Japan Explained Podcast
1) Saigo Takamori Explained. Part 1 – Childhood, early career and exile to Amami
Saigo Takamori, the Great Saigo or the Last Samurai is the ideal Japanese man and one of Japan's most beloved historical characters. In popular imagination, Saigo is THE perfect samurai. His image is ...Show More
Saigo Takamori Explained. Part 1 – Childhood, early career and exile to Amami
43:45 | Nov 21st, 2022
2) Tanuki Explained
Happy Halloween everyone! We started this October with kitsune, and I thought it would be great to finish it with tanuki. So let's see how tanuki and kitsune influenced each other, what tanuki has to ...Show More
3) Kitsune Explained
Kitsune – Japanese foxes, who are they? Multi-tailed shapeshifters, companions of the god Inari, animals that bring good luck or beasts that inflict madness? Let's find out! Bonus episode: https://www...Show More
4) Ikebana Explained
This time let's have a look at the Japanese art of flower arrangement also known as Ikebana. When did the first flower compositions appear in Japan? How did it evolve into complex art with sets of rul...Show More
5) Sake Explained. Bonus - Expert talk with Dick Stegewerns
To help me break down the many myths about sake, this time I am joined by Dick Stegewerns, the founder of Yoigokochi Sake Importers. We talked about how sake came to Europe and America, how to choose ...Show More
6) Summer Break Announcement
Just a quick update: I'm taking a break from releasing new episodes. I hate that I can't stick to the uploading schedule, so during the summer, I plan to make a backlog of episodes to release. I'll be...Show More
AUDIO REMOVED: The podcast creator has removed the audio for this episode.7) Sake Explained. Part 2 - From rice grain to dining table or all you need to know about sake
Continuing to uncover the truth about sake, let's see how this beverage is made, which types of sake you can find in the shop and how to drink it properly. Or maybe there are no rules at all? More inf...Show More
8) Sake Explained. Part 1 - The Past and Present of Nihonshu
Few things in Japanese culture are covered by so many myths as sake. For example, sake is not rice vodka and not even rice wine, but in essence it is rice beer. And it is far from being the most popul...Show More
9) Tokaido Explained. Part 2 - Travellers of the Edo period
This time let's take a look at different types of travellers using the road in the 17th-19th centuries. From foreigners who loved Tokaido to an elephant who absolutely hated the journey, there is a fu...Show More
10) Tokaido Explained. Part 1 - The Road
Have you ever heard about Tokaido? If you live in Japan, I bet yes. If you’ve ever visited, I’m positive you took Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. And if you love art, you’ve probabl...Show More