Podcasts about Tokyo

The war in Iran has sent shockwaves through global energy markets - and no region feels it more acutely than the Indo-Pacific. In this episode, co-hosts Ray Powell and Nydia Ngiow sit down with Paul Everingham, CEO of the Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association (ANGEA), who joins after spending two days at the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial in Tokyo.​With the Persian Gulf's Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, roughly 20% of the world's oil supply and a significant share of global liquid natural gas (LNG) exports are blocked. Paul explains that 70% of Asia's oil originates in the Middle East, meaning every country in the region is exposed. On the natural gas side, South Asian nations - India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh - face the sharpest pain, as they depend heavily on Qatari LNG, while North Asian buyers like Japan and Korea are somewhat shielded by receiving Australian and US supply.The conversation covers Qatar's shutdown of its LNG processing facilities and why a full restart could take six months if hydrocarbons are stripped from the plants. Paul unpacks the potential role of Russian oil and gas if sanctions are eased, the limits of pipeline alternatives from Saudi Arabia, and why coal use - already at record highs - is likely to climb further in 2026 as countries seek cheaper and more abundant alternatives.​On nuclear energy, Paul is clear: it should be part of every country's portfolio, but with a 10–20 year development timeline, it is a medium-term solution, not an immediate fix. His core advice to Indo-Pacific policymakers: diversify energy sources and lock in long-term contracts to hedge against price shocks.​The episode closes with a sobering warning: if the disruption drags on, the world faces potential rationing, surging inflation and a severe global recession.

Today we have “Shortcut to Tokyo,” an episode of Words at War. It originally aired on October 19, 1943. It is based on the book of the same name by Corey Ford.Visit our website at BrickPickleMedia.com/podcasts. Subscribe to the ad-free version at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/worldwar2radio/subscribe.

I'm back and starting the eighth season, we're visiting a small Vietnamese joint celebrating its 5th anniversary this month. Meet Hung, a charismatic, soft spoken owner and chef of Hung's Kitchen. Nestled between Izakayas and Pachinko parlors near Kamata Station, this welcoming restaurant attracts those craving authentic Banh Mi and Pho. Even though his food speaks volumes, Hung's excellent service and constant effort to be part of the community invokes tangible warmth that brings locals and visitors together. If you're in Tokyo and want some Vietnamese deliciousness, visit Hung's Kitchen.For more info on the Nakameguro Taproom and other Baird Beer taprooms, please visit:  http://Bairdbeer.com/To donate and buy drinks for the guests  of my podcast:https://ko-fi.com/madeinjapanpodcastIG & FB:  @madeinjapanpodcastEmail:  japanmademepodcast@gmail.com

We have caught up on the games we have been playing and news stories so it is time to quiz Jon and get his hot takes on a bunch of video game questions. When was the golden age of gaming? What is the best sequel of all time? Should every game have a demo? Jon answers these questions and much more! There is one news item to talk about, Starfield is making its PlayStation debut next month. Finally we end on YOUR emails about traveling Tokyo and airplane etiquette. Thanks for listening! Intro: Starfield 3 Things: - Starfield Announced for PS5 - HOT Takes! - Email!!!! Questions or comments? Please send emails to BetweenTheJoysticks@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter @JoysticksPod Subscribe to us on Youtube @BetweenTheJoysticks

Morgan Stanley MUFG 's Japan Equity Strategist Sho Nakazawa talks about the sectors that are leading the current rebound of Japanese stocks and why these gains may be more than a cyclical shift.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Sho Nakazawa, Japan Equity Strategist at Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities.Today: How Japan's Takaichi administration could define Japan's stock market for years to come.It's Tuesday, March 17th, at 3 PM in Tokyo.Sanae Takaichi became Japan's first female prime minister on October 21, 2025. She leads a conservative administration that emphasizes defense spending and economic resilience. When Takaichi took office in February, this signaled the start of a structural pivot in Japan's economy. And markets have responded quickly. Over the past several months, stocks with high exposure to the administration's 17 strategic domains have outperformed TOPIX by 15 percentage points. That kind of divergence suggests something bigger than a cyclical rebound. Capital is positioned to a structural shift. First, there's the Japanese government's increased emphasis on economic security and supply chain resilience. This reflects a philosophical shift. For years efficiency ruled: just-in-time supply chains and global optimization. The pandemic and the reorientation towards a multipolar world changed that workflow. Now the emphasis is on redundancy and autonomy – and this has implications for Defense & Space, Advanced Materials & Critical Minerals, Shipbuilding, and Cybersecurity. The second pillar of Japan's structural market shift is AI and the compute revolution. Yes, some investors worry about overinvestment in AI, but we believe in [the] possibility of nonlinear returns as AI breakthroughs occur. And, keep in mind, AI isn't just software. It requires data-center cooling, communications networks, expanded power grids, and critical minerals. This is a full industrial stack upgrade. Looking further out, the global humanoid robotics market could reach US$7.5 trillion annually by 2050 according to our global robotics team estimates. That's roughly three times the combined 2024 revenue of the world's top 20 automakers at about US$2.5 trillion. The third force reshaping Japan's market is infrastructure. The 2026 budget slated towards national resilience initiatives exceeds ¥5 trillion. With aging infrastructure and intensifying natural disasters, resilience spending relates directly to economic security. Ports, logistics, and communications systems are increasingly becoming strategic assets. Our work suggests the long-term construction cycle is entering an expansion phase as bubble-era buildings from the late 1980s reach replacement timing. That points to durable demand rather than a temporary spike. With all of this said, what's also important is how stock market leadership spreads. It tends to move from upstream to downstream – from materials and power infrastructure, to AI, to defense and communications, and eventually to applications like drug discovery, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, and content. Right now, the strongest three-month returns are in Advanced Materials and Critical Minerals, and in Next-Gen Power and Grid Infrastructure. Meanwhile, areas like Cybersecurity and Content have lagged but remain tightly connected in the network. If leadership broadens, those linkages matter. The real constraint isn't political opposition. It's [the] market itself. If investors decide this is a temporary stimulus rather than sustainable earnings growth, valuations might adjust. But we do believe that Japan's equity market isn't simply rallying. It is reorganizing around economic security, AI infrastructure, and national resilience.Thanks for listening. If you enjoy Thoughts on the Market, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share the podcast with a friend and colleague today.

TIME STAMP INFO:00:00:01 Intros00:00:35 Dee Batch Attacks Hargeet and the rest of the panel On The NEW Episode of The Gamers Council Podcast, the BIG question is WHY?00:20:00 Games Media (IGN and Digital Foundry) REFUSE To Call Xbox's Project Helix A Console Claiming Its A PC! We Ask Why?00:55::00 Forza Horizon 6 Is Slated To Be The BIGGEST Map In Franchise History. Playground Games Has BIG Plans for the fans looking forward to racing around Tokyo!01:05:00 Starfield Gets MAJOR News This Week | Expansion Confirmed?01:35:00 Outros Video

Các nhà sản xuất ô tô Trung Quốc và Việt Nam làm lộ rõ những rủi ro trong thái độ thận trọng của Tokyo đối với việc điện khí hóa ngành xe hơi.Xem thêm.

Last time we spoke about the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact. In the summer of 1939, the Nomonhan Incident escalated into a major clash along the Halha River, where Soviet-Mongolian forces under Georgy Zhukov decisively defeated Japan's Kwantung Army. Zhukov's offensive, launched on August 20, involved intense artillery, bombers, and encirclement tactics, annihilating the Japanese 23rd Division and exposing weaknesses in Japanese mechanized warfare. The defeat, coinciding with the Hitler-Stalin Nonaggression Pact, forced Japan to negotiate a ceasefire on September 15-16, redrawing borders and deterring further northern expansion. Stalin navigated negotiations with Britain, France, and Germany to avoid a two-front war, ultimately signing the German-Soviet pact on August 23, which secured Soviet neutrality in Europe while addressing eastern threats. Post-Nomonhan, Soviet-Japanese relations warmed rapidly: fishing disputes were resolved, ambassadors exchanged, and the Chinese Eastern Railway sale finalized. By 1941, a neutrality pact was concluded, allowing Japan to pivot southward toward China and Southeast Asia.   #193 The Chiang-Wang Divide Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. After that lengthy mini series covering the battle of Khalkin Gol, we need to venture back into the second sino-japanese war, however like many other colossal events….well a lot was going on simultaneously. I wanted to take an episode to talk about the beginning of something known as the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China, or much shorter, the Wang Jingwei Regime. It's been quite some time since we spoke about this character and he is a large part of the second sino-japanese war.    After the fall of Tianjin and Beiping, the government offices in Nanjing entered their annual summer recess. All of GMD's senior leadership, from Chiang Kai-shek down to Wang Jingwei, gathered on Mount Lu, a picturesque resort in northern Jiangxi, south of the Yangtze, famed for cliffs, clouds, and summer villas. Although Chiang had visited Mount Lu every summer, this was the first occasion that nearly the entire central government assembled there. Analysts suspected the gathering was a deliberate move to relocate government functions inland in the event of total war. Dozens of the nation's leading intellectuals were invited to Mount Lu to discuss strategies for countering Japan's ambitions. The forum was scheduled to begin on July 15 and to last twenty-seven days in three phases. The bridge incident caught them off guard. Unlike Manchuria, Beiping had long been the nation's capital, and the shock added urgency to the proceedings. When the forum, chaired by Wang, finally opened on July 16, speculation ran as to whether this signaled another regional conflict or the onset of full-scale war. The media pressed for a resolute stance of resistance from the government. To dispel the mounting confusion and perhaps his own indecision, Chiang delivered a solemn speech on July 17, declaring that if the incident could not be resolved peacefully, China would face the "crucial juncture" of national survival and would consider military action; if war began, every Chinese person, from every corner of the country and from every walk of life, would have to sacrifice all to defend the nation.   Chiang's Mount Lu Speech was now commonly regarded as the moment when China publicly proclaimed its firm commitment to resistance. Contemporary observers, however, did not take Chiang's stance at face value. Tao Xisheng, a Peking University law professor who had been invited, recalled that after the speech, people gathered in Hu Shi's room to discuss whether a peace option remained. Chiang left the mountain on July 20, leaving Wang to chair the conference. The discussions continued upon their return to Nanjing, where a National Defense Conference was organized in mid-August. It was also Tao's first encounter with Wang Jingwei. A "peace faction," largely composed of civil officials and intellectuals, began to take shape around Wang, favoring diplomatic solutions over costly and potentially ineffective military action.   During this period, both Chiang and Wang publicly called for resistance, while both harbored hopes for a peaceful solution. Yet their emphases differed. On July 29, Wang Jingwei delivered a radio address from Nanjing titled "The Critical Juncture," echoing Chiang's slogan. He likewise asserted that after repeated concessions and retreats, the critical juncture had come for China to rise against Japan. It would be a harsh form of resistance, since a weak nation had no alternative but to sacrifice every citizen's life and scorch every inch of land. Yet toward the end, Wang's speech took on an ironic turn. He stated, "The so-called resistance demands sacrificing the whole land and the whole nation to resist the invader. If there is no weakness in the world, then there is also no strength. Once we have completed the sacrifice, we also realize the purpose of resistance. We hail 'the critical juncture'! We hail 'sacrifice'!" The sentiment sounded almost satirical, revealing his doubt about the meaning of total sacrifice.   The hope for containment was crushed by Japan's ongoing advances. On November 12, Shanghai fell. Chiang's gamble produced about 187,200 Chinese casualties, including roughly 30,000 officers trained to German standards. Japanese casualties were estimated at a third to a half of the Chinese losses, still making it their deadliest single battle to date. The battered Japanese Imperial Army and Navy, long convinced of their invincibility, were consumed by vengeful bloodlust. The army swept from Shanghai toward Nanjing, leaving a trail of murder, rape, arson, and plunder across China's heartland.   With the fall of Nanjing looming, the central government announced on November 20 that it would relocate to Chongqing, a city upriver on the Yangtze protected by sheer cliffs. Plans for Chongqing as a reserve capital had already begun in 1935, with Hankou as the midway station. To preserve elite troops for the future while saving face, Nanjing was entrusted to General Tang Shengzhi and his roughly one hundred thousand largely inexperienced soldiers. Nanjing fell on December 13. Despite this victory, Japan's hopes of ending the China Incident within three months were dashed. The carnage produced by the war, especially the Rape of Nanjing, left a profound moral stain on humanity. A mass exodus from the coastal provinces toward the hinterland began. People fled by boats, trains, buses, rickshaws, and wheelbarrows. Universities, factories, and ordinary households were moved halfway across China, step by step. The nation resolved to persevere, even in distant mountains and deserts if necessary. In Sichuan alone, government relief agencies officially registered about 9.2 million refugees during the war years.   Chiang Kai-shek, after paying respects at Sun Yat-sen's mausoleum, flew to Mount Lu with Song Meiling. The so-called Second Couple chose a more modest path: like most refugees, the Wang family traveled upriver along the Yangtze. On November 21, they left Nanjing, abandoning a recently renovated suburban home and thirty years of collected books. Coincidentally, the ship carrying Wang Jingwei from Nanjing to Wuhan was SS Yongsui, the former SS Zhongshan that had escorted Sun Yat-sen to safety and witnessed Wang's ascent and subsequent downfall from power. Ironically renamed "Yong-sui," the ship's new title meant "peace," while the compound term suijing denoted a policy of appeasement. This symbolism—Wang being carried away from Nanjing by a ship named "Eternal Peace"—foreshadowed his eventual return to the city as a champion of a "peace movement."   After the Mount Lu Forum, Hu Shi and Tao Xisheng could not return to Beiping, now under Japanese occupation. They joined the government in Nanjing. Beginning in mid-August, Japanese bombers began attacking Nanjing. Air power—an unprecedented weapon of mass destruction—humbled and awed a Chinese public largely unfamiliar with airborne warfare. By striking a target that did not serve its immediate interests, Japan demonstrated its world-class military might and employed psychological warfare against the Chinese government and people. Because Zhou Fohai's villa at Xiliuwan had a fortified cellar suitable as an air-raid shelter, a group of like-minded intellectuals and civil servants sought refuge there. They preferred a peaceful approach to the conflict, subscribing to the idea of trading space for time—building China's industrial and military capabilities before confronting Japan. Tao Xisheng and Mei Siping, old allies of Zhou Fohai, lived in his house. Another frequent guest was Luo Junqiang, an ex-communist. The former CCP leader Chen Duxiu, recently released from prison, joined their gatherings a few times. Gao Zongwu hosted another meeting site. Hu Shi, as a guest himself, jokingly called this circle the "Low-Key Club" (Didiao julebu), a label that underscored their pragmatic defiance of the government's high-flown rhetoric urging all-out resistance. Many members of this group would later become central figures in a conspiracy known as the "peace movement," with Wang Jingwei as its leader and emblem.   As Gerald Bunker noted, the peace scheme did not originate with Wang but with certain associates of Chiang, elements in Japanese military intelligence, and members of liberal-minded Japanese political circles who were linked to Konoe. Zhou Fohai belonged to the Chiang-loyalist CC faction, named for Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu. Zhou believed that resistance under current conditions was suicidal. He sought to influence Chiang through people around him, including Wang Jingwei, whom he found impressionable and began visiting at Wang's salon. Gao Zongwu, head of the Foreign Ministry's Asian Department, felt sidelined by Chiang's uncompromising stance. They shared the sense that Chiang might be willing to talk but feared the price, perhaps his own leadership. They were dismayed by the lack of a long-range war plan beyond capitulation. Their view was that China's battlefield losses would worsen the terms of any settlement, and that the war's outcome seemed to benefit Soviet Russia and undermine the GMD more than China itself. The rapid collapses of Shanghai and then Nanjing vindicated their pessimism. Chiang's autocratic decision-making only deepened their dissatisfaction. They feared China was again at risk of foreign conquest from which it might not recover.   Wang Jingwei became the focal point for these disaffected individuals, drawn by his pacifist leanings, intellectual temperament, and preference for consensus-building. After the government relocated to Hankou, he lent guidance to the Literature and Art Research Society (Yiwen yanjiu hui), a propagandist body led by Zhou Fohai and Tao Xisheng. Its purpose was to steer public opinion on issues like the war of resistance and anticommunism, and to advocate a stance that the government must preserve both peace and war as options. Many believed it to be Wang's private organization; in truth, Chiang supported its activities. For much of 1938, Chiang's belligerent anti-Japanese rhetoric and Wang's conciliatory push were two sides of the GMD's broader strategy.   Among the society's regional branches, the Hong Kong chapter flourished under Mei Siping and Lin Baisheng. In addition to editing South China Daily News, Lin established Azure Books and the International Compilation and Translation Society (Guoji bianyishe) as primary propaganda organs. Ironically, Mei Siping had himself been a radical during the 1919 student protests, when he helped set fire to the deputy foreign minister's house in protest of perceived capitulation to Japan.   Wang Jingwei also actively engaged in international efforts to broker peace between Japan and China, including Trautmann's mediation by the German ambassador. Since the outbreak of war, various Western powers had contemplated serving as mediators, but none succeeded. Nazi Germany, aligned with Japan in an anti-Soviet partnership, emerged as China's most likely ally because it did not want Japan to squander its strength in China or compel China to seek Soviet help. Conversely, Japan's interest lay in prolonging the war or achieving a swift settlement. Ambassador Trautmann met with Wang Jingwei multiple times from October 31 to early November 1937 to confirm China's preference for peace before negotiating with Japan. The proposal Trautmann carried to Chiang Kai-shek on November 5 proposed terms including autonomy for Inner Mongolia, a larger demilitarized zone in North China, an expanded cease-fire around Shanghai, a halt to anti-Japanese movements, an anti-communist alliance, reduced tariffs on Japanese goods, and protection of foreign interests in China. Although Japan did not specify territorial gains, these terms deviated significantly from Chiang's demand to restore pre–Marco Polo Bridge status. After Shanghai fell, Chiang's rigidity softened.   On December 5, at Hankou, the National Defense Conference agreed to begin peace negotiations based on Trautmann's terms, a decision Chiang approved. But it was too late: Nanjing fell on December 13, and a provisional Beiping government led by Wang Kemin was established, signaling Japan's growing support for regional separatism. On December 24, Japan issued an ultimatum for a harsher deal to be accepted by January 10. In response, Chiang resigned as chairman of the Executive Yuan on January 1, 1938, and was succeeded by his brother-in-law Kong Xiangxi. Chiang declared that death in defeat was preferable to death in disgrace and refused to yield under coercion. The Konoe Cabinet announced on January 16 that Japan would not negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek. Trautmann's mediation had failed.   After Konoe's announcement, mediation became even more precarious, as it placed the already deadly, no-win situation between the two nations in deeper jeopardy. Secret contacts between the two governments persisted through multiple channels—sometimes at the direction of their own leaders, other times at the initiative of a cadre of officials and quasi-official figures of dubious legitimacy. Many of these covert efforts were steered by Chiang himself. In late 1937, Wang Jingwei even sent Chen Gongbo to Rome to explore the possibility of Italian mediation between China and Japan. After meetings with Mussolini and Foreign Minister Ciano, Chen concluded that Italy had no genuine goodwill toward China and favored Japan. His conversations with other Western leaders (Belgium, France, Britain, and the United States) proved equally fruitless. In diaries, Zhou Fohai and Chen Kewen recorded a pervasive mood of pessimism among Hankou and Chongqing's national government factions. Although direct champions of negotiating with Japan were few, many voices insisted that China was on the brink of collapse while secretly hoping peace talks would begin soon. Gao Zongwu's mission emerged from this tense atmosphere.   With Konoe's cabinet refusing to negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek, many regarded Wang as the best candidate to carry forward a diplomatic solution. Yet Wang remained convinced of his loyalty to Chiang and to Chiang's policy. The Italian ambassador visited Wuhan to offer mediation between Wang and the Japanese government, an invitation Wang declined. Tang Shaoyi's daughter traveled to Wuhan to convey Tokyo's negotiation intent, but was similarly turned away. Even Chen Bijun, then in Hong Kong, urged Wang to join her and start peace negotiations; he again declined. Tao Xisheng remembered a quiet night when Wang confided in him: "This time I will cooperate with Mr. Chiang until the very end, regardless of how the war unfolds." His stance did not change when Gao Zongwu reported that the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office wanted him to head the peace talks.   Gao Zongwu's bid was brokered by Dong Daoning, head of the Japan Affairs Section in the Foreign Ministry. Shortly after Konoe's statement, Dong traveled to Shanghai to meet Nishi Yoshiaki, representative of Mantetsu, and Matsumoto Shigeharu, a Dōmei News Agency journalist. Nishi and Matsumoto then introduced Dong to Kagesa Sadaaki, head of the Strategy and Tactics Department in the General Staff Office. Kagesa introduced Dong to Deputy Director Tada Hayao and colleagues Ishiwara Kanji and Imai Takeo, who agreed that a peaceful resolution to the China crisis aligned with Japan's interests. It would be inaccurate to paint these figures as pacifists: Ishiwara, who helped build Manchukuo, also recognized that further incursions into China could jeopardize Japan's hard-won gains. They proposed a temporary resignation by Chiang to spare Konoe from having to retract his refusal to negotiate, thereby allowing Wang to lead the talks. In short, the scheme aimed to save face for Konoe.   Dong returned to Hong Kong and delivered the proposal to Gao Zongwu, who had been stationed there since February under Chiang's orders to oversee intelligence and liaison with Japan. Luo Junqiang, Gao's contact, testified that Gao was paid monthly from Chiang's secret military fund. Gao went back to Hankou twice, on April 2 and May 30. On the second trip, he personally conveyed Japan's terms to Chiang. Gao later admitted that Chiang never gave him explicit instructions, but rather cultivated an impression of tacit approval. At no point did Gao view the deal as Chiang's betrayal. As long as Chiang retained control of the military, Wang's leadership could only be nominal and temporary. Unbeknownst to Wang, Gao's personal ties to Chiang remained hidden from him; he learned of them only through Zhou Fohai. Startled, he handed the information to Chiang Kai-shek and told Tao Xisheng: "I cannot broker peace with Japan alone. I will not deceive Mr. Chiang." Given Tao's later departure from Wang's circle to rejoin Chiang, Tao's recollection could be trusted.   Two months later, Wang left Chongqing to pursue a peace settlement. A key factor may have been persistent lobbying by Zhou, Gao, Mei, Tao, and especially his wife Chen Bijun. Luo Junqiang recalled that Kong Xiangxi objected that Gao acted without him, prompting Chiang to order Gao to halt his covert efforts, an order Gao ignored. Gao and Mei Siping continued to press for a deal. Gao even spent three weeks in Japan in July, holding extensive talks with Kagesa Sadaaki and Imai Takeo. Their discussions produced the first substantive articulation of the Wang peace movement as a Sino-Japanese plot to end the "China incident." On November 26, Mei flew from Hong Kong to Chongqing with a draft of Japan's terms and Konoe's planned announcement. The proposal stated that the Japanese army would withdraw completely within two years once peace was reached, but it demanded that China formally recognize Manchukuo. Wang was to leave Chongqing for Kunming by December 5, then proceed to Hanoi. Upon Japan receiving news of his arrival in Hanoi, the telegram would reveal the peace terms. This pivotal moment threw Wang into intense inner turmoil. Zhou Fohai visited Wang daily, and Wang delayed decisively each time, much to Zhou's frustration. Ultimately, it seemed that Chen Bijun rendered the final judgment on Wang's behalf. As in earlier episodes, Wang found himself trapped by an idealized image of himself held by family, followers, and loyalists, seen by them as a larger-than-life figure who must undertake a mission too grand to fail.   Yet Wang's stance was not purely involuntary. As Imai Takeo noted, he fundamentally disagreed with Chiang's strategy of resistance. The so-called scorched-earth approach caused immense suffering. Three episodes stood out: the 1938 Yellow River flood, ordered by Chiang to impede Japan's advance, which destroyed dikes and displaced millions, yielding devastating agricultural and humanitarian consequences; the subsequent epidemics and famine that followed, producing about two million refugees and up to nine hundred thousand deaths, while failing to stop the Japanese advance toward Wuhan (which fell in October); and the Changsha fire, ignited in the early hours of November 13, which killed nearly thirty thousand people and devastated most of the city. These events sharpened Wang's doubts about Chiang's defense strategy, especially its reckless execution and cruelty. By late November, Wang began to openly challenge Chiang's approach, delivering a series of speeches advocating his own war-weariness and preference for limiting resistance to preserve national strength for future counterstrikes. He argued that guerrilla warfare burdened the people and wasted national resources that could be saved for a later, more effective defense. He urged soldiers to exercise judgment and listen to their consciences, and he attributed much of the civilian suffering to the Communists; nonetheless, with General von Falkenhausen, Chiang's German adviser, now urging a shift toward smaller-unit mobile warfare, Wang's critique of Chiang's strategy took on a more pointed, risksome tone. If resistance equaled total sacrifice, Wang was not prepared to endorse it. As Margherita Zanasi noted, Wang Jingwei and Chen Gongbo had long shared a vision of a self-consciously anti-imperial "national economy", the belief that China's economy had not yet achieved genuine nation-power and that compromising with the foe might be necessary to save the national economy.   Wang and Zhou also worried that continuing resistance would strengthen the Communists and that genuine international aid would not arrive, at least not soon. After Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia, Wang briefly hoped for the formation of an antifascist democratic alliance. Yet the Munich Agreement disappointed him. Viewing Western democracies as culturally imperialist, he doubted they would jeopardize their relations with Japan, another imperial power, on China's behalf. This view was reinforced by Zhou Fohai and other China specialists who had recently joined Wang's circle; they argued that China would fall unless the international situation shifted dramatically. Their forecast would prove accurate only after Pearl Harbor.   In the end, Wang longed for decisive action. He had been sidelined since the government's move to Wuhan. At the GMD Provisional National Congress in Hankou (March 29–April 1), the party resolved to restore Chiang Kai-shek to near-total control by reasserting the authoritarian zongcai system. The Congress also established the People's Political Council as a nominal nod to democracy, but it remained largely consultative. Wang was elected deputy director and chairman of the council, yet he clearly resented the position. Jiang Tingfu described Wang's Hankou mood as "somewhat resentful," recognizing the role as largely ceremonial. More optimistic observers attributed his dismay to the return of dictatorship, and he likely felt increasingly useless. Since the Mukden Incident, Wang had prioritized party unity and been content to play a secondary role to Chiang, but inaction did not fit his sense of historical purpose. It was Zhou Fohai who urged Wang to risk his reputation for a greater cause, presenting a calculated nudge to someone susceptible to idealism. A longing to find meaning through action may have finally pushed him toward a fateful decision. As Chen Bijun bluntly told Long Yun, her husband "was merely an empty shell in Chongqing and could contribute nothing to the country; thus he wanted to change his surroundings."   Wang considered staying abroad as a serious option amid the Hanoi uncertainty. Gao Zongwu had previously told Japanese negotiators that if Konoe's stance did not satisfy Wang, he might head to France. Chongqing echoed this possibility. On December 29, Ambassador Guo Taiqi, acting on Chiang's orders, telegraphed Wang suggesting he go to Europe "to take a break." It would have offered a graceful exit. Kagesa recommended Hanoi as Wang Jingwei's midway station because, as a French colony, it offered a relatively safe environment. Only the French were armed there, and several members of the extended Wang family had grown up in France, enabling them to communicate with the colonial authorities.   After Wang departed for Hanoi, Long Yun hesitated for weeks. On December 20, he telegraphed Chiang, saying Wang had paused in Kunming on the way to Hanoi to seek medical treatment. Knowing this was untrue, Chiang replied on December 27 with a stern warning about Japan's unreliability, a message that appeared to have persuaded Long. A day later, Long urged leniency for Wang. Following Wang's publication of the "yan telegram," public anger likely pushed Long toward a final decision. On January 6, he informed Chiang of a letter from Wang delivered by Chen Changzu, and he noted that the Wangs were considering the French option, but recommended allowing Wang to return to Chongqing to show leniency and to enable surveillance.   Chiang replied two days later that Wang would be better off going to Europe. The extended Wang family resided in two Western-style mansions at 25 and 27 Rue Riz Marché, surrounded by high walls. On February 15, Chongqing's envoy Gu Zhengding brought their passports to Hanoi. Accounts differed on what happened next. One version had Wang offering to travel abroad if Chongqing accepted his proposal to start peace talks; if Chongqing remained indecisive, he would return to voice his dissent. Another version claimed Gu's primary task was to bring Wang back to Chongqing, which Wang declined, preferring France.   Although the French option was gaining favor, the Wang circle continued to explore other avenues. In early 1939, secret contacts with the Japanese government persisted, though not always in a coordinated way. Chiang's intelligence advised that the Wang group was forming networks in Shanghai and especially Hong Kong, with Gao Zongwu playing a central role. On February 1, Gao returned from Hong Kong and stayed for five days, finding Wang in a despondent mood. Wang asked Gao to pass along a few letters to Japanese leaders urging the creation of a unified Chinese government to earn the Chinese people's understanding and trust. Wang believed his actions would serve the best interests of both China and Japan. On March 18, the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong informed Gao that funding for the Wang group would come from China's customs revenues that Japan had seized.   Meanwhile, Chiang Kai-shek sensed a shift in the war's direction. On February 10, Japan seized Hainan, China's southernmost major island. The next day, Chiang held a press conference describing the development as "the Mukden Incident of the Pacific." He warned that Japan's ambitions could threaten British and French colonial interests and U.S. maritime supremacy. Gao Zongwu read the speech and concluded that Chiang's outlook had brightened.   For three months, the Wang circle met frequently to weigh options. The prominent writer and scholar Zhou Zuoren, who had already accepted a collaborationist post as head of the Beiping library, warned Tao Xisheng, saying "Don't do it," signaling his misgivings about collaborating with Japan based on his reading of Japanese politics. As Zhou observed, many young Japanese militarists did not even respect General Ugaki, let alone a foreign leader.   Then the assassination of Zeng Zhongming, Wang's secretary and protégé, abruptly altered the meaning of Wang's mission. The Wang group was deeply unsettled by Zeng Zhongming's assassination. The event came as a shock. On March 20, Gu Zhengding's second Hanoi visit concluded. Allegedly Gu delivered passports and funds for a European excursion. On a bright spring day, the entire Wang family enjoyed a lighthearted outing to Three Peaches Beach, only to be halted by a French officer who warned they were being followed. During their afternoon rest, a man posing as a painter, sent by the landlord to measure rooms for payment, appeared at the door and was turned away when he insisted on entering every room. More than twenty people in the household, none were armed.   Since January, Hanoi had been a hive of BIS activity. The ringleader was Chen Gongshu, a veteran operative under spymaster Dai Li, though Chen's recollections clashed with those of other witnesses, leaving the exact sequence unclear. Chen claimed their role was intelligence and surveillance until March 19, when an unsigned telegram from Dai Li ordered, "Severest punishment to the traitor Wang Jingwei, immediately!" The mission supposedly shifted. The Wang family was followed the next day but evaded capture in traffic, prompting a raid on the house. Reports varied: some said Wang resided on the second floor of No. 27; others suggested he lived in No. 25, with No. 27 used for day guests. The force entered the courtyard, forced open the door to Wang's room, and a getaway car waited outside. Chen, in the car, heard gunshots: initial shots toward a downstairs figure, then three shots through a bedroom door hacked open with an axe, aimed at a figure beneath the bed, believed to be Wang Jingwei. The team drove off after four to five minutes. Vietnamese police soon detained three killers who lingered in the courtyard and even listened in on a hospital call. Chen didn't realize the target had been misidentified until the next afternoon. Some BIS records suggested Wang and Zeng Zhongming had swapped bedrooms that night, a detail Chen doubted. Chen did not mention a painter's earlier visit.   There were competing accounts of the event with their numerous inconsistencies that fueled conspiracy theories. Jin Xiongbai outlined three possibilities: (1) the killers killed the "wrong person" as a warning to Wang Jingwei; (2) they killed Zeng to provoke Wang toward collaboration; or (3) the episode was always part of a broader Chiang-Wang collaboration plan.   In any case, Dai Li showed unusual leniency toward Chen Gongshu, who was never punished and later led the Shanghai station. After Dai Li's agent Li Shiqun was captured in 1941, Li not only spared Chen's life but recruited him on a double-agent basis for the remainder of the war, with Chen retiring to Taiwan. Chiang Kai-shek never discussed the case publicly or in his diary, and his silence was perhaps the strongest indication that he ordered the killing.   I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Wang Jingwei, once a key figure in China's resistance against Japan, grew disillusioned with Chiang Kai-shek's scorched-earth tactics during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Amid devastating events like the Yellow River flood and Changsha fire, which caused immense civilian suffering, Wang joined a peace faction advocating negotiation. Secret talks with Japanese officials led to his defection in 1938. He fled Chongqing to Hanoi, where an assassination attempt, likely ordered by Chiang, killed his secretary Zeng Zhongming instead.   

Episode 804 In this action-packed episode of Got Faded Japan, Johnny kicks back with one of Japan's legendary artists, Monkey Monk. Together they dive deep into the wild world of art in Japan, from the adrenaline of live painting and grinding it out in the studio to the mysterious spark behind creative ideas. But that's not all. Monkey Monk also unveils his brand-new festival experience: MURAL CAMP. This isn't just another event, it's a full-blown art adventure. Imagine two days of camping in the stunning Japanese countryside surrounded by creative minds, incredible food, great music, and some of Japan's top artists painting massive murals right before your eyes. Seriously, it's going to be epic. If you love art, creativity, and good vibes, you don't want to miss this. Learn more about Monkey Monk, check out his artwork, and grab your tickets for Mural Camp: https://www.instagram.com/monkeymonkart/ https://www.instagram.com/mural_camp/ https://ticketdive.com/event/muralcamp_ticket https://artsacca.com/i1247     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Supporting GOT FADED JAPAN ON PATREON directly supports keeping this show going and fueled with booze, seriously could you imagine the show sober?? Neither can we! SUPPORT GFJ at: https://www.patreon.com/gotfadedjapan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!!!!   1. THE SPILT INK: Experience art, buy art and get some original art commissioned at: SITE: https://www.thespiltink.com/ INSTAGRAM: @thespiltink YouTube: https://youtu.be/J5-TnZLc5jE?si=yGX4oflyz_dZo74m ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- 2. MITSUYA LIQUOR in ASAGAYA: "The BEST beer shop and standing beer bar in Tokyo!" 1　Chome- 13 -17 Asagayaminami, Suginami Tokyo 166-0004　 Tel & Fax: 0303314-6151Email: Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------   3. Harry's Sandwich Company 1 min walk from Takeshita Street in HarajukuCall 050-5329-7203 Address: 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 1 Chome−16−7 MSビル 3F ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- 4. Share Residence MUSOCO “It's a share house that has all that you need and a lot more!” - Located 30 minutes form Shibuya and Yokohama - Affordable rent - Gym - BAR! - Massive kitchen - Cozy lounge space - Office work units - A spacious deck for chilling - DJ booth and club space - Barber space - AND MORE! Get more info and move in at: https://sharedesign.co.jp/en/property.php?id=42&property=musaco&fbclid=IwAR3oYvB-a3_nzKcBG0gSdPQzxvFaWVWsi1d1xKLtYBnq8IS2uLqe6z9L6kY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soul Food House https://soulfoodhouse.comAddress:2-chōme−8−10 | Azabujūban | Tokyo | 106-0045 Phone:03-5765-2148 Email:info@soulfoodhouse.com Location Features:You can reach Soul Food House from either the Oedo Line (get off at Azabujuban Station and it's a 7-minute walk) or the Namboku Line (get off at Azabujuban Station and it's a 6-minute walk). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GET YOURSELF SOME GOT FADED JAPAN MERCH TODAY!!! We have T-Shirts, COFFEE Mugs, Stickers, even the GFJ official pants! BUY NOW AND SUPPORT THE SHOW: http://www.redbubble.com/people/thespiltink/works/16870492-got-faded-japan-podcast -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Got Faded Japan Podcast gives listeners a glimpse of the most interesting side of Japan's news, culture, peoples, parties, and all around mischief and mayhem. Hosted by Johnny and Jeremy who adds opinions and otherwise drunken bullshit to the mix. We LOVE JAPAN AND SO DO YOU! Send us an email on Facebook or hell man, just tell a friend & post a link to keep this pod rolllin' Fader! Kanpai mofos! #japan #japantalk #japanpodcast #gotfadedjapan #japantravel #japanvlog  

The ladies discuss: Idia shares her Tokyo adventures, Osa's newest adventures and with whom LOL, recent politics, Trump's presidency, matter of choice in life. Let's Connect: justwinginitpodcast@gmail.com www.instagram.com/queenidia www.instagram.com/creatingcreativity

Need personalised guidance for planning your Japan trip?Send me a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @japan.experts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Japan Experts Community on Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out my FREE Japan Travel Resource:Effortless Japan Travel Guide: 7 Ways to Make Your Trip Authentic and Memorable

durée : 00:54:44 - Le Fil de l'histoire - par : Stéphanie DUNCAN - * Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

Send a textThis week,We start with a Pokémon GO catch-up, chatting about the 30th Anniversary Event and the high-energy All Out Weekend. How did we play it? What stood out? And did the rewards live up to the hype?Naturally, things take a strange turn with an AI Arnie interlude, before diving into the big news of the week.In News Part 1, we unpack everything we know about Pokémon GO Fest 2026, including the confirmed dates, the difference between Park & City Trainer Tickets, the City Explorer add-on, extra gameplay days, and the controversial Premier Access option. Is GO Fest evolving in the right direction, and which tickets are worth it for Trainers planning to attend?Next it's game time as Mark hosts “Play Your Dex Right”, with Ian vs Milo battling to guess whether the next Pokémon sits higher or lower in the Pokédex. First to a clear point wins!In News Part 2, we run through the upcoming Bug Out Event, the returning Replay: Water Research Day, and the electrifying Gigantamax Pikachu Max Battle Day.Finally, we wrap things up with everyone's favourite segment: #ShiniesOfTheWeek, celebrating the best shiny catches from the Incensed community. ✨We'd like to say a massive thank you to all of our Patrons for your support, with credited Patrons from featured tiers below:#GOLDJB, Kerry & Zachary, Barside2, Mandy Croft, Mr Mossom, DeanDHL, DamonMac08 & MissSummerOf69 and BigBoyBaz.#SILVERKLXVI, Dell Hazard, Spindiana, Lori Beck, Steve In Norway, CeeCeeismad, Saul Haberfield, Lizzie George, Sander Van Den Dreiesche, Neonnet, Ellen Rushton, James Alexander, Northern Soph, Tom Cattle, Charley Todd, Robert Wilson, Malcolm Grinter, Jordi Castel, Thehotweasel, shinyikeamom, TonyOfPride, Joohno, Malcolm Burgess, mrj4ck4l, littlestsparkle, Zontok, Allex, DJMeadyMead & HRHKayleigh.  #BRONZEWe'd like to thank everyone on this tier for you support.Support the showFind us on Niantic Campfire: CLICK MESend us a voice message on WhatsApp: +44 7592695696Email us: contact@incensedpodcast.comIf you'd like to buy merch, you can find us by clicking HERE for U.K. store, HERE for U.S. Oceana store or copy this link: https://incensedpodcast.myspreadshop.net/ for U.K. store or this link: https://incensed-podcast.myspreadshop.com/ for U.S. Oceana store!Hosted By: PoGoMiloUK, Ian Waterfall & Masterful 27. Produced & Edited By: Ian Waterfall & PoGoMiloUK. Administrators: HermesNinja & IAMP1RU5.Pokémon is Copyright Gamefreak, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company 2001-2016All names owned and trademarked by Nintendo, Niantic, The Pokémon Company, and Gamefreak are property of their respective owners.

Listen Now to 001 WTFuture  Watch Now 001 WTFuture  Whew, after an additional week of production our first video podcast is out! We present you with 001 WTFuture - Waking up on your highest timeline: AI Avatars, InterD Aliens, and the 5th Dimension https://youtu.be/dCPukmuLkBo We present you with a wild mix of futuristic tech, real-world robot sightings, and consciousness news. Hundreds of images and many animations help make up the video elements of this visually rich show. We think you’ll like Sun’s very touching story from a recent trip to Tokyo about the “Dawn AI Avatar Cafe,” a restaurant where severely disabled individuals remotely pilot robot servers, allowing them to earn an income and socialize from their beds. We also feature a recent blood moon eclipse and just for fun got the AIs to generate videos of what spectacular double-sun eclipses might look like from distant exoplanets! And then the conversation skews/geeks out over cosmic phenomena and human spiritual evolution. And we delve into the booming world of personal AI, specifically exploring a concept called “Open Claw,” where tech enthusiasts are using localized setups like Mac Minis to build their own private AI workforces, dodging expensive cloud fees and keeping their data seriously secure. We chat live with Ara, an AI companion, about the evolving, symbiotic relationship between humans and machines, and we joke about the rise of new gig-economy jobs like “robot wranglers” who are paid to maintain autonomous delivery bots. The discussion explores new memes in the UFO/UAP universe, exploring theories that some aliens might actually be inter-dimensional beings rather than traditional space travelers flying in ships. Things get ‘rabbit holy’ from there as we explore channeler Elizabeth April’s insights on the protective “Galactic Federation of Light,” how future quantum computers might perfectly sync up with the quantum biology of our brains, and humanity’s potential collective spiritual leap into the “fifth dimension”. As I said, ‘whew!’ Enjoy! AL     Bobby’s Revelation

Matt and EzRaw discuss the latest in boxing news including:News and NotesDevin Haney vs. Rolly Romero Almost Done.Shakur Stevenson not interested in fighting O'Shaquie Foster.Eddie Hearn doesn't want to work with manager Keith Connolly anymoreDmitry Bivol-Michael Eifert eyed for Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven cardKeith Thurman and Sebastian Fundora sounds off. Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr. scrapped from Fundora-Thurman after Sanchez was injured.Richardson Hitchins in talks to join Zuffa Boxing. Luis Nery-John Riel Casimero, David Jimenez-Ayumu Sano set for AprilTim Tszyu vs. Denis Nurja to stream on Amazon's Prime Video. Emanuel Navarrete-Charly Suarez rematch ordered by the WBO. Dalton Smith has been ordered by the WBC to fight Alberto Puello. EZ Money Parlay of the Day, EzRaw Report Card, EzRaw BreakdownEzRaw Report Card & EzRaw BreakdownJazza Dickens vs. Anthony CacaceArnold Barboza vs. Kenneth SimsEzra's Raw Hard CashMike's EZ moneyMatt's Best Bet.Booking the Territory:Boxing CourtThe IBF vs. Jai OpetaiaThe IBF vs. Janibek Alimkhanuly The WBO and WBA vs. David Benavidez and Zurdo RamirezQuick HitsMatchroom outbids Golden Boy for Ricardo Sandoval-Galal Yafai title fightEtinosa Oliha-Shakiel Thompson ordered for vacant IBF 160lbs titleAndres Cortes-Eridson Garcia tops Zuffa Boxing 05 tripleheader on Easter SundaySkye Nicolson in homecoming headliner vs Mariah Turner on April 29Japan's Katsuma Akitsugi signs co-promotional deal with ProBox, will meet Mexico's Jose Miguel Calderon April 11 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.Read the latest news at Brunch BoxingThoughts or questions? Email us at brunchboxingqa@gmail.comHosts: Matt, and EzRawSocial: MikeProducer: Huey

What does it take to transform from a technical legal expert into a strategic conductor of organisational change? Keiko Uchida, Head of Legal and Compliance at Roche Diagnostics Japan, shares her journey to leadership from playing the figurative “violin in an orchestra” to becoming “the conductor.”Discover what it means to move from solving one case with 100 pieces of evidence to solving 100 questions with almost none, and why doubling productivity in Japanese companies has become Keiko Uchida's driving purpose.If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we'd love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we'd love it if you would leave us a message here!In this episode you'll hear:The powerful conversation that shifted her entire career trajectoryWhy being a housewife became her greatest strength rather than a setbackHow Keiko is building a regional legal network across APAC Her favourite book and other fun facts About KeikoKeiko Uchida is the Head of Legal & Compliance at Roche Diagnostics K.K., where she sits on the leadership team as a direct report to the CEO and oversees legal affairs, compliance, data privacy, corporate governance, and risk management across the organisation.Since joining Roche in 2022, Keiko has played a pivotal regional leadership role, earning the “Change Maker of the Year 2024” award for APAC in recognition of her impact in building a high-performing, collaborative legal network across the region, as well as driving market-focused partnerships between legal, security, and commercial operations teams. One of her team members was also recognised as VIP of the Year 2024 within Roche Diagnostics Japan — a reflection of her strength as a people leader.Before Roche, Keiko served as Corporate Officer, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Data Privacy Officer at AXA General Insurance Co., Ltd., where she led legal and compliance transformation initiatives during a period of organisational change. She previously held senior legal and corporate secretary roles within AXA, and earlier in her career practiced as a lawyer in private practice after completing her legal training in Japan.Keiko's career is uniquely cross-sector, with earlier professional experience in financial institutions including J.P. Morgan and Shinsei Trust Bank, as well as academic work as an Assistant Professor at a research center of The University of Tokyo. She later returned to the University of Tokyo to complete her J.D., following a Master's degree in law from Kyoto University.Recognised on the Legal 500 GC Powerlist Japan 2023, a panelist at GC Summit 2024, and co-author of a practical legal handbook on contract law published in 2023, Keiko is known for blending deep legal expertise with organisational leadership and strategic thinking.Her professional passion lies in balancing opportunity and risk while building high-performing organizations, and outside of work she enjoys traveling and exploring new cultures.Connect with KeikoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keiko-uchida-3bab7a30/ LinksHow to Win Friends and Influence People: https://amzn.asia/d/09azrBtm Connect with Catherine LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair

This week we are joined by Run Farther & Faster runner, Beth Colling, who at age 57 ran a 3:43 at the Tokyo Marathon, earning her Six Star Medal. But Beth's journey to that finish line was anything but straightforward. Just one year ago, after a life-altering health setback, she wasn't sure she would ever run another marathon.Instead of stepping away from the sport she loves, Beth turned that uncertainty into opportunity. Through patience, determination, and the support of her community, she rebuilt her fitness and confidence—ultimately crossing the finish line in Tokyo in 3:43, tying the personal best she set four years earlier.Beth lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she trains with an incredibly uplifting group of masters women who help make the miles joyful and meaningful. She shares how that community, along with a renewed perspective on gratitude and resilience, shaped her comeback.Beyond running, Beth is an accomplished attorney with more than 25 years of experience who has traveled to six of the seven continents, working with organizations to help create infrastructure in developing countries. She's also a mom of three, who originally began running longer distances after the birth of her third child as a way to carve out a little space—and sanity—amid the chaos of a busy household.In this episode, Beth reflects on perseverance, purpose, and the power of believing that your best days might still be ahead. Join us for our shakeout run in Boston on Sunday, 4/19 at 8:30 at a new location—338 Newbury Street in front of Trident Booksellers.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Interested in hiring a coach? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com or head over to our website.Please follow, share and review our show!

This week, Cindy Bissig and Frank Walter sit down with Takashi Eguchi, better known in the sake world as Umio, to explore Shiga Prefecture’s vibrant sake scene and its potential as a sake tourism destination Together, they discuss breweries across the region that welcome visitors, from formal tours to shops and lively brewery festivals, along with practical tips on how to visit. Umio shares some of his favorite breweries to visit, including ​​Uehara Shuzo in Takashima City, along with two izakayas located in Otsu City: Nao and Hanabi. While Cindy adds Okamura Honke, makers of Shinkame (the golden turtle), and Happy Taro, in Nagahama, one of her favorite doburoku makers. The conversation also ventures into sake vessels as Shigaraki, Shiga's renowned pottery town, is a must-visit for anyone trying to get their hands on some beautiful sake cups. As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at questions@sakeonair.com or send us a message on our Instagram, Facebook, or Substack!We'll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air. Until then, kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. Sake on Air was created by Potts K Productions and is produced by Export Japan. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow,” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

I seldom give focus to money in this podcast, and this episode has nothing to do with making more or managing your money. It's on how we make meaning of money, which may dictate more about your money situation than anything else. And to that degree we are looking at how you feel about your money, more than whatever your situation may be. We all likely know people with lots of money who stress about it far more than some with very little. My guest in this episode helped me reposition how I think about money. Long ago we exchanged goods and service with each other. Today we do the same thing, but the exchange happens through money instead of the direct product or service. But of greater focus we are looking at our attitude towards money. My guest in this episode is a self-help legend and celebrity in Japan where he's sold nearly 9 million books about this topic. Ken Honda is the author of Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money. But it's not money Ken is concerned about, it's your happy soul. This is why he has most of his own country following him, and now is claiming hearts around the world, including now, America. He joined me via Zoom from somewhere near Tokyo and we just had a super sweet time together. Ken ultimately endorsed my book, “What Drives You, for the Japanese market. I think you'll find a significant paradigm shift in your perspective on money and a new hope for feeling better about it. I did. Truly. There are products and services we don't want to spend money on. Such as, we don't want to give $1,000 to a car mechanic to fix something that went wrong on our car. So we give the mechanic money with sad feelings. Sad energy. And the mechanic is on the receiving end of getting sad money. Would you like to change this perspective, as the customer and the mechanic? Ken is going to help. We start off addressing the common negative feelings many people have towards money, and turn it on its head. It's not money we are upset with. It's really the work we don't like and aren't proud of, that we are doing to earn money. It's more about how we are earning our money than the money itself. I think you will be so stoked with this episode you'll want to share it with everyone you know. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ZEROBASEONE's time as a 9-member group has come to a close after more than two and half years. What started as a temporary, project group from the survival show BOYS PLANET (Season 1) will now continue as a 5-member boy group managed under WAKEONE Entertainment, a subsidiary of CJ ENM. The group will continue as a quintent consisting of Sung Han-bin, Kim Ji-woong, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae-rae, and Park Gun-wook. The remaining four members, Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin, and Han Yu-jin will return to their original agency Yuehua Entertainment (now rebranded as YH Entertainment). What happens next in their careers remains unclear but ZEROSE have plenty of theories.In this episode, we hear from fans of ZB1 about how they're processing the inevitable closing of one chapter with a group that won over millions of fans and broke record after record.ABOUT OUR GUEST:Philiana Ng is a journalist covering entertainment and TV with bylines at The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Entertainment Tonight, TV Guide, Yahoo Entertainment, Netflix, The Daily Beast, The Wrap, Primetimer, Backstage, and more. After first interviewing ZEROBASEONE at KCON LA she became an avid fan of the group. Last year she traveled to see ZB1 in Seoul and Tokyo for the start of their most recent tour and she recently flew back for the final encore shows in Seoul. Read Philiana Ng's interview with ZB1: https://joysauce.com/zerobaseone-is-ready-to-take-on-the-world/IN THIS EPISODE:How ZEROBASEONE came to be on Boys PlanetThe 411 on the members' personalitiesThe timeline for contract negotiationsProject groups and how companies split traineesConcert experience in Seoul and TokyoTips for buying K-pop tickets abroadWhat might be next for the 4 members in Yuehua EntertainmentWill the fandom splinter off?Fan submissions on how they're processing this momentIt's a K-pop Thing is hosted by two journalists and longtime K-pop stans, Alexis Hodoyán-Gastélum and Theresa Avila. FOLLOW US:Twitter: @ikptpod & Instagram: @ikptpodFEEDBACK? IDEAS FOR FUTURE EPISODES?E-mail us at info@kpoppod.com

With the conflict in the Middle East set to extend into a third week, Derek Halpenny Head of Research Global Markets EMEA & International Securities talks to Andrew Mitola, Director in FX Corporate Risk Solutions in New York about three scenarios for how the conflict unfolds from here and what the implications for the US dollar would be based on potential future moves in crude oil prices. Derek also discusses the central bank reaction function to possible inflation pick-ups and what to expect from the central bank meetings taking place next week. With USD/JPY close to the 160-level is the MoF in Tokyo ready to intervene?

Send a textIf at first you don't succeed, try 151 more times.  This episode is a reflection of that ambition.  But really, it's not that bad--although Mark says he edited out so much dead air that Jim sounds a bit manic toward the end.BrothersUSA!Captain CrunchShot gunning CheetosThe next Jimmy StewartRIP Robert DuvalWar MoviesRIP Lou HoltzPipe CultureRIP Neil SedakaSinger Songwriter fight to the finish!Songs of the Week:All I Wanna Do--Sherly CrowWelcome Home--Bachman Turner OverdriveThe Guess Who is coming to townNice note from Pat and SueThanks for stopping by#NewtsAppleValleyMNTheAscertainers@gmail.comSheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do (original music video)Welcome Home (Live At Budokan, Tokyo / 1976)FLAMIN' HOT | Official Trailer | Searchlight PicturesLou Holtz inspirational speech

In this ep we talk how early is to early to drink on vacation, cruises, Titanic conspiracy, Bill Clinton Epstein testimony, National Debt, Preacher wants to see your tax returns, Kristi Noem fired, McDonalds CEO controversy, and much more! Email here: tokyoblackhour@gmail.com Check us out Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TokyoBlackHour/   Check out the Youtube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX_C1Txvh93PHEsnA-qOp6g?view_as=subscriber Follow us on Twitter @TokyoBlackPod Get your apparel at https://tkbpandashop.com/  You can also catch us Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify Check out the mix here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=outOhNt1vBA&t=1167s Need a logo for your business go here www.fiverr.com/eyeballa/buying 

We talk the premier making a brief trip to Japan on his day off that raised some ire feelings, a sharp decline in Chinese military flights near Taiwan, revisions to the Meteorological Act and more. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Hey there, and a happy Friday to you! This is your Disney News for Friday, March 13th, 2026. I hope you're ready to be whisked away into the magical world of Disney with me today. - Enchanting news from Disneyland Tokyo with a new immersive light show combining Disney melodies with Japanese cultural elements for the park's anniversary. It's a breathtaking experience syncing with the Tokyo skyline. - Disney World Orlando unveils a new "Moana"-inspired attraction, "Journey of Water," debuting this summer to entertain and educate about the water cycle. - Disneyland Paris brings back the "Festival of Pirates & Princesses" from April to June, featuring interactive shows and themed dining for family fun. - New Disney+ original series "The Disney Time Capsule" will explore Disney parks and films' history with unseen footage and interviews. That's all the magic I have for you today! Thanks for tuning in, and I hope your day is sprinkled with a little Disney wonder. Remember to check in tomorrow for more exciting Disney updates.

Tokyo Marathon looks like a postcard until you remember one detail that can change everything: the cutoffs are based on gun time. We sit down with several of our friends fresh off a plane from Japan to get the kind of Tokyo Marathon recap runners crave, the stuff you can't learn from a highlight reel. They share how they got in (lottery vs charity), how they handled jet lag, what the expo is really like, and the cultural surprises that made Tokyo feel so different from any other World Marathon Majors weekend.Then we get into race morning reality: navigating to the start, corrals, bathrooms that are somehow both legendary and organized, hydration rules, and what it feels like to run with strict checkpoints hanging over your head. You'll hear the strategies that helped them stay calm, the moments that made the course memorable, and why that final stretch can feel like the longest kilometer of your life. There are PRs, happy tears, and a lot of respect for the planning it takes to finish strong.We also zoom back to runDisney life with Marathon Weekend registration coming up, a candid talk about whether your first Dopey Challenge should also be your first marathon, and a timely charity spotlight with the Special Forces Foundation on how their runDisney charity bibs work plus practical fundraising ideas. If you're mapping out your next big race goal, this one is packed with travel tips, training truth, and community support.Subscribe, share this with a running friend who's eyeing a major, and leave a review if the Rise and Run family has helped your journey. What's the one race you'd fly across the world to run?Send a textSupport the showRise and Run Podcast is supported by our audience. When you make a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.Sponsor LinksMagic Bound Travel Stoked Metabolic CoachingRise and Run Podcast Cruise Interest Form with Magic Bound Travel Affiliate Links The Start Line Co.Fluffy FizziesMona Moon Naturals Rise and Run Amazon Affiliate Web Page Kawaiian Pizza ApparelGoGuarded

Joy isn't something you chase. It's something you notice, when you finally stop, put down your phone, and look around. In this episode, Peter Fenger sits down with Hiroko Yoda, a Tokyo-born cultural historian, writer, and journalist who has spent decades making Japanese spirituality, folklore, and tradition feel alive and accessible for Western audiences. A certified Shinto cultural historian and former Miko shrine dancer, Hiroko has authored and co-authored numerous books exploring Japan's rich spiritual heritage, and co-founded AltJapan Co., Ltd., a creative bridge helping Japanese storytellers in video games, anime, manga, and film share their work with the world. Her latest book, “Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan”, is at once a memoir, a travel log, and a cultural deep dive. Drawing on the Shinto concept of kami, the countless unseen presences said to inhabit everything from mountains and oceans to the words we speak, Hiroko invites readers to loosen their grip on rigid ideas of belief and discover spirituality as something far more flexible, practical, and personal. Part grief journey, part cultural history, the book shows how small rituals, reverence for nature, and a spirit of play can make us feel less alone, even in the hardest seasons of life. Today, we explore what it means to live as though everything has a spirit, and why that simple shift in perspective might be one of the most powerful tools we have.   For more information about “Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisodom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan“ by Hiroko Yoda, please visit: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735293/eight-million-ways-to-happiness-by-hiroko-yoda/ For more information about Hiroko and her work, please visit: https://www.hirokoyoda.com Join Hiroko's newsletter at: https://blog.hirokoyoda.com Connect with Hiroko on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/hi_yoda_1/ Connect with Hiroko on Tiktok at: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiroko_yoda Connect with Hiroko on X at: https://twitter.com/Ninetail_foxQ

Lights, camera…global mobility.   In this episode, Shai Dayan and Angelo Paparelli spotlight Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet, whose latest film "Marty Supreme" features a key scene filmed just outside Tokyo. As a dual US–French citizen working on an international production, what immigration rules would he likely need to navigate to film legally in Japan?   Joined by Jia Ee, Director at Vialto Japan, the trio breaks down Japan's Entertainer visa, the Certificate of Eligibility process, and how global film productions coordinate immigration compliance when Hollywood heads overseas.

It's been common wisdom in endurance sports that the further the race distance gets, the longer it takes to figure it out. But every rule needs an exception to prove it and on this count one needs look no further than the career of Molly Seidel.  After a gold-studded NCAA career at Notre Dame winning titles at 3000, 5000, 10000 and cross country, Seidel's star only seemed to rise higher as the distances grew greater. She made her marathon debut in 2020 at the US Olympic Trials, proving a quick-study at the event with a stunning 2nd placing showing and a spot on the US Olympic Team headed to Tokyo.  A year and a half later, at those pandemic-postponed Olympic Games, She'd once again outperform expectations to run away from the best of the best en route to a brilliant bronze medal. Fast forward to today and it seems her reputation for moving up in distance and throwing down continues to hold true, even with yet another change of surface. In January she marked the start of a new chapter on the trail scene with a win and course record clocking at the Banderas 50k in Texas. Weeks later, she would take another huge leap forward at the famously competitive Black Canyon 100k in Arizona.  Facing some of the best trail talent in the world, Seidel turned a lack of experience into gold, claiming a 4th-place finish and snagging an elusive “Golden Ticket”, securing her a place in the biggest ultra of them all, the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run.  Today, Molly joins the show to recap her incredible rise through the trail running ranks, what it's looked like to double her race distance with every start, and how she's applying the lessons of a legendary career on the roads and track to a the new challenges of the trails. Check Molly out @bygolly.molly Subscribe to The Shakeout Podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. Thanks to this week's sponsor, CanPrev Prime your preparation, power your performance, and prioritize your post-run recovery with CanPrev. Learn how natural health formulas can help you reach your running goals! Find CanPrev products at your friendly local health food store! Cover Photo: Misty Wong  

Ce jeudi 12 mars, Frédéric Simottel a reçu Fanny Bouton, directrice du quantique chez OVHCloud, Yves Maitre, Operating partner chez Jolt Capital, et Salime Nassur, fondateur de Maars. Ils sont revenus sur le test des robotaxis d'Uber à Tokyo, ainsi que la restriction d'OpenClaw dans les banques et agences publiques chinoises, dans l'émission Tech & Co, la quotidienne, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Click the post for details on this episode! Welcome back to Open House! Randy Seidman here with another two hours of the grooviest beats. Great times this past month in San Francisco and LA. Upcoming is an amazing India tour, as well as shows in Bangkok and Tokyo. Today's episode is a special one with some of my favorite tunes in the first hour, followed by an exclusive session with the Portland progressive powerhouse, Jairus Lance. For now, turn it up. Randy Seidman's Website Randy Seidman's SoundCloud Randy Seidman's Beatport Randy Seidman's Spotify Randy Seidman's Facebook Randy Seidman's Twitter Randy Seidman's Track List: 01. Julian Millan - Stellar Venue (Dilby Remix) [Kling Klong] 02. Steve Parry - Turn Up The Juice (Dilby Remix) [Selador] 03. No.AI - Shimmer (Extended Mix) [Sirup Music] 04. Rafa Silva - Desires (Extended Mix) [Perspectives Digital] 05. Aplexo - Faces (Extended Mix) [Purified] 06. Alexander Scott, Skuro (IT) - Illusion (FREY & Human Rias Remix)[7Rituals] 07. Rauschhaus - Helix (Original Mix) [SPECIES] 08. Aplexo - Waves (Extended Mix) [Purified] 09. KASS - Breaking (feat. Bianca) (Extended Mix) [Act7 Records] 10. NineFX - Out Of This World (Extended Mix) [Exx Boundless] 11. Rafael Cerato, Laherte - Proximity feat. Jonatan Bäckelie (Rauschhaus Remix) [SPECIES] 12. Shapeless, Vakabular - Involve (Extended Mix) [Hollystone] 13. Albuquerque - Look Back (Original Mix) [Stripped Digital] 14. Martin Sao Pedro - Pressure (Original Mix) [SATO Records] I hope you enjoyed the first hour with some of my top recent tunes. Up next is a special exclusive session with an artist at the forefront of Portland's progressive & melodic music scene, Jairus Lance. This is Jairus' second appearance on Open House, and is a DJ I've had the pleasure of playing with anytime I stop by PDX. But not just me! His unique and quality sets have also gained Jairus stage time with the likes of Andrew Bayer, Pleasurekraft, Infected Mushroom, Workals and many more. But today, he is here just for you. For the next hour, Jairus Lance is in the mix. Jairus Lance's Instagram Jairus Lance's Facebook Jairus Lance's SoundCloud Jairus Lance's Track List: 01. Tim Green - Gold of Gold (Original Mix) [All Day I Dream] 02. Kamilo Sanclemente, Giovanny Aparicio - Redemtion (Original Mix) [Balance Music] 03. Maze 28 - Leave the World Behind (Original Mix) [Mango Alley] 04. Chicola, Guy Mantzur - Galactica (Original Mix) [Last Night On Earth] 05. Moonface - Save Our Souls (Nick Muir Remix) [Critical Elements] 06. Mercurio, Hernan Cattaneo - Altered Reality (Original Mix) [Sudbeat Music] 07. Kamilo Sanclemente, Andre Moret - Spectre (D-Nox & Beckers Extended Mix) [Clubsonica Records] 08. Pete B, Rianu Keevs - Unfamiliar Place (Andrés Moris Trip Mix) [Friday Island] 09. Cass (UK) - NotKansas (Baunder Remix) [Our Secret Lab Sounds] Randy Seidman · Open House 253 w/Randy Seidman + Jairus Lance [Mar. 2026]

Joe Iconis is  a celebrated musical theater writer and performer, and a musician. In theater he's been nominated for a Tony Award, four Drama Desk Awards, two Outer Critics' Circle Awards, and he's the recipient of a Jonathan Larson Award and a Richard Rodgers Award. His first musical, “Be More Chill”, played on Broadway, in London and in Tokyo. His new show is called “The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical”. He is the author of a number of plays including “Love in Hate”, “Broadway Bounty Hunter”, and “The Black Suits”. In music, his group, Joe Iconis & Family, performs at venues like 54 Below in NYC, and he's recorded a number of cast albums. My featured song is “The Night Was A Mystery” from the album Summer Of Love 2020 by my band Project Grand Slam. Spotify link. —----------------------------------------------------------- The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries! Click here for All Episodes  Click here for Guest List  Click here for Guest Groupings  Click here for Guest Testimonials Click here to Subscribe  Click here to receive our Email Updates Click here to Rate and Review the podcast —---------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH JOE:www.mrjoeiconis.com ----------------------------------------- ROBERT'S NEWEST RELEASE:“MI CACHIMBER ALL STARS” is the new, expanded version of Robert's single, “Mi Cachimbrer”, which he wrote for his father. Featuring Camila Cortina on Rhodes and Xito Lovell on trombone in addition to Benny Benack III and Dave Smith on flugelhorn, and Project Grand Slam's rhythm section. CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL VIDEO CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —-------------------------------------- ROBERT'S RECENT RELEASE: “MA PETITE FLEUR STRING QUARTET” is Robert's recent release. It transforms his jazz ballad into a lush classical string quartet piece. Praised by a host of classical music stars. CLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE LINK CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —--------------------------------------- Audio production: Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films   Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast: Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com   Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music: Website - www.projectgrandslam.comYouTubeSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com    

Yukio Mishima, de son vrai nom Kimitake Hiraoka, est l'un des plus grands écrivains japonais du XXe siècle. Né en 1925, il devient célèbre après la Seconde Guerre mondiale grâce à des romans comme Le Pavillon d'or ou la tétralogie La Mer de la fertilité. Son œuvre explore la beauté, la mort, le corps, l'honneur et le déclin du Japon traditionnel. Brillant, cultivé, fasciné par l'esthétique du sacrifice, Mishima ne sépare jamais totalement littérature et mise en scène de soi.Son suicide, le 25 novembre 1970, est l'un des plus spectaculaires de l'histoire contemporaine.À cette date, Mishima se rend au quartier général des Forces japonaises d'autodéfense à Ichigaya, à Tokyo, accompagné de quatre membres de la Tatenokai, une milice privée qu'il a fondée. Cette organisation, composée d'étudiants nationalistes, défend l'empereur et les valeurs traditionnelles japonaises. Le Japon d'après-guerre, pacifiste et constitutionnel, lui apparaît comme affaibli, matérialiste et privé de sa grandeur spirituelle.Mishima prend en otage un général et tente d'adresser un discours aux soldats rassemblés dans la cour. Il les appelle à se soulever pour restaurer les pleins pouvoirs de l'empereur et réviser la Constitution pacifiste imposée après 1945. Mais son discours est hué. Les soldats rient, crient, ne le prennent pas au sérieux. L'appel à l'insurrection échoue.C'est alors que Mishima passe à l'acte prévu.Il se retire dans le bureau du général et accomplit un seppuku, le suicide rituel des samouraïs. Il s'ouvre l'abdomen avec un sabre court, conformément à la tradition. Un de ses disciples doit ensuite le décapiter pour abréger ses souffrances. L'exécution est maladroite, chaotique. Finalement, un autre membre du groupe achève le geste.Ce suicide n'est ni impulsif ni improvisé. Mishima l'a préparé depuis des années. Il a mis en scène son corps, pratiqué la musculation, posé comme modèle, écrit une œuvre entière traversée par l'idée que la beauté trouve son accomplissement dans la mort volontaire. Le matin même, il avait remis à son éditeur le dernier volume de sa tétralogie.Son geste choque profondément le Japon. Était-ce un acte politique sincère ? Une performance esthétique ultime ? Une provocation désespérée face à la modernité ? Probablement un mélange des trois.Le suicide de Mishima reste un événement unique : la rencontre brutale entre littérature, nationalisme, théâtre et mort rituelle, dans un Japon devenu moderne mais hanté par son passé. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Every February, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association holds the Sake and Shochu Academy, a week-long course that teaches students everything they need to know about Japan’s national beverages. Think Hogwarts for sake. The teachers are not wizards in a literal sense, but are top representatives from various official sake industry and research bodies, the equivalent of wizards in the sake world perhaps. The students are an elite group of professionals from different corners of the alcoholic beverage industry. For the last four years, Chris and Miho have been working as interpreters at the academy. Set up to train future ambassadors of the beverages in Japan, the academy is now in its 10th year. It's an extremely popular course, with this year seeing over 50 entries, and with such a high standard of entries it must have been a challenge to whittle that down to the 14 spaces available. This year's lineup appeared to be mainly focused on people working in importers or suppliers, but there was a real mix of nationalities. Most of the course is held in the old HQ of the National Research and Institute of Brewing, the old red brick brewing building in Oji, Tokyo. But the last day consists mainly of brewery visits, a sake-focused one and a shochu-focused one. Join Chris on the bus on his way to the first brewery where he took the opportunity to find a bit more out about some of this year's students and get some feedback about the course. Thanks to the interviewees: Maciej Skrzypkowski (@Mcj_skr), sole proprietor, sake events, courses, and tour leader; Froukje Betten (@Yoigokochi), Yoigokochi Sake Importers; Ana Cristina Abreu Camacho (@acacamacho), Beverage Director of LYD; Shu Yi Ho (@chewieho), Freelance marketing with Suiraku SG and Kurara SG. As always, if you have questions or comments, please do share them with us at questions@sakeonair.com or send us a message on our Instagram, Facebook, or Substack!We'll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air. Until then, kampai!Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. Sake on Air was created by Potts K Productions and is produced by Export Japan. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow,” was composed byforSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Many of us feel like we're drowning in invisible complexity. So I wanted to hit pause and ask a simple question: What are 1-3 decisions that could dramatically simplify my life in 2026? To explore that, I invited five long-time listener favorites: Maria Popova, Morgan Housel, Cal Newport, Craig Mod, and Debbie Millman.This episode is brought to you by:Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/timHelix Sleep premium mattresses: HelixSleep.com/TimTimestamps:Intro: [00:00:00]Maria Popova [00:01:49]Morgan Housel [00:04:40]Cal Newport [00:12:20]Craig Mod [00:24:04]Debbie Millman [00:33:08] More about today's guests:Maria Popova (@mariapopova) thinks and writes about our search for meaning, lensed sometimes through science and philosophy, sometimes through poetry and children's books, always through wonder. She is the creator of The Marginalian (born in 2006 under the name Brain Pickings), which is included in the Library of Congress permanent digital archive of culturally valuable materials. Her books and projects include Traversal, The Universe in Verse, Figuring, The Coziest Place on the Moon, and An Almanac of Birds: 100 Divinations for Uncertain Days.Morgan Housel (@morganhousel) is a partner at The Collaborative Fund. His book The Psychology of Money has sold more than three million copies and has been translated into 53 languages. Morgan is also the author of Same As Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes and The Art of Spending Money.Cal Newport is a professor of computer science at Georgetown University, where he is also a founding member of the Center for Digital Ethics. In addition to his academic work, Newport is a New York Times bestselling author who writes for a general audience about the intersection of technology, productivity, and culture. His books have sold millions of copies and been translated into over forty languages. He is also a contributor to The New Yorker and hosts the popular Deep Questions podcast. His latest book is Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout.Craig Mod (@craigmod) is a writer, photographer, and walker living in Tokyo and Kamakura, Japan. He is the author of Things Become Other Things and Kissa by Kissa. He also writes the newsletters Roden and Ridgeline and has contributed to The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, and more. Debbie Millman (@debbiemillman) has been named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company and one of the most influential designers working today by Graphic Design USA. She is the host of Design Matters—a great show and one of the world's longest-running podcasts. She is also chair of the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, editorial director of Print magazine, a Harvard Business School Case Study, and a member of the board of directors at the Joyful Heart Foundation.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Emily sits down with Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion surfer Caroline Marks. Fresh off the premiere of her new film Now Days, Caroline discusses the incredible evolution of female surfing and what it’s like to travel the world competing against her closest friends and biggest rivals. She dives deep into the "savage mode" mindset required to win, the courage it took to step away from the tour at age 19 to prioritize her mental health, and how she learned to embrace the discomfort of being out of her comfort zone to eventually stand on top of the podium in Paris. Whether you're a surfer or just looking for a spark of motivation, Caroline’s journey of self-belief and tenacity is sure to inspire you to find your own flow state. In this episode: The making of the film Now Days and bringing female surfing to a mainstream audience. The unique camaraderie and rivalry among the world's top female surfers. Growing up as the only girl among four brothers and how it shaped her competitive edge. The transition from Florida to California and the pressure of early professional success. Navigating the "savage mode" mindset: turning competition on and off. Coming up short in Tokyo 2021 and the four-year mental game leading to Paris 2024. The decision to take a break from the tour at 19 for mental health and the healing process. Caroline’s personal "I Am" statements and her morning routine for success. Learning to appreciate life beyond the board: sunsets, family, and simple joys. What it feels like to finally be an Olympic Gold Medalist and a member of the Hall of Fame. QUOTABLE MOMENTS "The beauty of life is you just keep evolving and growing, and you’ve just got to ride the roller coaster." "When I’m in the water, I just turn into a different person ... you just go into savage mode. I’m trying to win." "Good things happen outside your comfort zone. The best moments of my life have been from when I’ve been uncomfortable." "I’m brave, I’m confident, I put the work in, I’m powerful, and I am doing what I love." "Knowing that you’re the only one that’s you—that’s like a superpower." SOCIAL@carolinemarks@emilyabbate@iheartwomenssports JOIN: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Daily Hurdle IG Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SIGN UP: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Weekly Hurdle Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. Listen to Hurdle with Emily Abbate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Detroit is having a moment — and Sunda New Asian wants to be part of it. On today's Daily Detroit, I talk with restaurateur and CEO Billy Dec about why he chose to open Sunda's newest location in the District Detroit, right across from Comerica Park.  We get into his intentional path from Chicago to Nashville to Tampa and now Detroit, and why this city's spirit reminds him of Chicago's rise some years ago.​ Our conversation touches on the generational ties between Michigan and Chicago, the data and "tea leaves" that pointed toward Detroit's growth, and the role of private investment and gritty civic pride in making it all real. Billy also shares with me how his Filipino roots, Southeast Asian travels, and a lifetime in hospitality show up in the design of Sunda's new space — from the island bar with "flower rain" overhead to the sake wall inspired by a hidden Tokyo spot and capiz shells over the sushi bar. It's a look at Detroit's current wave of development through the eyes of someone betting on the city, and bringing a deeply personal food story along for the ride. Plus, we talk about the dishes from Longevity Noodles to a Sweet Potato Caterpillar, and drinks like their Lychee Martini and Ube Espresso Martini.  Key topics: Why Sunda's expansion from Chicago to Nashville, Tampa, and now Detroit has been very intentional.​ The long-running Michigan–Chicago connection in hospitality and how loyal guests moving back home helped pull Sunda to Detroit.​ What Billy saw in Detroit's data and "on the ground" energy that convinced him the city is in a historically significant moment.​ The impact of private investment, local developers, and a unified civic spirit on Detroit's growth.​ How the new Sunda space in District Detroit was designed: island bar with a disappearing wall, floral installation blending Sampaguita, cherry blossoms, and Michigan's apple blossom, and an immersive sake wall.​ The influence of Billy's Filipino heritage and Southeast Asian travels on Sunda's design and menu philosophy.​ Why he wants Detroiters to "backpack through" Southeast Asia via the menu — and maybe book a real-life trip after. Sunda New Asian: https://www.sundanewasian.com/detroit Local media needs local support to thrive. Support our work on Patreon: ​https://www.patreon.com/DailyDetroit If you don't already, make sure to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your shows!

"Hey Casual Anime Fanatics! Send us a text and let us know what you would like us to talk about next!In this episode of THAT ANIME PODCAST,  The Casual Anime Fanatics discuss Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 - the Culling Game: Episodes 7, 8, & 9 titled "Tokyo Colony No. 1 Part 1, 2, & 3". It's a great start to season 3 of JJK. We are so excited to have this anime as part of our winter watch list! Accompanied by FireForce, Hell's Paradise, and Freiren, we will be discussing quite a lot each week! so be sure to come ready to talk all the spoilers with us!Welcome to the official podcast for Casual Anime Fanatics! We deliver fresh, entertaining episodes every week, exploring everything from classic favorites to hidden gems in the anime universe. Whether you're a long-time fan or just starting your anime adventure, THAT ANIME PODCAST is your go-to source for casual and insightful anime discussions.Enjoying the show? We'd love your support! If you like what you hear, consider leaving us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify. Your reviews help us reach even more anime enthusiasts just like you!Episode Synopsis (According to Crunchyroll):Yuji Itadori fights Hiromi Higuruma.Stay connected with us:Instagram: @thatanimepodcastDiscord: Join our communityTune in, laugh with us, and let's celebrate all things anime together!

President Trump is trying to save college sports. A committee of mega minds came to the White House. You name em, and they were there. Well, except for any players of course. (19:40) The White House is using footage they don't own to promote wore. (25:44) Inter Miami went to the White House. Messi with the president. But the big talking point was Jorge Mas speaking on Messi's pay. (31:23) Tua has been released by the Dolphins. Tua Time is over. The Dolphins will take on a $99 million Dead Cap number. Wow. (42:31) Marathon running is something I love. Just did Tokyo. Closing in on 30 major marathons. But this latest news was shocking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump is trying to save college sports. A committee of mega minds came to the White House. You name em, and they were there. Well, except for any players of course. (19:40) The White House is using footage they don't own to promote wore. (25:44) Inter Miami went to the White House. Messi with the president. But the big talking point was Jorge Mas speaking on Messi's pay. (31:23) Tua has been released by the Dolphins. Tua Time is over. The Dolphins will take on a $99 million Dead Cap number. Wow. (42:31) Marathon running is something I love. Just did Tokyo. Closing in on 30 major marathons. But this latest news was shocking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The World Baseball Classic is off the charts this year, and it's not even halfway done! In this episode, we break down all the must-watch moments and biggest storylines so far: Team Japan punches their ticket to Miami, dominating Pool C with a relentless lineup and unforgettable performances. Team Korea pulls off an insane 3-way tiebreaker over Australia—7-2 in the 9th inning, ending in a celebration you have to hear to believe. Team Dominican Republic is redefining fun in baseball, playing with energy, flair, and pure excitement. Forget the “old way”—this is baseball made for the fans! Team USA sits 2-0 entering a massive clash against Team Mexico, fighting to break a 20-year losing streak in the WBC rivalry. Gunnar Henderson, Paul Skenes, and the squad bring intensity, emotion, and unforgettable highlights. We also recap the other top teams, key players, and pool play drama, including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, and more. Whether you're a hardcore fan or just tuning in for thrilling baseball, this episode has everything: historic rivalries, clutch plays, and a behind-the-scenes look at the excitement you can't see on TV. Tune in, subscribe, and get ready for all the WBC highlights, analysis, and stories that make this tournament one of the greatest spectacles in sports. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome 01:49 WBC Updates 14:00 USA vs Mexico 20:15 Team Japan 31:30 Upcoming WBC 34:00 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last time we spoke about the end of the battle of khalkin gol. In the summer of 1939, the Nomonhan Incident escalated into a major border conflict between Soviet-Mongolian forces and Japan's Kwantung Army along the Halha River. Despite Japanese successes in July, Zhukov launched a decisive offensive on August 20. Under cover of darkness, Soviet troops crossed the river, unleashing over 200 bombers and intense artillery barrages that devastated Japanese positions. Zhukov's northern, central, and southern forces encircled General Komatsubara's 23rd Division, supported by Manchukuoan units. Fierce fighting ensued: the southern flank collapsed under Colonel Potapov's armor, while the northern Fui Heights held briefly before falling to relentless assaults, including flame-throwing tanks. Failed Japanese counterattacks on August 24 resulted in heavy losses, with regiments shattered by superior Soviet firepower and tactics. By August 25, encircled pockets were systematically eliminated, leading to the annihilation of the Japanese 6th Army. The defeat, coinciding with the Hitler-Stalin Pact, forced Japan to negotiate a ceasefire on September 15-16, redrawing borders. Zhukov's victory exposed Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare, influencing future strategies and deterring further northern expansion.   #192 The Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Despite the fact this technically will go into future events, I thought it was important we talk about a key moment in Sino history. Even though the battle of changkufeng and khalkin gol were not part of the second sino-Japanese war, their outcomes certainly would affect it.  Policymaking by the Soviet Union alone was not the primary factor in ending Moscow's diplomatic isolation in the late 1930s. After the Munich Conference signaled the failure of the popular front/united front approach, Neville Chamberlain, Adolf Hitler, and Poland's Józef Beck unintentionally strengthened Joseph Stalin's position in early 1939. Once the strategic cards were in his hands, Stalin capitalized on them. His handling of negotiations with Britain and France, as well as with Germany, from April to August was deft and effective. The spring and summer negotiations among the European powers are well documented and have been examined from many angles. In May 1939, while Stalin seemed to have the upper hand in Europe, yet before Hitler had signaled that a German–Soviet agreement might be possible, the Nomonhan incident erupted, a conflict initiated and escalated by the Kwantung Army. For a few months, the prospect of a Soviet–Japanese war revived concerns in Moscow about a two-front conflict. Reviewing Soviet talks with Britain, France, and Germany in the spring and summer of 1939 from an East Asian perspective sheds fresh light on the events that led to the German–Soviet Nonaggression Pact and, more broadly, to the outbreak of World War II. The second week of May marked the start of fighting at Nomonhan, during which negotiations between Germany and the USSR barely advanced beyond mutual scrutiny. Moscow signaled that an understanding with Nazi Germany might be possible. Notably, on May 4, the removal of Maksim Litvinov as foreign commissar and his replacement by Vyacheslav Molotov suggested a shift in approach. Litvinov, an urbane diplomat of Jewish origin and married to an Englishwoman, had been the leading Soviet proponent of the united-front policy and a steadfast critic of Nazi Germany. If a settlement with Hitler was sought, Litvinov was an unsuitable figure to lead the effort. Molotov, though with limited international experience, carried weight as chairman of the Council of Ministers and, more importantly, as one of Stalin's closest lieutenants. This personnel change seemed to accomplish its aim in Berlin, where the press was instructed on May 5 to halt polemical attacks on the Soviet Union and Bolshevism. On the same day, Karl Schnurre, head of the German Foreign Ministry's East European trade section, told Soviet chargé d'affaires Georgi Astakhov that Skoda, the German-controlled Czech arms manufacturer, would honor existing arms contracts with Russia. Astakhov asked whether, with Litvinov's departure, Germany might resume negotiations for a trade treaty Berlin had halted months earlier. By May 17, during discussions with Schnurre, Astakhov asserted that "there were no conflicts in foreign policy between Germany and the Soviet Union and that there was no reason for enmity between the two countries," and that Britain and France's negotiations appeared unpromising. The next day, Ribbentrop personally instructed Schulenburg to green-light trade talks. Molotov, however, insisted that a "political basis" for economic negotiations had to be established first. Suspicion remained high on both sides. Stalin feared Berlin might use reports of German–Soviet talks to destabilize a potential triple alliance with Britain and France; Hitler feared Stalin might use such reports to entice Tokyo away from an anti-German pact. The attempt to form a tripartite military alliance among Germany, Italy, and Japan foundered over divergent aims: Berlin targeted Britain and France; Tokyo aimed at the Soviet Union. Yet talks persisted through August 1939, with Japanese efforts to draw Germany into an anti-Soviet alignment continually reported to Moscow by Richard Sorge. Hitler and Mussolini, frustrated by Japanese objections, first concluded the bilateral Pact of Steel on May 22. The next day, Hitler, addressing his generals, stressed the inevitability of war with Poland and warned that opposition from Britain would be crushed militarily. He then hinted that Russia might "prove disinterested in the destruction of Poland," suggesting closer ties with Japan if Moscow opposed Germany. The exchange was quickly leaked to the press. Five days later, the first pitched battle of the Nomonhan campaign began. Although Hitler's timing with the Yamagata detachment's foray was coincidental, Moscow may have found the coincidence ominous. Despite the inducement of Molotov's call for a political basis before economic talks, Hitler and Ribbentrop did not immediately respond. On June 14, Astakhov signaled to Parvan Draganov, Bulgaria's ambassador in Berlin, that the USSR faced three options: ally with Britain and France, continue inconclusive talks with them, or align with Germany, the latter being closest to Soviet desires. Draganov relayed to the German Foreign Ministry that Moscow preferred a non-aggression agreement if Germany would pledge not to attack the Soviet Union. Two days later, Schulenburg told Astakhov that Germany recognized the link between economic and political relations and was prepared for far-reaching talks, a view echoed by Ribbentrop. The situation remained tangled: the Soviets pursued overt talks with Britain and France, while Stalin sought to maximize Soviet leverage. Chamberlain's stance toward Moscow remained wary but recognized a "psychological value" to an Anglo–Soviet rapprochement, tempered by his insistence on a hard bargain. American ambassador William C. Bullitt urged London to avoid the appearance of pursuing the Soviets, a view that resonated with Chamberlain's own distrust. Public confidence in a real Anglo–Soviet alliance remained low. By July 19, cabinet minutes show Chamberlain could not quite believe a genuine Russia–Germany alliance was possible, though he recognized the necessity of negotiations with Moscow to deter Hitler and to mollify an increasingly skeptical British public. Despite reservations, both sides kept the talks alive. Stalin's own bargaining style, with swift Soviet replies but frequent questions and demands, often produced delays. Molotov pressed on questions such as whether Britain and France would pledge to defend the Baltic states, intervene if Japan attacked the USSR, or join in opposing Germany if Hitler pressured Poland or Romania. These considerations were not trivial; they produced extended deliberations. On July 23, Molotov demanded that plans for coordinated military action among the three powers be fleshed out before a political pact. Britain and France accepted most political terms, and an Anglo-French military mission arrived in Moscow on August 11. The British commander, Admiral Sir Reginald Plunket-Ernle-Erle-Drax, conducted staff talks but could not conclude a military agreement. The French counterpart, General Joseph Doumenc, could sign but not bind his government. By then, Hitler had set August 26 as the date for war with Poland. With that looming, Hitler pressed for Soviet neutrality, or closer cooperation. In July and August, secret German–Soviet negotiations favored the Germans, who pressed for a rapid settlement and made most concessions. Yet Stalin benefited from keeping the British and French engaged, creating leverage against Hitler and safeguarding a potential Anglo–Soviet option as a fallback. To lengthen the talks and avoid immediate resolution, Moscow emphasized the Polish issue. Voroshilov demanded the Red Army be allowed to operate through Polish territory to defend Poland, a demand Warsaw would never accept. Moscow even floated a provocative plan: if Britain and France could compel Poland to permit Baltic State naval operations, the Western fleets would occupy Baltic ports, an idea that would have been militarily perilous and diplomatically explosive. Despite this, Stalin sought an agreement with Germany. Through Richard Sorge's intelligence, Moscow knew Tokyo aimed to avoid large-scale war with the USSR, and Moscow pressed for a German–Soviet settlement, including a nonaggression pact and measures to influence Japan to ease Sino–Japanese tensions. On August 16, Ribbentrop instructed Schulenburg to urge Molotov and Stalin toward a nonaggression pact and to coordinate with Japan. Stalin signaled willingness, and August 23–24 saw the drafting of the pact and the collapse of the Soviet and Japanese resistance elsewhere. That night, in a memorandum of Ribbentrop's staff, seven topics were summarized, with Soviet–Japanese relations and Molotov's insistence that Berlin demonstrate good faith standing out. Ribbentrop reiterated his willingness to influence Japan for a more favorable Soviet–Japanese relationship, and Stalin's reply indicated a path toward a détente in the East alongside the European agreement: "M. Stalin replied that the Soviet Union indeed desired an improvement in its relations with Japan, but that there were limits to its patience with regard to Japanese provocations. If Japan desired war she could have it. The Soviet Union was not afraid of it and was prepared for it. If Japan desired peace—so much the better! M. Stalin considered the assistance of Germany in bringing about an improvement in Soviet-Japanese relations as useful, but he did not want the Japanese to get the impression that the initiative in this direction had been taken by the Soviet Union."  Second, the assertion that the Soviet Union was prepared for and unafraid of war with Japan is an overstatement, though Stalin certainly had grounds for optimism regarding the battlefield situation and the broader East Asian strategic balance. It is notable that, despite the USSR's immediate diplomatic and military gains against Japan, Stalin remained anxious to conceal from Tokyo any peace initiative that originated in Moscow. That stance suggests that Tokyo or Hsinking might read such openness as a sign of Soviet weakness or confidence overextended. The Japanese danger, it would seem, did not disappear from Stalin's mind. Even at the height of his diplomatic coup, Stalin was determined not to burn bridges prematurely. On August 21, while he urged Hitler to send Ribbentrop to Moscow, he did not sever talks with Britain and France. Voroshilov requested a temporary postponement on the grounds that Soviet delegation officers were needed for autumn maneuvers. It was not until August 25, after Britain reiterated its resolve to stand by Poland despite the German–Soviet pact, that Stalin sent the Anglo–French military mission home. Fortified by the nonaggression pact, which he hoped would deter Britain and France from action, Hitler unleashed his army on Poland on September 1. Two days later, as Zhukov's First Army Group was completing its operations at Nomonhan, Hitler faced a setback when Britain and France declared war. Hitler had hoped to finish Poland quickly in 1939 and avoid fighting Britain and France until 1940. World War II in Europe had begun. The Soviet–Japanese conflict at Nomonhan was not the sole, nor even the principal, factor prompting Stalin to conclude an alliance with Hitler. Standing aside from a European war that could fracture the major capitalist powers might have been reason enough. Yet the conflict with Japan in the East was also a factor in Stalin's calculations, a dimension that has received relatively little attention in standard accounts of the outbreak of the war. This East Asian focus seeks to clarify the record without proposing a revolutionary reinterpretation of Soviet foreign policy; rather, it adds an important piece often overlooked in the "origins of the Second World War" puzzle, helping to reduce the overall confusion. The German–Soviet agreement provided for the Soviet occupation of the eastern half of Poland soon after Germany's invasion. On September 3, just forty-eight hours after the invasion and on the day Britain and France declared war, Ribbentrop urged Moscow to invade Poland from the east. Yet, for two more weeks, Poland's eastern frontier remained inviolate; Soviet divisions waited at the border, as most Polish forces were engaged against Germany. The German inquiries about the timing of the Soviet invasion continued, but the Red Army did not move. This inactivity is often attributed to Stalin's caution and suspicion, but that caution extended beyond Europe. Throughout early September, sporadic ground and air combat continued at Nomonhan, including significant activity by Kwantung Army forces on September 8–9, and large-scale air engagements on September 1–2, 4–5, and 14–15. Not until September 15 was the Molotov–Togo cease-fire arrangement finalized, to take effect on September 16. The very next morning, September 17, the Red Army crossed the Polish frontier into a country collapsed at its feet. It appears that Stalin wanted to ensure that fighting on his eastern flank had concluded before engaging in Western battles, avoiding a two-front war. Through such policies, Stalin avoided the disaster of a two-front war. Each principal in the 1939 diplomatic maneuvering pursued distinct objectives. The British sought an arrangement with the USSR that would deter Hitler from attacking Poland and, if deterred, bind Moscow to the Anglo–French alliance. Hitler sought an alliance with the USSR to deter Britain and France from aiding Poland and, if they did aid Poland, to secure Soviet neutrality. Japan sought a military alliance with Germany against the USSR, or failing that, stronger Anti-Comintern ties. Stalin aimed for an outcome in which Germany would fight the Western democracies, leaving him freedom to operate in both the West and East; failing that, he sought military reassurance from Britain and France in case he had to confront Germany. Of the four, only Stalin achieved his primary objective. Hitler secured his secondary objective; the British and Japanese failed to realize theirs. Stalin won the diplomatic contest in 1939. Yet, as diplomats gave way to generals, the display of German military power in Poland and in Western Europe soon eclipsed Stalin's diplomatic triumph. By playing Germany against Britain and France, Stalin gained leverage and a potential fallback, but at the cost of unleashing a devastating European war. As with the aftermath of the Portsmouth Treaty in 1905, Russo-Japanese relations improved rapidly after hostilities ceased at Nomonhan. The Molotov–Togo agreement of September 15 and the local truces arranged around Nomonhan on September 19 were observed scrupulously by both sides. On October 27, the two nations settled another long-standing dispute by agreeing to mutual release of fishing boats detained on charges of illegal fishing in each other's territorial waters. On November 6, the USSR appointed Konstantin Smetanin as ambassador to Tokyo, replacing the previous fourteen-month tenure of a chargé d'affaires. Smetanin's first meeting with the new Japanese foreign minister, Nomura Kichisaburö, in November 1939 attracted broad, favorable coverage in the Japanese press. In a break with routine diplomatic practice, Nomura delivered a draft proposal for a new fisheries agreement and a memo outlining the functioning of the joint border commission to be established in the Nomonhan area before Smetanin presented his credentials. On December 31, an agreement finalizing Manchukuo's payment to the USSR for the sale of the Chinese Eastern Railway was reached, and the Soviet–Japanese Fisheries Convention was renewed for 1940. In due course, the boundary near Nomonhan was formally redefined. A November 1939 agreement between Molotov and Togo established a mixed border commission representing the four parties to the dispute. After protracted negotiations, the border commission completed its redemarcation on June 14, 1941, with new border markers erected in August 1941. The resulting boundary largely followed the Soviet–MPR position, lying ten to twelve miles east of the Halha River. With that, the Nomonhan incident was officially closed.  Kwantung Army and Red Army leaders alike sought to "teach a lesson" to their foe at Nomonhan. The refrain recurs in documents and memoirs from both sides, "we must teach them a lesson." The incident provided lessons for both sides, but not all were well learned. For the Red Army, the lessons of Nomonhan intertwined with the laurels of victory, gratifying but sometimes distracting. Georgy Zhukov grasped the experience of modern warfare that summer, gaining more than a raised profile: command experience, confidence, and a set of hallmarks he would employ later. He demonstrated the ability to grasp complex strategic problems quickly, decisive crisis leadership, meticulous attention to logistics and deception, patience in building superior strength before striking at the enemy's weakest point, and the coordination of massed artillery, tanks, mechanized infantry, and tactical air power in large-scale double envelopment. These capabilities informed his actions at Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, and ultimately Berlin. It is tempting to wonder how Zhukov might have fared in the crucial autumn and winter of 1941 without Nomonhan, or whether he would have been entrusted with the Moscow front in 1941 had he not distinguished himself at Nomonhan. Yet the Soviet High Command overlooked an important lesson. Despite Zhukov's successes with independent tank formations and mechanized infantry, the command misapplied Spanish Civil War-era experience by disbanding armored divisions and redistributing tanks to infantry units to serve as support. It was not until after Germany demonstrated tank warfare in 1940 that the Soviets began reconstituting armored divisions and corps, a process still incomplete when the 1941 invasion began. The Red Army's performance at Nomonhan went largely unseen in the West. Western intelligence and military establishments largely believed the Red Army was fundamentally rotten, a view reinforced by the battlefield's remoteness and by both sides' reluctance to publicize the defeat. The Polish crisis and the outbreak of war in Europe drew attention away from Nomonhan, and the later Finnish Winter War reinforced negative Western judgments of Soviet military capability. U.S. military attaché Raymond Faymonville observed that the Soviets, anticipating a quick victory over Finland, relied on hastily summoned reserves ill-suited for winter fighting—an assessment that led some to judge the Red Army by its performance at Nomonhan. Even in Washington, this view persisted; Hitler reportedly called the Red Army "a paralytic on crutches" after Finland and then ordered invasion planning in 1941. Defeat can be a stronger teacher than victory. Because Nomonhan was a limited war, Japan's defeat was likewise limited, and its impact on Tokyo did not immediately recalibrate Japanese assessments. Yet Nomonhan did force Japan to revise its estimation of Soviet strength: the Imperial Army abandoned its strategic Plan Eight-B and adopted a more defensive posture toward the Soviet Union. An official inquiry into the debacle, submitted November 29, 1939, recognized Soviet superiority in materiel and firepower and urged Japan to bolster its own capabilities. The Kwantung Army's leadership, chastened, returned to the frontier with a more realistic sense of capability, even as the Army Ministry and AGS failed to translate lessons into policy. The enduring tendency toward gekokujo, the dominance of local and mid-level officers over central authority, remained persistent, and Tokyo did not fully purge it after Nomonhan. The Kwantung Army's operatives who helped drive the Nomonhan episode resurfaced in key posts at Imperial General Headquarters, contributing to Japan's 1941 decision to go to war. The defeat of the Kwantung Army at Nomonhan, together with the Stalin–Hitler pact and the outbreak of war in Europe, triggered a reorientation of Japanese strategy and foreign policy. The new government, led by the politically inexperienced and cautious General Abe Nobuyuki, pursued a conservative foreign policy. Chiang Kai-shek's retreat to Chongqing left the Chinese war at a stalemate: the Japanese Expeditionary Army could still inflict defeats on Chinese nationalist forces, but it had no viable path to a decisive victory. China remained Japan's principal focus. Still, the option of cutting Soviet aid to China and of moving north into Outer Mongolia and Siberia was discredited in Tokyo by the August 1939 double defeat. Northward expansion never again regained its ascendancy, though it briefly resurfaced in mid-1941 after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany's alliance with the USSR during Nomonhan was viewed by Tokyo as a betrayal, cooling German–Japanese relations. Japan also stepped back from its confrontation with Britain over Tientsin. Tokyo recognized that the European war represented a momentous development that could reshape East Asia, as World War I had reshaped it before. The short-lived Abe government (September–December 1939) and its successor under Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa (December 1939–July 1940) adopted a cautious wait-and-see attitude toward the European war. That stance shifted in the summer of 1940, however, after Germany's successes in the West. With Germany's conquest of France and the Low Countries and Britain's fight for survival, Tokyo reassessed the global balance of power. Less than a year after Zhukov had effectively blocked further Japanese expansion northward, Hitler's victories seemed to open a southern expansion path. The prospect of seizing the resource-rich colonies in Southeast Asia, Dutch, French, and British and, more importantly, resolving the China problem in Japan's favor, tempted many in Tokyo. If Western aid to Chiang Kai-shek, channeled through Hong Kong, French Indochina, and Burma could be cut off, some in Tokyo believed Chiang might abandon resistance. If not, Japan could launch new operations against Chiang from Indochina and Burma, effectively turning China's southern flank. To facilitate a southward advance, Japan sought closer alignment with Germany and the USSR. Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka brought Japan into the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, in the hope of neutralizing the United States, and concluded a neutrality pact with the Soviet Union to secure calm in the north. Because of the European military situation, only the United States could check Japan's southward expansion. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared determined to do so and confident that he could. If the Manchurian incident and the Stimson Doctrine strained U.S.–Japanese relations, and the China War and U.S. aid to Chiang Kai-shek deepened mutual resentment, it was Japan's decision to press south against French, British, and Dutch colonies, and Roosevelt's resolve to prevent such a move, that put the two nations on a collision course. The dust had barely settled on the Mongolian plains following the Nomonhan ceasefire when the ripples of that distant conflict began to reshape the broader theater of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The defeat at Nomonhan in August 1939, coupled with the shocking revelation of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, delivered a profound strategic blow to Japan's imperial ambitions. No longer could Tokyo entertain serious notions of a "northern advance" into Soviet territory, a strategy that had long tantalized military planners as a means to secure resources and buffer against communism. Instead, the Kwantung Army's humiliation exposed glaring deficiencies in Japanese mechanized warfare, logistics, and intelligence, forcing a pivot southward. This reorientation not only cooled tensions with the Soviet Union but also allowed Japan to redirect its military focus toward the protracted stalemate in China. As we transition from the border clashes of the north to the heartland tensions in central China, it's essential to trace how these events propelled Japan toward the brink of a major offensive in Hunan Province, setting the stage for what would become a critical confrontation. In the immediate aftermath of Nomonhan, Japan's military high command grappled with the implications of their setback. The Kwantung Army, once a symbol of unchecked aggression, was compelled to adopt a defensive posture along the Manchurian-Soviet border. The ceasefire agreement, formalized on September 15-16, 1939, effectively neutralized the northern front, freeing up significant resources and manpower that had been tied down in the escalating border skirmishes. This was no small relief; the Nomonhan campaign had drained Japanese forces, with estimates of over 18,000 casualties and the near-total annihilation of the 23rd Division. The psychological impact was equally severe, shattering the myth of Japanese invincibility against a modern, mechanized opponent. Georgy Zhukov's masterful use of combined arms—tanks, artillery, and air power—highlighted Japan's vulnerabilities, prompting internal reviews that urged reforms in tank production, artillery doctrine, and supply chains. Yet, these lessons were slow to implement, and in the short term, the primary benefit was the opportunity to consolidate efforts elsewhere. For Japan, "elsewhere" meant China, where the war had devolved into a grinding attrition since the fall of Wuhan in October 1938. The capture of Wuhan, a major transportation hub and temporary capital of the Nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek, had been hailed as a turning point. Japanese forces, under the command of General Shunroku Hata, had pushed deep into central China, aiming to decapitate Chinese resistance. However, Chiang's strategic retreat to Chongqing transformed the conflict into a war of endurance. Nationalist forces, bolstered by guerrilla tactics and international aid, harassed Japanese supply lines and prevented a decisive knockout blow. By mid-1939, Japan controlled vast swaths of eastern and northern China, including key cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, but the cost was immense: stretched logistics, mounting casualties, and an inability to fully pacify occupied territories. The Nomonhan defeat exacerbated these issues by underscoring the limits of Japan's military overextension. With the northern threat abated, Tokyo's Army General Staff saw an opening to intensify operations in China, hoping to force Chiang to the negotiating table before global events further complicated the picture. The diplomatic fallout from Nomonhan and the Hitler-Stalin Pact further influenced this shift. Japan's betrayal by Germany, its nominal ally under the Anti-Comintern Pact—fostered distrust and isolation. Tokyo's flirtations with a full Axis alliance stalled, as the pact with Moscow revealed Hitler's willingness to prioritize European gains over Asian solidarity. This isolation prompted Japan to reassess its priorities, emphasizing self-reliance in China while eyeing opportunistic expansions elsewhere. Domestically, the Hiranuma cabinet collapsed in August 1939 amid the diplomatic shock, paving the way for the more cautious Abe Nobuyuki government. Abe's administration, though short-lived, signaled a temporary de-escalation in aggressive posturing, but the underlying imperative to resolve the "China Incident" persisted. Japanese strategists believed that capturing additional strategic points in central China could sever Chiang's lifelines, particularly the routes funneling aid from the Soviet Union and the West via Burma and Indochina. The seismic shifts triggered by Nomonhan compelled Japan to fundamentally readjust its China policy and war plans, marking a pivotal transition from overambitious northern dreams to a more focused, albeit desperate, campaign in the south. With the Kwantung Army's defeat fresh in mind, Tokyo's Imperial General Headquarters initiated a comprehensive strategic review in late August 1939. The once-dominant "Northern Advance" doctrine, which envisioned rapid conquests into Siberia for resources like oil and minerals, was officially shelved. In its place emerged a "Southern Advance" framework, prioritizing the consolidation of gains in China and potential expansions into Southeast Asia. This pivot was not merely tactical; it reflected a profound policy recalibration aimed at ending the quagmire in China, where two years of war had yielded territorial control but no decisive victory over Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists. Central to this readjustment was a renewed emphasis on economic and military self-sufficiency. The Nomonhan debacle had exposed Japan's vulnerabilities in mechanized warfare, leading to urgent reforms in industrial production. Tank manufacturing was ramped up, with designs influenced by observed Soviet models, and artillery stockpiles were bolstered to match the firepower discrepancies seen on the Mongolian steppes. Logistically, the Army General Staff prioritized streamlining supply lines in China, recognizing that prolonged engagements demanded better resource allocation. Politically, the Abe Nobuyuki cabinet, installed in September 1939, adopted a "wait-and-see" approach toward Europe but aggressively pursued diplomatic maneuvers to isolate China. Efforts to negotiate with Wang Jingwei's puppet regime in Nanjing intensified, aiming to undermine Chiang's legitimacy and splinter Chinese resistance. Japan also pressured Vichy France for concessions in Indochina, seeking to choke off aid routes to Chongqing. War plans evolved accordingly, shifting from broad-front offensives to targeted strikes designed to disrupt Chinese command and supply networks. The China Expeditionary Army, under General Yasuji Okamura, was restructured to emphasize mobility and combined arms operations, drawing partial lessons from Zhukov's tactics. Intelligence operations were enhanced, with greater focus on infiltrating Nationalist strongholds in central provinces. By early September, plans coalesced around a major push into Hunan Province, a vital crossroads linking northern and southern China. Hunan's river systems and rail lines made it a linchpin for Chinese logistics, funneling men and materiel to the front lines. Japanese strategists identified key urban centers in the region as critical objectives, believing their capture could sever Chiang's western supply corridors and force a strategic retreat. This readjustment was not without internal friction. Hardliners in the military lamented the abandonment of northern ambitions, but the reality of Soviet strength—and the neutrality pacts that followed—left little room for debate. Economically, Japan ramped up exploitation of occupied Chinese territories, extracting coal, iron, and rice to fuel the war machine. Diplomatically, Tokyo sought to mend fences with the Soviets through the 1941 Neutrality Pact, ensuring northern security while eyes turned south. Yet, these changes brewed tension with the United States, whose embargoes on scrap metal and oil threatened to cripple Japan's ambitions. As autumn approached, the stage was set for a bold gambit in central China. Japanese divisions massed along the Yangtze River, poised to strike at the heart of Hunan's defenses. Intelligence reports hinted at Chinese preparations, with Xue Yue's forces fortifying positions around a major provincial hub. The air thickened with anticipation of a clash that could tip the balance in the interminable war—a test of Japan's revamped strategies against a resilient foe determined to hold the line. What unfolded would reveal whether Tokyo's post-Nomonhan pivot could deliver the breakthrough so desperately needed, or if it would merely prolong the bloody stalemate. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In 1939, the Nomonhan Incident saw Soviet forces under Georgy Zhukov decisively defeat Japan's Kwantung Army at Khalkin Gol, exposing Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare. This setback, coupled with the Hitler-Stalin Nonaggression Pact, shattered Japan's northern expansion plans and prompted a strategic pivot southward. Diplomatic maneuvers involving Stalin, Hitler, Britain, France, and Japan reshaped alliances, leading to the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact in 1941. Japan refocused on China, intensifying operations in Hunan Province to isolate Chiang Kai-shek.   

7. The Devastating Aftermath The firebombing results in 105,000 deaths, surpassing the destruction in Dresden and Hamburg. LeMay's success validates his tactical gamble, leading to the systematic burning of other Japanese cities throughout the summer. Scott notes that this conventional campaign had already crippled Japan before the atomic bomb. (16)1946 TOKYO

2. The Failure of Precision BombingPrecision bombing fails due to Japan's notorious weather, violent jet streams, and B-29 mechanical issues. Scott details the challenges of 3,000-mile roundtrip missions and the growing debate over shifting from pinpoint targets to the firebombing of cities, a strategy already employed by the British in Europe. (11)1944 TOKYO

3. LeMay Takes Command Pragmatic problem-solver Curtis LeMay replaces Hansel after results stagnate. Scott explores LeMay's hardscrabble background and his willingness to bypass bureaucracy for results. Upon arriving in the Marianas, LeMay realizes that high-altitude bombing is ineffective and begins tinkering with tactics to break the stalemate. (12)1944 TOKYO

4. A Radical Shift in Tactics LeMay secretly develops a radical plan for low-altitude night bombing using incendiaries. Tests in Utah revealed that Tokyo's dense wooden architecture was highly flammable. Believing he might be fired if he fails, LeMay prepares for a dramatic shift in strategy without seeking approval from Washington. (13)1920 TOKYO

5. Preparation for FirebombingLeMay prepares for the March 9 raid by stripping B-29s of guns to maximize bomb loads. Despite warnings of high casualties, he orders 325 bombers to fly at just 5,000 feet. He targets Tokyo's densest residential ward, Asakusa, aiming to destroy the heart of the city. (14)1945 PUGET SOUND IN TOKYO BAY

6. The Horror of the Firestorm The March 9–10 raid unleashes a catastrophic firestorm that devours 16 square miles of Tokyo. Survivors recount the horrors of hurricane-force winds and melting glass as traditional defenses fail. The raid creates an apocalyptic wasteland, overwhelming communal shelters and killing those trapped in the inferno. (15)1945 TOKYO AFTER THE B-29 FIREBOMBING

Lois, 14, and her classmates used a 3D printer to create her new hand as part of a school project. Now they want to make prosthetic limbs for other people who need them, using the same method. Also: We find out how a new drug is transforming the lives of children with a severe form of epilepsy. A trial found it significantly reduced their seizures and also helped with overall development and movement.We meet two Turkish students using AI to help locate people trapped under rubble after earthquakes. They hope their invention will help rescuers reach survivors more quickly.Plus the teams working to save seagrass meadows, which are vital in tackling climate change. And the Harajuku dog walking man - who's become famous for leading dozens of small dogs around Tokyo.Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Photo: Nature School Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson

This week on PREVIOUSLY ON…, Jason and Joelle break down the trailers for Scary Movie, which sees the OG cast returning to parody the latest horror hits, and the highly anticipated DCU series Lanterns, coming to HBO. They also cover the news that A24 is opening a Vegas wedding chapel for one day to promote the upcoming film The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, and discuss whether the reveal that Zendaya and Tom Holland were recently married was just a coincidence or some brilliant guerrilla marketing. Next, they discuss the Actor Awards (formerly the Screen Actors Guild Awards), including who the biggest winners and losers of the night were and whether this award show might be doing it better than the rest. They then cover the story of actor Jared Harris, of The Crown and Chernobyl fame, taking legal action after his likeness was used in AI-generated movie trailers. They wrap up with some rapid-fire headlines, including HBO Max and Paramount+ being merged into one streaming platform, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller stating that Project Hail Mary contains zero green-screen shots, and Marvel Rivals announcing that the game will feature several MCU tie-ins in the months leading up to Avengers: Doomsday. Plus, we get a special report from Rosie on Mothra’s 65th Anniversary, LIVE from the Godzilla Hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo! Follow Jason: IG & Bluesky Follow Rosie: IG & Letterboxd Follow X-Ray Vision on Instagram Join the X-Ray Vision DiscordSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.