Podcasts about Fukuoka

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Chasing Light: A Student's Courage in Fukuoka's Fields Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2026-07-18-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 麦秋の日差しが暖かく包み込み、福岡の美しい浮羽命の棚田に高校生たちが集まりました。En: The warm sun of late spring wrapped around the Fukuoka's beautiful Ukiha Inochi terraced rice fields as high school students gathered.Ja: 彼らは学校の夏休みの研修旅行に来ていました。En: They were there for their school summer trip.Ja: 緑豊かな田んぼが山の斜面に広がり、心を和ませる風景です。En: The lush green rice paddies spread across the mountainside, providing a soothing landscape.Ja: この日の主役は、写真好きの内気な高校生、結城（ゆうき）でした。En: The protagonist of the day was a shy high school student with a love for photography, Yuuki.Ja: 彼女のカメラは、祖父が初めて手渡した宝物です。En: Her camera was a treasure first handed to her by her grandfather.Ja: 祖父の教えを胸に、完璧な写真を撮ることが夢でした。En: With his teachings in her heart, her dream was to take the perfect photo.Ja: 特に、お盆の季節に照らされる田んぼを撮りたいと思っていました。En: She especially wanted to capture the rice fields bathed in the Obon festival light.Ja: 同行していたさくら先生は、集合時間を厳しく管理していました。En: Sakura sensei, who was accompanying them, strictly managed the schedule.Ja: 「夕方までには戻りますよ。En: "We must return by evening.Ja: 時間厳守でお願いします」先生の声が響きます。En: Please be punctual," her voice echoed.Ja: しかし、結城の心は揺らぎます。En: However, Yuuki's heart wavered.Ja: 完璧な写真を撮るためには、夕日が沈むまでここに残らなければならないと知っていました。En: She knew that to capture the perfect photograph, she needed to stay until the sun set.Ja: 結城はどうするべきか悩みました。En: Yuuki pondered what she should do.Ja: 自分の夢を追うためにリスクを冒してでもここに残るか、先生に頼み軽くスケジュールを変更してもらうか。En: Should she take the risk and stay to chase her dream, or ask the teacher to slightly adjust the schedule?Ja: 結局、彼女は一瞬の勇気を振り絞り、さくら先生に相談します。En: In the end, she mustered a moment of courage and consulted Sakura sensei.Ja: 「先生、どうしても夕方の写真が撮りたいんです」さくら先生は少し考え込んだあと、優しく微笑みました。En: "Sensei, I really want to take photos in the evening," she said.Ja: 「いいでしょう。En: Sakura sensei thought for a moment, then smiled gently.Ja: でも、みんなに迷惑をかけないように気を付けてね」夕方になり、棚田は黄金色に染まり始め、やがて灯篭が輝き始めました。En: "Alright, but be sure not to inconvenience everyone else."Ja: その時、結城はカメラを手にし、心地よい風に逆らわずシャッターを押しました。En: As evening came, the terraced rice fields began to glow golden, and the lanterns started to shine.Ja: 祖父の面影を心に浮かべながら、夢中で写真を撮りました。En: At that moment, Yuuki held her camera, pressed the shutter without resisting the pleasant breeze, and captured the scene.Ja: 旅行が終わり、学校での発表の日。En: With her grandfather's memories in mind, she took photos passionately.Ja: 結城は輝く棚田の写真を披露しました。En: When the trip ended, on the presentation day back at school, Yuuki showcased the radiant photos of the terraced fields.Ja: クラスメートたちやさくら先生から熱い拍手を受け、彼女の心に充実感が満ち溢れます。En: She received warm applause from her classmates and Sakura sensei, filling her heart with a sense of fulfillment.Ja: 祖父の遺した教えと、自分の勇気が形になった、あの一枚の写真。En: The teachings her grandfather left behind and her own courage culminated in that single photograph.Ja: この経験を通じて、結城は他人の目を気にせず、自分の夢を追う勇気を得ました。En: Through this experience, Yuuki gained the courage to pursue her dreams without worrying about others' opinions.Ja: 自分の気持ちをもっと自由に表現できるようになり、今では新しい挑戦にも前向きです。En: She could express her feelings more freely, and now she is positive about new challenges.Ja: 美しい棚田の思い出と共に、結城は新しい一歩を踏み出しました。En: With the memories of the beautiful terraced fields, Yuuki took a new step forward. Vocabulary Words:protagonist: 主役shy: 内気なwander: 揺らぐmustered: 振り絞りponder: 悩むbreeze: 風gently: 優しくradiant: 輝くfulfillment: 充実感consulted: 相談inconvenience: 迷惑landscape: 風景fulfilled: 満ち溢れaccompanying: 同行punctual: 時間厳守treasure: 宝物soothing: 和ませるculminated: 形になったresisting: 逆らわずcapture: 撮るpursue: 追うobon: お盆challenges: 挑戦step forward: 一歩を踏み出すend: 終わりpresentation: 発表showcased: 披露applause: 拍手teachings: 教えmemories: 思い出

2026.07.17 OA Life in Fukuoka "Vietnamese" #329 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

Liên hoan Nhiếp ảnh Quốc tế tại  thành phố Arles miền nam nước Pháp ( Les Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles ) năm 2026 vừa khai mạc ngày 06/07 vừa qua. Qua sự giới thiệu của Galerie Bao tại Paris, loạt tác phẩm mang tên Re/cover của nghệ sĩ nhiếp ảnh Việt Nam Phan Quang đã được tuyển chọn để tham gia cuộc triển lãm The Best Possible Way to Tell the Truth, trong khuôn khổ giải thưởng Prix Découverte Louis Roederer tại Liên hoan. Dựa trên quá trình nghiên cứu kéo dài nhiều năm, Re/cover khai thác một chương ít được biết đến trong lịch sử Việt Nam, đó là câu chuyện của những người phụ nữ có gia đình với binh lính Nhật đã ở lại Việt Nam sau Chiến tranh Thế giới thứ hai. Trả lời RFI Việt ngữ, Lê Thiên Bảo, người sáng lập và hiện điều hành Galerie Bao, cho biết: "Tôi biết Arles là kinh đô của nhiếp ảnh thế giới và đã theo dõi các chương trình của Liên hoan Arles từ lâu, đặc biệt là giải Decouverte Louis Roederer, một giải thưởng uy tín được thành lập từ năm 2018 để giới thiệu các sáng tác của các nghệ sĩ mới đến với công chúng Châu Âu. Tôi cũng biết serie Re/cover của Phan Quang từ rất lâu rồi, khi còn ở Việt Nam và thấy serie này sẽ rất thích hợp với giải thưởng nên đã soạn kỹ một đề xuất hoàn chỉnh và nộp cho Liên hoan Arles. Rất vui là tác phẩm của nghệ sĩ đã được ban giám khảo và giám tuyển của Liên hoan Arles đánh giá rất cao về chất lượng." Đối với Lê Thiên Bảo, “hơn mười năm sau khi ra đời, tác phẩm Re/cover vẫn giữ nguyên sức mạnh của một tác phẩm thể hiện khả năng của nhiếp ảnh trong việc lưu giữ, khơi lại và tái kiến tạo lịch sử.” Về phần mình, giám tuyển Nadine Hounkpatin của giải thưởng Découverte Louis Roederer ghi nhận những nét độc đáo trong tác phẩm Re/cover của Phan Quang: " Mỗi bức ảnh khắc họa nhân vật trong không gian sống thường nhật, khoác trên mình chiếc khăn voan cô dâu màu trắng truyền thống. Chiếc khăn này trở thành một biểu tượng đa tầng nghĩa: vừa gợi nhắc về những mối lương duyên dang dở và những người cha vắng mặt, vừa đóng vai trò như tấm màn che chở ngăn cách ánh nhìn của người xem với sự riêng tư đầy mong manh. Nó vừa là tấm khăn liệm cho quá khứ, vừa là cử chỉ của sự kín đáo. Thông qua cách dàn dựng mang tính điêu khắc đầy chủ đích này, Phan Quang làm nổi bật sự hiện diện bền bỉ nhưng thầm lặng của những câu chuyện ấy ( ... ). Như vậy, một thập kỷ sau khi ra đời, *Re/cover* vẫn là một suy ngẫm đầy sức thuyết phục về khả năng kiến ​​tạo ý nghĩa thế giới của nhiếp ảnh, vượt xa khỏi vai trò đơn thuần là ghi lại thực tại." Sinh năm 1976 tại Bình Định, Phan Quang nguyên là một phóng viên nhiếp ảnh, hiện sống tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Đà Lạt. Tác phẩm của anh nằm trong các bộ sưu tập của The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA, Hoa Kỳ; Asia Society Museum, New York, NY, Hoa Kỳ; Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka, Nhật Bản; và Singapore Art Museum, Singapore. Các triển lãm tiêu biểu của Phan Quang bao gồm The Next Step, Sàn Art, TP. HCM, 2022; RE/COVER, Blanc Art Space, TP. HCM, 2016; Space/Limit, Sàn Art, TP. HCM, 2013; The City in the Blue, Dakar Biennale lần thứ 12, Dakar, Senegal, 2016; và And That Which Was Always Known, Yavuz Gallery, Singapore, Singapore, 2015. RFI Việt ngữ đã có dịp gặp Phan Quang tại Paris ngày 07/07/2026 trước khi anh đến thành phố Arles để dự triển lãm: RFI: RFI Việt ngữ hôm nay rất vui được tiếp chuyện với nghệ sĩ Phan Quang tại Paris. Theo chúng tôi biết thì ban đầu anh là một nhiếp ảnh gia cho ngành báo chí. Thế thì vì sao anh đã quyết định chuyển sang con đường nhiếp ảnh nghệ thuật? Phan Quang: Nhiếp ảnh nghệ thuật là một cách thể hiện khác về nhiếp ảnh. Nó đã thôi thúc tôi trong rất nhiều năm, thì có một cơ duyên từ năm 2009, sự thôi thúc đó đẩy tôi ra bên ngoài và tiếp cận với nền nhiếp ảnh gọi là nghệ thuật đương đại. Đó là một trong những phương pháp thể hiện khác với lối nhiếp ảnh trong nước đang vận hành. Lối nhiếp ảnh đấy đeo đuổi tôi tới bây giờ. Từ 2009, tác phẩm của Quang nằm trải dài ở rất nhiều cuộc triển lãm ở Việt Nam cũng như quốc tế, nhưng hầu như nhiều người ở Việt Nam cũng chưa quen lắm, cho nên cách mình thể hiện cũng lẳng lặng và việc mình thực hành thì đi sâu vào trong các giá trị cốt lõi. Phải nghiên cứu rất là kỹ. Phải đọc rất là nhiều. RFI: Khi ta nói về nghệ thuật đương đại và nhiếp ảnh nghệ thuật thì có nghĩa là không chỉ có nhiếp ảnh, mà đôi khi tùy theo chủ đề chúng ta có thể kết hợp với các bộ môn nghệ thuật khác để thể hiện đúng ý đồ của mình? Phan Quang: Thực ra thì nó không có giới hạn. Do Quang “thuận tay” với nhiếp ảnh nên đi hẳn về nhiếp ảnh. Chứ còn Quang có làm phim, làm điêu khắc rất nhiều, vẽ cả tranh và bản thân trong nhiếp ảnh của Quang cũng là một performance rồi. Nên là nó không có giới hạn trong các môn thực hành. Còn đối với Quang, nhiếp ảnh là một môn mà mình giỏi nhất, thì mình thường dùng phương tiện ấy để thể hiện ý tưởng của một serie tác phẩm hoặc một tác phẩm.  RFI: Trong quá trình tìm tòi đó thì anh đã hoàn tất một công trình nghệ thuật mang tên là Re/cover vào năm 2016, đã được giới thiệu ở nhiều triển lãm quốc tế. Nay thì tác phẩm này được giới thiệu tại triển lãm ảnh nghệ thuật ở Arles. Trước hết anh có thể cho biết vì sao anh đã chọn đề tài gia đình của những phụ nữ đã lấy lính Nhật ở lại sau Thế chiến Thứ hai? Phan Quang: Thực ra Re/cover là một trong khoảng 10 serie mà trong quá trình thực hiện của Quang được show ( giới thiệu ) ra bên ngoài. Re/cover một đề tài thuộc loại “rơi tỏm” ra ngoài khỏi sự quan tâm của giới nghệ sĩ, cũng như xã hội ở Việt Nam. Tôi may mắn được tiếp cận một cách tình cờ trong quá trình chuẩn bị, vì tôi đã chọn văn hóa Nhật Bản để làm đối trọng, nên khi đó mới chú tâm tới những gì liên quan đến Nhật Bản và đã phát hiện ra manh mối rất là nhiều thứ về việc đấy. Cũng nhờ kỹ năng làm báo một phần để tìm tòi ra những mắt xích rồi, sâu chuỗi nó lại, làm cái dự án trong vòng 6 năm. Bản thân tôi tới bây giờ vẫn vậy: làm tác phẩm không lo. Bản thân tác phẩm hay thì nó sẽ tự có đời sống của nó, không có lúc này thì lúc khác. Nên thật ra đối với tôi, tôi cứ làm. Không biết nó sẽ đi tới đâu ở trong đời sống của tác phẩm ấy.  RFI: Nhưng cơ duyên nào đã đẩy Phan Quang tới với những gia đình đó? Phan Quang: Thực ra nó cũng là một cái duyên. Lúc đầu tôi dùng văn hóa Nhật Bản để đối trọng với một số nền văn hóa của châu Á. Thì tôi thấy lạ lùng vì có những người rất giống người Nhật! Rồi tôi đào sâu, đào sâu mãi và tôi ngồi với những gia đình đấy trong vòng 6 năm, trở thành giống như người thân, người anh, người em trong gia đình, thì mới triển khai được dự án này.  RFI: Như vậy thì 6 năm chắc là đủ để có được sự tin cậy của những gia đình đó để Phan Quang có thể chụp những bức ảnh theo đúng ý đồ nghệ thuật của mình. Trong những bức ảnh đó, có những người ngồi giống như bức tượng và phủ trên họ là một tấm voan ( voile ) khá là trong suốt. Vì sao anh lại có cái dụng ý đó? Phan Quang: Thật ra là năm 2013, tôi có may mắn được lưu trú ở bên Nhật, ở Yokohama, tôi mới đi tìm hiểu, mới đọc được một tài liệu về năm 1955, năm mà tất cả những người lính Nhật buộc phải về nước. Thì cũng chính năm đấy thì ở thành phố Kyoto có một cái nhà máy sản xuất vải voan. Đúng thời điểm đấy luôn thì mình may mắn tìm ra được nhà máy đó và mua vải voan đấy, vì voan đối với Việt Nam là một loại vải tượng trưng cho đám cưới. Còn ở Nhật nó cũng được dùng để may kimono, nên cũng là đại diện cho tình yêu. Năm mà những người lính Nhật phải về nước thì cuộc sống những gia đình đấy ở Việt Nam giống như bị đóng băng toàn bộ, bị bao phủ lên một lớp màn. Họ là con của những người phát xít, nên nói chung vào thời điểm đó rất mà khó phát triển ở Việt Nam. Bên Nhật thì họ cũng không có liên quan gì tới cái đấy hết. Bởi vì đối với lính Nhật, họ không đồng ý cho cưới một phụ nữ ở xứ An Nam. Cái thời điểm đấy nó khác, văn hóa khác. Giống như những cuộc sống gia đình của họ rơi ra khỏi vòng xoáy phát triển của xã hội. Khi đó mình mới giải quyết được câu chuyện chụp hình, thì mình mới mua vải voan ở bên Nhật về phủ lên hết các gia đình đó. Gia đình Việt Nam mà phủ vải trắng lên là tương đương với tang chế, nên phải đủ thân thì họ mới cho phủ lên như vậy.  RFI: Chắc họ sẵn lòng để cho phủ lên tấm voan đó bởi vì họ hiểu rằng tấm voan tượng trưng cho sự ngưng động của thời gian, tức là kể từ đó cuộc sống của họ coi như cắt đứt liên lạc với những người mà họ đã từng chung sống? Phan Quang: Đúng rồi, họ vẫn mong người cha, người chồng của họ, nhưng mà vô vọng. Có một chi tiết làm tôi vẫn khóc hoài, đó là lúc mà tôi ở Nhật thì những người con đó muốn xin một nắm đất từ bên Nhật về bỏ vô lư hương để thắp hương hằng ngày, để họ nhớ về quê cha đất tổ, thì tôi đã phải dùng một "thủ thuật" để mang được đất về cho họ, chứ còn Nhật đâu có cho mang vô, mà chính phủ Việt Nam cũng không cho mang vô. Mang nắm đất tượng trưng về để họ bỏ vô lư hương, họ thắp hương thì ai cũng khóc, tôi cũng khóc luôn! RFI: Như vậy thì mấy chục năm sau tâm trạng của những người con, người cháu trong những gia đình đó như thế nào. Họ có còn hoài niệm về thời đó hay không? Hay là đối với họ bây giờ đã trở thành quá khứ rồi?  Phan Quang: Người Việt mình mà, anh ở đâu đi nữa, anh cũng cần về quê cha đất tổ. Đối với những người đó, họ mong mỏi được qua Nhật, được sống với tinh thần hào khí của Nhật Bản, vì trên ID ( căn cước ) của họ vẫn là nguyên quán Nhật Bản mà. RFI: Trong quá trình tái lập công lý cho những gia đình đó, để gây sự chú ý của nhà chức trách Nhật, anh đã có những hành động gì và chính phủ Nhật có đáp ứng hay không?  Phan Quang: Khi tìm hiểu các dữ liệu ở Việt Nam, khi tôi làm gần xong, đọc lại toàn bộ lịch sử thì thấy tất cả châu Á đều ảnh hưởng gần giống nhau. Khi lính Nhật tràn vô thì tất nhiên phải có liên quan với phụ nữ. Khi ấy tôi đã viết gần khoảng 270 lá thư bằng tiếng Anh gửi đi tất cả các lãnh sự quán, cũng như tất cả những nơi có liên quan đang tới Nhật Bản. Tôi tin họ có một dữ liệu cụ thể nào đấy để có thể cung cấp đầu mối, vì ở Việt Nam đi tìm rất khó. Trong vòng cả năm trời gửi đi, rồi hy vọng, nhưng  không có một phản hồi nào. Sau đấy thì tôi phải tự đi tìm mua những tài liệu và xâu chuỗi từng nấc một, từng nấc một, để tìm ra những người Thái Lan, người Malaysia, người Philippines, người Hàn Quốc. Mỗi nơi sẽ có những trường hợp khác nhau, những vấn đề khác nhau và tôi phải tự đi làm hết. Thật ra Nhật Bản không support dự án này vì họ coi là không có liên quan. Nhưng có một điều đặc biệt là khi Nhật Hoàng qua thăm Việt Nam ( năm 2017 ) thì đài NHK mới phỏng vấn và đưa ra những nhận định đây là một mối liên kết. Sau đấy thì Nhật Hoàng có tới thăm bà Xuân ( một gia đình cựu binh Nhật ). Rồi mình không đi sâu vào vấn đề đấy nữa. Nhưng khi NHK bay vô Sài Gòn phỏng vấn tôi, thì tất nhiên dự án này trước đó họ đã biết rồi. Nhưng mà tôi gửi mail thì họ không trả lời, không đả động gì hết!

Liên hoan Nhiếp ảnh Quốc tế tại  thành phố Arles miền nam nước Pháp ( Les Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles ) năm 2026 vừa khai mạc ngày 06/07 vừa qua. Qua sự giới thiệu của Galerie Bao tại Paris, loạt tác phẩm mang tên Re/cover của nghệ sĩ nhiếp ảnh Việt Nam Phan Quang đã được tuyển chọn để tham gia cuộc triển lãm The Best Possible Way to Tell the Truth, trong khuôn khổ giải thưởng Prix Découverte Louis Roederer tại Liên hoan. Dựa trên quá trình nghiên cứu kéo dài nhiều năm, Re/cover khai thác một chương ít được biết đến trong lịch sử Việt Nam, đó là câu chuyện của những người phụ nữ có gia đình với binh lính Nhật đã ở lại Việt Nam sau Chiến tranh Thế giới thứ hai. Trả lời RFI Việt ngữ, Lê Thiên Bảo, người sáng lập và hiện điều hành Galerie Bao, cho biết: "Tôi biết Arles là kinh đô của nhiếp ảnh thế giới và đã theo dõi các chương trình của Liên hoan Arles từ lâu, đặc biệt là giải Decouverte Louis Roederer, một giải thưởng uy tín được thành lập từ năm 2018 để giới thiệu các sáng tác của các nghệ sĩ mới đến với công chúng Châu Âu. Tôi cũng biết serie Re/cover của Phan Quang từ rất lâu rồi, khi còn ở Việt Nam và thấy serie này sẽ rất thích hợp với giải thưởng nên đã soạn kỹ một đề xuất hoàn chỉnh và nộp cho Liên hoan Arles. Rất vui là tác phẩm của nghệ sĩ đã được ban giám khảo và giám tuyển của Liên hoan Arles đánh giá rất cao về chất lượng." Đối với Lê Thiên Bảo, “hơn mười năm sau khi ra đời, tác phẩm Re/cover vẫn giữ nguyên sức mạnh của một tác phẩm thể hiện khả năng của nhiếp ảnh trong việc lưu giữ, khơi lại và tái kiến tạo lịch sử.” Về phần mình, giám tuyển Nadine Hounkpatin của giải thưởng Découverte Louis Roederer ghi nhận những nét độc đáo trong tác phẩm Re/cover của Phan Quang: " Mỗi bức ảnh khắc họa nhân vật trong không gian sống thường nhật, khoác trên mình chiếc khăn voan cô dâu màu trắng truyền thống. Chiếc khăn này trở thành một biểu tượng đa tầng nghĩa: vừa gợi nhắc về những mối lương duyên dang dở và những người cha vắng mặt, vừa đóng vai trò như tấm màn che chở ngăn cách ánh nhìn của người xem với sự riêng tư đầy mong manh. Nó vừa là tấm khăn liệm cho quá khứ, vừa là cử chỉ của sự kín đáo. Thông qua cách dàn dựng mang tính điêu khắc đầy chủ đích này, Phan Quang làm nổi bật sự hiện diện bền bỉ nhưng thầm lặng của những câu chuyện ấy ( ... ). Như vậy, một thập kỷ sau khi ra đời, *Re/cover* vẫn là một suy ngẫm đầy sức thuyết phục về khả năng kiến ​​tạo ý nghĩa thế giới của nhiếp ảnh, vượt xa khỏi vai trò đơn thuần là ghi lại thực tại." Sinh năm 1976 tại Bình Định, Phan Quang nguyên là một phóng viên nhiếp ảnh, hiện sống tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Đà Lạt. Tác phẩm của anh nằm trong các bộ sưu tập của The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA, Hoa Kỳ; Asia Society Museum, New York, NY, Hoa Kỳ; Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka, Nhật Bản; và Singapore Art Museum, Singapore. Các triển lãm tiêu biểu của Phan Quang bao gồm The Next Step, Sàn Art, TP. HCM, 2022; RE/COVER, Blanc Art Space, TP. HCM, 2016; Space/Limit, Sàn Art, TP. HCM, 2013; The City in the Blue, Dakar Biennale lần thứ 12, Dakar, Senegal, 2016; và And That Which Was Always Known, Yavuz Gallery, Singapore, Singapore, 2015. RFI Việt ngữ đã có dịp gặp Phan Quang tại Paris ngày 07/07/2026 trước khi anh đến thành phố Arles để dự triển lãm: RFI: RFI Việt ngữ hôm nay rất vui được tiếp chuyện với nghệ sĩ Phan Quang tại Paris. Theo chúng tôi biết thì ban đầu anh là một nhiếp ảnh gia cho ngành báo chí. Thế thì vì sao anh đã quyết định chuyển sang con đường nhiếp ảnh nghệ thuật? Phan Quang: Nhiếp ảnh nghệ thuật là một cách thể hiện khác về nhiếp ảnh. Nó đã thôi thúc tôi trong rất nhiều năm, thì có một cơ duyên từ năm 2009, sự thôi thúc đó đẩy tôi ra bên ngoài và tiếp cận với nền nhiếp ảnh gọi là nghệ thuật đương đại. Đó là một trong những phương pháp thể hiện khác với lối nhiếp ảnh trong nước đang vận hành. Lối nhiếp ảnh đấy đeo đuổi tôi tới bây giờ. Từ 2009, tác phẩm của Quang nằm trải dài ở rất nhiều cuộc triển lãm ở Việt Nam cũng như quốc tế, nhưng hầu như nhiều người ở Việt Nam cũng chưa quen lắm, cho nên cách mình thể hiện cũng lẳng lặng và việc mình thực hành thì đi sâu vào trong các giá trị cốt lõi. Phải nghiên cứu rất là kỹ. Phải đọc rất là nhiều. RFI: Khi ta nói về nghệ thuật đương đại và nhiếp ảnh nghệ thuật thì có nghĩa là không chỉ có nhiếp ảnh, mà đôi khi tùy theo chủ đề chúng ta có thể kết hợp với các bộ môn nghệ thuật khác để thể hiện đúng ý đồ của mình? Phan Quang: Thực ra thì nó không có giới hạn. Do Quang “thuận tay” với nhiếp ảnh nên đi hẳn về nhiếp ảnh. Chứ còn Quang có làm phim, làm điêu khắc rất nhiều, vẽ cả tranh và bản thân trong nhiếp ảnh của Quang cũng là một performance rồi. Nên là nó không có giới hạn trong các môn thực hành. Còn đối với Quang, nhiếp ảnh là một môn mà mình giỏi nhất, thì mình thường dùng phương tiện ấy để thể hiện ý tưởng của một serie tác phẩm hoặc một tác phẩm.  RFI: Trong quá trình tìm tòi đó thì anh đã hoàn tất một công trình nghệ thuật mang tên là Re/cover vào năm 2016, đã được giới thiệu ở nhiều triển lãm quốc tế. Nay thì tác phẩm này được giới thiệu tại triển lãm ảnh nghệ thuật ở Arles. Trước hết anh có thể cho biết vì sao anh đã chọn đề tài gia đình của những phụ nữ đã lấy lính Nhật ở lại sau Thế chiến Thứ hai? Phan Quang: Thực ra Re/cover là một trong khoảng 10 serie mà trong quá trình thực hiện của Quang được show ( giới thiệu ) ra bên ngoài. Re/cover một đề tài thuộc loại “rơi tỏm” ra ngoài khỏi sự quan tâm của giới nghệ sĩ, cũng như xã hội ở Việt Nam. Tôi may mắn được tiếp cận một cách tình cờ trong quá trình chuẩn bị, vì tôi đã chọn văn hóa Nhật Bản để làm đối trọng, nên khi đó mới chú tâm tới những gì liên quan đến Nhật Bản và đã phát hiện ra manh mối rất là nhiều thứ về việc đấy. Cũng nhờ kỹ năng làm báo một phần để tìm tòi ra những mắt xích rồi, sâu chuỗi nó lại, làm cái dự án trong vòng 6 năm. Bản thân tôi tới bây giờ vẫn vậy: làm tác phẩm không lo. Bản thân tác phẩm hay thì nó sẽ tự có đời sống của nó, không có lúc này thì lúc khác. Nên thật ra đối với tôi, tôi cứ làm. Không biết nó sẽ đi tới đâu ở trong đời sống của tác phẩm ấy.  RFI: Nhưng cơ duyên nào đã đẩy Phan Quang tới với những gia đình đó? Phan Quang: Thực ra nó cũng là một cái duyên. Lúc đầu tôi dùng văn hóa Nhật Bản để đối trọng với một số nền văn hóa của châu Á. Thì tôi thấy lạ lùng vì có những người rất giống người Nhật! Rồi tôi đào sâu, đào sâu mãi và tôi ngồi với những gia đình đấy trong vòng 6 năm, trở thành giống như người thân, người anh, người em trong gia đình, thì mới triển khai được dự án này.  RFI: Như vậy thì 6 năm chắc là đủ để có được sự tin cậy của những gia đình đó để Phan Quang có thể chụp những bức ảnh theo đúng ý đồ nghệ thuật của mình. Trong những bức ảnh đó, có những người ngồi giống như bức tượng và phủ trên họ là một tấm voan ( voile ) khá là trong suốt. Vì sao anh lại có cái dụng ý đó? Phan Quang: Thật ra là năm 2013, tôi có may mắn được lưu trú ở bên Nhật, ở Yokohama, tôi mới đi tìm hiểu, mới đọc được một tài liệu về năm 1955, năm mà tất cả những người lính Nhật buộc phải về nước. Thì cũng chính năm đấy thì ở thành phố Kyoto có một cái nhà máy sản xuất vải voan. Đúng thời điểm đấy luôn thì mình may mắn tìm ra được nhà máy đó và mua vải voan đấy, vì voan đối với Việt Nam là một loại vải tượng trưng cho đám cưới. Còn ở Nhật nó cũng được dùng để may kimono, nên cũng là đại diện cho tình yêu. Năm mà những người lính Nhật phải về nước thì cuộc sống những gia đình đấy ở Việt Nam giống như bị đóng băng toàn bộ, bị bao phủ lên một lớp màn. Họ là con của những người phát xít, nên nói chung vào thời điểm đó rất mà khó phát triển ở Việt Nam. Bên Nhật thì họ cũng không có liên quan gì tới cái đấy hết. Bởi vì đối với lính Nhật, họ không đồng ý cho cưới một phụ nữ ở xứ An Nam. Cái thời điểm đấy nó khác, văn hóa khác. Giống như những cuộc sống gia đình của họ rơi ra khỏi vòng xoáy phát triển của xã hội. Khi đó mình mới giải quyết được câu chuyện chụp hình, thì mình mới mua vải voan ở bên Nhật về phủ lên hết các gia đình đó. Gia đình Việt Nam mà phủ vải trắng lên là tương đương với tang chế, nên phải đủ thân thì họ mới cho phủ lên như vậy.  RFI: Chắc họ sẵn lòng để cho phủ lên tấm voan đó bởi vì họ hiểu rằng tấm voan tượng trưng cho sự ngưng động của thời gian, tức là kể từ đó cuộc sống của họ coi như cắt đứt liên lạc với những người mà họ đã từng chung sống? Phan Quang: Đúng rồi, họ vẫn mong người cha, người chồng của họ, nhưng mà vô vọng. Có một chi tiết làm tôi vẫn khóc hoài, đó là lúc mà tôi ở Nhật thì những người con đó muốn xin một nắm đất từ bên Nhật về bỏ vô lư hương để thắp hương hằng ngày, để họ nhớ về quê cha đất tổ, thì tôi đã phải dùng một "thủ thuật" để mang được đất về cho họ, chứ còn Nhật đâu có cho mang vô, mà chính phủ Việt Nam cũng không cho mang vô. Mang nắm đất tượng trưng về để họ bỏ vô lư hương, họ thắp hương thì ai cũng khóc, tôi cũng khóc luôn! RFI: Như vậy thì mấy chục năm sau tâm trạng của những người con, người cháu trong những gia đình đó như thế nào. Họ có còn hoài niệm về thời đó hay không? Hay là đối với họ bây giờ đã trở thành quá khứ rồi?  Phan Quang: Người Việt mình mà, anh ở đâu đi nữa, anh cũng cần về quê cha đất tổ. Đối với những người đó, họ mong mỏi được qua Nhật, được sống với tinh thần hào khí của Nhật Bản, vì trên ID ( căn cước ) của họ vẫn là nguyên quán Nhật Bản mà. RFI: Trong quá trình tái lập công lý cho những gia đình đó, để gây sự chú ý của nhà chức trách Nhật, anh đã có những hành động gì và chính phủ Nhật có đáp ứng hay không?  Phan Quang: Khi tìm hiểu các dữ liệu ở Việt Nam, khi tôi làm gần xong, đọc lại toàn bộ lịch sử thì thấy tất cả châu Á đều ảnh hưởng gần giống nhau. Khi lính Nhật tràn vô thì tất nhiên phải có liên quan với phụ nữ. Khi ấy tôi đã viết gần khoảng 270 lá thư bằng tiếng Anh gửi đi tất cả các lãnh sự quán, cũng như tất cả những nơi có liên quan đang tới Nhật Bản. Tôi tin họ có một dữ liệu cụ thể nào đấy để có thể cung cấp đầu mối, vì ở Việt Nam đi tìm rất khó. Trong vòng cả năm trời gửi đi, rồi hy vọng, nhưng  không có một phản hồi nào. Sau đấy thì tôi phải tự đi tìm mua những tài liệu và xâu chuỗi từng nấc một, từng nấc một, để tìm ra những người Thái Lan, người Malaysia, người Philippines, người Hàn Quốc. Mỗi nơi sẽ có những trường hợp khác nhau, những vấn đề khác nhau và tôi phải tự đi làm hết. Thật ra Nhật Bản không support dự án này vì họ coi là không có liên quan. Nhưng có một điều đặc biệt là khi Nhật Hoàng qua thăm Việt Nam ( năm 2017 ) thì đài NHK mới phỏng vấn và đưa ra những nhận định đây là một mối liên kết. Sau đấy thì Nhật Hoàng có tới thăm bà Xuân ( một gia đình cựu binh Nhật ). Rồi mình không đi sâu vào vấn đề đấy nữa. Nhưng khi NHK bay vô Sài Gòn phỏng vấn tôi, thì tất nhiên dự án này trước đó họ đã biết rồi. Nhưng mà tôi gửi mail thì họ không trả lời, không đả động gì hết!

Two back to back conversations with first-time buyers - one looking for a single family holiday home in or around Tokyo - the other for an investment condo in Fukuoka. We break down costs, listings research, due diligence, purchase procedures and post-settlement management options.

2026.07.16 OA Life in Fukuoka "Nepali" #329 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

2026.07.15 OA Life in Fukuoka "Korean" #329 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

What do you do when you're offered an opportunity that will definitely stretch you but also scares you, and your first instinct is to hand it to someone else, because you feel you're not quite qualified? That's the moment we unpack in this interview with Ai Asakura, Alumni Program Manager for the TOMODACHI Initiative at the U.S.-Japan Council, who I met at an expat meetup in Fukuoka this spring — one with that same eclectic, cross-cultural energy as New York City, where you connect peer to peer with people from all walks of life. Ai is bicultural like me, and she's spent her career building bridges — between Japan and the U.S., and between mentees and the mentors who help shape their paths. But it took her some time to recognize being bicultural as her own superpower, and when she did, it empowered her to say yes to an opportunity most people would've handed to someone with a bigger title.Key TakeawaysLeadership is not a job title: You can be a leader as a mentor, a community organizer, a parent, or a volunteer—impact and initiative matter more than status.Networking is people-to-people connection, not transaction: Powerful “networking” often looks like simply being curious about others and building genuine human relationships.Bicultural identity is a superpower: Living between cultures, as Ai does between Japan and the U.S., creates unique insight, empathy, and the ability to act as a bridge.Opportunities often arrive through community: Ai's major career transitions—from hospitality to translation to TOMODACHI—came through relationships and community involvement.Saying yes can be the real “risky conversation”: Accepting the invitation to represent her region as a mentor felt risky to Ai, but turning it down would have meant betraying the message she gives her mentees about stepping up.Operation TOMODACHI to TOMODACHI Initiative: The humanitarian response to the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake evolved into a long-term leadership and exchange program impacting over 10,000 alumni.Exposure to hope changes trajectories: Young people from disaster-affected regions returned from U.S. programs with renewed hope, agency, and a desire to rebuild their communities.Community work can clarify your own identity: Serving Japanese communities in the U.S. helped Ai reconnect to her Japanese roots and recognize her role as a cultural bridge.Curiosity is a core leadership habit: Being genuinely interested in people—their stories, cultures, and experiences—naturally expands your world and your opportunities.There is still hope in the world: Despite global uncertainty, Ai emphasizes that human-to-human connection, especially across cultures, is a powerful source of hope.FeaturedConnect with Ai Asakura on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ai-asakura0977/Learn about the US-Japan Council: https://www.usjapancouncil.org/Connect with Jamie Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leejieunjamie/Learn about 1:1 executive coaching with Jamie Lee here: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/applyText me your thoughts on this episode!Enjoy the show? Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. Connect with meBook a free hour-long consultation with me. You'll leave with your custom blueprint to confidence, and we'll ensure it's a slam-dunk fit for you before you commit to working with me 1:1. Connect with me on LinkedIn Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com 

2026.07.14 OA Life in Fukuoka "Chinese" #328 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

The Abilympics Fukuoka 2026, a competition in which people with disabilities demonstrate and compete in vocational skills they have developed through their work and daily employment, was held in Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture, on July 11. The Abilympics are organized to help working people with disabilities improve their skills while also promoting greater understanding of the employment of people with disabilities. Competitors who achieved outstanding results qualified to compete at the National Abilympics, which will be held in Aichi Prefecture this December. Episode notes: ‘Abilympics' Held in Fukuoka': https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/07/13/abilympics-held-in-fukuoka/

Benvenuti e bentornate in questa nuova collaborazione di Giappone nel mondo. Oggi vi presento Focus Giappone, la rassegna stampa curata da Simone Ottuzzi, creatore del canale YouTube Omotenashi Anime e caro amico. Ogni lunedì alle 6:00 vi porterà le notizie più interessanti della settimana dal Sol Levante, arricchendo il nostro feed con contenuti freschi e approfonditi. Passate a salutare Simone sul suo canale Omotenashi Anime e… buon ascolto!-- Link utili: --- Valutate l'idea di ISCRIVERVI al canale di Simone OMOTENASHIANIME: https://www.youtube.com/@OMOTENASHIANIME- Il canale YouTube su Giappone nel Mondo: https://www.youtube.com/@giapponenelmondo- Il nostro canale su approfondimenti e cultura pop LIVE PLOT-TWISTER: https://www.youtube.com/@plot-twister--- SHOWNOTES ---RIASSUNTO:Focus Giappone affronta le principali notizie della settimana dal Giappone, con focus sulla nuova tassa di soggiorno del 3% introdotta da Tokyo a partire da aprile 2027. Tra gli altri temi: il potenziamento delle linee ferroviarie verso l'aeroporto di Narita, i test di biodiesel per il trasporto merci, il tradizionale Festival del Salto della Rana in Nara e l'installazione di migliaia di campanelli a vento nel santuario di Fukuoka.CAPITOLI: 00:00  Introduzione e benvenuto 00:41  Tokyo introduce tassa di soggiorno del 3% 01:48  Raddoppio della capacità ferroviaria verso Narita 02:53  Test del biodiesel per il trasporto su lunga distanza 04:27  Festival del Salto della Rana a Nara 05:52  Campanelli a vento al santuario di Fukuoka 07:28  Chiusura e ringraziamentiARGOMENTI: - Tassa di soggiorno Tokyo 3% aprile 2027 - Infrastrutture ferroviarie aeroporto Narita - Biodiesel trasporto merci logistica - Festival Karotobi tradizionale Nara - Furin campanelli vento santuario Fukuoka - Turismo e visitatori stranieri GiapponeDESCRIZIONE SEO (per Spotify):Scopri le principali notizie dal Giappone di questa settimana nel podcast Focus Giappone. Si parla della nuova tassa di soggiorno del 3% introdotta a Tokyo, del piano per raddoppiare la capacità ferroviaria verso l'aeroporto di Narita, dei test di biodiesel per il trasporto merci, del tradizionale Festival del Salto della Rana in Nara e dell'atmosfera suggestiva creata da migliaia di campanelli a vento nel santuario di Fukuoka durante l'estate giapponese.

2026.07.10 OA Life in Fukuoka "Vietnamese" #328 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

2026.07.09 OA Life in Fukuoka "Nepali" #328 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

2026.07.08 OA Life in Fukuoka "Korean" #328 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

2026.07.07 OA Life in Fukuoka "Chinese" #327 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

VOV1 - Mưa lớn kéo dài liên tiếp trong nhiều ngày vừa qua tại các khu vực phía Nam Nhật Bản chưa có dấu hiệu chấm dứt, khu vực này lại tiếp tục chuẩn bị đón nhận một cơn bão mạnh khác, làm gia tăng nguy cơ có thể xảy ra thảm họa thiên tai.Do ảnh hưởng của một khối khí mùa mưa hoạt động mạnh, cùng với những hiện tượng thời tiết cực đoan xảy ra khi các dải mây mưa tích điện nối tiếp nhau xuất hiện, gây ra những trận mưa cực lớn ở mức độ thiên tai nghiêm trọng trong thời gian dài tại các khu vực phía Nam Nhật Bản.Tính đến trước lúc 5 giờ sáng nay (06/07, theo giờ địa phương), lượng mưa đo được tại nhiều khu vực ở phía bắc Kyushu và vùng Chugoku đạt 30 mm trong vòng một giờ. Dự kiến trong những giờ tới, khối khí lạnh mùa mưa sẽ duy trì trạng thái đứng yên, mang theo lượng mưa lớn đến nhiều khu vực phía Tây và Nam Nhật Bản. Đặc biệt, có nguy cơ xảy ra mưa rất lớn cục bộ với lượng mưa lên đến 50 mm/giờ, kèm theo dông bão, ở phía Bắc Kyushu.Dự báo trong 24 giờ sau đó tính đến sáng ngày mai (07/07), lượng mưa ở các khu vực phía Bắc Kyushu có thể lên tới 80 mm/giờ. Do lượng mưa kéo dài trong suốt nhiều ngày qua, mặt đất ở nhiều khu vực, đặc biệt là phía Bắc Kyushu, được xác nhận đã trở nên không ổn định. Cơ quan Khí tượng Nhật Bản đang kêu gọi người dân hết sức cảnh giác trước nguy cơ sạt lở đất, tình trạng ngập lụt ở các vùng trũng thấp, cũng như mực nước sông dâng cao, đồng thời khuyến cáo người dân cảnh giác trước nguy cơ xảy ra sét đánh, gió giật mạnh, và lốc xoáy…Trước đó, vào hôm qua (05/07), chính quyền các tỉnh Kumamoto, Saga, Fukuoka, Oita …, đã phải ban bố cảnh báo thiên tai nguy hiểm ở cấp độ 4 - cấp nghiêm trọng thứ 2 trong thang cảnh báo 5 cấp của Nhật Bản, đồng thời yêu cầu hàng trăm nghìn người dân sơ tán khẩn cấp để đảm bảo an toàn.Trong khi tình hình mưa lũ vẫn đang tiếp tục kéo dài và diễn biến phức tạp, Nhật Bản lại chuẩn bị phải đón nhận “hiểm họa kép” khi một cơn bão khác (bão số 9) - được dự báo là cơn bão lớn và có cường độ mạnh, đang di chuyển theo hướng phía Tây trên biển phía Nam Nhật Bản. Bắt đầu kể từ ngày 09/07 trở đi, tại các khu vực thuộc Okinawa và Amami, dự kiến ​​sẽ có biển động dữ dội, tình trạng thời tiết xấu, mưa lớn…, sẽ tiếp tục xảy ra ở nhiều nơi. Cơ quan khí tượng Nhật Bản đang khuyến cáo người dân tại các khu vực chịu ảnh hưởng của mưa lũ và dọc đường đi của cơn bão số 9 cần liên tục theo dõi các bản tin khẩn cấp để chủ động sơ tán nhằm đảm bảo an toàn./. Ngọc Huân/VOV Nhật BảnTrong khi mưa lớn vẫn tiếp diễn ở nhiều nơi, Nhật Bản lại chuẩn bị đón nhận cơn bão số 9 khiến nhiều khu vực đối mặt với nguy cơ thiên tai có thể xảy ra - Ảnh: Jiji Press.

2026.07.03 OA Life in Fukuoka "Vietnamese" #327 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

Saitama Seibu Lions vs Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 7/2/26 NPB Japan Betting Tips by Ron Crawford.

2026.07.02 OA Life in Fukuoka "Nepali" #327 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

Sales in Japan becomes much simpler when salespeople understand one core job: bridge the gap between value and cost. Too many salespeople meet a lead, get the appointment, explain the service, submit the quote and then collapse the moment the buyer says, "too expensive". That is not selling. That is price delivery with a business card. In Japan's B2B market, where trust, rapport, needs analysis and careful follow-up matter enormously, salespeople need a repeatable process. They must prepare for the meeting, build trust, ask strong questions, explain value clearly, handle objections professionally and aim for the reorder, not just the first order. Why do salespeople in Japan need a clear sales process? Salespeople in Japan need a clear sales process because trust, value and timing must be built before the buyer sees the price as reasonable. Without a process, salespeople become quote-submitters rather than trusted advisors. A weak salesperson contacts a lead, secures a meeting, explains the service and submits a price. A stronger salesperson prepares with the reorder in mind. In Japanese B2B sales, especially in professional services, training, manufacturing, technology and consulting, the first sale is only the beginning. The real objective is a long-term relationship. That requires rapport, diagnosis, tailored solutions and follow-up. If salespeople skip those steps, the buyer compares price without understanding value. Do now: Map your sales process from lead contact to reorder, not just from appointment to quotation. How should salespeople prepare before meeting a client? Salespeople should prepare by clarifying the buyer's likely needs, decision process, risks and long-term potential before the meeting starts. Preparation gives the salesperson control and purpose. The goal is not merely to show up and talk. The goal is to understand enough to ask intelligent questions. In Japan, where buyers may be cautious, consensus-oriented and reluctant to reveal concerns too early, preparation matters even more. Salespeople should research the company, industry pressures, possible budget timing, competing priorities and decision influencers. Whether selling in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya or Fukuoka, preparation helps the salesperson avoid generic explanations and create relevance. Do now: Before every meeting, write the client's likely business problem, buying process and possible objections. Why is rapport important in Japanese sales? Rapport is important because Japanese buyers rarely buy from people they do not trust. A salesperson who rushes into the pitch before building credibility makes the sale harder. Trust does not mean small talk for the sake of small talk. It means showing respect, listening carefully, understanding the client's world and demonstrating that the salesperson is not there merely to push a product. In Japan, relationship quality can influence whether the buyer shares real concerns or hides them behind polite language. Rapport opens the door to better discovery. Without it, the salesperson receives surface-level answers and then wonders why the deal stalls. Do now: Build trust before presenting. Ask thoughtful questions and show genuine interest in the client's situation. What questions should salespeople ask before presenting a solution? Salespeople should ask well-designed questions that reveal needs, priorities, constraints and the real buying motive. The presentation should come after discovery, not before it. Too many salespeople explain their service before they understand the buyer. That is backwards. Strong questions uncover the client's pain, desired result, urgency, stakeholders, budget timing and success criteria. In B2B sales, the most important issue may not be price. It may be internal competition for budget, timing, risk, volume of cash, lack of clarity or insufficient perceived value. The salesperson must find the highest-priority concern before recommending anything. Do now: Ask enough questions to know whether you can help, how you can help and what the buyer must believe to proceed. How should salespeople respond when buyers say "too expensive"? Salespeople should not immediately discount when buyers say "too expensive"; they should ask, "Why do you say that?" The price objection may be real, tactical, temporary or a sign that value is unclear. Dropping the price by 20% as a first response is an expensive habit. If five salespeople in a team all do that, the company is bleeding margin. The buyer may be negotiating for sport, testing flexibility, dealing with budget timing or comparing against an internal project. They may also simply not understand the value yet. In Japan, where buyers may avoid direct confrontation, "too expensive" can mean several things. The salesperson must diagnose before reacting. Do now: Protect margin. Ask the follow-up question before offering any discount. How can sales managers know what their team is really doing? Sales managers must inspect the actual sales behaviour of their team, not assume years of experience equal skill.Seven years in sales may be one year of weak habits repeated seven times. Managers should listen to how salespeople explain value, ask questions, handle objections and protect pricing. Role plays, call reviews, joint visits and training sessions reveal the truth. In Japan, many salespeople have never mastered a professional objection-handling process. They may be polite, diligent and active, but still commercially weak. If managers do not check, discounting becomes invisible and expensive. The team may be winning orders while quietly destroying profitability. Do now: Audit your sales team's process, especially how they respond to price pushback. Final Summary Sales in Japan is not complicated, but it does require discipline. The salesperson must prepare, build rapport, ask excellent questions, confirm whether they can help, explain the value, handle concerns and then ask for the order. Most importantly, the goal should be the reorder, not just the first sale. The dangerous moment comes when the buyer says, "too expensive". Salespeople who instantly drop the price train buyers to negotiate and train the company to lose margin. Sales managers need to know what is really happening in the field. Do not assume your team has a process. Check it, coach it and make value stronger than price. Author Bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

2026.07.01 OA Life in Fukuoka "Korean" #327 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

Many companies complain that their salespeople cannot sell, but the real problem is often poor sales management, weak onboarding, unrealistic targets, and almost no proper coaching. In Japan, where hiring English-speaking, globally minded salespeople has become harder, wasting sales talent is not just inefficient. It is expensive, avoidable, and strategically dangerous. Salespeople do not magically become productive. They need realistic targets, consistent sales training, active coaching, and managers who know how to build capability rather than just demand numbers. Why do companies waste salespeople? Companies waste salespeople when they hire them, pressure them, under-train them, and then blame them when they fail. The salesperson may look useless, but the system around them may be the real culprit. In industries such as recruitment, real estate, insurance, technology, and professional services, the "up or out" mentality is common. Throw enough people into the machine, set high targets, and keep the few who survive. That approach may have worked when there were plenty of candidates available, but Japan's labour market is tighter, younger talent is scarcer, and bilingual salespeople are harder to find. As of the post-pandemic period, companies cannot afford to treat salespeople like disposable parts. They need a development model, not a meat grinder. Do now: Audit your sales exits. Before calling people failures, check whether onboarding, coaching, target-setting, and manager support failed first. Why is hiring salespeople in Japan becoming harder? Hiring salespeople in Japan is harder because the supply of internationally exposed, English-speaking young talent has shrunk and domestic Japanese firms now compete for the same people. Multinationals no longer have the bilingual talent field to themselves. Japanese students studying overseas, especially in the United States, declined significantly from earlier peaks, and COVID-19 disrupted international mobility even further. The pattern also changed: fewer students completed long, four-year immersion experiences, while more chose shorter overseas programmes. That matters because multinational firms in Japan often seek candidates who can speak English, understand Western business culture, and operate confidently across borders. Meanwhile, Japanese domestic companies have become more attractive and more aggressive in hiring these same people. So, if you want a bilingual salesperson in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, or Fukuoka, brace for impact. Do now: Stop assuming talent is plentiful. Build a sales development engine that turns promising people into productive producers. What is broken about sales training in Japanese companies? Sales training in many Japanese companies is broken because On-the-Job Training exists in name, but not in real coaching practice. The company may believe development is happening, while the salesperson receives little meaningful guidance. The old OJT model relied on bosses having time to observe, coach, correct, and demonstrate. Today, many sales managers are drowning in email, meetings, CRM updates, forecasting, internal reporting, and their own player-manager targets. Coaching gets squeezed out. Nobody wants to admit that reality, so the organisation maintains a tatemae — the polite surface story — that young salespeople are being trained. Meanwhile, the honne — the actual truth — is that they are often left to struggle alone. In sales, that gap becomes missed revenue, low morale, and higher turnover. Do now: Measure actual coaching hours, not training slogans. If managers are not coaching weekly, the OJT system is probably fiction. How should sales targets be set fairly? Sales targets should be set using evidence, tenure, sales cycle length, market conditions, and comparable performance data — not numbers pulled out of the ether. Unrealistic targets crush confidence and accelerate resignations. A first-year salesperson, a veteran account manager, and a newly hired bilingual sales rep cannot be judged by the same blunt target logic. Leaders need a "Day One" view: when did the person start, what pipeline stage are they at, what territory did they inherit, and how are they performing compared with colleagues at the same stage? This approach is far more scientific than the wet-finger-in-the-air method. In Japan, where trust-building and decision cycles can be slower, target-setting must reflect reality. Pressure matters, but fantasy numbers create despair, not performance. Do now: Build a Ground Zero-style performance tracker. Compare people by stage, role, market, and ramp-up time before setting targets. Why does regular sales training improve revenue quickly? Regular sales training improves revenue quickly because sales is one of the few training areas where better behaviour can directly affect pipeline, conversion, deal size, and repeat business. When salespeople ask better questions, handle objections better, and follow a better process, results can move fast. Even experienced salespeople collect bad habits like barnacles on an oil tanker. They cut corners, talk too much, skip discovery, rush proposals, forget follow-up discipline, or assume they know what the customer wants. New salespeople need core skills; veterans need recalibration. In Japan, where buyers value trust, detail, patience, and relationship continuity, weak sales habits are especially costly. Training should not be a one-off event. It should be repeated, observed, coached, and reinforced in the field. Do now: Train regularly, then coach application. Knowledge in a classroom is not enough; changed behaviour in front of clients is the point. Why don't more companies train their salespeople properly? Many companies avoid proper sales training because sales managers fear exposure, Learning and Development teams protect their turf, and leaders underestimate the cost of mediocre training. The result is false economy. Sales managers may resist external training because they are supposed to be developing their people already. Admitting the need for help can feel like admitting failure. Some Learning and Development teams prefer to run training internally to justify their role or save budget. The problem is that bad training, generic training, or mediocre training is expensive because it fails to change behaviour. The bigger cost sits elsewhere: lost deals, wasted salaries, low productivity, recruitment fees, management time, and damaged morale. Training looks expensive only when leaders ignore the cost of not training. Do now: Calculate the real cost of sales turnover and underperformance. Then compare that number with the cost of serious training. Conclusion: how do leaders stop wasting salespeople? The answer is not rocket science: train them. Japan's shrinking bilingual talent pool, tougher hiring market, and weakening OJT habits mean companies cannot afford to burn through salespeople and pretend the problem is individual weakness. Some people may not be suited to sales, certainly. But many so-called "rejects" have simply been failed by poor systems, absent coaching, and fantasy targets. Leaders who rescue these salespeople, give them proper tools, set realistic expectations, and coach them consistently can build a serious competitive advantage. While rivals keep firing, replacing, and complaining, disciplined companies can train, retain, and win. FAQs Are bad salespeople always the real problem? No, poor sales performance often reflects weak management, poor onboarding, unrealistic targets, or lack of training. Leaders should examine the system before blaming the individual salesperson. Why is recruiting bilingual salespeople in Japan difficult? Recruiting bilingual salespeople in Japan is difficult because internationally exposed talent is scarcer and domestic firms now compete strongly for those candidates. Multinationals need to invest more seriously in development and retention. Does OJT still work for sales training? OJT only works when managers actually coach, observe, correct, and reinforce skills. If managers are too busy to coach, OJT becomes a slogan rather than a development method. How often should salespeople receive training? Salespeople should receive regular training and ongoing coaching, not a one-off workshop. New salespeople need fundamentals, while veterans need refreshers to remove bad habits. What is the fastest way to stop wasting sales talent? The fastest way is to combine realistic targets, structured training, weekly coaching, and better manager accountability. This gives salespeople a fair chance to become productive. Author bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award. As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programmes, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō（ザ営業）, Purezen no Tatsujin（プレゼンの達人）, Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō（トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう）, and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā（現代版「人を動かす」リーダー）. Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews, followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

2026.06.30 OA Life in Fukuoka "Chinese" #326 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠ In this segment of Notorious Mass Effect, Analytic Dreamz delivers a concise breakdown of Stray Kids' major announcements: the release of their new single “RUN IT,” the upcoming EP THIS & THAT, and the full details of the RUN IT World Tour.Analytic Dreamz covers the June 24, 2026 release of “RUN IT,” the first pre-release track from the 8-track EP THIS & THAT arriving August 7, 2026. The discussion explores the music video's black-and-white minimalist aesthetic and the group's shift toward a darker, more mature visual direction.The segment also examines the RUN IT World Tour, including five Seoul shows at KSPO Dome in July and August, historic Japan dates where Stray Kids will become the first overseas male artist to headline Tokyo National Stadium, plus confirmed stops in Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangkok, and Singapore. Analytic Dreamz recaps the record-breaking dominATE Tour stats, festival appearances, concert film success, and the group's continued Billboard dominance. Perfect for Stay and K-pop fans seeking clear, up-to-date information.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Welcome back to Open The Voice Gate! Case (https://twitter.com/_inyourcase) and Mike (https://twitter.com/fujiiheya) are back with an update on the comings and goings of Dragongate.Case and Mike get back together to discuss the curious case of Dragongate's 2026, now a month away from Kobe World 2026, and after a troublesome double-header in Fukuoka. They talk about the few events from the shows and go in-depth on whether wrestlers are better off than they were a year ago, before concluding with Mike's First Osaka Pro thoughts.  Our podcast provider, Red Circle, offers the listeners the option to sponsor the show. Click on “Sponsor This Podcaster” at https://redcircle.com/shows/open-the-voice-gate and you can donate a single time, or set up a monthly donation to Open The Voice Gate!Please Rate and Review Open The Voice Gate on the podcast platform of your choice and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/openvoicegate.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I moved to Fukuoka and this is my honest review of life here so far. There's a lot to love, but there are also a few things that don't quite work for me yet. In this episode I share both — not as a travel guide, but as someone actually living here day to day. If you've ever wondered what it feels like to settle into a new city in Japan, I hope this gives you a real sense of it.

2026.06.22 OA Life in Fukuoka "English" #325 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

The Dazai no Sochi--the head of the Yamato government in Kyushu--was a powerful position, with a lot of autonomy with lucrative opportunities.  The people in this position were often powerful members of the court capable of representing the sovereign.  They would often go on to become quite powerful in their own right.  So who were the movers and shakers that held this prestigious position during Uno no Sarara's reign?  This episode, we take a look at those who held the position and those who supported them. For more, check out our blogpost:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-151 PS:  Hang around to the end (or check the end of the transcript) for information on some possible updates coming to the show. Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is Episode 151: The Dazai no Sochi of the late 7th century   Tsukushi no Masaru was busy.  A new boss was coming in, and he wanted to make sure everything was prepared.  The Dazai may have been about as far as one could get from the capital and still be in Yamato, but it was also the first—and sometimes only—encounter some would have with the archipelago, so there was no excuse to be slacking off.  Of course, this was hardly his first new boss, though for as long as he'd been on the job, each one could well be his last.  He was getting a bit long in the tooth, after all.  Twenty-nine years was a long time to be working in the same position.  As Masaru paused, he thought back on some of the people he'd served.  There was Soga no Akae—he was ambitious.  Apparently he'd been in some rather compromising positions before coming out, but he'd done well enough when he went back.  Shame that he backed the wrong horse. That did bring a chuckle to old Masaru's throat, though.  He remembered when Prince Kurikuma had come out there, to the the Dazai, , and there were still people around who told stories of him.  When those Afumi court stooges had showed up to try and conscript the barrier guards, Prince Kurikuma and his sons just stared them down.  Everyone had been afraid that it would end in bloodshed, or at least that there would be consequences for defying the court, but Kurikuma was adamant, and the messenger had left with his tail firmly between his legs. Then there was Shima. By the time he came, Masaru already knew how everything was supposed to work. He may not have been in charge, but that wasn't his ambition.  It was enough for him to be good at what he did.  He didn't need to go all the way to the Palace and deal with the politics there—there were enough politics out here already.  Shima, though, he was clearly suited for that Palace life.  He was a capable administrator, but Masaru could tell he was ambitious.  When he left, everyone knew that he would be going on to bigger and better things. And now there was another Prince coming out. So they would get the government offices prepared and greet him with proper fanfare.  They'd bring him in and hold the ceremonies, and then they would get down to work.  A stream of officers would present him with what they were working on and what had to happen.  Masaru would be there to help make sure that everything was running smoothly and nothing got too out of hand.  And that was the way things worked out on the edge of the realm.   Welcome back to Sengoku Daimyo.  We are still covering the reign of Uno no Sarara, and, similar to last episode, we are going to continue to talk about the people who made up Yamato at this time.  This episode, more specifically, we are going to be turning away from the capital, in Asuka, and looking all the way over to Tsukushi—modern Kyushu—and at the people who served as Dazai no Sochi, or head of the local government out there, as well as the bureaucrats and staff that worked for them—at least as far we know.  Many of them went on to have considerable careers that took them well beyond Kyushu.  At the same time, we'll take a look at some of the things that happened under their rule as what Aston translates as the "Viceroy of Tsukushi". After that, I have a special announcement about the podcast at the end of the episode, so if you are interested in learning more about what we plan on doing, please listen all the way to the end to hear about some plans for the future. And with that out of the way, let's begin. So we are talking about the position of Dazai no Sochi or the Viceroy of Tsukushi.  Often these people are referred to only as being of the "Tsukushi no Dazai" or the "Tsukushi no Ohomochi".  The term "Sochi" appears later, and we first see this term applied to Prince Kawachi, in 689.  It seems to show up with two different characters, which might be a term from the later Taihou code that was retroactively applied or may refer to an evolution of the position over time.  I'm honestly not sure.  There is still plenty of confusion over what was meant in some of the references. We've discussed this position before on the podcast: This was the sovereign's representative to the world outside of the archipelago.  Not only did the Dazai no Sochi  oversee all of Tsukushi—all of Kyushu— and extensive defensive forces stationed there and in the outlying islands, but they oversaw all diplomatic and trade missions to and from the archipelago.  Envoy missions would come to Tsushima, where they would get a local pilot and send word ahead.  They would then be received at the government center, the Dazai, near modern Fukuoka and Hakata bay.  For most envoys, this was as close as they would ever get to Yamato proper.  They would offload their goods there and be put up at the government supplied quarters in Wogohori.  They would be wined and dined there, entertained as appropriate to their status, while word was sent on to the capital.  In rare cases, envoys would be sent on another journey through the inland sea to Naniwa, and then on to Asuka, but otherwise their journey would end at the Dazaifu.  Any return gifts would come back with the correspondence from the capital, and thus be handed out to the envoys and their escorts before the mission was sent back home to Silla, Tamna, or wherever they had come from. Being the middle man in this operation offered a lot of power and authority, but it also would have been quite lucrative.  While diplomatic missions brought gifts for the court, they also brought  trade goods, of which the Dazai no Sochi could have first  pick.  This is on top of the fact that this position often came with a stipend equaling the labor of hundreds of individuals.  Many of the Dazai no Sochi would serve limited terms, eventually returning to Asuka, where we see them take on powerful positions. Take, for example, our first Dazai no Sochi, Tajihi no Mabito no Shima. Tajihi no Shima was born, we are told, in or around 624 to Tajihi no Maro and a daughter of Ohotomo no Hirafu.  Tajihi no Maro, Shima's father was a powerful noble in the court of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, and he had enough standing that he was one of the named individuals who provided eulogies for Ohoama on the occasion of his passing.   The Tajihi family were quite well placed: they were descendants of Hinokuma no Takata no Miko, aka Senka Tennou, Shima's great-grandfather.  This earned them the kabane of "Mabito", or "True Person" because of their royal lineage.   Tajihi no Shima was placed in charge of the Dazai from at least 682.  His predecessor that we know about is Prince Yagaki, who was dismissed around 676, and we don't know who filled the gap between him and Shima. Shima had quite the run.  We don't know exactly when he returned to the court in Asuka, but it cannot have been later than 689, when we see Awada no Mahito in the position.  A year later, in 690, Shima was made Udaijin, or minister of the right.  That's a huge deal and we will talk about that in a bit, but what did Shima actually oversee during his tenure as Dazai no Sochi? We have quite a few events attributed to him, this reign.  In 686, we see the Tsukushi no Dazai sending tribute in the form of human beings:  Common men and women of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, along with 62 priests and nuns.  We aren't told where these men and women came from, but I suspect that they were refugees or captives from all the fighting on the peninsula.  That they were given as tribute suggests to me that they were enslaved—or at the very least they were not free.  If they were uneducated, they were likely put to work as labor, perhaps building out the new capital or opening new farmlands.  Later we see the various missions from Silla around the death of Ohoama, and the back and forth that went on, there, and in 688 the Tsukushi no Dazai entertained Kara, a Minister of Tamna, aka modern Jeju island, who had been sent by the king of that small country.  You may recall that Tamna, while late to the game, may have been one of the last holdouts of an early Japonic speaking people outside of the archipelago. Being the Tsukushi no Dazai, Shima would not have only been concerned with foreign envoys, but also with two other groups of Hayato—specifically the Ohosumi no Hayato and the Ata no Hayato.  Little is known about them, other than that Yamato considered them to be distinct ethnic and cultural groups living in the far south of Kyushu.  We've talked before about how southern Kyushu maintained a significantly different material culture through Kofun period until more recent times.  We also have indication that they had a distinctive shield and even art style—the famous "Hayato shields" appear to have been appropriated by the court, along with a contingent of Hayato men that were expected to act as an exotic guard for the sovereign and the court.  The earliest reliable evidence we have for them is a record from 682.  There are some questions as to whether or not they were related to the groups previously called Kumaso or even the Tsuchigumo, but there is no clear historical or archaeological  evidence linking them other than the common cultural finds in Kyushu more generally. The Ata and Ohosumi Hayato may have been distinct clans or lineage groups living in Ohosumi and the area of modern Satsuma.  We have a record in 687 of the Ata no Hayato attending Ohoama's funeral and presenting a eulogy.  The chiefs who came brought 337 others—a sizeable contingent—and they were all given presents by the court.  Later, we would see presents given out to 174 Hayato by Shima's successor in the Dazai, Awada no Mahito, and then in 692 we know that the court sent priests to preach Buddhism to Ata and Ohosumi.    In 695, Hayato of Ohosumi were entertained in the capital, and they even held a wrestling match for the Queen and her attendants in the area west of Asukadera, by the site of the famous Tsuki tree. So the Hayato would have been another group that Shima no doubt dealt with on a somewhat regular basis in his capacity as Dazi no Sochi—and then later on when he returned to Asuka and took up his new role as Udaijin.   And as I mentioned, that appointment was a Big Deal.  The position of Udaijin had been vacant since Nakatomi no Kane, one of the infamous leaders of the Afumi court, was non-consensually removed from the position—and this plane of existence—when he was executed in 672, at the closure of the Jinshin no Ran.  After that, Ohoama appears to have been gun-shy about sharing power with anyone outside the royal family.  The position had been left vacant for about 18 years.  So what made Uno no Sarara take up Shima as Minister of the Right?  And what about the Minister of the Left, or the Sadaijin? Well, we don't have a Sadaijin, but we do have a Dajodaijin in the form of Prince Takechi, Ohoama's first-born son.  The Dajodaijin was the Prime Minister in charge of the entire Dajokan, the Council of State, made up of the ministers of the left and right and the 8 bureaus of the government.  The Sadaijin and Udaijin served under the Dajodaijin, in that hierarchical order, with the Sadaijin generally being considered higher in precedence.  So it looks like, in this case, they had the Dajodaijin, Prince Takechi to run the Council and Shima, as Udaijin would have been responsible for ensuring the administration of the eight bureaus was properly carried out. That Shima was appointed just under Prince Takechi again shows the power and influence he likely had and the trust he must have had from Uno no Sarara.  Remember, the Crown Prince, Kusakabe, had died before he could take the throne.  Uno was enthroned as Queen, while the Crown Prince, Karu, was still a minor.  Whereas Ohoama had his wife and many sons to help him run things, Uno no Sarara was running thin.  As had been seen with Prince Ohotsu, there was always the threat that one of Ohoama's other sons could be propped up on the throne.  Uno had to look after Karu's birthright, but there was no guarantee that he would make it to adulthood in times before modern medicine.  It appears that Prince Takechi was actually considered the next in line, just in case something happened to Karu before he could ascend the throne, which makes sense that Prince Takechi was also trusted as Dajo Daijin.  Shima's place as Udaijin must have been indicative of similar trust that he would look after the royal family's interests.  This was no doubt helped by the role he played as Dazai no Sochi. As Udajin, Tajihi no Shima went on to have a rather incredible career.  He was given 4 cho of land for his residence.  This appears to be around 10 acres or so—a not inconsiderable amount of land, and it probably refers to the amount of land he was granted in the new Fujiwara capital city.  Later, in the Nara capital of Heijo-kyo, Prince Nagaya's residence was about that size and Fujiwara no Nakamaro's residence is thought to have been about twice that.  This would have given Shima space for multiple buildings, sprawling gardens, servants quarters, quarters for his wives and children, and much more. Tajihi no Shima would continue in his role as Udaijin, and would eventually, be promoted to the position of Sadaijin, a post he held only briefly, as he passed away almost a year later. He was not forgotten, however.  It is thought that he was the model for one of the suitors of Kaguya Hime in the famous story of Taketori Monogatari—the tale of the Bamboo Cutter.  Taketori Monogatari, also known as Kaguya Hime Monogatari, is considered the oldest known story in the Monogatari form.  It was probably written in the late 9th or early 10th century, with references to it appearing in works as early as 909 CE.  This suggests that Tajihi no Shima and others were still remembered, at least in part, over a century later. Shima is also thought to have been the patron of the famous poet, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, one of the famous 36 immortal poets.  We'll have to include Hitomaro in a later episode, though we might come back to him after this reign, as he isn't mentioned in the Chronicles, but we do have some fragmentary biographical information thanks to his inclusion in the Man'yoshu.  In fact, he's probably one of the most famous poets in the Man'yoshu who is not otherwise mentioned.  We are told that he was the court poet during the reign of Uno no Sarara, so it makes sense that Shima may have very well been his patron and helped him get his start. Now while Shima was back in Asuka, making it big in the court, the position of Tsukushi no Dazai had to be filled, and we are told that the mantle was taken up by Awada no Mahito no Ason.  This name is a bit tricky, as it seems to have two kabane:  Mahito and Ason.  Since his father is said to have been Kasuga no Awada no Omi no Kudara, the assumption seems to be that "Mahito" was his name, rather than his kabane.  Although it was likely pronounced "Mabito" at the time, I'm going to go with the modern pronunciation of "Mahito" in part to distinguish it from the kabane.  A quick side note:  When reading names from this period, we usually see the kabane coming right after the family name, as the kabane is basically a rank for the family and not the individual.  But we do occasionally see the kabane tacked on at the end of a name, as in Awada no Mahito's case.  I would also like to quickly draw your attention to his father's name:  Kudara.  That can also be read as Baekje.  Was this an indication that his father or an ancestor came from the continent, perhaps from Baekje?  Or just that he had close ties to that kingdom?  I couldn't find anything specific, but it seems interesting that he was put in place at the Dazai, where dealing with the continent would have been an important part of his duties. Awada no Mahito was not just a noble of the court, and even if his father was of Baekje descent, that may not have been the main thing that gained him the position.  It may have also had to do with an earlier incident.  We are told that in 653 Mahito was one of those who traveled with the 2nd envoy to the Tang court as a scholar monk.  He would later return to secular life, but that experience must have been a big feather in his cap, helping him land a good position at court.  In fact, in 685, we are told that he was Jikikwoushi rank—a fairly respectable position for anyone at the time—and he apparently tried to get his father raised to the same rank as he was.  Aston translates the record as saying he was willing to give his rank to his father, but it is unclear to me if this means he was offering to give up his rank altogether.  At the very least it seems that he felt awkward outranking his father—a good, filial attitude, it would seem.  However, Ohoama didn't care.  In the past, rank may have been given to entire families, but now the court was giving rank to individuals, and the rank Mahito had earned was his, not his father's.  And so his request was denied. Four years later, Ohoama was gone and Awada no Mahito was sent to the Tsukushi no Dazai.  We are told that he was in that position as of 689.  If that was the position of Dazai no Sochi, however, he didn't hold it for long, as Prince Kawachi was raised up to that position that same year, and here we have a bit of a conundrum.  Mahito is only mentioned as "Tsukushi no Dazai" while Prince Kawachi is specifically mentioned, at least twice, as Tsukushi no Dazai no Sochi.  There are some who suggest that Mahito may have been the Dazai Daini, an assistant to the Dazai no Sochi—effectively the second-in-command it would appear.  This makes some sense, when you consider it, and he may even have been acting Dazai no Sochi until Prince Kawachi was appointed. Of course, because our records are quite lackluster, and we are never actually told when Tajihi no Shima left the position, it is possible that Awada no Mahito was actually the Dazai Sochi for many years leading up to 689, and that Shima had returned to Asuka some time ago.  This is the problem with the way things are written—sometimes they mention a name and sometimes just a position, and rarely do they mention when someone stepped down. Still, Mahito oversaw a few things that we can be somewhat sure about as they happened after he is first mentioned in the position, though it was all in the same year.  For one thing, he is the one who presented gifts to the 174 Hayato in the first month of 689.  This included cloth, ox hides, and deerskins.  He was also there when the Queen sent relief to the Barrier Wardens whose terms were up.  These were the Sakimori, a position set up to defend the archipelago and repel any potential invasions.  I would assume they were regularly rotated out, especially if they were expected to man the fortifications out on some of the islands.  It is interesting that we don't often see them referenced, so it isn't clear to me why the reference was made here—it may have just been a note in one of the sources the Chroniclers were using. Later that same year, we also see garments being given out—likely meaning official court clothing—to the Tsukushi Dazai and others.  This was probably to bring them all in line with the latest formal wear being used in the court in Asuka.  We also know that in the 6th month of that year they entertained the Silla envoys, who were given various presents. And then, two months later, Mahito is out and Prince Kawachi comes in.  At the same time that Prince Kawachi is being made the Dazai no Sochi, our previous Dazai no Sochi, Tajihi no Shima, had his rank and fief increased.   I doubt this was a coincidence, and it is one of the things that, for me, lends credence to the idea that Shima had just then returned to Asuka and Prince Kawachi was his replacement, suggesting that Mahito had really just been in an acting capacity while the change over was taking place. Unfortunately, if we were looking for more information about Prince Kawachi's background, we would be disappointed.  Although he is a prince, probably descended from Nunakura, aka Bidatsu Tennou, we don't have a lot about him.  He—or someone with the same name, since we do see these Princely titles get reused, it seems—is found in the reign of Ohoama traveling with Ohotomo no Yasumaro and Fujiwara no Ohoshima to go entertain Gim Jisyang of Silla.  Later we see a Prince Kawachi delivering eulogies during Ohoama's funeral.  That suggests he held an important position, and that he was somewhat familiar with the continent, but we don't get a whole lot more.  Our next evidence is when he was appointed to the post of Dazai no Sochi in 689, a position he would hold until his death in 694—which may also explain why we just don't see too much of him in the record.  A promising career may have been cut short, as happened all too often back in that day and age. Still, as Dazai no Sochi, he had plenty to keep him busy.  Not a month after he arrived, Isonokami no Maro and Ishikawa no Mishina arrived at the head of a delegation.  They were there to deliver patents of rank to members of the Tsukushi government and to inspect the fortifications at the edge of the archipelago.  These were the same fortifications being manned by the newly arrived Sakimori. Speaking of the members of the Tsukushi government, it took a lot of people to make the Dazaifu work, not just the Sochi giving people orders about what they should do.  There were numerous assistants helping to keep everything running.  Some of them would have just been dealing with the Sochi's own residence, while others were clerks, guards, and more.  It really was a miniature version of the court in Asuka, and would have required a lot of people to tend to it.  And we know of at least one of them:  Tsukushi no Fubito no Masaru, whose imagined thoughts we heard at the top of the episode.  In 691, Masaru was recognized for 29 years of service as a secretary to the Tsuksuhi no Dazai.  Twenty-nine years in place suggests to me that he would have likely been one of the longest serving members of the Tsukushi government center.  He would have known where all the bodies were buried—perhaps quite literally.  While the Dazai no Sochi was often a temporary appointment, sometimes just for a few years, they would have likely leaned on Masaru for his expertise.  This is just like how modern government appointees like ambassadors may come and go, including for political reasons, but they rely on permanent staff, including a lot of locals, to provide the institutional knowledge they need to do their jobs.  One can assume that if Masaru had been successful for 29 years he knew how things were supposed to work.  And so I hope that his superiors made sure to remember that when Secretary's day rolled around. Prince Kawachi didn't make it 29 years, but he made it five.  He might have gone even longer, but he died in office in 694 and was posthumously raised in rank for his service.  History is full of stories, but in real life, the stories don't always follow the expected narratives.  As much as we'd like to think otherwise, good, moral people do not always triumph and sometimes those who do awful things are never punished.  And some times stories come to abrupt ends.  Of course, looking back, it just is what it is.  Prince Kawachi's life becomes little more than a footnote.  And yet, what if he had gone on?  Would he have followed Tajihi no Shima to help become one of the grand ministers of the court?  Unfortunately, we will never know.  He could have been a rising star, but we just know about his passing. Five months after Prince Kawachi's untimely death, he was followed in the post by Prince Mino.  Prince Mino would continue in the position, it seems, through the end of the reign in 697—or at least nobody else was appointed until 700, when Isonokami no Maro—apparently the same one who had previously come out to inspect the fortifications during Prince Kawachi's tenure—was appointed.  Although he came into the position in the next reign, we'll still touch on him, as he was another notable figure at this time. Looking back at Prince Mino, however, we seem to run into a problem—there are too many Princes Mino in the record.  If you just use the English translations, you'll find several references to Prince Mino, but if you look at the original text, you'll see that there are at least three different spellings.  For one it means "Beautiful Field" and another is just "Three Fields".  A third "Mino" is spelled with characters that don't necessarily create obvious meaning, and may just be a phonetic spelling. It is possible that all of these Princes Mino are the same.  Spelling wasn't standard, and different characters could be used for the same name.  On the other hand, we have one set of characters being used to describe a Prince Mino who supported Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran, while another, the "Three Fields" Prince Mino, describes one of the sons of Prince Kurikuma, who was with his father in Tsukushi when the Afumi court came calling.  Since travel wasn't necessarily an overnight endeavor—unless you were Ohoama, rushing through the mountains to the east—it would seem that the Prince Mino in Tsukushi is unlikely to be the same one as the Prince Mino who joined Ohoama's forces back in the Home Provinces. So let's make the assumption that Prince Mino—Prince "Three Fields" Mino—is one person and the others are separate.  What do we know about him? Well, he appears to have had experience with Tsukushi and the government out  there, since he would be the son of Prince Kurikuma, a former Tsukushi Dazai no Sochi.  We talked about Prince Kurikuma before, back in numerous episodes, but particularly in episodes 128 and Episode 144, as well as references in betweend. Prince Kurikuma was not only a significant factor in the outcome of the Jinshin no Ran, denying the Afumi court the resources of all of the defenders at the Tsukushi fortifications, he shows up in local legends in Tsukushi still today.  So he definitely seems to have had an impact on the region.  It also suggests that Prince Mino had connections in the area through his father. After his father's posting as Dazai no Sochi ended, Prince Mino appears to have returned with him to Asuka.  He is described as a key member in Ohoama's court.  He was one of the Princes mentioned in the audience at the Daigokuden in 681, when Ohoama instituted the commission to bring together the various court sources that we presume would eventually lead to the creation of the Chronicles—the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki.  Later, he become a daibu, a high official, of the Household Bureau, responsible for the household of the sovereign, the sumera no mikoto.  This meant the upkeep of the palace, the kitchens, and the various servants waiting on the sovereign and his family.  This also means that he was likely close to the movers and shakers of the court. One of the projects under his purview appears to have been the laying out of a new palace and a new capital city.  In 682 he headed up the investigations at the place called Nihiki, determining that it would be a good location for what would eventually become Fujiwara-kyo—a project still underway in Queen Uno's reign.  He was also sent out to Shinano two years later to look for a site for a second capital.  It ended up not happening, but he spent a couple months and eventually came back with a map of the region.  It may be that the Fujiwara-kyo project took up a lot of Mino's time and effort, because we then don't hear from him for another decade, during which Ohama passed away and so much more happened.  Assuming he was still involved with the Fujiwara capital project, however, we see that in 691 there was a ceremony held for the tranquility of the new capital—a Chin-sai or, what we would today call a "Ji-chin-sai".  This is a "land pacification ceremony" done when breaking ground on a new building or other project.  So it looks like planning and land clearing had taken some 10 years, but it was finally ready to get started.  Later that same year we hear of them laying out the residences of high ranking nobles, like the Udaijin, Tajihi no Shima, and we also see the Queen inspecting the roads.  Then, a year later in 692, they were holding the land pacification ceremony for the new palace.  The queen would move into the new palace in the very last months of 694. But by that time, Prince Mino was on to his next assignment.  He had been appointed Tsukushi Dazai no Sochi earlier that year following the death of Prince Kawachi.  Not much more is said of Tsukushi for the next three years of the reign, but we do see the Hayato visiting Asuka, presumably with Prince Mino's assistance. We don't have a clear idea of when Prince Mino retired—it's certainly not in the Nihon Shoki—but we know that he did because he was succeeded in the role by none other than Isonokami no Maro, who would take up the position in 700.  Prince Mino, on the other hand, returned to the court, where he would eventually pass away in the year 708. And that was the last Dazai no Sochi who held the position during this reign, but I do want to talk about the one who came after Prince Mino just a bit—though more because this was an up-and-coming court noble whom we should be watching. Isonokami no Maro was born, by all accounts, in the year 640.  Despite his name he was actually born to a family that we know somewhat well from much earlier on: The Mononobe.  In fact, his father is apparently Mononobe no Muraji no Umaro, and he appears to be descended from the main line of the Mononobe family, which had declined ever since Mononobe no Moriya had been defeated and killed by Soga no Umako and others. And it seems that the Mononobe curse of being on the losing side in a contest for power hit Maro during the Jinshin no Ran, because we see him, at that time referenced as Mononobe no Muraji no Maro, along with two servants, or Toneri, serving Prince Ohotomo—aka Koubun Tennou—up to the very end.  In fact, when Ohotomo fled and the Afumi court deserted him, only Mononobe no Maro and the servants stayed with him when he eventually strangled himself. And one would think that would be it.   You were with the rival for the throne in the most contentious fight in recent memory.  You couldn't protect him and you were on the wrong side.  Sure, Ohoama was going to pardon you because he couldn't just rid himself of half of the court and hope things would still run smoothly—that would be a surefire recipe for disaster, and nobody wanted the government crippled like that.  However, you can't imagine that those on the losing side would be given any position of trust or authority. And yet, in 676, we see that Mononobe no Maro was sent to Silla.  And he wasn't just helping out: he was sent as the chief envoy of Ohoama's court.  That is quite the turnaround in four years, and we don't really know why, but it has been speculated that Ohoama was actually impressed.  While other members of the Afumi court fled and abandoned Ohotomo to his enemies, Maro and the two toneri with him did not, staying with Ohotomo until the bitter end, and likely conveying what had happened to the other side once it was all over.   That kind of loyalty was impressive, especially back then. It is also thought that Maro may have benefited from the fact that Enoi no Okimi, who was also descended from the Mononobe family, fought on the side of Ohoama.  This is a common scenario we see throughout Japanese history, where different members of the same family fight on different sides of a conflict, often meaning that no matter who wins the family can still claim to have been on the winning side.  When Okimi passed away in 676 he was posthumously recognized as the ujigami, or clan head, of the Mononobe, leading some to suspect that a bit of his shine may have rubbed off on Maro as well. In 684, when the various kabane were being rectified by Ohoama's court, the Mononobe no Muraji were included as Ason, or Asaomi.  There is some thought that around this time is when Maro changed his name to Isonokami, which is a name that was previously used by members of the Mononobe, including one of the brothers to Mononobe no Moriya.  We see him mentioned as Isonokami no Maro in 686, as one of those giving a eulogy for Ohoama: specifically he gives the eulogy on behalf of the Houkan, or Nori no Tsukasa, the Judicial officers.  He is mentioned right after Fuse no Miushi, whom we talked about last episode, who would go on to become a Dainagon and, later, Udaijin, or Minister of the Right. The first connection between Isonokami no Maro and Tsukushi was in 689, and we noted it earlier—he came out to inspect the fortifications as well as to hand out patents of rank to the court officials working out there on the edge of the realm.    He would return to Asuka in time to be a part of Uno no Sarara's official enthronement ceremonies.  There he is named Mononobe no Maro, and is in charge of the shields.  Given what we know of the role of the Mononobe as the early soldiers of the court, it makes sense that he would play this role, and that they would use the name Mononobe rather than Isonokami.  In the same way, the ritual was conducted by Fujiwara no Ohoshima, but he is recorded as Nakatomi no Ohoshima, probably because these were roles specifically for the Mononobe and Nakatomi, rather than for the Isonokami and the Fujiwara. This is another thing that can be quite frustrating when researching Japanese history—names can change at the drop of a hat, and people often had various ancestral names and titles that could be pulled out for various political or ceremonial reasons.  If you don't have the history or understand the nuance it can be easy to just think that it is a different person altogether.  And when you don't have much information, sometimes you have to ask yourself which is it? Maro would stay close to Queen Uno, even accompanying her to Ise shrine, and then, in the following reign, he would succeed Prince Mino as Dazai no Sochi in the year 700.  It isn't clear, however, if he left for the Dazaifu immediately, since in 701 he is noted as having been promoted from the office of Chunagon to Dainagon, and in that same year he went with Royal Prince Osakabe to pay respects at the house of the late Udaijin, Tajihi no Shima, who had just passed away.  He then left for Tsukushi in 702—or possibly headed back.  But in 703, he was once again back in Asuka, paying condolences on the death of the next Udaijin, Abe no Miushi—aka Fuse no Miushi, the same one whom Maro had pronounced a Eulogy with during the funeral ceremonies for Ohoama.  Isonokami no Maro would go on to take the mantle of Udaijin, and then eventually Sadaijin as well.  He would be raised up to the second rank, along with the famous Fujiwara no Fubito, who took the vacated position of Udaijin.  This meant that technically Maro was the senior of the two, though many people think that Fujiwara no Fubito held most of the actual power.  Regardless of that, Isonokami no Maro nonetheless would go on to become the highest ranking court noble before his eventual death in 717.  At that point he was 78 years old, by the reckoning of the day, and he had seen multiple sovereigns, several bloody conflicts, and the creation of two permanent capitals—Fujiwara kyo and Heijo kyo, in modern Nara.  He went from being a supporter in the Afumi court, on the wrong side of the Jinshin no Ran to become the highest ranking court noble in the land.  He would be granted the head of the Mononobe family and would continue to prosper as Isonokami.  It was truly a remarkable career over an incredible span of time. And there you have it.  A look at some of those that were sent out to the Dazaifu in Tsukushi.  In later years, the post of Dazai no Sochi would be seen more as a burden than a blessing, but at this point it was still a lucrative and powerful position.  Several of those involved in the Dazaifu or who held the position as Dazai no Sochi would go on to even more powerful positions back in Asuka.  Whilst this posting did move you further away from the politics—perhaps not always a bad thing—it also put you atop a structure where one had considerable power, authority, and autonomy, at least at this point. Next episode we'll get back to the court in Asuka and take a look at a little more of what is going on.  Before I end this, however, a quick administrative note about the podcast.  This creation is a labor of love.  It was started largely as a way to get myself to regularly dive into the Chronicles and really see what was going on.  In particular, I was excited about the Asuka period, because I don't think we really have enough of a sense of what life was like and what was going on back then.  It was clearly a very dynamic time, and yet we tend to see it through the lens of later Nara and Heian court culture, which was still very much evolving.  The stories that I *didn't* know about were what drew me to this project, and I hope that we've all learned a bit more as the project has continued. And we are reaching the end of the area that is covered by the main Chronicles, the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki, and the Sendai Kuji Hongi, which have been our main guides through this period.  But that doesn't mean we are bringing things to a close. Next we have the Shoku Nihongi and many other grecords, and I am going to keep up with the project and the schedule as best I can.  In fact, it looks like I may be able to devote even more time to it in the near future as some drastic life changes are coming for me, such that I will no longer be working a 9-to-5 job while also trying to get this podcast out like clockwork twice a month—not to mention my other passion, teaching traditional Japanese martial arts here in the DC region at a local not-for-profit dojo.  This is happening as we are also in the process of building a house, traveling, and more.  But it does mean that we are going to be looking into alternative sources of funding beyond just donations.  We are eternally grateful to everyone who has donated, but I may end up doing something that I've been putting off for a while: allowing advertisements.  I want to do this so that we can continue to offer this for podcast for free, but hosting, staying up to date on sources, etc. does cost money.  I'm not looking to make a huge profit, but if we can at least get the podcast paying for itself, that would be a good start. Before I do that I'll look to find a way that we can get subscribers on Patreon and elsewhere ad-free copy.  I just need to figure that out, but once I do, I'll let you all know. So there you have it.  We aren't going to stop the podcast, but we may be adding a bit more to it in the future.  I hope, though, that we can do more beyond the historical chronicles.  For instance, did you know that we have an English translation of a 17th century cookbook up on our website, SengokuDaimyo.com?  I would love to redact those recipes and maybe provide some cooking videos for anyone who would want to try them.  A shoutout to Max Miller of Tasting History, who reached out to us about using a couple of our translations for his episodes on historical Japanese cooking – Max is a great guy and his series and cookbook are well worth following.  But there's a lot more to explore: one of my favorites so far that we've tried is "keiran", or "eggs": doughy balls filled with brown sugar and cooked in a miso based soup.  I don't know if there is anything like that still being served in Japan, but it's a strange and pleasant recipe and I would love to do that again and record it for everyone to try. All of this is in the works, and nothing will change immediately, but I wanted to keep you all in the loop.  Thank you so much for listening, I can't tell you how much it means. And of course, as always, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Tous les matins, à 7H10 et 9H45, on vous donne les bonnes nouvelles du jour.

I moved from Osaka — but why Fukuoka? In this episode, I walk you through the 8 reasons I chose my new home. I didn't just pick a city. I thought carefully about the lifestyle I wanted, what makes me feel happy day to day, and what I wasn't willing to give up. Fresh local food, nature within walking distance, no bears on the hiking trails, and a city that's lively without being overwhelming . Fukuoka checked a lot of boxes. If you've ever thought about where you'd want to live, or what your ideal everyday life would look like, I think you'll enjoy this one.

2026.06.15 OA Life in Fukuoka "English" #324 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

In a more adventurous episode, I challenge myself to cycle alone from Seoul, South Korea all the way to the coastal city of Busan, and eventually end up in Fukuoka, Japan. Can I do it? Can I make it to the end without destroying my body? Join me to find out.In this episode, I'll be sharing my experience of the cycle trip, including planning, advice for those who want to take on similar challenges, and sharing useful vocabulary for English learners along the way.I highly recommend watching the video version on YouTube or Spotify for this episode since I'll be sharing almost 1 hour of footage from my cycling, so you can enjoy the beautiful scenery while I talk.Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast380/

2026.06.08 OA Life in Fukuoka "English" #323 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

Hanshin Tigers vs Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 6/9/26 NPB Japan Prediction Today by Ron Crawford.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just around the corner, Dan Orlowitz re-joins the Krewe to preview Japan's tournament outlook. We break down Samurai Blue's final roster, key players to watch, group-stage matchups, and what a successful World Cup would look like for Japan. Plus, Dan shares his predictions for the tournament's biggest surprises, disappointments, and who he thinks will be lifting the trophy when it's all said and done. Whether you're a diehard soccer fan or a once-every-four-years World Cup viewer, this episode is the perfect primer before kickoff. ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy! ------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------ Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode! Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season! Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  ------ Past KOJ Sports-Related Episodes ------ Bridging Communities Through MLB Players Trust ft. Amy Hever & Chris Capuano (S6E18) Japanese Soccer on the World Stage ft. Dan Orlowitz (S6E6) Meet the J.League ft. Dan Orlowitz (S6E4) Kendo: The Way of the Sword ft. Alexander Bennett, 7th Dan in Kendo (S4E16) The Life of a Sumotori ft. 3-Time Grand Champion Konishiki Yasokichi (S4E10) Talking Sumo ft. Andrew Freud (S1E8) ------ About Dan Orlowitz ------ Dan's Socials & Writings J-Talk Podcast ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------ JSNO Event Calendar Join JSNO Today!

2026.06.01 OA Life in Fukuoka "English" #322 LOVE FM 76.1MHz http://lovefm.co.jp/

In The Narrowing Sea: Fukuoka, Pusan, and the Rise and Fall of an Imperial Region (U California Press, 2025), Hannah Shepherd examines the shared histories of Pusan and Fukuoka over the eight decades from Japan's forced opening of Korea's ports in 1876 to the end of the Korean War in 1953. One city was Korean, the other Japanese; one was a burgeoning colonial port, the other a provincial city buoyed by imperial expansion. Wars, colonization, and capitalist industrialization forged intimate connections between the two, knitting together an imperial region that transcended its maritime boundaries. Drawing on both Japanese and Korean archives, and emphasizing the concept of imperial urbanization, Shepherd challenges traditional views of empire and urban growth and shows how local networks, migration, and capital flows shaped the region's exploitative and uneven geographies. The waters between Fukuoka and Pusan narrowed through intensified interactions that continued even after the end of empire, creating enduring legacies for the postwar and postcolonial eras. Dr. Hannah Shepherd is Assistant Professor of History at Yale University. Dr. Samee Siddiqui is Assistant Professor of World History at Drury University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In The Narrowing Sea: Fukuoka, Pusan, and the Rise and Fall of an Imperial Region (U California Press, 2025), Hannah Shepherd examines the shared histories of Pusan and Fukuoka over the eight decades from Japan's forced opening of Korea's ports in 1876 to the end of the Korean War in 1953. One city was Korean, the other Japanese; one was a burgeoning colonial port, the other a provincial city buoyed by imperial expansion. Wars, colonization, and capitalist industrialization forged intimate connections between the two, knitting together an imperial region that transcended its maritime boundaries. Drawing on both Japanese and Korean archives, and emphasizing the concept of imperial urbanization, Shepherd challenges traditional views of empire and urban growth and shows how local networks, migration, and capital flows shaped the region's exploitative and uneven geographies. The waters between Fukuoka and Pusan narrowed through intensified interactions that continued even after the end of empire, creating enduring legacies for the postwar and postcolonial eras. Dr. Hannah Shepherd is Assistant Professor of History at Yale University. Dr. Samee Siddiqui is Assistant Professor of World History at Drury University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In The Narrowing Sea: Fukuoka, Pusan, and the Rise and Fall of an Imperial Region (U California Press, 2025), Hannah Shepherd examines the shared histories of Pusan and Fukuoka over the eight decades from Japan's forced opening of Korea's ports in 1876 to the end of the Korean War in 1953. One city was Korean, the other Japanese; one was a burgeoning colonial port, the other a provincial city buoyed by imperial expansion. Wars, colonization, and capitalist industrialization forged intimate connections between the two, knitting together an imperial region that transcended its maritime boundaries. Drawing on both Japanese and Korean archives, and emphasizing the concept of imperial urbanization, Shepherd challenges traditional views of empire and urban growth and shows how local networks, migration, and capital flows shaped the region's exploitative and uneven geographies. The waters between Fukuoka and Pusan narrowed through intensified interactions that continued even after the end of empire, creating enduring legacies for the postwar and postcolonial eras. Dr. Hannah Shepherd is Assistant Professor of History at Yale University. Dr. Samee Siddiqui is Assistant Professor of World History at Drury University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

In The Narrowing Sea: Fukuoka, Pusan, and the Rise and Fall of an Imperial Region (U California Press, 2025), Hannah Shepherd examines the shared histories of Pusan and Fukuoka over the eight decades from Japan's forced opening of Korea's ports in 1876 to the end of the Korean War in 1953. One city was Korean, the other Japanese; one was a burgeoning colonial port, the other a provincial city buoyed by imperial expansion. Wars, colonization, and capitalist industrialization forged intimate connections between the two, knitting together an imperial region that transcended its maritime boundaries. Drawing on both Japanese and Korean archives, and emphasizing the concept of imperial urbanization, Shepherd challenges traditional views of empire and urban growth and shows how local networks, migration, and capital flows shaped the region's exploitative and uneven geographies. The waters between Fukuoka and Pusan narrowed through intensified interactions that continued even after the end of empire, creating enduring legacies for the postwar and postcolonial eras. Dr. Hannah Shepherd is Assistant Professor of History at Yale University. Dr. Samee Siddiqui is Assistant Professor of World History at Drury University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/japanese-studies

Dane Laffrey is a Tony Award-winning designer, creative and producer based in New York City. He studied at Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art and resided in Sydney from 2002 - 2006. On Broadway he's designed the set for The Lost Boys (Palace) Maybe Happy Ending (Belasco) which won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Musical and for which Dane won Tony, Drama Desk Awards and Henry Hewes Awards, Parade (Jacobs) which won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical; set and costumes for Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (Nederlander), which he co-conceived with director Michael Arden and for which he is nominated for Hewes and Tony Awards; the 2018 Tony-winning revival of Lynn Ahren's and Stephen Flaherty's Once On This Island (Circle in the Square) for which he received Henry Hewes, Drama Desk and Tony Award nominations; set and costumes for the acclaimed Deaf West revival of Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's Spring Awakening (Brooks Atkinson); set for the Broadway premiere of Sam Shepard's Fool For Love (Friedman). In New York, around the US, and internationally Dane has designed world premiere plays and musicals by writers including Todd Almond, Will Aronson and Hue Park, Nell Benjamin, Rachel Bonds, Nilo Cruz, Lindsey Ferrentino, David Greenspan, Noah Haidle, Lucas Hnath, Sam Hunter, Sarah Jones, Tom Kitt, Michael John LaChiusa, Dan LeFranc, Matthew Lopez, Craig Lucas, Charles L. Mee, Alan Menken, Kim Rosenstock, Martin Sherman, Jenny Schwartz, Stephen Schwartz and Jen Silverman. Dane's work in New York has been seen at theatres including Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center Theatre, The Public Theatre, Second Stage Theatre, Atlantic Theatre Company, Transport Group, MCC, Playwrights Horizons, B.A.M. Harvey, Vineyard Theatre, The Joyce, SoHo Rep., Labyrinth, The New Group and Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, among others. His work has been seen at major theaters around the US including Center Theatre Group, The Geffen Playhouse, The Goodman, The Humana Festival, The Hollywood Bowl, The Old Globe, Huntington Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Dallas Theatre Center, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, Deaf West / Wallis Annenberg Center, Shakespeare Theatre D.C., Denver Center Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, South Coast Rep., Baltimore Center Stage, Seattle Rep., Woolly Mammoth, Two River Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, The Studio Theatre D.C, Yale Opera, Long Wharf Theatre, Chautauqua Theatre Company, Signature Theatre Company, and others. Internationally, Dane has worked in Hamburg, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Oslo and throughout Australia. Dane has served on the advisory committee for Lincoln Center Theatre's LCT3 and as a guest artist / guest designer at Yale School of Music, The Juilliard School, NYU, Carnegie-Mellon University,  Interlochen Arts Academy, The University of Western Sydney and NIDA. He has served on the faculty of Purchase College. Dane won a 2017 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Set and Costume design and has been nominated for 3 Tony Awards, 3 Drama Desk Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, 9 American Theatre Wing Henry Hewes Design Awards, 5 Ovation Awards (winning 2), and a Sydney Theatre Award, as well as numerous regional accolades.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost exactly one year after Season 6's Expo 2025 deep dive with Sachiko Yoshimura, the Krewe closes the loop with two people who were actually there. Lea Disimone & Bridget McCarthy served as Youth Ambassadors at the US Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka, and they share what the program was really like from the inside, from a day in the life to the lasting impact it left on them. Two New Orleans connections, one world's fair, and a conversation worth the wait. ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, Threads: @kreweofjapanpodcast & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy! ------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------ Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode! Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season! Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  ------ Past KOJ Episodes ------ Expo 2025: Japan on the World Stage ft. Sachiko Yoshimura [S6E2] Hanging Out In Hyogo ft. Rob Dyer of The Real Japan [S5E14] Checking Out Miyagi ft. Ryotaro Sakurai (Guest Host, William Woods) [S5E5] Explore Matsue ft. Nicholas McCullough [S4E19] Travel Hiroshima ft. Joy Jarman-Walsh [S4E4] Travel Aomori ft. Kay Allen & Megan DeVille [S3E17] Hungry For Travel ft. Shinichi of TabiEats [S3E15] Henro SZN: Shikoku & the 88 Temple Pilgrimage ft. Todd Wassel [S3E12] ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------ JSNO Event Calendar Join JSNO Today!

#NJPW #WrestlingDontaku #WillOspreayThe road to Wrestling Dontaku just took a turn into a psychological thriller. As the lights dim on Fukuoka, all eyes are on Will Ospreay. Is the "Aerial Assassin" still the pillar of United Empire, or are the cracks in his loyalty becoming a canyon?Witness the fallout of a high-stakes betrayal that could redefine the NJPW landscape. From backstage whispers to ring-shattering confrontations, we dive deep into the tension surrounding Ospreay. Is he being lured away by a rival faction, or is this "Nightmare" a calculated play for absolute power?What to expect in this breakdown:The Breaking Point: Key moments from the tour that suggest Ospreay is distancing himself from his brothers.Faction Friction: How Great-O-Khan and the rest of the United Empire are reacting to the tension.The Dontaku Fallout: Predicting the massive shifts in the title picture if Ospreay truly goes rogue.The King of Sports is on edge. Is this the end of an era or the start of a takeover? Don't miss a second of the drama! #UnitedEmpire #ProWrestling #NJPWWorld

Gambling on the past/A meaty cryptid/Are aliens just tourists?   Patreon (Get ad-free episodes, Patreon Discord Access, and more!) https://www.patreon.com/user?u=18482113 PayPal Donation Link https://tinyurl.com/mrxe36ph MERCH STORE!!! https://tinyurl.com/y8zam4o2 Amazon Wish List https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/28CIOGSFRUXAD?ref_=wl_share Dead Rabbit Radio Archive Episodes https://deadrabbitradio.blogspot.com/2025/07/ episode-archive.html https://archive.ph/UELip Dead Rabbit Radio Recommends Master List https://letterboxd.com/dead_rabbit/list/dead-rabbit-radio-recommends/   Help Promote Dead Rabbit! Dual Flyer https://i.imgur.com/OhuoI2v.jpg "As Above" Flyer https://i.imgur.com/yobMtUp.jpg "Alien Flyer" By TVP VT U https://imgur.com/gallery/aPN1Fnw "QR Code Flyer" by Finn https://imgur.com/a/aYYUMAh Links: ConspiraSam https://www.youtube.com/@ConspiraSam/videos EP 494 - The Alien/Strawberry Ice Cream Connection https://deadrabbitradio.libsyn.com/ep-494-the-alienstrawberry-ice-cream-connection EP 593 - Will Aliens Destroy Jazz In July 2021? (Grey Aliens Hate Jazz episode) https://deadrabbitradio.libsyn.com/ep-593-will-aliens-destroy-jazz-in-july-2021 EP 329 - Project 100,000 (Space Pancakes episode) https://deadrabbitradio.libsyn.com/ep-329-project-100000 EP 797 - Know When To Walk Away, Know When To Run (Gambling episode) https://deadrabbitradio.libsyn.com/ep-797-know-when-to-walk-away-know-when-to-run EP 1378 - The Dark Lord Of Love (Gambling episode) https://deadrabbitradio.libsyn.com/ep-1378-the-dark-lord-of-love EP 1567 - The Blood Moon Looms Over A Dead Earth (Chile Cryptid Snake Bursts Into Pile Of Earthworms episode) https://deadrabbitradio.libsyn.com/ep-1567-the-blood-moon-looms-over-a-dead-earth Oregon first to launch DraftKings feature letting users bet on past games https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-first-to-launch-draftkings-feature-letting-users-bet-on-past-games-gambling-addiction-espn-sports-betting-money-gamble-local-community Sports betting feature lets people bet on past games; Oregon Council on Problem Gambling weighs in https://youtu.be/g0VDRJbrveg?si=BaPogDpHnkneedir DraftKings Expands Suite of Online Sports Betting Offerings with Launch of "DK Replay" https://www.draftkings.com/draftkings-expands-suite-of-online-sports-betting-offerings-with-launch-of-dk-replay- DraftKings unveils 'DK Replay' betting option for historical MLB games https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/03/25/draftkings-unveils-dk-replay-betting-option-for-historical-mlb-games/ Online Blackjack Is Rigged, If you know you know. Dealer gets 20 always, its no normal varience. 100% Scam Evolution Gaming & Pragmatic Scammers stealing with Green screen cards. Dealer never busts but player always busts. Player gets 15 or 16 but dealer gets 20 everytime. https://www.reddit.com/r/gambling/comments/1it3jnb/online_blackjack_is_rigged_if_you_know_you_know/ Is this really live dealer? Or they online site can use green screen or manipulating the card? https://www.reddit.com/r/baccarat/comments/18l59ef/is_this_really_live_dealer_or_they_online_site/ Does anyone remember those "block home" signs? https://www.reddit.com/r/corvallis/comments/9rg7qv/does_anyone_remember_those_block_home_signs/ Suspect in 10 Kansas Murders Lived an Intensely Ordinary Life https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/us/suspect-in-10-kansas-murders-lived-an-intensely-ordinary-life.html Minho−Taro https://cryptidarchives.fandom.com/wiki/Minho%E2%88%92Taro Giant Earthworms of Kyushu ~ Hooky Worms (Minyotaro) https://www.crypto-f.com/2024/06/blog-post_17.html?m=1 A giant earthworm with a diameter of 20 centimeters - Minyotaro http://umafan.blog72.fc2.com/blog-entry-624.html Minho−Taro https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Minho%E2%88%92Taro Tarō (given name) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar%C5%8D_(given_name) Earthworms https://www.sas.upenn.edu/~rlenet/Earthworms.html Minho−Taro https://cryptozoologycryptids.fandom.com/wiki/Minho%E2%88%92Taro Minho−Taro https://cryptidarchives.fandom.com/wiki/Minho%E2%88%92Taro Minhocão (legendary creature) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minhoc%C3%A3o_(legendary_creature) "Hakata Bijin" beautiful ladies in Fukuoka https://lovesomejourney.com/hakatabijin/ Longest earthworm https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/70873-longest-earthworm Minho−Taro https://obscurban-legend.fandom.com/wiki/Minho%E2%88%92Taro The potential truth and why it may be indigestible (Purely Hypothesis) (Aliens Are Tourists story) https://www.reddit.com/r/aliens/comments/1qpe49q/the_potential_truth_and_why_it_may_be/ Archive https://archive.md/FgV26   ------------------------------------------------ Logo Art By Ash Black Opening Song: "Atlantis Attacks" Closing Song: "Bella Royale" Music By Simple Rabbitron 3000 created by Eerbud Thanks to Chris K, Founder Of The Golden Rabbit Brigade Dead Rabbit Archivist Some Weirdo On Twitter AKA Jack YouTube Champ: Stewart Meatball Reddit Champ: TheLast747 The Haunted Mic Arm provided by Chyme Chili Discord Mods: Mason, Rudie Jazz Forever Fluffle: Cantillions, Samson, Gregory Gilbertson, Jenny the Cat http://www.DeadRabbit.com Email: DeadRabbitRadio@gmail.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DeadRabbitRadio TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deadrabbitradio Dead Rabbit Radio Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/DeadRabbitRadio/ Paranormal News Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ParanormalNews/ Mailing Address Jason Carpenter PO Box 1363 Hood River, OR 97031 Paranormal, Conspiracy, and True Crime news as it happens! Jason Carpenter breaks the stories they'll be talking about tomorrow, assuming the world doesn't end today. All Contents Of This Podcast Copyright Jason Carpenter 2018 - 2026

Wrestling Dontaku 2026 is in the books, and NJPW looks different heading out of Fukuoka. Jeremy Donovan and the "Young Boy" Josh Smith review both nights of Wrestling Dontaku, react to Andrade El Idolo winning the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, break down Callum Newman's IWGP Heavyweight title defense against Shingo Takagi, cover the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag title change, DOUKI's BOSJ boycott, and preview the road to Dominion.Join our Patreon for ad-free audio, live video streams, and other bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/KIStrongStyleFollow us on YouTube: @SocialSuplexFollow us on X: @SocialSuplex, @KIStrongStyle, @JeremyLDonovanFollow us on Instagram: @SocialSuplexLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialSuplex/Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/QUaJfaCVisit our website for news, columns, and podcasts: https://socialsuplex.com/Join the Social Suplex community Facebook Group: The Wrestling (Squared) CircleKeepin' It Strong Style is the New Japan Pro Wrestling Podcast of the Social Suplex Podcast Network. Support the Social Podcast Network by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Wrestling Dontaku 2026 is in the books, and NJPW looks different heading out of Fukuoka. Jeremy Donovan and the "Young Boy" Josh Smith review both nights of Wrestling Dontaku, react to Andrade El Idolo winning the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, break down Callum Newman's IWGP Heavyweight title defense against Shingo Takagi, cover the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag title change, DOUKI's BOSJ boycott, and preview the road to Dominion.Join our Patreon for ad-free audio, live video streams, and other bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/KIStrongStyleFollow us on YouTube: @SocialSuplexFollow us on X: @SocialSuplex, @KIStrongStyle, @JeremyLDonovanFollow us on Instagram: @SocialSuplexLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialSuplex/Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/QUaJfaCVisit our website for news, columns, and podcasts: https://socialsuplex.com/Join the Social Suplex community Facebook Group: The Wrestling (Squared) CircleKeepin' It Strong Style is the New Japan Pro Wrestling Podcast of the Social Suplex Podcast Network. Support the Social Podcast Network by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

John Pollock and Wai Ting review WWE Raw featuring a contract signing between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu, the Oba Femi Open Challenge, and Sol Ruca's official debut.XL: John & Wai discuss the latest departures from WWE, highlights from Wrestling Dontaku in Fukuoka, a new GHC heavyweight champion & more.The XL Edition continues at POSTwrestlingCafe.com with News of the Day and Feedback, ad-free and timestamped.Chelsea Green undergoes a heart procedureNew Day, Tonga Loa & JC Mateo exit WWENJPW Wrestling Dontaku Shane Haste wins GHC Heavyweight ChampionshipJohn Cena added to BacklashNXT & AEW Dynamite lineupsPOST Wrestling Café Schedule:Monday: Rewind-A-Raw XLTuesday: Hulk Hogan – Real American Ep. 2Wednesday: Rewind-A-Dynamite XL Thursday: Rewind-A-Wai – WCW SuperBrawl IIFriday: Daredevil Born Again Season 2, Season Finale Friday: Rewind-A-SmackDown XLSaturday: Collision CourseFREE Shows:Monday: Rewind-A-RawTuesday: upNXTWednesday: Rewind-A-DynamiteThursday: Pollock & Thurston Friday: Rewind-A-SmackDownSaturday: WWE Backlash Our thanks to Quince: quince.com/postwrestlingAd Inquiries: info@truenativemedia.comPhoto Courtesy: WWE Rewind-A-Raw Theme by Colby John: https://soundcloud.com/colbyjohnBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/postwrestling.comX: http://www.twitter.com/POSTwrestlingInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/POSTwrestlingFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/POSTwrestlingYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/POSTwrestlingSubscribe: https://postwrestling.com/subscribePatreon: http://postwrestlingcafe.comForum: https://forum.postwrestling.comDiscord: https://postwrestling.com/discordSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John is back on the air with Paul from the Emerald Flowshow for an absolutely jam packed episode! First, it's a long and detailed review of STARDOM's biggest show of the year, All Star Grand Queendom, which for the second year in a row did their biggest attendance in company history at the Yokohama Arena! They break down each and every match, all the major title changes and where things might be going heading into May, and a whole lot more! Then it's over to NJPW for Redzone in Hiroshima featuring two title matches, as well as a look ahead at next week's Wrestling Dontaku shows from Fukuoka. And the big shows aren't done yet, as we talk Dragongate trying to bounce back from a rough start to their year with Golden Colosseum from Nagoya, including the big six-way cage match that featured a unit disbanding.After that it's over to the land of All Japan for continuing coverage of the Champion Carnival tournament, covering nights 4 through 6 (4/23, 4/25 & 4/26). John and Paul break down why this tournament has been quite a bit better than last year's and review every tournament match. Finally, they wrap things up with Marigold's 4/25 Korakuen which featured a truly shocking announcement at the end of the show, but was a pretty damn good little show before that too! A fun show packed to the brim with pre-Golden Week festivities!Check out the Emerald FlowShow: https://redcircle.com/shows/the-emerald-flowshowFollow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.social"Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Road to Wrestling Dontaku delivered in Hiroshima as Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles at Wrestling Redzone, while the Knockout Brothers turned back Bishamon in a hard-fought title defense. Jeremy and Josh break down both matches, preview Wrestling Hizen No Kuni, and look ahead to both nights of Wrestling Dontaku in Fukuoka including Callum Newman vs. Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji vs. Andrade El Idolo.Join our Patreon for ad-free audio, live video streams, and other bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/KIStrongStyleFollow us on YouTube: @SocialSuplexFollow us on X: @SocialSuplex, @KIStrongStyle, @JeremyLDonovanFollow us on Instagram: @SocialSuplexLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialSuplex/Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/QUaJfaCVisit our website for news, columns, and podcasts: https://socialsuplex.com/Join the Social Suplex community Facebook Group: The Wrestling (Squared) CircleKeepin' It Strong Style is the New Japan Pro Wrestling Podcast of the Social Suplex Podcast Network. Support the Social Podcast Network by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Ray Cochrane unpacks Anthropic’s Mythos model and the Treasury’s emergency meetings with Wall Street, then digs into Apple’s vibe-coding crackdown and a gaming-anxiety study that hit way too close to home. Also covered: Verge’s solid-state motorcycle, UBTech humanoid robot sales jumping 23-fold, Japan’s first osmotic power plant, Finland’s permanent nuclear waste vault, Ghostty landing in Ubuntu, Cloudflare’s EmDash CMS, and a Claude Code skill that talks like a caveman. – Want to start a podcast? It’s easy to get started! Sign up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane opens the show by framing Anthropic’s new Mythos model as the AlphaGo moment for cybersecurity. From there, the episode moves through Apple’s pushback against AI-generated apps, a gaming anxiety study with a deeply personal hook, a series of “first to ship” energy and robotics wins out of Finland, China, and Japan, and several developer-tool stories that show how quickly the economics of software are shifting. Mythos, the Detection Ceiling, and Wall Street’s Emergency Response Anthropic’s Mythos model has Wall Street rattled. Operating autonomously, Mythos found and demonstrated the exploitation of a 27-year-old TCP SACK bug in OpenBSD, an operating system famous for being one of the most security-focused on the planet. Per Anthropic’s red team, over 99% of the vulnerabilities Mythos has identified remain unpatched. The researchers’ conclusion is blunt: “the moat in AI cybersecurity is the system, not the model.” The policy response moved fast. On April 7th, Treasury Secretary Bessent and Fed Chair Jerome Powell pulled the CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Citi, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley into Treasury headquarters on short notice. All four banks are now testing Mythos internally. Treasury CIO Sam Corcos is also seeking direct access. Anthropic is gating distribution through Project Glasswing, a limited-access program with JPMorgan, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia. Cochrane comes down firmly behind Anthropic’s gated approach. Because a 5.1-billion-parameter open model can apparently recover the core analysis chain for the OpenBSD flaw, this capability is not locked behind Frontier Compute. He wants the critical infrastructure hardened before the public gets keys. However, he also notes the bigger lesson is about human wisdom: people offloading all their thinking to AI lose out on the wisdom that makes any of these tools genuinely useful. Apple Bans Vibe Coding Apps from the App Store Apple has been quietly pushing back against what people are calling “vibe coding” apps. Replit, Vibecode, and an app called Anything all run AI models on the phone and produce working software that runs inside the host app. Apple cites Guideline 2.5.2, in effect since 2017, which requires apps to be self-contained. Replit and Vibecode had their App Store updates blocked. Anything was pulled in late March, briefly restored on April 3rd, and then pulled the same day again. The forcing function is volume. App Store submissions jumped 84% in a single quarter as vibe coding tools flooded Apple’s review queue with AI-generated apps. Cochrane thinks Apple is justified, given the security issues swirling around the Vibe coding ecosystem. Even a beautiful diamond gets lost in a sea of sand, and that flood is exactly what Apple is trying to manage. The company behind Anything is now pivoting to iMessage, desktop, and Android. Playing Video Games to Win Is Linked to Higher Anxiety Cochrane gets personal on this one. Through high school and his early 20s, he was deeply addicted to League of Legends. His dad teased him about it constantly. In the last few years of that addiction, his body would go ice cold and shake every ranked match before. His partner identified it as a panic attack. The moment that happened, he quit. Today, he no longer shakes. The new study lines up with his experience. Researchers Kayleigh Watters and Mikael Rubin at Palo Alto University analyzed a publicly available database of 13,464 adult gamers, most of whom primarily played League of Legends. Players who game to win show higher generalized anxiety but actually play fewer hours, since performance pressure pushes them out. Players who game to relax show strong links between social anxiety avoidance and more hours played. The study appeared in the Journal of Affective Disorders. The headline framing of “playing to win makes you anxious” misses the point. The real finding is more interesting: gaming for avoidance and gaming for competition are both warning signs, for different reasons. Cochrane notes that the League of Legends community’s toxicity has been a running joke for years, and this study suggests the game’s structure may have been manufacturing the anxiety that fueled it. Sponsor: GoDaddy Economy hosting is $6.99/month, WordPress hosting is $12.99/month, and domains are $11.99. Both hosting plans include a free domain, professional email, and SSL certificate. Go to geeknewscentral.com/godaddy for the best pricing and to directly support this independent show. Verge Motorcycle: World’s First Production All-Solid-State Battery Cochrane filled his tank for $60 today, which made this story land especially hard. His mom has driven electric for years and patiently manages a 90-mile real-world range. The next-generation answer is already shipping. Verge Motorcycles, a Finnish company, is the first production vehicle of any kind with an all-solid-state battery. Their 2026 bikes ship in Q1 with a pack from Donut Lab, another Finnish outfit spun out of Verge. The numbers are bonkers. The pack delivers an energy density of 400 Wh/kg, roughly double that of current Tesla cells. It sustains 100kW charging, hits full charge in about 5 minutes in the lab and 12 minutes on the actual bike, and the long-range version covers 600 kilometers (about 370 miles) per charge. Toyota, QuantumScape, and Samsung SDI have all been telling us that solid-state is coming in 2027 to 2030. A Finnish motorcycle company shipping in Q1 2026 just embarrassed them all. UBTech Humanoid Robot Sales Jump 23-Fold UBTech dropped its 2025 annual earnings on April 1st. Humanoid robot revenue hit 820 million yuan, roughly $119 million USD, up 2,203% from 35.6 million yuan the year before. Unit sales went from 3 robots in 2024 to 1,079 in 2025. Shares jumped 14% on the announcement. The customer list is a real industrial deployment: BYD, Foxconn, Geely, FAW-Volkswagen, and Audi. The flagship is the Walker S2, with UBTech targeting 5,000 units in 2026 and 10,000 in 2027. Cochrane is honest about what this means. He does not think we are heading for an extinction event, but worker displacement is a real concern. The US has no universal income or universal healthcare. The people affected are not white-collar managers. They are everyday line workers who already make the least on the ladder. Work efficiency reportedly doubles when these robots arrive, which is a company-side win, but the humans they replace are not getting half a year of gardening leave to retrain. He invites the listener to take on this one directly. Japan Switches On Asia’s First Osmotic Power Plant In August 2025, Fukuoka’s Seawater Desalination Center quietly opened Asia’s first osmotic power facility. It generates about 880,000 kilowatt-hours per year, enough for roughly 220 homes. It is only the second operational osmotic plant in the world, after Mariager, Denmark, in 2023. Osmotic generation uses a salinity gradient: fresh water on one side of a membrane, salt water on the other, and the pressure difference spins a turbine. The clever part is what Fukuoka does with desalination brine. Instead of regular seawater, the plant uses concentrated brine left over from the desalination process. This amplifies the salt gradient and squeezes more energy out of the same membrane. The result is a closed-loop partnership: the desalination facility produces drinking water and leaves brine behind, the osmotic plant turns the brine into electricity, and that electricity runs the desalination facility. Every desalination plant on Earth produces brine, so if Fukuoka’s co-located model works, the same pattern could be replicated across hundreds of plants worldwide. Japan’s Luna Ring Solar Moon Proposal Goes Viral Again Shimizu Corporation’s Luna Ring concept is making the rounds again. The pitch: a 6,800-mile belt of solar panels around the Moon’s equator, beaming microwave power back to Earth. Project lead Tetsuji Yoshida has long argued that a full ring could eliminate fossil fuel dependence entirely. The proposal first surfaced in 2013, has no funding, no government endorsement, and no concrete cost estimate. Shimizu has not put any active development behind it. Cochrane finds the concept fun every time it resurfaces. However, this would have to be a worldwide effort in the truest sense, with treaties, a new generation of launch economics, and microwave power transmission at a scale nobody has demonstrated. Beaming the power back to Earth has always been one of the biggest practical holdbacks. The Luna Ring is inspirational, but not shipping. Finland’s Onkalo Nuclear Waste Vault Opens Finland’s Onkalo facility is the world’s first permanent deep geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel. Operated by Posiva, the facility is buried about 430 meters down in 1.9-billion-year-old bedrock. It is designed to hold up to 6,500 tons of spent fuel and operate until the 2120s. The construction costs about €1 billion, with operating and closure adding roughly €4 billion more before the program is done. The catch is that radioactivity remains dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, warned that the copper canisters will eventually corrode, with different scientific opinions on how fast. Geologic disposal remains “fraught with uncertainties,” and we have never validated an engineered system across a 100,000-year time frame. The bet is that the rock and copper outlast the radioactivity. Cochrane sees Onkalo as time-buying rather than a final answer. It is more of a bank holding spent fuel while science catches up. He prefers it to Japan’s ongoing approach of releasing tritium-treated water from Fukushima Daiichi into the Pacific, even though the dilution is well below WHO drinking water guidelines. Burying the waste in an insurmountable containment strikes him as the more honest answer to a problem nobody knows how to truly solve. Ghostty Terminal Lands in the Ubuntu Repos Ghostty 1.3.0 is now available in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS’s universe repository. The install is simply `sudo apt install ghostty`, no PPAs, no Snap, no Nix, no building from source. Ghostty was created by Mitchell Hashimoto, co-founder of HashiCorp. It is GPU-accelerated, uses native Swift on macOS and native GTK4 with libadwaita on Linux, and supports tabs, splits, profiles, ligatures, and the Kitty graphics protocol. Cochrane recently caught Hashimoto on a podcast, where he walked through his agentic coding workflow. Ghostty is being actively built using AI harnesses like Claude Code and Codex. Hashimoto told a story in which Codex fixed a six-month-old bug in 45 minutes, for a total API cost of $4.14. Personally, Cochrane uses WezTerm, but he is excited to see Ghostty become more widely available with a native UI rather than Electron. Borgo: Rethinking Go Using Rust Analytics India Magazine profiled Borgo, a programming language by developer Marco Sampellegrini (GitHub: alpacaaa). Borgo is statically typed with Rust-like syntax, but it compiles to Go and uses the Go runtime and garbage collector. It includes sum types (Option and Result), pattern matching, and full compatibility with existing Go packages. Notably, it removes Rust’s borrow checker and lifetimes entirely. Borgo is not new. It first appeared on Hacker News in 2023, with a RustLab talk in 2024. The 2026 angle is a renewed look at it through the lens of AI coding agents, since type-rich languages like Rust have been showing outsized productivity gains. Cochrane is a fan of Rust and stands by the borrow checker, but he enjoys these exploratory languages for what they reveal about what developers actually want. Caveman: A Claude Code Skill That Cuts 65% of Tokens Developer Julius Brussee built a Claude Code skill called Caveman that forces Claude to respond in stripped-down fragments. No articles, no “just,” no “really,” no pleasantries, no hedging. The tagline is “why use many token when few token do trick.” Across 10 real dev tasks, Caveman mode averaged 294 tokens per response, compared to 1,214 in normal mode. That is a 65% drop in output tokens. The project is MIT licensed with three intensity levels: lite, full, and ultra. Cochrane stumbled across the project online and shared it with a classmate who had been complaining about token costs. The classmate now insists that “the caveman is the only way to live.” Cochrane has not made the switch, but the bigger point lands. If a community plugin can cut 65% of tokens without correctness regressions, the labs are shipping verbose-by-default and charging users for the privilege. He suspects verbose output makes models feel more trustworthy, even when the token math says otherwise. Cloudflare Launches EmDash as a WordPress Successor Cloudflare released EmDash on April 9th, an open-source, MIT-licensed, TypeScript-based CMS pitched as the spiritual successor to WordPress. The big flex is that it was built in 60 days using AI coding agents. EmDash runs on Astro 6.0, either on Cloudflare’s edge platform or on a standard Node.js server. The plugin security model uses sandboxed Dynamic Workers with explicit permissions, addressing the architecture flaw that Cloudflare says causes 96% of WordPress vulnerabilities. Cochrane could not resist pointing out the irony of the name. The em dash has become the trademark giveaway that an AI was involved in writing. He has reservations about whether EmDash will succeed. WordPress is extremely hard to unseat, plenty of “WordPress killers” have come and gone, and the ecosystem is twenty-plus years deep. He is curious to see what comes next but not optimistic. Google Open-Sources the DESIGN.md Format Google Labs open-sourced the DESIGN.md format used by Stitch, their AI UI design tool. DESIGN.md is a declarative file capturing a project’s design system, colors, typography, and spacing in a way AI agents can read and apply. Cochrane has tried Stitch personally and finds it impressive at producing web designs. He has also seen DESIGN.md-style files already start appearing in repositories. He sees this kind of file becoming a new paradigm for agentic design, alongside robots.txt and llms.txt. However, he worries about a side effect. If everyone uses the same standardized format and the same AI tools, the web could become a homogeneous set of sites that all look the same. He is enthusiastic about the standardization but hopes designers continue to push for genuinely unique work. A 13-Liter PC With a Water Loop Built Into the Case Geeky Gadgets covered a build by “Visual Thinker”, a 13-liter mini-ITX case with custom SLA-printed water distribution plates built directly into the chassis. Instead of traditional soft tubing, plates channel coolant between the CPU and GPU blocks and are sealed with TPU and silicone molds. The case supports a full-size GPU and an SFX power supply. No thermal benchmarks, parts list, or pricing have been published. It is a one-off you cannot buy. Cochrane sees this as a sign of where PC building has gone in 2026. Modern mid-grade GPUs run nearly every recent game, so raw performance is no longer the differentiator. He likes seeing builders lean into design and craft rather than just stuffing the most powerful parts into a box. He admits he is the traditional type and built his own machine to maximize parts, but the design-first direction is a healthy evolution for the hobby. To close out the show, Cochrane recommends Pocket Casts as a podcast app. He finds it picks up new episodes very quickly. Big thanks to GoDaddy for over twenty years of keeping this show on the air, and a reminder that every promo code use is like writing a check to the show. The post Mythos: Cybersecurity’s AlphaGo Moment #1862 appeared first on Geek News Central.