Japan Station: A Podcast About Japanese Culture & the Japanese Language

Helping you understand everything you should know about Japan. Interviews with Japan experts, deep dives into Japanese culture and society, and plenty of laughs; every episode host Tony R. Vega sheds light on a different aspect of Japan. Whether you're planning a visit to Japan, learning Japanese or just have a passion for all things Japan, we've got something for you! Common topics include ・Japanese culture ・Deep dives into the Japanese language ・Japanese history ・Japanese food ・Japan travel tips ・Japanese pop culture: anime, manga, movies, etc ・The stories of foreigners living in Japan ・And more! Episodes release on the 1st and 21st of the month. You can reach us via email: mail@japankyo.com About Tony R. Vega Tony R. Vega is the founder of JapanKyo.com, creator of The Anime Linguist YouTube channel, professional MC, and lifelong Japan enthusiast. He has a particular passion for the Japanese language which led him to obtain an M.A. in Japanese language and linguistics from the University of Hawaii. Tony is also legally blind and dedicated to raising awareness of the blind and visually impaired, as well as the problems these individuals face.

Latest episodes

Dec 1, 2023 • 26min

I Walked 500 km from Kyoto to Tokyo and I'm Legally Blind... It Was CRAZY! | Japan Station 115

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about my experience walking 500 km from Kyoto to Tokyo in September-October 2023. Check it out to learn about the Tokaido Challenge (a.k.a. the craziest adventure I've ever had in Japan). Topics Discussed What the Tōkaidō Challenge is What the Tōkaidō road is The many different Tōkaidō raods that exist When I started walking How long it took to walk from Kyoto to Tokyo The difficulties I had to face while walking the Tōkaidō The parts of the Tōkaidō I had to omit The difficult areas of the Tōkaidō road About the Hakone area of the Tōkaidō road (Kyū Tōkaidō/Kyūkaidō) About getting lost About the 53 stations/post towns of the Tōkaidō About the famous series of woodblock prints depicting the 53 stations of the Tōkaidō The usual amount I would walk on any given day while walking from Kyoto to Tokyo About getting lost in the middle of some rice fields in rural Japan About walking through a tunnel in Kyoto About getting stopped by police in Japan About falling down in Mishima How helpful people were About the excellent customer service I experienced What I ate during my walk from Kyoto to Tokyo Where I stayed/slept while walking from Kyoto to Tokyo About the difficulties of trying to find food on my own About the weather About the arriving in Nihonbashi in Tokyo About the party I held at Pintology Tokyo About meeting Kuro About the coastline between Shizuoka City and Yaizu Why I do what I do And much more Support on Patreon & Ko-fi If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month. Patrons get first access to podcast episodes, as well as updates on what I'm working on for JapanKyo.com. If you join the $3 a month tier you get access to the back catalog of the Japanese Plus Alpha podcast (a short series on interesting Japanese words and features of the Japanese language). If you would like to do a one time donation, that is also possible. Just use the Ko-fi link below. All donations are greatly appreciated! And if you can't support financially, that's ok. Consider telling a friend about the show! Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo Links, Videos, Etc. A few links for things mentioned int he video. Hawaii Association of the Blind: https://hawaii.acb.org/ My X/Twitter post announcing the completion of the Tokaido Challenge: https://twitter.com/TheVegaTony/status/1714940372374458608 My personal X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheVegaTony The MAJISON X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/majisonchan Follow JapanKyo on Social Media Facebook (@JapankyoNews) https://www.facebook.com/JapankyoNews/ X/Twitter (@JapankyoNews) https://twitter.com/japankyonews My Personal X/Twitter (@TheVegaTony) https://twitter.com/TheVegaTony Instagram (@JapanKyoNews) https://instagram.com/japankyonews YouTube (@JapanKyoNews) https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews For More Visit JapanKyo.com For more of my Japan-focused content, visit the JapanKyo website JapanKyo.com

Nov 1, 2023 • 34min

How I Fell in Love with Japan (NEONshe) | Japan Station 114

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk to musician NEONshe about how she fell in love with Japan, how Japan inspired her music, her time in Japan, her upcoming move to Japan and more. Topics Discussed About NEONshe and her musical career NEONshe's time living in Japan How she became interested in Japan The Japanese music artists that have influenced NEONshe Perfumre, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Nakata Yasutaka About NEONshe's first album J-POP The inspiration for NEONshe's song Osaka Child About NEONshe's upcoming move to Kyoto And much more Support on Patreon & Ko-fi If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month. Patrons get first access to podcast episodes, as well as updates on what I'm working on for JapanKyo.com. If you join the $3 a month tier you get access to the back catalog of the Japanese Plus Alpha podcast (a short series on interesting Japanese words and features of the Japanese language). If you would like to do a one time donation, that is also possible. Just use the Ko-fi link below. All donations are greatly appreciated! And if you can't support financially, that's ok. Consider telling a friend about the show! Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo Links, Videos, Etc. For more on NEONshe, check out the links below. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neonshe YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfMYuLyd786V4Xs8gm2UxsQ Ride the Tide: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/neonshe/ride-the-tide-feat-jey-cordz Linktree: https://linktr.ee/neonshe Follow JapanKyo on Social Media Facebook (@JapankyoNews) https://www.facebook.com/JapankyoNews/ X/Twitter (@JapankyoNews) https://twitter.com/japankyonews My Personal X/Twitter (@TheVegaTony) https://twitter.com/TheVegaTony Instagram (@JapanKyoNews) https://instagram.com/japankyonews YouTube (@JapanKyoNews) https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews Full Show Notes Get the full version of show notes at https://www.japankyo.com/category/podcasts/japanstation/

Sep 1, 2023 • 57min

Seeing Japan While Blind (Maud Rowell) | Japan Station 112

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk to Maud Rowell, a freelance journalist and writer who spent a year traveling around Japan. Topics Discussed About Maud Rowell About traveling around Japan as a person with a visual impairment About Blind Spot About becoming interested in Japan About getting a scholarship to travel around a Japan for a year About visiting Hachijojima (青ヶ島) and Aogashima About public transportation in Japan About tactile paving/yellow braille blocks About accessibility for the blind in Japan About doing the 88 Temple Pilgrimmage in Shikoku And much more Support on Patreon & Ko-fi If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month. Patrons get first access to podcast episodes, as well as updates on what I'm working on for JapanKyo.com. If you join the $3 a month tier you get access to the back catalog of the Japanese Plus Alpha podcast (a short series on interesting Japanese words and features of the Japanese language). If you would like to do a one time donation, that is also possible. Just use the Ko-fi link below. All donations are greatly appreciated! And if you can't support financially, that's ok. Consider telling a friend about the show! Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo Links, Videos, Etc. Fore more on Maud Rowell Blind Spot - Maud Rowell: https://www.404ink.com/store/inklings-blind-spot Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/where.birds.wont.go/ Follow JapanKyo on Social Media Facebook (@JapankyoNews) https://www.facebook.com/JapankyoNews/ Twitter (@JapankyoNews) https://twitter.com/japankyonews Instagram (@JapanKyoNews) https://instagram.com/japankyonews Full Show Notes Get the full version of show notes at https://www.japankyo.com/category/podcasts/japanstation/

Aug 16, 2023 • 30min

I'm Walking from Kyoto to Tokyo (And I'm Legally Blind) | Japan Station 112

On September 21st I'm starting something I'm calling the MAJISON Tokaido Challenge. Basically I'll be walking over 300 miles from Kyoto to Tokyo over the course of around 30 days. Watch the video to find out more about this crazy challenge and why I decided to do it. Topics Discussed About walking from Kyoto to Tokyo About walking the Tokaido About the MAJISON Tokaido Challenge About MAJISON And much more Support on Patreon & Ko-fi If you enjoy Japan Station and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. For a minimum pledge of $1 a month you'll get early access to all JapanKyo podcasts, bonus content, and more. And for $3 a month, you'll get access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and all of its fascinating quirks. Also, all pledges get a shout-out on the show and my undying gratitude. Thank you in advance! Support Japan Station on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/japankyo You can also do a one time donation via Ko-fi. Support us on Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/japankyo Links, Videos, Etc. Tony Vega Twitter https://twitter.com/thevegatony MAJISON Twitter https://twitter.com/majisonchan Hawaii Association of the Blind https://hawaii.acb.org/ Follow JapanKyo on Social Media Facebook (@JapankyoNews) https://www.facebook.com/JapankyoNews/ Twitter (@JapankyoNews) https://twitter.com/japankyonews Instagram (@JapanKyoNews) https://instagram.com/japankyonews Full Show Notes Get the full version of show notes at https://www.japankyo.com/category/podcasts/japanstation/

Aug 7, 2023 • 52min

She Learned Japanese By Being On Japanese TV (Jessica Gerrity) | Japan Station 111

Jessica Gerrity, a TV personality working in Japan, martial artist, pracitioner of kyudo (Japanese archery),and writer! Topics Discussed Jessica' work on Japanese TV How she became interested in Japan Why she first went to Japan How she got into the Japanese entertainment industry Working with SMAP Learning Japanese How being on TV helped her learn Japanese The behind the scenes of Japanese TV About how Japanese TV is scripted The good and bad on working on Japanese TV About kyudo (Japanese archery) How much it costs to get into kyudo About yabusame (horseback archery) Places to do horseback archery in Japan About her work as a writer focusing on archery and martial arts And much more Support on Patreon & Ko-fi If you enjoy Japan Station and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. For a minimum pledge of $1 a month you'll get early access to all JapanKyo podcasts, bonus content, and more. And for $3 a month, you'll get access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and all of its fascinating quirks. Also, all pledges get a shout-out on the show and my undying gratitude. Thank you in advance! Support Japan Station on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/japankyo You can also do a one time donation via Ko-fi. Support us on Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/japankyo Links, Videos, Etc. Check out Jessica's linktree below to find the links mentioned on today's episode. https://linktr.ee/jessintokyo Follow JapanKyo on Social Media Facebook (@JapankyoNews) https://www.facebook.com/JapankyoNews/ Twitter (@JapankyoNews) https://twitter.com/japankyonews Instagram (@JapanKyoNews) https://instagram.com/japankyonews Full Show Notes Get the full version of show notes at https://www.japankyo.com/category/podcasts/japanstation/

Jul 1, 2023 • 33min

Go To Japan NOW | Japan Station 110

Jun 1, 2023 • 1h 7min

Road Cycling in Japan & Life on the JET Programme (Zeb Ramsbotham) | Japan Station 109

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, road cycling in Japan, life on the JET Programme and more with Zeb Ramsbotham. About Zeb Ramsbotham Zeb Ramsbotham is experienced road cyclist living in Japan. He competes in cycling events as part of the Japan Bicyclist Club Federation (JBCF). He is also currently on the JET Programme and along with his wife produces the Japan-focused podcast Rambling Ramsbothams. Topics Discussed Zeb's interest in Japan What road cycling is About road cycling in Japan What it's like competing in the Japan Bicyclist Club Federation (JBCF) About cycling around Japan About the benefits of seeing Japan on bicycle About the JET Programme What it's like getting into the JET Programme The unique aspects of getting to see Japan via the JET Programme And much more Support on Patreon & Ko-fi If you enjoy Japan Station and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. For a minimum pledge of $1 a month you'll get early access to all JapanKyo podcasts, bonus content, and more. And for $3 a month, you'll get access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and all of its fascinating quirks. Also, all pledges get a shout-out on the show and my undying gratitude. Thank you in advance! Support Japan Station on Patreon You can also do a one time donation via Ko-fi. Support us on Ko-fi Links, Videos, Etc. To learn more about Zeb, cycling in Japan and life on the JET Programme, check out Zeb's podcast, Rambling Ramsbothams. Links are below. Rambling Ramsbothams on Apple Podcasts Rambling Ramsbothams on Spotify Follow JapanKyo on Social Media Facebook (@JapankyoNews) Twitter (@JapankyoNews) Instagram (@JapanKyoNews) Full Show Notes Get the full version of show notes at https://www.japankyo.com/category/podcasts/japanstation/

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