Japan on the Record

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The podcast where scholars of Japanese studies bring their expertise to bear on issues in the news. Hosted and produced by Tristan R. Grunow, Visiting Assistant Professor of Modern Japanese History at Pacific University.

Tristan Grunow


    • Oct 20, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 19m AVG DURATION
    • 56 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Japan on the Record

    Japanese Opposition Politics on the Record with Roméo Marcantuoni (Waseda)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2021 17:58


    Read Roméo's latest article on Japanese opposition parties in Tokyo Review at: https://www.tokyoreview.net/2021/10/japans-opposition-is-this-the-year/

    Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan on the Record with Dr. Andrew Gordon (Harvard) and Dr. Michael Reich (Harvard)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 25:49


    View Dr. Gordon and Dr. Reich's co-authored article, "The Puzzle of Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan" in the Journal of Japanese Studies here: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/799776.

    Nagasaki Anti-Nuclear Movements and the TPNW on the Record with Dr. Gwyn McClelland (UNE)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2021 19:40


    In this episode, Dr. Gwyn McClelland (UNE) discusses Japan's refusal to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons despite outspoken criticism from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, before introducing the complex history of anti-nuclear movements in Nagasaki and touching on local responses to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

    Foreign Media and Japan's Postwar Pacifism on the Record with Dr. Tom Le (Pomona)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2021 18:40


    In this episode, Dr. Tom Le (Pomona) responds to recent news coverage of Japan's security position towards Taiwan, counters media narratives about resurgent Japanese militarism by emphasizing demographic barriers and the postwar peace culture that limit the government and Self Defense Forces, and offers Japan as a new model of international relations focused on human welfare rather than military might.

    Foreign Students and Japan's Border Closures on the Record with Dr. Chelsea Szendi Schieder (Aoyama Gakuin)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2021 15:14


    In this episode, Dr. Schieder discusses the impacts of Japan's COVID-related border closures on foreign students, scholars, and researchers waiting to enter Japan, introduces actions taken by community members in the form of an open letter, online petition, and press conference to raise awareness of this issue, and cautions what border closures could mean for Japanese attitudes to foreign residents and for universities that rely on foreign students.

    Demon Slayer and the Future of Anime on the Record with Dr. Patrick Galbraith (Senshu)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2021 18:46


    In this episode, Dr. Patrick Galbraith (Senshu) reacts to the global popularity of Demon Slayer before explaining why it has become so popular so quickly, how Demon Slayer marks a major shift in anime production away from directors like Miyazaki Hayao, and what online distribution platforms mean for the future of anime around the world.

    Tokyo 2020 and the Future of the Olympic Games with Dr. Jules Boykoff (Pacific)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2021 16:04


    In this episode, Dr. Jules Boykoff (Pacific) outlines the many scandals and health concerns plaguing the Tokyo 2020 Olympics before explaining why organizers went ahead with the Games and gauging how Tokyo 2020 might impact the future of the Olympics.

    Japanese Military Policy on the Record with Dr. Sheila A. Smith (CFR)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2021 18:51


    In this episode, Dr. Sheila A. Smith (CFR) places recent Japanese arms export deals with East-Asian neighbors into the context of changing security concerns and Japan's larger Indo-Pacific strategies, before discussing how new administrations in both Japan and the United States might impact military policy.

    The Development and Future of the US-JPN Military Alliance on the Record with Dr. Ellis Krauss (UCSD)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2020 18:14


    In this episode, Dr. Krauss (UCSD) traces the development of the US-Japanese military alliance and Japanese re-militarization under former Prime Ministers Nakasone, Koizumi, and Abe, contrasts Japanese and German pacifism, and discusses how a new US administration might impact the alliance.

    Japan's COVID Economy on the Record with Dr. Gene Park (LMU)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2020 23:25


    In this episode, Dr. Gene Park (LMU) outlines the state of the Japanese economy prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing how former Prime Minister Abe Shinzō was able to reinflate the economy and achieve one of Japan's longest periods of postwar economic growth, and gauging what economic policies Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide will pursue.

    JAXA and Japanese Space Policy on the Record with Dr. Saadia Pekkanen (UW)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2020 15:42


    In this episode, Dr. Saadia Pekkanen (UW) places the recent launch of JAXA astronaut Noguchi Sōichi aboard the SpaceX Resilience into the longer history of Japanese space exploration and collaborations with NASA and other organizations, and highlights the importance of space policy amidst the emergence of a new space race.

    Naomi Osaka and Women's Sport in Japan on the Record with Dr. Helen Macnaughtan (SOAS)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2020 29:40


    In this episode, Dr. Helen Macnaughtan (SOAS) places Naomi Osaka's recent accomplishments into the longer historical context of Japanese women's sports champions, including the gold-medal volleyball team at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics and the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup champions, pointing out how women's sports shape gender norms in Japan and promote gender equality.

    Political Comedy in Japan on the Record with Shawn De Haven (IUHW)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2020 21:10


    In this episode, Shawn De Haven (IUHW) explains why the passing of famous comedian Shimura Ken in late March had such a profound impact on Japan, along with discussing the importance of television comedy in Japan and highlighting the recent emergence of political comedians in Japanese society.

    The Rebirth of Japanese Studies on the Record with Dr. Paula R. Curtis (Yale)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2020 16:05


    In this episode, Dr. Curtis (Yale) discusses the "rebirth" of Japanese Studies in light of recent challenges confronting academia around the world and offers thoughts on how scholars can work together to rebuild a more inclusive academic environment.

    COVID-19 and Japanese "Mindo" in Colonial Korea on the Record with Dr. Michael Kim (Yonsei)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2020 17:23


    In this episode, Dr. Michael Kim (Yonsei) responds to controversial claims that Japan's higher "mindo" (level of culture) explains its successful response to the coronavirus pandemic, providing historical context about how rhetoric of "mindo" fit into Japanese colonial rule in Korea.

    Japan's Asia-Pacific Trade after Abe on the Record with Dr. Saori Katada (USC)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2020 18:40


    In this episode, Dr. Katada (USC) discusses how the recent change in Japanese administrations might impact foreign trade in the Asia-Pacific, outlining how Japan has taken advantage of competition between China and the USA to reposition itself over the last two decades into a more active role shaping geoeconomics in the region.

    Constitutional Revision in Post-Abe Japan on the Record with Dr. Helen Hardacre (Harvard)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2020 25:19


    In this episode, Dr. Helen Hardacre (Harvard) discusses the impacts of Prime Minister Abe's resignation on the future of the constitutional revision debate in Japan, explaining why constitutional revision was such an important policy goal for Abe and why it was always unlikely to succeed.

    Dismantling the Ivory Tower in Asian Studies on the Record with Dr. Christine Yano (Hawaii)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2020 19:46


    In this episode, AAS President Dr. Christine Yano (Hawaii) talks about how recent developments including COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have presented an opportunity for scholars to tear down the traditional hierarchies and rigid structures that have propped up the Ivory Tower for so long and to rebuild a new academic environment.

    September School Enrollment in Japan on the Record with Dr. Masako Egawa (Hitotsubashi)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2020 16:13


    In this episode, Dr. Masako Egawa (Hitotsubashi) discusses her involvement in debates at the University of Tokyo about changing the start of the Japanese school year to September, laying out arguments both for and against adopting the September start date before talking about how COVID-19 has impacted ongoing discussions about September enrollment.

    COVID-19, 3/11, and Media Credibility in Japan on the Record with Dr. Sonja Petrovic (Melbourne)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2020 20:29


    In this episode, Dr. Sonja Petrovic (Melbourne) details how the 3/11 Tōhoku Triple Disaster in 2011 caused a decline in public trust in media and government information, changed media consumption habits in Japan, and shaped popular reception of the Japanese government response to COVID-19.

    #CovidDivorce and Changing Intimacies in Japan on the Record with Dr. Allison Alexy (Michigan)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2020 15:37


    In this episode, Dr. Allison Alexy (Michigan) reacts to news coverage of #CovidDivorce in Japan as the latest example of sensationalist media treatments of Japanese intimacies before outlining how intimate relationship in Japan have changed over the last several years even before COVID-19.

    The Politics of Public Statues and Monuments in Japan on the Record with Dr. Sven Saaler (Sophia)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2020 19:36


    In this episode, Dr. Sven Saaler (Sophia) responds to recent controversies over public statues by describing the active role statues and monuments play in shaping popular understandings of history, communicating ideas about society to future generations, and even disrupting Japanese diplomatic relations in East Asia.

    Anpo, Street Protests, and Civil Disobedience in Japan on the Record with Dr. Nick Kapur (Rutgers-Camden)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2020 17:02


    In this episode, Dr. Nick Kapur (Rutgers-Camden) places recent BLM marches into the context of Japan’s longer history of street protests and civil disobedience, highlighting the violent protests opposing the resigning of the controversial US-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, or Anpo Treaty, in 1960.

    Blackface, Whitewashing, and Anti-Black Racism in Japan on the Record with Dr. John G. Russell (Gifu University)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2020 28:59


    In this episode, Dr. John G. Russell (Gifu) explains the endurance of Blackface performance in Japan, along with discussing how the Whitewashing of prominent Black Japanese and depictions of Black masculinity in Japanese pop culture reveal racist attitudes towards Blackness, Whiteness, and national belonging.

    #BlackInTheIvory in Japan on the Record with Teeka Gray (Indiana), Yasmine Krings (UCLA), Kimberlee Sanders (Harvard), and Dr. Garrett Washington (UMass-Amherst)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2020 46:10


    In this episode, Dr. Garrett Washington (UMass-Amherst) hosts a roundtable discussion of issues confronting Black scholars of Japanese Studies in the United States and Japan with panelists Teeka Gray (Indiana), Yasmine Krings (UCLA), and Kimberlee Sanders (Harvard). Because of technical difficulties during recording, Kimberlee Sanders' responses were recorded separately in a follow-up interview.

    The NHK BLM Video and Depictions of Blackness in Japan on the Record with Dr. Reginald Jackson (Michigan)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 23:32


    In this episode, Dr. Reginald Jackson (Michigan) places the recent NHK Black Lives Matter video in the context of historical depictions of Blackness dating back to the 16th century, discussing how the video reveals enduring anti-Black attitudes in Japan shaped by these earlier depictions along with reflecting on the racist roots of Japanese studies in the United States.

    BLM and Black Japanese/Okinawan Matters on the Record with Dr. Mitzi Uehara Carter (FIU)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2020 26:35


    In this episode, Dr. Mitzi Uehara Carter (FIU) calls attention to the discrimination and racism faced by Black Japanese/Okinawans and biracial communities in Japan, noting the solidarity between Black and Okinawan communities and pointing out how signifiers of Blackness differ in Okinawa and the Japanese mainland.

    Reggae, Racial Difference, and Representations of Blackness in Japan on the Record with Dr. Marvin Sterling (Indiana)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2020 26:11


    In this episode, Dr. Marvin Sterling (Indiana) discusses the popularity of Reggae music and Black culture in Japan, noting how non-majority Japanese communities embrace Reggae and other representations of Blackness to express their own identities and politics.

    COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Racism in North America on the Record with Dr. Michael Jin (UIC) & Dr. Vivian Shaw (Harvard)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2020 31:03


    In this episode, Dr. Michael Jin (UIC) and Dr. Vivian Shaw (Harvard) react to the sharp increase in acts of discrimination, racism, and violence targeting Asian communities in North America as a result of COVID-19. Dr. Jin places this increase into the longer history of Anti-Asian xenophobia and violence in North America, while Dr. Shaw documents how Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities are responding to both COVID-19 and to recent acts of racism.

    8:46 on the Record

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2020 8:46


    No new episode today. Instead, please take the 15 minutes you normally use to listen to new episodes to check out the following news stories and podcast content regarding Black Lives Matter and Black experiences of racism and discrimination in Japan.

    Populism in Japan on the Record with Dr. Axel Klein (Duisburg-Essen)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2020 18:44


    In this episode, Dr. Axel Klein (Duisburg-Essen) asks whether or not populism exists in Japan, focusing on the Reiwa Shinsengumi political party, and cautions against too quickly placing Japan into the context of a rise in populism around the world.

    Illegal Drugs in Japan on the Record with Dr. Miriam Kingsberg Kadia (Colorado)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2020 16:16


    In this episode, Dr. Kadia (Colorado) locates the historical origins of Japan's strict anti-drug laws in Meiji-era nation-building, discussing the role narcotics played in Japan's image of itself as a modern nation, Japanese imperialism in China, and the postwar criminal underworld.

    Postal Privatization on the Record with Dr. Patricia Maclachlan (Texas)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2020 18:03


    In this episode, Dr. Patricia Maclachlan (Texas) looks to Japan for lessons on postal privatization, discussing the background of postal privatization in the early 2000s, whether or not it was successful, and how Japan's experiences can be instructive for other countries considering postal reform.

    Religious Responses to COVID-19 on the Record with Dr. Levi McLaughlin (NC State)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2020 17:56


    In this episode, Dr. Levi McLaughlin (NC State) surveys how Japanese religious groups have responded to the coronavirus pandemic, questioning sensationalist media coverage of Japanese religious groups, and introducing innovative adaptations religious groups have adopted to stay in contact with followers.

    Refugee Detention in Tokyo on the Record with Dr. David Slater (Sophia)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2020 18:22


    In this episode, Dr. David Slater (Sophia) raises awareness of conditions for refugees detained inside the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau, highlighting how officials' limited efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus inside are indicative of Japan's restrictive refugee policies more broadly.

    The LDP-Kōmeitō Coalition on the Record with Dr. Amy Catalinac (NYU)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2020 19:22


    In this episode, Dr. Amy Catalinac (NYU) provides background for recent news of conflict within the LDP-Kōmeitō coalition, outlining how the electoral reforms of 1994 set the stage for coalition politics in Japan today and allow the small Kōmeitō to exert outsized political influence on the larger LDP.

    Accessibility in Japan on the Record with Mark Bookman (Penn)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2020 16:59


    In this episode, Mark Bookman (Penn) reviews the history of disability in Japan to discuss how the Coronavirus pandemic presents new opportunities for able-bodied individuals to reflect on obstacles to accessibility in Japan and to work together to increase accessibility for all.

    The Tokyo Sarin Gas Attack on the Record with Dr. Erica Baffelli (Manchester)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2020 16:02


    In this episode, Dr. Erica Baffelli (Manchester) calls attention to the 25th anniversary of the 1995 Tokyo Sarin Gas Attack, discussing how Aum Shinrikyō became violent, what role women played in the group, and how media coverage of the 25th anniversary was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

    The Firebombing of Tokyo on the Record with Dr. David Fedman (UC Irvine)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2020 20:36


    In this episode, Dr. David Fedman (UC Irvine) recalls the history of the firebombing of Tokyo on March 9-10, 1945, discussing media coverage of the recent 75th anniversary, the significance of the bombing within the history of World War II, and ongoing efforts to commemorate the event today.

    COVID-19 and "Wartime Mobilization" on the Record with Dr. Paul Kreitman (Columbia)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2020 16:02


    In this episode, Dr. Paul Kreitman (Columbia) revisits the history of wartime home front mass mobilization campaigns in Japan, the UK, and the USA, to ask how lessons from this history can be applied to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

    Panic in the Toilet Paper Aisle on the Record with Dr. Eiko Maruko Siniawer (Williams)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2020 18:54


    In this episode, Dr. Eiko Maruko Siniawer (Williams) contextualizes recent toilet paper panics around the world in response to coronavirus by revisiting the history of Japan's earlier toilet paper panic in the 1970s, discussing why people panic over toilet paper and what such panic buying reveals about Japanese society both in the past and today.

    The "Japanese Secret" of Kakeibo on the Record with Dr. Hillary Maxson (Pacific)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2020 16:34


    In this episode, Dr. Hillary Maxson (Pacific) de-mystifies the "Japanese secret" of saving money using Kakeibo, tracing the history of Kakeibo in Japan and how Kakeibo reveal not only postwar food consumption habits, but also how women shaped everyday life and cuisine in postwar Japan.

    The Abe Administration on the Record with Dr. David Leheny (Waseda)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2020 20:31


    In this episode, Dr. David Leheny (Waseda) takes a long-term view of the administration of Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, discussing how Abe was able to inspire optimism amongst voters and embrace pop culture to cultivate a popular image that has allowed him to become Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

    Shuri Castle on the Record with Dr. Travis Seifman (Tokyo)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2020 14:51


    In this episode, Dr. Travis Seifman (University of Tokyo) discusses the catastrophic destruction of Shuri Castle in Okinawa and the devastating impact of the loss of hundreds of cultural artifacts, along with plans to reconstruct the castle and the unexpected benefits of restoring and replacing lost traditional Okinawan arts and crafts.

    Tokyo 2020 on the Record with Dr. Robin Kietlinski (LaGuardia)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2020 15:26


    In this episode, Dr. Robin Kietlinski (LaGuardia CC-CUNY), details how the preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have reshaped Tokyo Bay, outlines the history of landfills in Tokyo Bay, and describes measures the Tokyo government is taking to limit environmental problems.

    Japanese Defense on the Record with Dr. Richard Samuels (MIT)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2020 17:49


    In this episode, Dr. Richard Samuels (MIT) outlines Japan's current security concerns, touching on the status of the US-Japan alliance, the possibility of a fully nuclear-capable North Korea, and ongoing disputes between Japan and South Korea.

    Student Podcast Episode 5 - 1950's Nuclear Pop Culture

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2019 14:27


    In the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a group of students discuss how fears of nuclear weapons impacted Japanese pop culture during the 1950s, touching on films like Godzilla and I Live in Fear.

    Student Podcast Episode 4 - Territorial Disputes in East Asia

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2019 24:38


    In the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a group of students discuss several current territorial disputes between Japan and its East Asian neighbors, including the Kuril Island dispute with Russia, the Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute with China and Taiwan, and the Japan Sea/East Sea dispute with South Korea.

    Student Podcast Episode 8 - J-Pop Rocks

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2019 13:02


    In the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a student shares her favorite Japanese rock bands and discusses several types of J-Pop music.

    Student Podcast Episode 3 - Tokyo Pollution

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2019 26:52


    In the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, a group of students discuss environmental issues in Tokyo, including urban pollution in Tsukiji, Suginami sickness, and the problem of jungle crows.

    Student Podcast Episode 6 - War Memory

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2019 8:20


    In the Japan on the Record Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. Students share their research findings, thoughts, and passion for Japanese anime, manga, food, music, literature, film, sports, and other facets of Japanese society and popular culture. In this episode, two students reflect on depictions of war memory in Japanese pop culture, focusing on manga by Mizuki Shigeru and anime films such as "Grave of the Fireflies."

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