Deep Dive from The Japan Times

Despite having played a major role entertaining Chinese citizens following the Cultural Revolution, Japanese musicians are finding it increasingly difficult to grab a toehold in the region thanks to government censors and somewhat militant netizens.  This week, Japan Times contributing writer Patrick St. Michel joins the podcast to discuss notable moments in the two countries’ cultural exchanges, the intricacies of doing business in China and why Japanese music is having as tough of a time in the broader international market. Read more: Big in China, but can the party last for Japan’s artists? (Patrick St. Michel, The Japan Times) China’s box office becomes a giant headache for Hollywood (Shirley Zhao and Christopher Palmeri, Bloomberg) How TikTok resurrected a Japanese pop star’s defining hit (Patrick St. Michel, The Japan Times) On this episode: Patrick St. Michel: Articles | Twitter Jason Jenkins: Articles | Twitter Transcript: We have recently begun experimenting with transcripts for episodes of Deep Dive. A full transcript of this episode is available on The Japan Times website. Find transcripts useful? Tips for improvement? Contact us to let us know. Announcements: Get in touch with the Deep Dive team at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. If you like what you’ve heard, then please support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing this episode with someone you know. Follow us on Twitter! Photo: Eclectic Japanese rock band Chai has made some inroads into China's lucrative entertainment industry. | TERAO BUDHA

Not since 1853, when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open its borders to trade, has a reopening been so newsworthy. This time, instead of Black Ships, the country faced a trickle of tourists looking to hit up Kyoto and indulge in their pop culture obsessions.  Ahead of the reopening on Oct. 11, the Japanese people asked themselves what to do if the new arrivals didn’t wear masks, would this event precede a new wave of COVID-19, and will long-dormant sectors of the economy finally get a boost? Kanako Takahara joins us on this episode to explain the new guidelines for coming to Japan, and Will Fee talks about what he saw at Haneda Airport on opening day and what the legacy of the closed-border policy might be for foreign residents. Read more: Why Japan has been taking incremental steps to open its borders (Kanako Takahara, The Japan Times) Confusing mix of policies sours start of domestic travel discount campaign (Kanako Takahara) Even as Japan’s border creaks open, unmarried couples still struggle to reunite (Will Fee and Kanako Takahara, The Japan Times) What to expect as Japan opens back up to the world (Will Fee, The Japan Times) Japan’s eagerly anticipated reopening gets off to a slow start (Will Fee, The Japan Times) ‘Undesirable consequences’ may await Japan’s well-meaning tourists (Owen Zeigler, The Japan Times) Japan has reopened. Instagrammers of the world, rejoice! (Spencer Cohen, The Japan Times) On this episode:  Kanako Takahara: Articles | Twitter  Will Fee: Articles | Twitter Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter Transcript: We have recently begun experimenting with transcripts for episodes of Deep Dive. A full transcript of this episode is available on The Japan Times website. Find transcripts useful? Tips for improvement? Contact us to let us know. Announcements: Get in touch with the Deep Dive team at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show. Rate, review 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: Tokyo's Harajuku neighborhood saw the return of tourists from last week after a significant easing of border controls that had been in place to protect against COVID-19. | Kyodo

Sports writers often dabble in hyperbole when describing athletes at the top of their game, but when it comes to Shohei Ohtani, the player they call “Shotime,” phrases like “once in a generation” and “the best baseball player ever” are written in earnest. Why all the hype? Because almost nobody has come close to achieving what he has since the 1920s. This week on Deep Dive, Jason Coskrey and Dave Cortez speak with host Jason Jenkins about what makes Ohtani both an exceptional athlete and likable person, and they discuss what his success could mean for the game of baseball as a whole. Read/ see more: Jason Coskrey's baseball column for The Japan Times 10 Things Shohei Ohtani Can't Live Without (GQ Sports) On this episode: Jason Coskrey: Articles | Twitter Dave Cortez: Articles | Twitter Jason Jenkins: Articles | Twitter Transcript: We have recently begun experimenting with transcripts for episodes of Deep Dive. A full transcript of this episode is available on The Japan Times website. Find transcripts useful? Tips for improvement? Contact us to let us know. Announcements: Get in touch with the Deep Dive team at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show. Rate, review 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: Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate in the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium last month. | JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA USA TODAY SPORTS / VIA REUTERS 

Our minds have been largely preoccupied with the COVID-19 pandemic the past couple of years, but that doesn’t mean the threats caused by the climate crisis have gone away. Still, sometimes it feels like environmental issues don’t loom as large in Japan as they do in other countries.  Two of our guests on this episode of Deep Dive, Hanae Takahashi and Eric Margolis, currently cover climate issues for The Japan Times. They have spoken to Japan-based environmentalists about how the media in this country could do a better job at informing the Japanese public on these issues, so they can make better decisions when voting. First, however, we are joined by former Deep Dive host and climate journalist Oscar Boyd who takes part in a conversation on the larger picture when it comes to the environment and how we can better equip ourselves with knowledge when it comes to this rather overwhelming issue.  Read/ hear more: Bloomberg Green’s “Zero” podcast Yuka Natori: Starting a climate initiative in your own community would be great (Hanae Takahashi, The Japan Times) The true cost of the climate crisis on Japan (Eric Margolis, The Japan Times) What can we do to fight the climate crisis from Japan? (Eric Margolis, The Japan Times) How can you fight climate change in Japan? Learn how to talk about it. (Eric Margolis, The Japan Times) On this episode: Oscar Boyd: Articles | Twitter  Hanae Takahashi: Articles | Twitter Eric Margolis: Articles | Twitter  Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter  Transcript: We have recently begun experimenting with transcripts for episodes of Deep Dive. A full transcript of this episode is available on The Japan Times website. Find transcripts useful? Tips for improvement? Contact us to let us know. Announcements: Get in touch with the Deep Dive team at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show. Rate, review 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: Firefighters rescue people with a raft in a flooded area of Kurume, Fukuoka Pref., following torrential rain last summer. | Kyodo

The podcast is on hiatus for the next few months. For all the latest news from Japan, please subscribe to The Japan Times and help support its journalism. Thank you to all our listeners, guests and supporters of the show. ポッド疲れ様

Over the past few months, Japan has been slowly easing its COVID-19 related border restrictions. In March, after almost two years, it started allowing in students, academics and business people. Then in April, parents and immediate relatives of foreign residents were allowed to enter the country. But the borders are still closed to tourists, a broad category of people that includes everyone from leisure travelers to the unmarried partners of residents of Japan. This week on Deep Dive, Kanako Takahara joins to discuss when Japan might reopen to international tourism, and what form that reopening might take. Read more:  The ¥22 trillion question: When will Japan reopen to foreign tourists? (Kanako Takahara, The Japan Times) Japan plans to double entry cap to allow 20,000 daily arrivals starting in June Japan should end cap on overseas visitors, senior LDP lawmaker says On this episode: Kanako Takahara: Articles | Twitter Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Transcript We have recently begun experimenting with transcripts for episodes of Deep Dive. A full transcript of this episode is available on The Japan Times website. Find transcripts useful? Tips for improvement? Contact us to let us know. Announcements: Get in touch with Oscar and the show at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show. Rate, review 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: Mount Fuji, one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions, in fall. | Getty Images

Since 2008, Japan’s population has been falling, and each year the amount it falls by grows larger and larger. In 2008, the country lost around 20,000 people. In 2010, 100,000, and by 2019, the figure stood at over half a million. The most recent data, released earlier this month, shows that in 2021, Japan lost more than 640,000 people.  This week on Deep Dive Japan Times staff writer Alex Martin joins to discuss Japan’s declining population, and why one town in Saitama thinks it’s not all bad news. Read more:  For some shrinking towns in Japan, depopulation isn't all bad news Japan's population plummeted by 640,000 in 2021 for biggest drop on record Japan, in need of more babies, is helping pay for costly IVF What is Golden Week and why does it matter? Archival clip from Tokyo Today 1948 On this episode: Alex K.T. Martin: Articles | Twitter Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram  Transcript: We now have transcripts for episodes of Deep Dive. A full transcript of this episode is available on The Japan Times website. Find transcripts useful? Tips for improvement? Contact us to let us know. Announcements: Get in touch with Oscar and the show at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show. Rate, review 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: Nestled along its namesake river and set against lush forests and mountains, the town of Tokigawa, is fighting against its declining population. | COURTESY OF TOKIGAWA TOWN

Since the beginning of March, the value of the yen has plummeted against the dollar, the euro and the British pound. Bloomberg economy reporter Yuko Takeo joins Deep Dive to explain why. Read more: Yen falls to ¥129 against U.S. dollar, refreshing a 20-year low Amid deepening yen weakness, a mixed blessing sours for Japan Japan’s trade shifts mean a weak yen is likely here to stay Bank of Japan poised to predict strongest inflation in 30 years On this episode: Yuko Takeo: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram  Transcript: We now have transcripts for episodes of Deep Dive. A full transcript of this episode is available on The Japan Times website. Find transcripts useful? Tips for improvement? Contact us to let us know. Announcements: Get in touch with Oscar and the show at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show. Rate, review 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: The yen's value has plummeted against the dollar over the past few weeks. | Getty Images

Demolition of the Nakagin Capsule Tower — an iconic representation of Japan’s metabolist architectural movement — officially kicked off on Tuesday, with fans of the building showing up to take a last glimpse before it is torn down. On this week's Deep Dive, Japan Times editor Chris Russell joins to discuss the story of Nakagin and why he thinks it has captivated so many people over the years. Read more: Demolition of Tokyo’s iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower officially begins Nakagin Capsule Tower: Saving an urban dream from the ravages of time Tokyo’s Tearing Down an Iconic Building. That’s a Good Thing. On this episode: Chris Russell: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram  Transcript: We have recently begun experimenting with transcripts for episodes of Deep Dive. A full transcript of this episode is available on The Japan Times website. Find transcripts useful? Tips for improvement? Contact us to let us know. Announcements: Get in touch with Oscar and the show at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show. Rate, review 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: Nakagin Capsule Tower on April 12, 2022, the first day of its scheduled demolition. | Oscar Boyd

Two weeks ago, Japan's government issued its first ever electricity supply warning for Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures, calling on citizens to conserve power to avoid blackouts. Bloomberg energy reporter Shoko Oda joins Deep Dive to explain why that crisis was a decade in the making. Read more: Japan’s power crisis was a decade in making and won’t go away Japanese turn down heat and lights to avoid power cut after quake The future of energy will require citizens to make sacrifices. Just ask Tokyo residents. Japan’s energy buyers warn that the weak yen threatens their business On this episode: Shoko Oda: Twitter | Articles Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram Sponsor: Today’s episode is sponsored by RGF Professional Recruitment Japan, the bilingual arm of Recruit, Japan and Asia's largest recruiting and information service company. Visit RGF Professional Recruitment Japan to register your resume and unleash your potential today. Transcript: We have recently begun experimenting with transcripts for episodes of Deep Dive. A full transcript of this episode is available on The Japan Times website. Find transcripts useful? Tips for improvement? Contact us to let us know. Announcements: Get in touch with Oscar and the show at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show. Rate, review 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: Tokyo Tower turned off its lights on Tuesday, March 22, after the government requested the Tokyo area conserve energy. | BLOOMBERG