Deep Dive from The Japan Times

On this week's episode we look at why Clubhouse, an invite-only social media platform, has become all the rage in Japan. Here to discuss is Yuzuha Oka, a tech journalist at NewsPicks Japan, and also Austin Freeman, a Japan Times contributor and founder of the 13,000 member strong clubhouse group Tokyo Unearthed. Read more:  Why is Japan so intrigued by the audio app Clubhouse? (Patrick St. Michel, The Japan Times) Clubhouse tops Japan chart as CEOs and celebrities embrace chat app (Bloomberg via The Japan Times) Clubhouse app offers Chinese rare glimpse of censor-free debate (The Japan Times) Facebook said to be building a product to compete with Clubhouse (The Japan Times) You’ve been invited to Clubhouse. Your privacy hasn’t (Sara Morrison, Vox) On this episode: Yuzuha Oka (Clubhouse: @yuzu): Twitter | Website  Austin Freeman (Clubhouse: @anxiety): Articles Oscar Boyd (Clubhouse: @omhboyd): Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Photo: Clubhouse as it appears on the App Store. 

With just five months and six days to go until the Olympic opening ceremony, large parts of Japan are still under a state of emergency, and the first vaccine has only just been approved for use here. As if those weren’t big enough challenges to overcome, the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee was plunged into scandal earlier this month after its president, Yoshiro Mori, suggested that women talk too much in board meetings, leading to his eventual resignation. Read more: Tokyo Olympics Chief Apologizes for Remarks Demeaning Women  (Motoko Rich, The New York Times) Tokyo Olympics Chief Resigns Over Sexist Comments (Motoko Rich, The New York Times) Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto eyed as next Tokyo Games chief (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times) Activists demand reform after Tokyo Olympic sexism furor (AFP-Jiji via The Japan Times) How 'indispensable' Mori came to enjoy huge influence in politics and sport (Eric Johnston, The Japan Times) On this episode: Motoko Rich: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Motoko at the Gender Symposium Japan 2021 Motoko Rich will be joining panelists from the Asahi Shimbun and New York Times on March 3, 2021, at 3 p.m  to discuss gender inequality in Japan and around the world, sharing stories to highlight challenges and progress. For more information and to register visit bit.ly/gender2021. Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Photo: A protester takes part in a rally against Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori outside the Olympic museum in Tokyo on Thursday. | AFP-JIJI

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Jeana Cadby, PhD in specialty cacao and craft chocolate, takes us on a tour through the history of chocolate in Japan. We also look at the the recent growth of the country’s craft chocolate scene, as well as the pioneering chocolatiers who have managed to grow cacao on Tokyo’s Ogasawara Islands for the first time. Read more: Tokyo Cacao: Japan’s first 'soil-to-bar' chocolate (Jeana Cadby, The Japan Times Akihiro Kakimoto: The man behind Japan's most elaborate chocolate desserts (J.J. O'Donoghue, The Japan Times) Little Chocolate’s Big Moment (Deena Shanker, Bloomberg) Inside Japan’s Craft Chocolate Craze (Craft Sense) Craft Chocolate Experience Tokyo (Annual Event) On this episode: Jeana Cadby: LinkedIn | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Photo: Chocolate by Tokyo Cacao, who grow cacao trees on the Ogasawara Islands. | COURTESY OF TOKYO CACAO

Japan Times staff writer Ryusei Takahashi joins Deep Dive to discuss Prime Minister Suga's pledge to make Japan carbon neutral by 2050. Also, contributor Eric Margolis tells us how Japan is already being affected by climate change. Hosted by Oscar Boyd. Read more:  Suga aims for greener Japan with carbon pledge, but details lacking (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times) The true cost of the climate crisis on Japan (Eric Margolis, The Japan Times) Japan's climate plan: Big on ambition but small in scope (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times) Japan lays out plan to steer economy away from carbon by 2050 (Ryusei Takahashi, The Japan Times) On this episode: Ryusei Takahashi: Twitter | Articles Eric Margolis: Twitter | Website Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Photo: Damaged areas of Nagano Prefecture following Typhoon Hagibis in October 2019. | KYODO

On Jan. 6, the U.S. Capitol came under siege from a mob of Trump supporters, incited by the former president. The attack was condemned around the world and shone a spotlight onto the dangerous misinformation and conspiracies that fueled the riots. One that has come under particular scrutiny is QAnon, a conspiracy that dates to 2017 and that has picked up a significant following in the U.S. But, says Bloomberg’s Max Zimmerman, the U.S. is not the only country to have supporters of the QAnon conspiracy, and a fringe group of followers has also developed here in Japan. Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Oizumi Kojo, Japan's first commercial brewer of kombucha. They’ve just launched their new online store, where you can buy KOMBUCHA_SHIP, bottled kombucha that's delivered straight to your door. KOMBUCHA_SHIP comes in four flavors: Original, Yuzu, Shiso and Kuwa. Visit www.kombuchaship.shop for more information. Read/see more:  QAnon’s Rise in Japan Shows Conspiracy Theory’s Global Spread (Max Zimmerman, Bloomberg) What drives ‘J-Anon,’ QAnon's Japanese counterpart? (Nevin Thompson, Global Voices) Pro-Trump rallies in Tokyo (Jeffrey J. Hall via Twitter) Trump supporters rally in Tokyo against Biden's inauguration (Reuters via The Japan Times) QAnon's 'Great Awakening' failed to materialize. What's next could be worse (Julia Carrie Wong, The Guardian) On this episode: Max Zimmerman: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Photo: Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump hold a rally in Tokyo ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden in Washington. | REUTERS

Since the end of December, worries about new strains of COVID-19 have prompted Japan to reimpose border restrictions, including stopping the issuance of new visas to people hoping to move to Japan. We look at how these new border restrictions are affecting foreign residents. Also, Sam Seghers recounts her experience being left in limbo by the new restrictions, and Aska Ross walks us through his three-day quarantine in a government-run facility after returning to Japan from the U.K. Read more:  Japan bars entry for new arrivals and business travelers due to new COVID-19 strains (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Japan to tighten border measures with new rules for returning citizens (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Travelers from Japan face more restrictions amid new virus strain fears (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) Tokyo’s pandemic border policy highlights insecure status of foreign residents (Magdalena Osumi, The Japan Times) On this episode:  Magdalena Osumi: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Photo: A quarantine official looks at a saliva sample from a passenger who arrived from overseas at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Dec. 27.

Bloomberg reporter Lisa Du joins Deep Dive to discuss when Japan will start to distribute a vaccine for COVID-19, and why it has fallen so far behind other countries. Also, Oscar's Grandma Elizabeth recounts her experience being vaccinated in the U.K. Read more:  Japan's bitter vaccine history creates hurdle in COVID-19 fight (Lisa Du via The Japan Times) Japanese approval of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine unlikely before May (Reuters, The Japan Times) Why Japan is largely a spectator in the coronavirus vaccine race (Osamu Tsukimori, The Japan Times) Japan OKs free COVID-19 vaccines for nation (The Japan Times) Study: Japan among countries with lowest trust levels in vaccines (The Asahi Shimbun)  Japan's COVID-19 vaccine plan prioritizes health care workers and older residents (Jiji, The Japan Times) On this episode:  Lisa Du: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Photo: Getty Images

Thank you to everyone who submitted their stories, it was lovely hearing from you all. We received stories from around the world, from as far away as India, Australia and Brazil, to name but a few places. A very Happy New Year to all of our listeners, take care in 2021. Regular episodes of Deep Dive will return in January. Until then, podtsukaresama! On this episode: Deep Dive listeners: Thank you! Shaun McKenna: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times. Photo: Sunrise above Yamanashi Prefecture, Jan. 1, 2020. | Oscar Boyd

In Episode 1 of Recultured, we look at how 2020 ground to a halt through the lens of "Terrace House," and hear from stars of the show about its dramatic ending amid the arrival of COVID-19. Guests on this episode: Aya Nogami, international music consultant Eric Margolis, Japan Times contributor Farrah Hasnain, Japan Times contributor Kai Kobayashi, Terrace House member Lauren Rose Kocher, co-founder Zaiko PTE Patrick St. Michel, Japan Times contributor Tom Hanaway, Japan Times social editor Violetta “Vivi” Polt, Terrace House member Sponsor: Recultured is brought to you by Food-e, Tokyo's first gourmet restaurant delivery service. Food-e delivers from some of Tokyo's finest restaurants, such as Nobu Tokyo and The Oak Door Steakhouse, to homes, offices and parties. Premium dining — now at your fingertips and available exclusively at www.food-e.jp.  TELL: If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency in Japan, please call 119 for immediate assistance. The TELL Lifeline is available for those who need free and anonymous counseling at 03-5774-0992. For those outside Japan, visit https://bit.ly/Suicide-Hotlines for a detailed list of resources and assistance. Credits: This episode was hosted by Shaun McKenna and Alyssa I. Smith. It was written by Patrick St. Michel and Oscar Boyd, with extra help from our intern Tadasu Takahashi. It was produced by Oscar Boyd. Our theme music was by LLLL, the sound of Tokyo, and this episode was recorded at the Temple University Japan Campus in Sangenjaya, Tokyo. Illustrations by Ming Ong. Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times.

In Episode 2 of Recultured, we look at what happened when the world was made to stay at home, and how one game from Nintendo provided us an escape into a fantasy land full of fishing, decorating and bug collecting.  Guests on this episode: Chris Broad, YouTuber and podcaster, Abroad in Japan  Claire Williamson, Japan Times food and lifestyle editor Farrah Hasnain, Japan Times contributor Imad Khan, New York Times contributing writer  Jay Kogami, writer for All Digital Music and Music Ally Japan Ronald Taylor, writer for Arama Japan and Japan Times contributor Tom Hanaway, Japan Times social editor Tomohiro Osaki, Japan Times features writer Sponsors: Recultured is brought to you by Food-e, Tokyo's first gourmet restaurant delivery service. Food-e delivers from some of Tokyo's finest restaurants, such as Nobu Tokyo and The Oak Door Steakhouse, to homes, offices and parties. Premium dining — now at your fingertips and available exclusively at www.food-e.jp.  This episode is sponsored by Kokoro Care Packages, delivering curated care packages from Japan, filled with locally made, premium-quality, artisanal Japanese foods. For Deep Dive listeners, use the code "DEEPDIVE" to get a 10% discount off your first order of a subscription purchase at kokorocares.com.  Credits: This episode was hosted by Shaun McKenna and Alyssa I. Smith. It was written by Patrick St. Michel and Oscar Boyd, with extra help from our intern Tadasu Takahashi. It was produced by Oscar Boyd. Our theme music was by LLLL, and this episode was recorded at the Temple University Japan Campus in Sangenjaya, Tokyo. Illustrations by Ming Ong. Announcements: Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback. This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times.