really hoping that she posts some more in the future.