Unpacking Japan

Meet Justin, a singer who has been studying the ancient art of shigin for more than 10 years, after accidentally discovering it one day while living in the Japanese countryside. He sits down with us to share his story of moving from Tennessee to Japan and falling in love with this beautiful, yet incredibly difficult, traditional art form.00:00 Intro 01:38 The Story of Coming to Japan 02:29 Why Japan? 03:50 Volunteering in Fukushima 09:09 Getting into Shigin 13:00 Singing Shigin 15:24 Improving Language Abilities Through Shigin 17:10 Modern Shigin 20:38 Different Schools of Shigin 22:35 The Modern Poems for Shigin 23:27 The Poems to Start Learning Shigin 25:23 Learning the Tones of Shigin 32:24 The Shigin Poem Stories 37:40 How Shigin Changes Lives 40:01 ShiGin Events 44:54 Choosing a Shigin Poem for a Performance 46:31 The Underlying Theme of Shigin Poetry 50:02 How to Preserve Shigin 53:03 Shigin Manga 55:57 The Future of Shigin 1:02:27 How to Start Learning Shigin? 1:02:26 Singing His Favorite Poem 1:05:14 Outro Follow Justin:https://youtube.com/@theshigingaijin1985 https://www.instagram.com/shigin_gaijin/https://www.x.com/shigin_gaijinhttps://www.instagram.com/justin_lnbhttps://youtube.com/@Orthodox_In_JapanFollow us on our social media:https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe 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 Joe Allam, a British filmmaker and a photographer who was so fascinated by Japan that he decided to move to Osaka and restart his entire life in Japan. He sits down to talk with us about what makes Japan so special, how he avoids the Japan content trap, and his own inspirations as a filmmaker.Follow Joe Allam:https://joeallam.co.uk/about/https://www.youtube.com/AllamJoehttps://www.instagram.com/joeallamhttp://facebook.com/JoeAllamLtdhttp://twitter.com/joeallamFollow us on our social media:https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe 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/

Dive into Ananya's journey as a content creator in Japan, sharing her unique blend of education and comedy. Discover the reality behind financial success for Japanese creators and the challenges young people face in financial literacy. Hear about the cultural intricacies of living in Yokohama and the emotional rollercoaster of transitioning to community building on YouTube. Ananya also reflects on her experiences as an Indian in Japan, exploring identity, belonging, and the importance of connections in navigating life's complexities.

Meet Felicity, a filmmaker exploring the theme of identity through her documentary work in Japan. She sits down to talk with us about what she's learned about Japanese views on multiculturalism, awareness of queer issues, and the concept of what "home" is.Follow Felicity's work:https://www.instagram.com/wherenextjapanhttps://www.wherenextjapan.comFollow us on our social media:https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe 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 AV star June Lovejoy, who sits down with us to break down all the misconceptions about the Japanese porn industry, and explore what life is like for workers in this profession. June shares their own personal experiences, their thoughts on the good and bad of the industry, and the ways it continues to change.Follow June:https://www.instagram.com/junelovejoyyhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5o8__B2BXoqFf0Et1fMSrQhttps://x.com/june__lovejoyhttps://www.tiktok.com/@junelovejoyhttps://www.facebook.com/junelovejoyy/https://www.reddit.com/user/JuneLovejoy/Follow us on our social media:https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe 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 Donna Burke, a singer and voice actress in Japan most widely known as the voice of the Shinkansen. She sits down to talk to us about her 30-year career in Japan, from wedding singer to starring in franchises like Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and Tokyo Ghoul, as well as her life as an entrepreneur.Follow Donna:https://www.donnaburke.com/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwl3O6yIEVSY49XwOS1QTpAhttps://www.instagram.com/thedonnaburkehttps://www.x.com/TheDonnaBurkehttps://www.facebook.com/donnaburkesingerListen to her music:https://open.spotify.com/artist/6EhrRmObU0r0A8dzkRShpR?si=0l82ZibCRDqxqUlU-9xWVwhttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/donna-burke/73212349Follow us on our social media:https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe 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 Jheadear, a factory worker and content creator from the Philippines, who sits down to talk to us about the process of applying to become a technical trainee in Japan. We discuss her daily routines and workflow, her challenges in adapting to Japanese culture and work environment, as well as her work as an influencer helping her fellow Filipinos secure work placements in Japan.Follow Jheadearhttps://www.youtube.com/@jeadelosreyes3720https://www.tiktok.com/@jeadelosreyesFollow us on our social media:https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe 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 Jad, cofounder of Integral AI, a software developing a system called universal simulations, in order to help advance AGI (artificial general intelligence). He sits down to talk with us about the future of AI, and if we really can develop it in a way that benefits humanity.Follow Jad & Intergral AIhttps://www.x.com/jad_tarifihttps://www.integral.aiFollow us on our social media:https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe 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 Ricchaado, a comedian from the UK most known for his exaggerated skits about his experiences as a black foreigner in Japan. He sits down to talk to us about the inspirations behind his famous characters Momo-chan and Mr. Hashimoto, his other business endeavors, how Japanese and Western viewers see his content differently, and more.Follow Ricchaado:https://www.instagram.com/ricchaadotvhttps://www.youtube.com/@RicchaadoTVhttps://www.x.com/ricchaadohttps://www.facebook.com/Ricchaado-104619474570861https://www.snapchat.com/add/ricchaadoRicchaado Academy & Spring 2025 Japan Road Trip:https://mailchi.mp/racademy/ufxwxa0h64https://www.cognitoforms.com/RicchaadoAcademy/RealityTravelExperienceFollow us on our social media:https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe 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 Dr. Miaka, a veterinarian at Kobe Animal Kingdom, who sits down to talk with us about her daily life taking care of the zoo's wide variety of animals, as well as discuss animal rights in Japan, the role of zoos in science and conservation, and how her zoo recreates the natural habitats of its animals.Follow Dr. Miaka and the Kobe Animal Kingdom:https://www.instagram.com/@zoovetjapanhttps://www.kobe-oukoku.com/enFollow us on our social media:https://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts Subscribe 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/