San Fransokyo

“This is maybe is just kinda mean—What most people talk about on the street or in a cafe or something, is just kinda… dumb.” — DruThis is our longest episode yet — here are a few highlights of what we cover:- Why did we come back? Plus discussions of the optimal time to leave Japan- The argument for not becoming fluent in a foreign language- Japanese vs. American bureaucracy- Different levels of cleanliness and ease of public transportation in Tokyo and San Francisco- Circle of influence vs. circle of concerns- Long term vs short term reverse culture shocksSHOW NOTESCheck out Bic Camera walkthrough and Bic Camera ads that were used for the background foley work at 11:20.While we won’t be recording more episodes, I’ll be publishing more travel information from our time as locals in Japan

“There's some audiophile somewhere who's like 'oh god this is going to give me ear cancer' ... the audiophile appreciates good foley work, it's unintentional background noise that's--I mean, I'm not an audiophile but if I was, that's what I imagine the snobbery to be.” — DruSHOW NOTESNext episode will be our final episode! Stay tuned for our final thoughts and reflections about Japan.MUSIC LISTVenetian Blinds by Ping Pong ClubWallflowers by Bad SnacksDelightful Life by Jekk

“It was like Dennis was trying to smack this woman in the face. She recoiled in fear as if he were attacking her.” - DruThis time, we tell stories about:- New hobbies that we’ve picked up (like wagashi!)- Japanese beach vacations- Dealing with food spoiling and small refrigerators- Visiting the Tokyo Treasure Islands (specifically Oshima)- How well humor translates- Angry Japanese waitresses- Making fun of our friend at Disney SeaSHOW NOTESStay tuned for one more bonus episode coming up, plus a final wrap-up episode that will be a send-off for this podcast (

“This is going to go down as one of the--if not the best--year of my life. It's all downhill from here. Just... a slow march into the grave.” — DruWe discuss:- Terrace House as a metaphor for what we learned about living abroad- Discounting the fear of moving abroad and being more risk-seeking- “Distinctly” vs. “typically” Japanese- Our time in Japan as a “time of chaotic growth”- Storytelling and whether or not to care about having impact on others- The difficulty of learning Japanese and our current language ability after one year- What we think will change once we get back to the USSHOW NOTESThis is our longest episode yet! Keep a look out for an upcoming bonus episode with outtakes and discussion topics that couldn’t make it into this episode.You can watch Terrace House: Opening New Doors on Netflix. Vivian is currently watching the latest season of the show, Terrace House 2019-2020.The style of the intro and autro commentary inspired by the great host of the Imaginary Worlds podcast, Eric Molinksy.MUSIC LISTVenetian Blinds by Ping Pong ClubTake It Easy by Bad SnacksTrying by Eleventyseven…Ready For It? by Taylor SwiftSmile by Jeremy BlakeDelightful Life by Jekk

“There are a lot of moments where people start to develop one mental image of Japan and then they just get hid by something that seems so diametrically opposed to that. You get a lot of people going, ‘Huh?’ It builds up an expectation and then knocks it down, much more than other countries I’ve been to.” — DruIn this episode we cover:- The existence and mingling of zen and weird Japan- “What Japanese people think American people think Japanese is like”- 1,000 year old trees in Omiya Bonsai Village- Otakus and weaboos channeling the true spirit of Japan- Japan creating all our favorite childhood pop cultureSHOW NOTESHere are links to the articles and videos that I used as reference in the ending section of the episode.- “Bonsai” [Quartz Obsession]- “Kodawari” [Medium]- “An Unusual Way of Speaking, Yoda Has” [The Atlantic]- “Lots of Harry Potter Books in China, Not All By the Author” [New York Times]- “China Cracks Down on Foreign Children’s Books” [The Guardian]- “The Death and Resurrection of Japan’s Used Panty Vending Machine” [Tech In Asia]And, as promised, here is the summary of “Harry Potter and the Big Funnel” (from NYT):“After six years at Hogwarts, Harry Potter becomes an intern sorcerer and is assigned to teach at the Honiton School. Harry has a painful time in his aunt’s house, as Dudley has met a belly-dancing girl. As Harry prepares to report to his job, Bat Bug warns him disaster awaits.At the school, his students become wooden stools one after another. Harry doesn’t know whether an evil student is behind this, or if his old benefactor Hagrid is making a mistake, or if the shadow of Voldemort has returned. Did it have something to do with the big funnel?”MUSIC LISTVenetian Blinds by Ping Pong ClubHalf Day by Bad SnacksPowerup! by Jeremy BlakeStar Wars Cantina Theme (8Bit Remix Cover Version) by 8 Bit UniverseHarry Potter Soundtrack - Hedwig’s Theme 8-Bit by Miles_MetalDelightful Life by Jekk

"It's a very light plink... it's almost like a whitish color." - VivianIn this episode, we cover:- What a cherry blossom season actually looks like- How it is different living here versus visiting during spring- Our ranking of the best seasons to come to Japan- The long-awaited Huel mid-roll ad To try out Huel yourself, use our referral code at bit.ly/sanfransokyo-huel. (DISCLAIMER: Huel does not actually sponsor us)MUSIC LISTVenetian Blinds by Ping Pong ClubLeveled Up! by Bad SnacksGaiety in the Golden Age by Aaron KennyCity Night Lights by Bad SnacksDelightful Life by JekK

In this episode, we cover:- How to maintain health and fitness while hosting visitors- Cultivating a sense of wonder for the place you live- Resetting habits/routines when moving to a new countryMUSIC LISTVenetian Blinds by Ping Pong ClubSpace Racer by Bad SnacksDelightful Life by JekK

In this episode, we cover:- missing a utility bill payment- traveling salesman-slash-milkman- possible credit card scams, and- the wonders of Japanese toilets and bathrooms.MUSIC LISTVenetian Blinds by Ping Pong ClubKawaii by Bad SnacksEnglish Country Garden by Aaron KennyI Knew a Guy by Kevin MacLeodEnigma by Kevin MacLeodDelightful Life by JekK

This episode focuses on convenience and the concept of “Galapagos” technology. We talk about:- The inability to pay for bills and health insurance online- SF startup named “Bodega” (recently renamed to Stockwell)- The ubiquity of vending machines- Hot corn soup and diner coffee- Recycling culture and trash cans (or lack thereof)- Communal cleaning / neighborhood responsibilitiesMUSIC LISTVenetian Blinds by Ping Pong ClubMizuki by Bad SnacksShibuya by Bad SnacksDelightful Life by JekK

We discuss what it’s like to bike in Tokyo and how bikes are viewed fundamentally differently in Japan. We’ve found that Tokyo has city infrastructure optimized for biking and that our commutes are some of the best times in our day.This episode contains real recordings of children running around the streets in our neighborhood and the sounds of our bike bell (although the bike pedaling sounds come from the Youtube Audio Library). The video referenced in the show is Why Beautiful Things Make Us Happy by Kurzgesagt.MUSIC LISTVenetian Blinds by Ping Pong ClubOne Summer (Spirited Away) by GhostingMinyo San Kyoku by Doug Maxwell/Zac ZingerApril Showers by ProleteRMizuki by Bad SnacksDelightful Life by JekK

Dru and Vivian reflect on the move and what went (hilariously) wrong. We also talk about our three-day weekend in Kanazawa and how the trip was how we imagined living in Japan would be like.

“You will never have something you can never cross over, basically. Any difficulties at one point it's nothing when you look back.” - MomThe inspiration for this interview came from a show we watched in San Francisco. In Vietgone, the newest play by Qui Nguyen, there is a scene where the playwright does a funny, heartfelt, emotional interview with his immigrant father.

This episode was recorded on June 29th, 2018.

“Can you feel it? You guys, do you feel this? Our origin story begins. We're gonna be superheroes!” - Fred, Big Hero 6We discuss the city that Disney created in the movie Big Hero 6 and how it inspired us to imagine a world where our favorite parts of San Francisco and Tokyo are combined. This episode was recorded on June 29th, the day before Dru left for Japan.