Unpacking Japan

Meet Yuriko Tiger, a professional cosplayer who sits down to talk with us about her 10-year career in Japan. She tells us about her beginnings in the idol industry, her viral appearance on Japanese TV, and the challenges of being the official cosplayer for some of Japan's biggest IP.--0:00 Intro0:53 Meet Yuriko Tiger1:59 Yuriko's start doing idol dance covers4:53 Origin of the name Yuriko Tiger7:19 Being scouted as an idol12:15 Yuriko's viral moment16:42 Being a talent on Japanese TV20:36 Getting established as a cosplayer23:55 Memorable experiences on TV27:23 What Japanese TV is really like31:55 What makes a professional cosplayer different?33:59 Do you make your own cosplay?35:07 How to act as a cosplayer37:27 Yuriko's favorite characters to cosplay43:01 Craziest convention stories44:34 Cosplay abroad vs. Japan49:33 Conventions abroad vs. Japan54:56 Working as an official cosplayer1:03:15 How her career has changed1:07:42 Life advice from Yuriko's dad--Follow Yuriko Tiger:https://www.youtube.com/yurikotigerjphttps://www.youtube.com/yurikotigerhttps://www.instagram.com/yurikotiger/https://x.com/yurikotigerhttps://www.tiktok.com/@yurikotigerFollow 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/

Today we sit down with bunny girl hostess Silvie, who talks to us about what life is really like as a bunny girl in Japan. We talk about the interactions with customers, safety, explain the ranking system, and many of the questions people often think of when hearing about this unique part of Japan's culture.Follow Silviehttps://www.youtube.com/@silviethequeenhttps://www.instagram.com/silvie_the_queenhttps://www.tiktok.com/@silviethequeenFollow us on our social media:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.facebook.com/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/

Meet Kurt, aka  @softypapa , an early j-vlogger who started uploading videos to YouTube all the way back in 2006. Kurt sits down to talk to us about his early YouTube fame, starting a business and going bankrupt in Japan, and what losing everything taught him about life.As well, he tells us about his journey moving back and forth from Japan, starting over from nothing, before finally coming back to Japan to retire.Follow Kurt: @softypapa  goingalone.orghttps://www.x.com/softypapahttps://www.discord.gg/srfDtMN5jAhttps://www.patreon.com/softypapahttps://www.facebook.com/LylesBrotherhttps://www.instagram.com//softypapahttps://www.flickr.com/photos/oldjapanphotosKurt's book: a.co/d/6IwCcBAFollow 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/

In this engaging discussion, Jesper Kohl, also known as the Japanoptimist, shares his insights as an economist who has lived in Japan since 1986. He passionately debunks the notion of Japan's stagnant economy, highlighting emerging opportunities due to labor shortages and evolving corporate dynamics. Jesper explores the balance of high public debt and significant private savings, recent shifts in monetary policy, and the changing attitudes among generations towards investment. His optimistic outlook encourages a fresh perspective on Japan's future economic landscape.

Meet Mira, a Serbian psychologist practicing in Japan, treating foreign residents and travelled Japanese patients. She sits down to talk with us about mental health in Japan, and her work with traditional and RTT therapy.--0:00 Intro0:54 Meet Mira 1:08 What brings you to Japan 1:30 Were you interested in Japan before coming 3:38 Expectations of Japan 4:20 Psychology in Japan vs Overseas 6:24 Studying in Japan 8:21 Noticing differences in how research is understood in Japan 10:34 Pursuing a PhD in Japan and goal afterwards 12:42 Mental health in Japan vs the West – what stood out? 14:25 Mental health stigma in Japan and the role of collectivism 17:00 How did you establish yourself in Japan? 20:17 What is Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT)? 25:17 How common is hypnosis in Japan? 25:49 Bringing RTT to Japan: licensing and legal requirements 28:12 Common mental health challenges among foreigners in Japan 31:53 What does it mean to process unresolved issues? 33:36 How do you define depression? 35:38 Distinguishing clinical depression from everyday lows 38:13 Do language and cultural concepts affect therapy? 41:14 Does therapy change across cultures and languages? 43:15 How fast does Rapid Transformational Therapy work? 45:18 How does online hypnosis work? 47:50 Can it put you to sleep at night as well? 48:30 What are you teaching now? 49:11 Improving how therapy is taught in Japan 49:54 What cultural topics do students compare most? 52:53 Where do you keep your focus as a therapist? 54:46 Shifting attitudes toward mental health in Japan 59:32 Is tech making mental health worse? Can therapy keep up? 1:02:25 Long-term vision for therapy and mental health in Japan--Follow Mira:https://mirasimicyamashita.com/https://www.instagram.com/dr.mira.simic.yamashita/https://www.linkedin.com/in/mira-simic-yamashita-phd-b322331a9/https://www.facebook.com/MindYourHead.mmhttps://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCaUHiChi49OUbXKCk0kVddgFollow us on our social media:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2158416https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.facebook.com/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/

On today's episode we sit down with CNN international correspondent, Hanako Montgomery, who covers breaking news and fascinating stories in Japan & other regions of Asia. We discuss what it's like reporting on breaking news, the importance of proper journalism on society, and the intricacies that go behind covering controversial stories. Hanako has worked for not only CNN but also companies like Vice and NHK, and today she share's her insights and advice for those interested in pursuing journalism both in Japan, and all over the globe.Follow Hanako & check out her work:https://www.instagram.com/hanacocoaahttps://edition.cnn.com/profiles/hanako-montgomeryhttps://www.tiktok.com/@hanakomontgomeryhttps://x.com/HanakoMontgome1Follow us on our social media:https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.facebook.com/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/

Today we talk to J'Nique Nicole, singer-songwriter who you may have heard from games like NieR: Automata, Final Fantasy, or Street Fighter. J'Nique tells us about her journey in Japan in the music industry, advice for those looking to pursue a career as a singer, and how NieR completely changed the trajectory of her career.Follow J'Nique Nicole:https://www.jniquenicole.com/https://www.instagram.com/jniquenicolehttps://www.youtube.com/jniquenicolehttps://www.facebook.com/jniquenicolehttps://x.com/jniquenicolehttps://www.tiktok.com/@jniquenicoleofficialhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/j%E2%80%99nique-johnson-58b185282/Follow us on our social media:https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.facebook.com/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/

On this episode we talk with Larisa, a stage manager that founded and is director of International Stage Academy. She talks about what it's like teaching performing arts in Japan and the ways in which theater education can be improved in Japan's theater scene to help students find success. We discuss what it takes to make it to Broadway, the differences in theater education in Japan vs the West, the reasons why Japan's theater scene is struggling to grow, and how to solve these issues and more.Learn more about International Stage Academy:https://www.facebook.com/larisa.amaya.baron/https://www.linkedin.com/in/larisaamayabaron/https://www.facebook.com/stageacademy.japanhttps://www.instagram.com/stage_japan/www.stagejapan.comFollow us on our social media:https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.facebook.com/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/

Follow Eillen:https://www.tiktok.com/@Eillen78Follow us on our social media:https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.facebook.com/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/

Today we talk with Khôi, founder of the rock band Kurrock which blends Vietnamese and Japanese to create a unique musical experience. Khoi explains what it's like creating a band in Japan, working with the cultural differences, navigating challenges, and finding Kurrock's musical identity.Follow Khôi and Kurrock:https://www.kurrock.net/enhttps://www.instagram.com/kurrockofficialhttps://www.youtube.com/@KURROCKhttps://x.com/kurrockofficialhttps://www.facebook.com/KURROCKOfficialhttps://www.tiktok.com/@kurrockofficialFollow us on our social media:https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.facebook.com/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/