Podcasts about Kitakyushu

APRIL 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESAs expected, the new car registration figures for April 2025, were down following the jump in March prior to the tax changes. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) explained how there was a ten percent drop, year-on-year. However, BEV and PHEV registrations rose, but are not near the levels needed to comply with the ZEV mandate. Once again the SMMT called on the Government to assist the industry and buyers. Click this link to read more, from SMMT. GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR SUNDERLAND BATTERY FACTORYThe planned factory, by AESC, in Sunderland, which will make batteries for Nissan is to receive Government funding. £350 million has been allocated, with an expectation of a thousand well paid jobs, according to the chancellor Rachel Reeves. You can find out more, by clicking this Sunderland Echo article link, here. NISSAN CANCELLING JAPANESE BATTERY FACTORYNissan is not going to build the planned battery factory in Kitakyushu, Japan. This will save the company $1.1 billion, it is reported. If you wish to read more, click this Yahoo Finance article link here. UK - INDIA TRADE AGREEMENT ANNOUNCEDDetails are a bit sketchy, but the UK and Indian Governments announced that they had reached a trade agreement. One beneficiary is the car industry or at least those who produce “high end cars”, whatever they are. Until more information is more forthcoming it is difficult to confirm if it is good or not. Click this Autocar article for more. EU TWEAKS CO2 EMISSION RULES The EU has made changes to the rules for car manufacturers about CO2 emissions. They will now allow brands to average their fleet output over three years rather than annually. If you wish to read more click this Yahoo Finance article link here. FOXCONN AND MITSUBISHI AGREE PRODUCTION DEALFoxconn has announced the first deal to develop and produce a car for a brand. Mitsubishi has agreed to allow them to bring a car to the Australian and New Zealand markets in late 2026. To read more, click this electrive article link here. CONFUSION OVER FRENCH ZEVSThe future of French Clean Air Zones is in doubt as the country's parliament is voting on making daily life more simple. After hearing Alan explain some of the intricacies it is easy to see why people are suggesting it is not the most straightforward thing. Click this Connexion article to read more. VOLTA TRUCKS GOES BANKRUPT AGAINIn late 2023 the Swedish arm of Volta Trucks went into receivership, alas now the UK and Austrian elements have followed suit. This is a sad end to what looked like a promising venture that was let down by relying on technology from a company that themselves went bankrupt. To read more,

Nissan planea despedir a 10.000 empleados en puestos de todo el mundo según la cadena pública japonesa NHK . Estos se suman a los que ya tenía pensados la compañía en el proceso de reestructuración. En total, para llevar a cabo este recorte de gastos, la reducción será de 20.000 trabajadores o lo que es lo mismo, un 15% de su plantilla. La situación financiera de la empresa no pasa por su mejor momento desde el año pasado. Su beneficio operativo cayó un 86%, hasta los 64.000 millones de yenes. Peor fue su beneficio neto, que registró un descenso del 98%. Todo esto hizo que el CEO de Nissan hasta el mes de abril, Makoto Uchida, advirtiera que si nadie invertía la firma podría ir a la quiebra. Uchida aseguraba el 7 de marzo que las pérdidas podrían llegar a los 536 millones de dólares. Solo cuatro días después la firma anunciaba su despido y el nombramiento de Iván Espinosa como nuevo CEO. La supervivencia pudo llegar con la fusión con Honda pero al final no se dio la fusión que muchos daban como segura. El 13 de febrero ambas compañías anunciaron que abandonaban la fusión, que de producirse, tenía un valor de 60.000 millones de dólares. Hubiera sido el cuarto mayor grupo automovilístico del mundo. ¿Cómo hubiera sido esa fusión? Se hubiera formado un holding conjunto con Honda como matriz y Nissan como filial, mediante un intercambio de acciones. Los medios económicos apuntaban al orgullo de la compañía nipona a pasar como filial y su negativa a cerrar fábricas. Lo cual ahora choca bastante ya que según el medio económico Nikkei, Nissan suspenderá las operaciones en algunas plantas de Japón para reestructurar su modelo de negocio. Algo que se ve necesario teniendo en cuenta las pérdidas que prevé la compañía. Nissan prevé en este ejercicio de entre 4.250 y 4.560 millones de euros en este ejercicio y planea el cese de su producción en Argentina y descarta el plan de construir una nueva fábrica de baterías para vehículos eléctricos en la ciudad japonesa de Kitakyushu. La historia de Nissan se remonta a 1911 cuando Masujiro Hashimoto fundó una fábrica de automóviles en Tokio. En 1915 saca al mercado su primer coche, Dat. Su primer gran coche de pasajeros fue el Datsun en 1935 y su avance en esta década simbolizaron los avances tecnológicos de Japón. En los años de la posguerra tuvo su primera gran alianza, realizando una alianza estratégica con Austin Motor Company del Reino Unido en 1952.

What happens when there is a fire smoking out an arena? Apparently the meet goes on. Irish World and Olympic Champion Rhys is here with all the stories and NQS has begun. Extended interview for Club Gym Nerd members here.  Not a member? Support independent journalism join here. HEADLINES The Georgia vs. Arkansas meet was literally on fire NQS kicked in this week. New NQS ranking shakeups have UCLA in second, Florida to fifth and Missouri into eighth. No. 2 LSU defeated no. 1 Oklahoma in Baton Rouge. How did the Tigers drop a spot in the rankings? NCAA Our total amount of 10s for the 2025 NCAA season doubled in week 7 Grace McCallum (UB), Kennedy Griffin (FX), Leanne Wong (BB), Sloane Blakely (FX), Lilly Hudson (FX) What are the NQS Ranking Shakeups? GYMTERNET NEWS USAG's FlipNow streaming schedule has been released for the 2025 season Frida Esparza played the national anthem on electric guitar at UCLA's Pride meet Irina Viner, former head coach of Russia's national rhythmic gymnastics team, stepped down from her position, marking the end of a long standing fued between her and rumored Putin mistress, Alina Kabaeva Here is the documentary, Over the Limit, of Viner's abusive coaching INTERVIEW: RHYS McCLENAGHAN  The Irish double World Pommel Horse Champion and reigning Olympic Champion talks about judging, speaking up, taking advice from other gymnasts, what he really thinks about the lack of artistry in MAG, the broken PH at 2018 Worlds, most difficult meet experiences and of course an anti-sex bed update. Q&A What are the skill differences between DI and DIII programs? Why are people upset about groin injuries being mentioned UP NEXT College & Cocktails: The Live NCAA Gymnastics Post-Meet Show after Florida at Oklahoma on Friday, Feb 21st at 7:30 Pacific  Not sure if you are ready to join? Watch College & Cocktails sample free here. Can't make it live? Add College & Cocktails to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). Never miss a live episode! Import the entire College & Cocktails schedule into your Google and iCal calendar here Spencer is doing a watch-along live blog at 4:30pm Pacific before College & Cocktails. RELATED EPISODES McKayla Maroney interview Three World Champion coaches get candid NCAA Gymnastics with Vanessa Atler Steve Butcher on what happened in Tokyo when Simone pulled out of finals Things you only know if you are a gymnast, with Bram Cecile Landi and Elvire Teza  Judging The Judges: How Judges Are Chosen For the Olympic Games RESOURCES Spencer's essential website The Balance Beam Situation  Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim RESISTANCE  Submitted by our listeners. ACTION Indivisible Practical ideas about what you can actually do in this moment, check it out: indivisi.org/muskorus 5Calls App will call your Congresspeople by issue with a script to guide you Make 2 to your Congressional rep (local and DC office). 2 each to your US Senators (local and state offices) State your name and zip code or district Be concise with your question or demand (i.e. What specific steps is Senator X taking to stop XYZ) Wait for answer Ask for action items -  tell them what you want them to do (i.e. draft articles of impeachment immediately, I want to see you holding a press conference in front of...etc.) ResistBot Turns your texts into faxes, postal mail, or emails to your representatives in minutes ACLU Mobile Justice App Allows you to record encounters with public officials while streaming to your closest contacts and your local ACLU; REPORT any abuse by authorities to the ACLU and its networks. LAWSUITS Donate to organizations suing the administration for illegal actions ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, Northwest Immigration Law Project STAY INFORMED Suggested podcasts:  Amicus, Daily Beans, Pod Save America,  Professor Heather Cox Richardson, Strict Scrutiny Immigrant Rights Know Your Rights Red Cards, We Have Rights Video, Your Rights on trains and buses video

JTSC host Mike Innes signs off for 2024 with a comprehensive review of all 20 J3 teams, using his pre-season predictions as a guide and putting the teams into five groups of four. Mike starts with Toyama, Matsumoto, Gifu, and Nara (01:20 to 10:30), then Imabari, Osaka, Hachinohe, and Kanazawa (10:30 to 19:55). After that, the focus turns to champions Omiya, Kitakyushu, Sagamihara, and Nagano (19:55 to 29:00), followed by Ryukyu, Sanuki, and bottom two YSCC and Iwate (29:00 to 38:30). Mike rounds out the episode with Fukushima, Numazu, Tottori, and Miyazaki (38:30 to 47:30), and a special announcement at the end.   Thank you for your support of J-Talk: Short Corner over the last 4 years, and for your ongoing support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. Join the JLeague chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

マレーシアで会（あ）った日本人（にほんじん）の友人（ゆうじん）が実（じつ）は今（いま）、日本（にほん）に帰（かえ）ってきている、ということから、彼（かれ）の出身地（しゅっしんち）北九州市（きたきゅうしゅうし）について話（はな）しました。北九州市（きたきゅうしゅうし）は福岡県（ふくおかけん）にありながら、実（じつ）は山口県（やまぐちけん）のすぐ隣（となり）、ということで、山口県（やまぐちけん）の魅力（みりょく）についても探（さぐ）りました。山口（やまぐち）はThe New York Timesでも取（と）り上（あ）げられた場所（ばしょ）ですが、実（じつ）は行（い）ったことがありません。どこに魅力（みりょく）があるのかを探（さぐ）りました。また北九州市（きたきゅうしゅうし）の成人式（せいじんしき）での特別（とくべつ）な文化（ぶんか）についても話（はな）しています。機会（きかい）があればぜひ訪（おとず）れてみてはいかがでしょうか？ A Japanese friend we met in Malaysia has actually returned to Japan, which led us to talk about his hometown, Kitakyushu City. Kitakyushu City is in Fukuoka Prefecture, but it's right next to Yamaguchi Prefecture, so we also explored the charm of Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi has been featured in The New York Times, but we have never been there. We looked into what makes it so appealing. We also talked about the unique culture of Kitakyushu's coming-of-age ceremonies. If you ever have the chance, why not visit these places? The script is available here: https://www.makiko-japanese.com/ I will update this episode on Youtube as soon as possible!! Please check out and  subscribe to our youtube channel: ⁠www.youtube.com/channel/UChu8-tNd_4RyWo-iE5cr-Ow⁠ email, comments, requests, also Japanese lesson inquiries: toranomaki.nihongo@gmail.com にほんごのかいわのレッスンもしています。メールでれんらくください。 Please follow our Instagram, @toranomaki.nihongo

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 5.01 points at 22,240.11 Tuesday on turnover of NT$2.54 billion. A rally in the home stretch of Monday's session led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) pulled the Taiex up from the day's low. The financial sector attracted interest on rumors that the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) will agree to a tender offer proposed by CTBC Financial Holding Co. to acquire Shin Kong Financial Holding Co. Taiwan may continue to drift today, with U-S markets closed for the Labor Day weekend. SEMICON Taiwan 2024 opens Wednesday with CEO summit, tech forums More than 20 international forums on leading-edge semiconductor technologies will be held at this year's SEMICON Taiwan, which is expected to draw some 85,000 overseas visitors from 56 countries. Organizers say a round of international forums kick off before the formal opening of the expo, will include the "most eye-catching CEO Summit" that features talks by major figures in the semiconductor industry, Another highlight… an "AI chip talk of the century" among major figures from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, ASE Technology, Samsung Electronics, and Google tomorrow afternoon. This year's expo will feature 16 main themes, including advanced manufacturing, heterogeneous integration, green manufacturing, and semiconductor cybersecurity (網路安全). But the exhibit will also feature be some new areas "such as artificial intelligence (AI), smart mobility, silicon photonics, and precision machinery. Taiwanese firms in Japan to benefit from 'one-stop' service center: Minister Taiwan's economics minister says the government is planning to set up a one-stop service center in Kyushu, Japan to assist Taiwanese companies that are expanding there. Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei says the government-funded service will be "like a science park" that will facilitate the needs of Taiwanese companies on Kyushu island and help them with the logistics (後勤) of establishing businesses there. Kuo did not specify the exact location of the planned office but said it will not be in Kumamoto, the Kyushu prefecture in which Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has a fab and is preparing to build another one. The minister says Nagasaki, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kitakyushu are some of the Kyushu prefectures that have expressed interest in welcoming Taiwanese companies. Britain to suspend sales of some weapons to Israel The U.K. government says it's suspending exports of some weapons to Israel because they could be used to break international law. Here's Foreign Secretary David Lammy Lammy told lawmakers the decision related to about 30 of 350 export licenses to Israel and wasn't an arms embargo (禁令，禁運). The United Kingdom is among a number of Israel's longstanding allies whose governments are under growing pressure to halt weapons exports because of the toll of the nearly 11-month-old war in Gaza. Biden: Netanyahu not doing enough to secure hostage deal Meanwhile… US President Joe Biden says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure (獲得) a hostage deal. It comes after Hamas' killed six hostages, including an American citizen. Nick Harper reports from Washington. < [CLIP] Slug: > Philippines Tropical Storm Yagi A fierce storm is blowing out of the northern Philippines after leaving at least 14 people dead in landslides, floods and swollen waterways. Tropical Storm Yagi swept past Paoay town in Ilocos Norte province into the South China Sea with sustained winds of up to 75 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 125 kph. It was forecast to strengthen into a typhoon as it barrels (飛馳) northwestward over the sea toward southern China. Storm warnings remained in most northern Philippine provinces, where residents were warned of the lingering danger of landslides in rain-soaked mountain villages and floodings in the farming lowlands of the Philippines' most populous region. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____.

Typhoon 10 Approaches Japan; Fire Destroys Cars in Kitakyushu, & more… English news from Japan for August 26th, 2024. Transcription available at https://japandailynews.com/2024/08/26/news.html

Tokyo Shinkansen Resumes Service After Delay & Fire Engulfs Eight Buildings in Kitakyushu, & more… English news from Japan for March 6th, 2024. Transcription available at https://japandailynews.com/2024/03/06/news.html

Turbine Building Fire at Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant, Fatal Fire in Kitakyushu, & more… English news from Japan for February 8th, 2024. Transcription available at https://japandailynews.com/2024/02/08/news.html

Heute in unserem Japan-Podcast: Schweres Erdbeben zum Neujahr, Flugzeugunfall in Tokyo, Feuer in Kitakyushu, Rekordtief an 18-Jährigen, Japaner glauben wenig an ihre Englischfähigkeiten, Amoklauf in Tokyo, mehr Transparenz in der LDP, Japan setzt mehr auf autonome Busse, Hoffnung bei Unternehmen und China provoziert weiter.

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎針對這一集留言你的想法： 留言連結 主題投稿/意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com 官方網站：www.15mins.today 加入Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- Topic: Covid-Inspired ‘Silent Cut Haircutting Service Gains Popularity in Japan Devised by a Tokyo hair salon during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the ‘Silent Cut' service is becoming increasingly popular in Japan. 在武漢肺炎（Covid-19）疫情期間，日本東京一家髮廊為防止病毒傳播而推出「無聲剪髮」服務，在日本愈來愈受歡迎。 As a way of curbing the spread of the coronavirus during the Covid-19 pandemic, authorities in Japan started promoting “no conversation” or “less conversation” policies in schools, shops and supermarkets. One Tokyo salon decided to implement the ‘silent cut' service and it proved so popular that others quickly followed suit. 做為在Covid-19大流行期間遏制冠狀病毒傳播的一種方式，日本當局開始提倡在學校、商店和超市「不交談」或「少交談」。東京一家髮廊決定實施「無聲剪髮」服務。事實證明，這項服務非常受歡迎，其他髮廊也紛紛跟進。 As it turns out, hairstylists prefer the silent cut as well, with many claiming that they were taught to chat up clients in their apprenticeship. 事實證明，髮型師也更喜歡無聲剪髮，許多髮型師表示，他們在學徒期間需要學習如何與客人搭訕。 Next Article Topic: We're hiring: Babies wanted for Japan nursing home 我們正在招聘：日本療養院需要嬰兒 A nursing home in southern Japan is “hiring” babies for a very important job — to keep its elderly residents company and make them smile. 日本南部一間療養院正在招聘嬰兒，擔任非常重要的職位──陪伴年長居民、讓他們開心。 A job advert pinned to the wall informs would-be workers they will be compensated for their services in diapers and powdered milk. 一個釘在牆上的工作廣告告知未來的員工，他們將會收到尿布和配方奶做為服務報酬。 New recruits at the facility in Kitakyushu must be under four years old, and their guardians have to sign a contract stipulating that the babies and toddlers can show up for work “whenever they feel like it.” 這間北九州機構的新成員必須小於4歲，而且他們的監護人必須簽署一份合約，明文規定嬰兒和學步幼童可以依照他們的意願，想上班的時候再出現。 More than 30 babies have been signed up so far, tasked with lifting the spirits of more than 100 residents who are mostly in their 80s. 至今已有超過30名嬰兒報名，他們被賦予提升逾百名居民興致的任務，這些居民大多超過80歲。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1555385 Next Article Topic: What's behind strained China-Japan relations Japan and China on Thursday last week marked the 50th anniversary of the 1972 normalization of their ties, but there isn't much of a celebratory mood. Improved ties between Asia's two biggest economies are considered vital to the region's stability and prosperity, but they remain at odds over disputed East China Sea islands and China's growing military and economic assertiveness in the region. Here are the key issues in the often strained relations between these powerhouse neighbors: 日本和中國上週四慶祝一九七二年兩國關係正常化五十週年，但並沒有太多慶祝的氣氛。亞洲最大的兩個經濟體間關係之改善，咸認攸關亞洲的穩定與繁榮，但對於有領土爭端的東海島嶼，以及中國軍事和經濟上在該區域愈趨強勢，兩國的立場仍然分歧。這兩個鄰近的強國經常處於緊張的關係，以下是其中幾個關鍵問題： TERRITORIAL DISPUTES A huge source of contention is an uninhabited group of Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed East China Sea islands called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Japan insists that the islands, which once hosted a Japanese seafood factory, are part of its territory, both historically and by international law. China says they were stolen by Japan in 1895 and should have been returned at the end of World War II. The disputed islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and undersea oil deposits, and Japan accuses China of suddenly making its territorial claims after the undersea resources were found in a 1969 United Nations report. The 1972 normalization communique did not deal with the issue, but the dispute intensified after Japan's government in 2012 nationalized the Senkaku islands, leading to violent protests across China. Chinese coast guard and fishing boats are regularly found in the area, routinely intruding on Japanese waters. 領土爭端 一個主要的爭論是東京所控制、北京聲稱擁有主權的東海無人島群，在日本稱為尖閣諸島，在中國稱為釣魚島。日本堅稱，日本曾在這些島嶼設有海產工廠，無論就歷史或國際法而言，這些島都是日本領土的一部分。中國說這些島是在一八九五年被日本偷走，日本應該在二戰結束時將其歸還。這些有爭端的島嶼，周圍環繞著富饒的漁場，海底石油儲量豐沛，日本指責中國是在一九六九年聯合國報告發現海底資源後才忽然提出領土主張。一九七二年的兩國關係正常化公報並未處理此問題，但日本政府二○一二年將尖閣諸島國有化後，爭端愈演愈烈，在中國各地引發了暴力抗議。中國海岸警衛隊及漁船常在此區域出現，經常侵犯日本水域。 FEAR OF TAIWAN EMERGENCY Japan, along with its security ally the US, has openly criticized increased Chinese activities in the South China Sea. Tokyo has also pushed for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. With a US-China trade war and naval tensions on the rise in the area, Japan is increasingly worried about Taiwan emergencies. China's increased joint military drills with Russia near Japanese coasts have also irked Japan. Tokyo is shifting its military posture toward southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and remote islands just east of Taiwan. China staged major military drills in areas surrounding Taiwan in August in an angry response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taipei visit, and fired five ballistic missiles into waters near Okinawa. Fear of conflict over Taiwan adds to Japan's urgent efforts to reinforce its military capabilities and boost its budget. Japan is currently revising its national security strategy, which is expected to call for the possession of preemptive strike capabilities that opponents say would violate the country's pacifist constitution. With Japan's westernmost island just east of Taiwan, “It is increasingly difficult to see how a Taiwan military contingency would not affect at a minimum the waters and airspace around Japanese territory,” said Amanda Hsiao, senior analyst for China at the Crisis Group. 對台灣緊急狀況的恐懼 日本及其安全盟友美國公開批評中國在南海的活動增加。東京也推動了台灣海峽的和平及穩定。中國聲稱擁有台灣──一個自治的民主國家──的主權，並威脅在必要時以武力吞併台灣。隨著中美貿易戰及該地區海軍緊張局勢的加劇，日本越來越擔憂台灣出現緊急狀況。中國在日本沿海附近增加與俄國的聯合軍演也激怒了日本。東京正將其軍事布局轉向日本西南部，包括沖繩及台灣以東的偏遠島嶼。八月，中國在台灣周邊舉行大規模軍事演習，做為美國眾議院議長南希．裴洛西訪問台北的憤怒回應，並向沖繩附近海域發射了五枚彈道飛彈。對台灣衝突的恐懼讓日本更急迫地加強其軍事能力及增加預算。日本目前正在修訂國家安全戰略，預計將要求擁有先發制人的攻擊能力，反對者稱這將違反日本的和平憲法。日本最西端的島嶼就在台灣以東，因此「越來越難看出台灣的軍事意外事件如何不會對日本領土周遭的水域及空域造成一丁點影響」，國際危機組織中國問題高級分析師蕭嫣然表示。 WARTIME HISTORY The two countries were at war, starting with clashes in the 1930s, until Japan's defeat in 1945. Japanese atrocities during the Sino-Japanese war include the Rape of Nanking, the use of chemical and biological weapons and grisly human medical experiments in Manchuria, where Japan's imperial army had a secret biological weapons unit. Japan also took nearly 40,000 Chinese laborers to Japanese mines and factories, where many died of malnutrition and abuse. In the 1972 communique, China waived the right to war compensation, which some experts say was in exchange for Japan's apology and recognition of China as the only legal government. Japan, however, has provided official development aid totaling 3.6 trillion yen ($US25 billion) to China over the past four decades. 戰時歷史 從一九三○年代的衝突開始，直到一九四五年日本戰敗，中日兩國是處於戰爭狀態。中日戰爭期間日本的暴行包括南京大屠殺、使用化學及生物武器，以及在滿洲進行駭人的人體醫學實驗。日本帝國陸軍在滿洲有一個秘密的生物武器部隊。日本還將近四萬名中國勞工帶到日本的礦山及工廠，其中許多人死於營養不良和受虐。在一九七二年的公報中，中國放棄了獲得戰爭賠償的權利，一些專家稱這是為了換取日本的道歉及承認中共是唯一合法中國政府。然而，在過去四十年中，日本官方向中國提供了總計三點六兆日元（兩百五十億美元）的發展援助。 YASUKUNI SHRINE China considers Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine — which honors 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals — as a symbol of Japan's wartime militarism. Beijing views visits by Japanese ministers and lawmakers to the Tokyo shrine as indicative of a lack of remorse over Japan's wartime aggression. China, along with South Korea, which Japan colonized from 1910 to 1945, routinely protests against such visits. 靖國神社 中國將東京的靖國神社——它供奉兩百五十萬名戰爭死難者，包括被定罪的戰犯——視為日本戰時軍國主義的象徵。北京認為，日本部長和議員參拜東京靖國神社表示對日本的戰時侵略缺乏悔意。中國以及日本在一九一○年至一九四五年期間所殖民的韓國經常抗議此類參訪。 ECONOMIC SECURITY As a top US ally and a major trade partner with China, Japan is in a delicate situation and must balance its position between the two superpowers. China has been more assertive about pressing other governments to embrace Chinese-led initiatives, including a trade group called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Japan, along with the US, is seeking ways to stand up to increasing Chinese economic influence in the region. Tokyo also wants to reinforce economic security with other democracies in areas such as supply chains and the protection of sensitive technologies, apparently as a counter to China. Yasuo Fukuda, a former Japanese prime minister who is an active proponent of better ties with China, says friction between Japan and China largely stems from US-China trade issues. “The question is whether global trade works better by excluding China,” he said. 經濟安全 作為美國的頂尖盟友和中國的主要貿易夥伴，日本處境微妙，必須平衡其在兩個超級大國之間的地位。中國在敦促其他政府接受中國主導的倡議方面更加自信，其中包括一個名為「區域全面經濟夥伴關係」的貿易組織。日本與美國一道，正想方設法抵禦中國在該地區日益增加的經濟影響力。東京還希望與其他民主國家在供應鍊和敏感技術保護等領域加強經濟安全，這顯然是為了對抗中國。 日本前首相福田康夫積極支持改善與中國的關係，他表示，日中之間的摩擦主要源於美中貿易問題。「問題是排除中國後全球貿易是否會更好」，他表示。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/10/04/2003786373 Next Article Topic: Japan's cats and dogs get wearable fans to beat scorching heat A Tokyo clothing maker has teamed up with veterinarians to create a wearable fan for pets, hoping to attract the anxious owners of dogs - or cats - that can't shed their fur coats in Japan's blistering summer weather. 一間東京製衣廠與獸醫組隊為寵物製造一款穿戴式風扇，希望能吸引焦慮不安的狗狗或貓咪飼主，因 為牠們無法在日本炎熱的夏季脫下毛皮大衣。 The device consists of a battery-operated, 80-gramme fan that is attached to a mesh outfit and blows air around an animal's body. 這款裝置由電池供電運作，80公克重的風扇附著在網格服裝上，在動物的身體周圍吹風。 Rei Uzawa, president of maternity clothing maker Sweet Mommy, was motivated to create it after seeing her own pet exhausted every time it was taken out for a walk in the scorching summer heat. 成衣製造商Sweet Mommy負責人鵜澤璃看見她自己的寵物每次在炎熱夏天高溫下的戶外散步之後筋疲力盡，因而有了製作這款衣服的動機。 After the rainy season in Tokyo ended in late June, the Japanese capital suffered the longest heatwave on record with temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius for nine days. 東京雨季在6月底結束之後，日本首都迎來史上最久的熱浪，連續9天氣溫高達攝氏35度。 "I usually use dry ice packs. But I think it's easier to walk my dog if we have this fan," said Mami Kumamoto, 48, owner of a miniature poodle and a terrier. 飼養一隻迷你貴賓和一隻梗犬的48歲熊本麻美（譯音）說「我通常使用冰袋。但是我認為有了這款風扇，遛狗會比較輕鬆。」 Next Article Topic: World's oldest person dies in Japan aged 119 全球最年長人士在日本過世 享年119歲 A Japanese woman believed to have been the world's oldest person has died aged 119, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday, reporting the death of Kane Tanaka. 公共廣播機構「日本放送協會」週一報導田中加子的死訊說，據信是全球最年長者的一位日本女性以119歲過世。 Born on Jan. 2, 1903 - the year of the Wright Brothers' first controlled flight of their motor-driven airplane - Tanaka was confirmed by Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest living person. 田中生於1903年1月2日──萊特兄弟以他們的引擎驅動的飛機進行首次受控飛行的那年──在2019年獲金氏世界紀錄證實為還活著的最年老人士。 She died of old age at a hospital in Fukuoka city, western Japan, on April 19, NHK said. During her life, she had been partial to chocolate and fizzy drinks, NHK said. 日本放送協會說，她於4月19日在日本西部福岡市一家醫院因年邁過世。她這輩子特別喜歡巧克力和氣泡飲料。 Japan has a dwindling and rapidly ageing population. As of last September, the country had 86,510 centenarians, and nine out of every 10 were women. （Reuters） 日本人口不斷減少並快速老化。截至去年9月，該國有8萬6510名人瑞，而且每10人中有9人是女性。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1538125 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1514547

The Japanese government plans to relocate the base for unmanned coast guard aircraft from Aomori Prefecture to Fukuoka Prefecture by the end of fiscal 2024, informed sources said Monday.

Aunque Fukuoka queda a menudo olvidada por los turistas al estar alejada de Kioto y, sobre todo, de Tokio, tiene mucho más que ofrecer de lo que parece. Y no sólo eso, sino que también se pueden hacer excursiones de día muy interesantes haciendo base en la ciudad. Desde la Torre de Fukuoka y su mirador, la playa de Momochihama que aparece en la canción de Juan Luis Guerra "Una bachata en Fukuoka" (y que medio cantamos en Japonismo mini, ejem), a visitar Dazaifu, Kitakyushu, Shimonoseki y más. Y, claro, si estás por aquí, no puedes perderte el ramen de Hakata, uno de los tipos más populares y deliciosos. En Japonismo mini, además de hacer el ridículo con la canción, hablamos de festivales japoneses y de las nuevas secciones de nuestra newsletter para ayudarte más a planificar, recogemos comentarios de oyentes y, claro, la palabra japonesa que explicamos es la que hace referencia a esos puestos de comida tan típicos de la noche de Fukuoka. ¡Mata ne! ¿Quieres colaborar con el programa? - Colabora en Patreon - Únete a la Comunidad Japonismo - Reserva hoteles en Japón (y en todo el mundo) - Consigue seguro de viajes (¡no sólo para Japón!) - Busca los mejores vuelos - Lleva Internet (pocket wifi o SIM) - JR Pass para viajes ilimitados en tren ---- Continúa la conversación en: - Web: https://japonismo.com - Discord: https://discord.gg/hZrSa57 - Facebook: https://facebook.com/japonismo - Twitter: https://twitter.com/japonismo - Instagram: https://instagram.com/japonismo - Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/japonismo - Newsletter semanal: http://eepurl.com/di60Xn

Short（短編） (Hiraodai) It is called one of Japan's three major karsts and is designated as a national natural monument. The flow of the stream and the cries of larks, pheasants, warblers, etc.(Partially recorded) （平尾台）日本三大カルストと呼ばれ、国の天然記念物にも指定されてます。 小川の流れと、ヒバリ、キジ、ウグイス等の鳴き声（一部収録） * There is also a paid version of "Sound in Nature" which is rich in episodes and has a long version.(Apple podcast only) ロングバージョンのある有料版「Sound in Nature」もあります。 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-in-nature/id1569798616

During a speech in Tokyo this week, South Korea's Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min said his country is eager to join the G7 after joining last weekend's summit as a guest country. Haruki Murakami won this year's Princess of Asturias Award for Literature in Spain, while 11 year-old Kunzaburo Yuno from Oita won a special prize at the Children's Nonfiction Literature Awards in Kitakyushu. And finally, a painting of victims who suffered the Minamata poisonings more than 6 decades ago has now been restored. With Shunsuke Imai's painting exhibition titled “Skirt and Scene” taking place at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery near Hatsudai, we skirt from Shinjuku to Hatsudai and then beyond, taking note of sight and sounds from the local neighbourhood as we ride the local bus towards Shibuya. — Substack: notebookpodcast.substack.com Instagram: @notebook_pod Twitter: @notebook_pod — Get in touch: notebook.podcast@gmail.com Leave a message: speakpipe.com/notebook — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Os dois pintores foram contemporâneos, frequentaram os mesmos círculos artísticos, mas seguiram caminhos diferentes, sempre mantendo uma certa rivalidade artística. Para compreender melhor essa atração e repulsão entre dois grandes nomes da pintura, o Museu d'Orsay, em Paris, apresenta uma exposição conjunta inédita de Edouard Manet e Edgard Degas. Patrícia Moribe, da RFISão 51 quadros, dois pastéis, dez desenhos, 16 gravuras e algumas cartas de Edouard Manet (1832-1883) junto a 40 telas, sete pastéis, 17 desenhos, dois monotipos, dois cadernos de desenhos e missivas de Edgard Degas (1834-1917). Manet formou-se com Thomas Couture, que tinha uma pincelada mais romântica. Já Degas se deixou inspirar por Ingrès, na atenção pelo desenho e pelo traço.O visitante poderá admirar os então escandalosos "Almoço sobre a relva", que mostra uma mulher nua em um piquenique com dois homens vestidos com trajes da época, e "Olympia", no qual uma prostituta nua aparece deitada em um divã, com a mucama negra. Ambos são de Édouard Manet. De Edgard Degas, estão expostas cenas de bar, como em "O Absinto", ou as eternas bailarinas, que também estão na exposição "Pastéis", na ala seguinte. “Tanto Manet quanto Degas têm um percurso parecido em certo sentido, porque nenhum deles pode ser classificado de maneira fácil, não são artistas que se enquadram em um movimento”, explica Felipe Martinez, pesquisador de pós-doutorado da USP e da Universidade de Amsterdã. “Não dá para a gente chamar, por exemplo, o Degas de impressionista, do mesmo jeito que a gente faz com o [Claude] Monet; é um artista que tem ali uma poética própria, um caminho próprio, embora ele tenha exposto com os impressionistas várias vezes”, diz Martinez. “Manet também expôs com os impressionistas, mas ele era uma espécie de mestre, um guia, da geração anterior; é um artista que ficou no meio do caminho entre a tradição e as pinturas impressionistas”, observa o brasileiro.BurguesiaOs dois artistas são do mesmo extrato social, filhos da burguesia. O pai de Manet foi um alto funcionário e o de Degas, banqueiro. Dessa forma, ambos puderam pintar e experimentar, sem a necessidade de vender quadros para viver. Apesar de suas carreiras correrem em paralelo, eles se frequentam, às vezes com algumas rusgas. Degas tinha uma clara admiração por Manet, tendo retratado o colega várias vezes. Já Manet nunca pintou o colega. Degas também foi um ávido colecionador de Manet, chegando a possuir mais de 80 obras de Édouard – das quais 31 estão na exposição. Em 1868 ou 1869, Degas retratou o casal Manet num momento de tranquilidade, ele esparramado no sofá e madame ao piano. Mas Manet achou que Degas não fez jus à beleza de sua querida Suzanne e simplesmente mutilou a obra, cortando a mulher pelo perfil. Furioso, Degas retomou-lhe o quadro e ainda devolveu outro que lhe fora dado por Manet como presente. A pintura sem o rosto de madame Manet, hoje propriedade do Museu de Arte de Kitakyushu, no Japão, está na exposição de Paris. Retratos do tempoManet e Degas são ávidos observadores do tempo em que vivem, lembra Felipe Martinez. “É o mundo moderno, das cidades, do mercado financeiro, da indústria”, explica. “Manet retrata as cartolas, a roupa preta, a fumaça das indústrias, as pessoas no parque, enquanto Degas, ao incorporar as bailarinas, tem uma visão mais naturalista, influenciada pelas teorias de determinismo social daquele momento.”“Degas pinta vários quadros relacionados com a Guerra Civil Americana e expressa claramente seu apoio à causa antiescravagista”, conta a curadora Isolde Pludermacher, à RFI. “Ele próprio viu de perto a escravidão em uma viagem que fez ao Brasil em 1948 e isso o revoltou. Já Degas tinha família em Nova Orleans, que vivia do comércio de algodão. Havia inclusive escravos no dote da mãe do artista. Ou seja, há também aspectos políticos que os diferenciam.”Viagem aos trópicosAos 16 anos, Manet tentou a carreira naval, embarcando em um navio-escola em direção ao Brasil. “Ele desenhou os marinheiros, o talento estava ali”, relata Felipe Martinez. “Mas em termos de cores, de luz, não acho que o Brasil tenha tido influência. Embora ele tenha visto a natureza brasileira e a paisagem exuberante do Rio de Janeiro, em nenhum momento Manet faz uma consideração de um pintor, de alguém que está olhando com os olhos de um pintor aquela paisagem”, opina. “Ele faz, sim, considerações muito interessantes sobre a sociedade brasileira, sobre como viviam as pessoas escravizadas, sobre como aquela sociedade funcionava, mas pela pintura dele não dá para gente dizer que ela foi influenciada, digamos, tecnicamente, pela passagem dele pelo Brasil", diz o pesquisador brasileiro.A exposição "Manet/Degas" fica em cartaz no Museu d'Orsay, em Paris, até 23 de julho. 

A local government focus group in Osaka eyeing the chance to open a casino in the city has announced that promotional material likely included artwork without the permission of its artists Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami. This week also marked one year since a fire tore through Kitakyushu's Tanga Market, known to as “Kitakyushu's kitchen”, but it is bouncing back. As are tourists with ministers fearful that Japan is headed towards a 9th wave of the novel coronavirus. City officials in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, is thinking of novel ways to streamline administration, becoming the first local level government to utilize the AI chatbot ChatGPT across every office. We finish the week by staying in Kyoto, visiting the city's Nakagyō district and Kyoto's infamous Teramachi Shopping Arcade. — Substack: notebookpodcast.substack.com Instagram: @notebook_pod Twitter: @notebook_pod — Get in touch: notebook.podcast@gmail.com Leave a message: speakpipe.com/notebook — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: Covid-Inspired ‘Silent Cut Haircutting Service Gains Popularity in Japan Devised by a Tokyo hair salon during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the ‘Silent Cut' service is becoming increasingly popular in Japan. 在武漢肺炎（Covid-19）疫情期間，日本東京一家髮廊為防止病毒傳播而推出「無聲剪髮」服務，在日本愈來愈受歡迎。 As a way of curbing the spread of the coronavirus during the Covid-19 pandemic, authorities in Japan started promoting “no conversation” or “less conversation” policies in schools, shops and supermarkets. One Tokyo salon decided to implement the ‘silent cut' service and it proved so popular that others quickly followed suit. 做為在Covid-19大流行期間遏制冠狀病毒傳播的一種方式，日本當局開始提倡在學校、商店和超市「不交談」或「少交談」。東京一家髮廊決定實施「無聲剪髮」服務。事實證明，這項服務非常受歡迎，其他髮廊也紛紛跟進。 As it turns out, hairstylists prefer the silent cut as well, with many claiming that they were taught to chat up clients in their apprenticeship. 事實證明，髮型師也更喜歡無聲剪髮，許多髮型師表示，他們在學徒期間需要學習如何與客人搭訕。 Next Article Topic: We're hiring: Babies wanted for Japan nursing home 我們正在招聘：日本療養院需要嬰兒 A nursing home in southern Japan is “hiring” babies for a very important job — to keep its elderly residents company and make them smile. 日本南部一間療養院正在招聘嬰兒，擔任非常重要的職位──陪伴年長居民、讓他們開心。 A job advert pinned to the wall informs would-be workers they will be compensated for their services in diapers and powdered milk. 一個釘在牆上的工作廣告告知未來的員工，他們將會收到尿布和配方奶做為服務報酬。 New recruits at the facility in Kitakyushu must be under four years old, and their guardians have to sign a contract stipulating that the babies and toddlers can show up for work “whenever they feel like it.” 這間北九州機構的新成員必須小於4歲，而且他們的監護人必須簽署一份合約，明文規定嬰兒和學步幼童可以依照他們的意願，想上班的時候再出現。 More than 30 babies have been signed up so far, tasked with lifting the spirits of more than 100 residents who are mostly in their 80s. 至今已有超過30名嬰兒報名，他們被賦予提升逾百名居民興致的任務，這些居民大多超過80歲。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1555385 Next Article Topic: What's behind strained China-Japan relations Japan and China on Thursday last week marked the 50th anniversary of the 1972 normalization of their ties, but there isn't much of a celebratory mood. Improved ties between Asia's two biggest economies are considered vital to the region's stability and prosperity, but they remain at odds over disputed East China Sea islands and China's growing military and economic assertiveness in the region. Here are the key issues in the often strained relations between these powerhouse neighbors: 日本和中國上週四慶祝一九七二年兩國關係正常化五十週年，但並沒有太多慶祝的氣氛。亞洲最大的兩個經濟體間關係之改善，咸認攸關亞洲的穩定與繁榮，但對於有領土爭端的東海島嶼，以及中國軍事和經濟上在該區域愈趨強勢，兩國的立場仍然分歧。這兩個鄰近的強國經常處於緊張的關係，以下是其中幾個關鍵問題： TERRITORIAL DISPUTES A huge source of contention is an uninhabited group of Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed East China Sea islands called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Japan insists that the islands, which once hosted a Japanese seafood factory, are part of its territory, both historically and by international law. China says they were stolen by Japan in 1895 and should have been returned at the end of World War II. The disputed islands are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and undersea oil deposits, and Japan accuses China of suddenly making its territorial claims after the undersea resources were found in a 1969 United Nations report. The 1972 normalization communique did not deal with the issue, but the dispute intensified after Japan's government in 2012 nationalized the Senkaku islands, leading to violent protests across China. Chinese coast guard and fishing boats are regularly found in the area, routinely intruding on Japanese waters. 領土爭端 一個主要的爭論是東京所控制、北京聲稱擁有主權的東海無人島群，在日本稱為尖閣諸島，在中國稱為釣魚島。日本堅稱，日本曾在這些島嶼設有海產工廠，無論就歷史或國際法而言，這些島都是日本領土的一部分。中國說這些島是在一八九五年被日本偷走，日本應該在二戰結束時將其歸還。這些有爭端的島嶼，周圍環繞著富饒的漁場，海底石油儲量豐沛，日本指責中國是在一九六九年聯合國報告發現海底資源後才忽然提出領土主張。一九七二年的兩國關係正常化公報並未處理此問題，但日本政府二○一二年將尖閣諸島國有化後，爭端愈演愈烈，在中國各地引發了暴力抗議。中國海岸警衛隊及漁船常在此區域出現，經常侵犯日本水域。 FEAR OF TAIWAN EMERGENCY Japan, along with its security ally the US, has openly criticized increased Chinese activities in the South China Sea. Tokyo has also pushed for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, and has threatened to annex it by force if necessary. With a US-China trade war and naval tensions on the rise in the area, Japan is increasingly worried about Taiwan emergencies. China's increased joint military drills with Russia near Japanese coasts have also irked Japan. Tokyo is shifting its military posture toward southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and remote islands just east of Taiwan. China staged major military drills in areas surrounding Taiwan in August in an angry response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taipei visit, and fired five ballistic missiles into waters near Okinawa. Fear of conflict over Taiwan adds to Japan's urgent efforts to reinforce its military capabilities and boost its budget. Japan is currently revising its national security strategy, which is expected to call for the possession of preemptive strike capabilities that opponents say would violate the country's pacifist constitution. With Japan's westernmost island just east of Taiwan, “It is increasingly difficult to see how a Taiwan military contingency would not affect at a minimum the waters and airspace around Japanese territory,” said Amanda Hsiao, senior analyst for China at the Crisis Group. 對台灣緊急狀況的恐懼 日本及其安全盟友美國公開批評中國在南海的活動增加。東京也推動了台灣海峽的和平及穩定。中國聲稱擁有台灣──一個自治的民主國家──的主權，並威脅在必要時以武力吞併台灣。隨著中美貿易戰及該地區海軍緊張局勢的加劇，日本越來越擔憂台灣出現緊急狀況。中國在日本沿海附近增加與俄國的聯合軍演也激怒了日本。東京正將其軍事布局轉向日本西南部，包括沖繩及台灣以東的偏遠島嶼。八月，中國在台灣周邊舉行大規模軍事演習，做為美國眾議院議長南希．裴洛西訪問台北的憤怒回應，並向沖繩附近海域發射了五枚彈道飛彈。對台灣衝突的恐懼讓日本更急迫地加強其軍事能力及增加預算。日本目前正在修訂國家安全戰略，預計將要求擁有先發制人的攻擊能力，反對者稱這將違反日本的和平憲法。日本最西端的島嶼就在台灣以東，因此「越來越難看出台灣的軍事意外事件如何不會對日本領土周遭的水域及空域造成一丁點影響」，國際危機組織中國問題高級分析師蕭嫣然表示。 WARTIME HISTORY The two countries were at war, starting with clashes in the 1930s, until Japan's defeat in 1945. Japanese atrocities during the Sino-Japanese war include the Rape of Nanking, the use of chemical and biological weapons and grisly human medical experiments in Manchuria, where Japan's imperial army had a secret biological weapons unit. Japan also took nearly 40,000 Chinese laborers to Japanese mines and factories, where many died of malnutrition and abuse. In the 1972 communique, China waived the right to war compensation, which some experts say was in exchange for Japan's apology and recognition of China as the only legal government. Japan, however, has provided official development aid totaling 3.6 trillion yen ($US25 billion) to China over the past four decades. 戰時歷史 從一九三○年代的衝突開始，直到一九四五年日本戰敗，中日兩國是處於戰爭狀態。中日戰爭期間日本的暴行包括南京大屠殺、使用化學及生物武器，以及在滿洲進行駭人的人體醫學實驗。日本帝國陸軍在滿洲有一個秘密的生物武器部隊。日本還將近四萬名中國勞工帶到日本的礦山及工廠，其中許多人死於營養不良和受虐。在一九七二年的公報中，中國放棄了獲得戰爭賠償的權利，一些專家稱這是為了換取日本的道歉及承認中共是唯一合法中國政府。然而，在過去四十年中，日本官方向中國提供了總計三點六兆日元（兩百五十億美元）的發展援助。 YASUKUNI SHRINE China considers Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine — which honors 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals — as a symbol of Japan's wartime militarism. Beijing views visits by Japanese ministers and lawmakers to the Tokyo shrine as indicative of a lack of remorse over Japan's wartime aggression. China, along with South Korea, which Japan colonized from 1910 to 1945, routinely protests against such visits. 靖國神社 中國將東京的靖國神社——它供奉兩百五十萬名戰爭死難者，包括被定罪的戰犯——視為日本戰時軍國主義的象徵。北京認為，日本部長和議員參拜東京靖國神社表示對日本的戰時侵略缺乏悔意。中國以及日本在一九一○年至一九四五年期間所殖民的韓國經常抗議此類參訪。 ECONOMIC SECURITY As a top US ally and a major trade partner with China, Japan is in a delicate situation and must balance its position between the two superpowers. China has been more assertive about pressing other governments to embrace Chinese-led initiatives, including a trade group called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Japan, along with the US, is seeking ways to stand up to increasing Chinese economic influence in the region. Tokyo also wants to reinforce economic security with other democracies in areas such as supply chains and the protection of sensitive technologies, apparently as a counter to China. Yasuo Fukuda, a former Japanese prime minister who is an active proponent of better ties with China, says friction between Japan and China largely stems from US-China trade issues. “The question is whether global trade works better by excluding China,” he said. 經濟安全 作為美國的頂尖盟友和中國的主要貿易夥伴，日本處境微妙，必須平衡其在兩個超級大國之間的地位。中國在敦促其他政府接受中國主導的倡議方面更加自信，其中包括一個名為「區域全面經濟夥伴關係」的貿易組織。日本與美國一道，正想方設法抵禦中國在該地區日益增加的經濟影響力。東京還希望與其他民主國家在供應鍊和敏感技術保護等領域加強經濟安全，這顯然是為了對抗中國。 日本前首相福田康夫積極支持改善與中國的關係，他表示，日中之間的摩擦主要源於美中貿易問題。「問題是排除中國後全球貿易是否會更好」，他表示。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/10/04/2003786373 Next Article Topic: Japan's cats and dogs get wearable fans to beat scorching heat A Tokyo clothing maker has teamed up with veterinarians to create a wearable fan for pets, hoping to attract the anxious owners of dogs - or cats - that can't shed their fur coats in Japan's blistering summer weather. 一間東京製衣廠與獸醫組隊為寵物製造一款穿戴式風扇，希望能吸引焦慮不安的狗狗或貓咪飼主，因 為牠們無法在日本炎熱的夏季脫下毛皮大衣。 The device consists of a battery-operated, 80-gramme fan that is attached to a mesh outfit and blows air around an animal's body. 這款裝置由電池供電運作，80公克重的風扇附著在網格服裝上，在動物的身體周圍吹風。 Rei Uzawa, president of maternity clothing maker Sweet Mommy, was motivated to create it after seeing her own pet exhausted every time it was taken out for a walk in the scorching summer heat. 成衣製造商Sweet Mommy負責人鵜澤璃看見她自己的寵物每次在炎熱夏天高溫下的戶外散步之後筋疲力盡，因而有了製作這款衣服的動機。 After the rainy season in Tokyo ended in late June, the Japanese capital suffered the longest heatwave on record with temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius for nine days. 東京雨季在6月底結束之後，日本首都迎來史上最久的熱浪，連續9天氣溫高達攝氏35度。 "I usually use dry ice packs. But I think it's easier to walk my dog if we have this fan," said Mami Kumamoto, 48, owner of a miniature poodle and a terrier. 飼養一隻迷你貴賓和一隻梗犬的48歲熊本麻美（譯音）說「我通常使用冰袋。但是我認為有了這款風扇，遛狗會比較輕鬆。」 Next Article Topic: World's oldest person dies in Japan aged 119 全球最年長人士在日本過世 享年119歲 A Japanese woman believed to have been the world's oldest person has died aged 119, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday, reporting the death of Kane Tanaka. 公共廣播機構「日本放送協會」週一報導田中加子的死訊說，據信是全球最年長者的一位日本女性以119歲過世。 Born on Jan. 2, 1903 - the year of the Wright Brothers' first controlled flight of their motor-driven airplane - Tanaka was confirmed by Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest living person. 田中生於1903年1月2日──萊特兄弟以他們的引擎驅動的飛機進行首次受控飛行的那年──在2019年獲金氏世界紀錄證實為還活著的最年老人士。 She died of old age at a hospital in Fukuoka city, western Japan, on April 19, NHK said. During her life, she had been partial to chocolate and fizzy drinks, NHK said. 日本放送協會說，她於4月19日在日本西部福岡市一家醫院因年邁過世。她這輩子特別喜歡巧克力和氣泡飲料。 Japan has a dwindling and rapidly ageing population. As of last September, the country had 86,510 centenarians, and nine out of every 10 were women. （Reuters） 日本人口不斷減少並快速老化。截至去年9月，該國有8萬6510名人瑞，而且每10人中有9人是女性。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1538125 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1514547 Powered by Firstory Hosting

Happy new year, ghouls! You've heard of cult leaders and serial killers--but have you heard of a person who used mind control to get their victims to turn on each other? Let's explore the depths and consequences of learned helplessness.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/storiesfromthemortuarySources:https://charleyproject.org/case/ella-mae-begayThe Mind Control Murders of Kitakyushu -- a little known, horrific serial murder case from 2002 : r/serialkillershttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/disinhibited-social-engagement-disorderhttps://s-a-ozbourne.medium.com/the-serial-killer-who-never-killed-anyone-48be36d3c395https://bunshun.jp/articles/-/44694https://www.britannica.com/science/electrical-shockLearned Helplessness: A Theory for the Age of Personal Control by Christopher Peterson, Martin Seligman, and Steven F. Maierhttps://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/peripheral-nervous-systemhttps://www.britannica.com/science/learned-helplessness"Buzzing, Electric Lamp, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org"Fizzy Drink Can, Opening, B.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org

歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments 每日英語跟讀 Ep.K492: About Japan - Covid-Inspired ‘Silent Cut Haircutting Service Gains Popularity in Japan Devised by a Tokyo hair salon during the Covid-19 pandemic to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the ‘Silent Cut' service is becoming increasingly popular in Japan. 在武漢肺炎（Covid-19）疫情期間，日本東京一家髮廊為防止病毒傳播而推出「無聲剪髮」服務，在日本愈來愈受歡迎。 As a way of curbing the spread of the coronavirus during the Covid-19 pandemic, authorities in Japan started promoting “no conversation” or “less conversation” policies in schools, shops and supermarkets. One Tokyo salon decided to implement the ‘silent cut' service and it proved so popular that others quickly followed suit. 做為在Covid-19大流行期間遏制冠狀病毒傳播的一種方式，日本當局開始提倡在學校、商店和超市「不交談」或「少交談」。東京一家髮廊決定實施「無聲剪髮」服務。事實證明，這項服務非常受歡迎，其他髮廊也紛紛跟進。 As it turns out, hairstylists prefer the silent cut as well, with many claiming that they were taught to chat up clients in their apprenticeship. 事實證明，髮型師也更喜歡無聲剪髮，許多髮型師表示，他們在學徒期間需要學習如何與客人搭訕。 Next Article We're hiring: Babies wanted for Japan nursing home 我們正在招聘：日本療養院需要嬰兒 A nursing home in southern Japan is “hiring” babies for a very important job — to keep its elderly residents company and make them smile. 日本南部一間療養院正在招聘嬰兒，擔任非常重要的職位──陪伴年長居民、讓他們開心。 A job advert pinned to the wall informs would-be workers they will be compensated for their services in diapers and powdered milk. 一個釘在牆上的工作廣告告知未來的員工，他們將會收到尿布和配方奶做為服務報酬。 New recruits at the facility in Kitakyushu must be under four years old, and their guardians have to sign a contract stipulating that the babies and toddlers can show up for work “whenever they feel like it.” 這間北九州機構的新成員必須小於4歲，而且他們的監護人必須簽署一份合約，明文規定嬰兒和學步幼童可以依照他們的意願，想上班的時候再出現。 More than 30 babies have been signed up so far, tasked with lifting the spirits of more than 100 residents who are mostly in their 80s. 至今已有超過30名嬰兒報名，他們被賦予提升逾百名居民興致的任務，這些居民大多超過80歲。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1555385 Powered by Firstory Hosting

Nombre: Momomaru-kun モモマルくん Imagen: Ardilla voladora, conocida en Japón como «momonga» Cargo: Mascota oficial de la ciudad de Kitakyushu en Fukuoka. Edad: 9 años. Sexo: Masculino. Personalidad: Es una ardilla voladora muy curiosa, es amable aunque un poco torpe y despistada. Punto de encanto: El corazón que tiene su cola. Historia: Las ardillas voladoras vive […] La entrada Mascotas de Japón: Momomaru-kun, la ardilla voladora de la ciudad de Kitakyushu en Fukuoka se publicó primero en Súper Tokio Radio.

Fire breaks out for the second time this year at Taisho period-built Tanga Market in Kitakyushu destroying many of its shops including the Kokura Showa-kan cinema. And while Prime Minster Kishida reshuffles his cabinet to escape mounting criticism at his handling of political ties to Korean religious group, there are even more calls for him further reopen the country's borders to foreign tourism. Events like the international art fair STILL ALIVE: Aichi Triennale 2022 in Nagoya aim to bridge the gap while the country remains difficult to enter for the great majority of people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Content Warning: It's brutal. Domestic abuse, torture, rape, murder We conclude our explorations into the heinous crimes of Futoshi Matsunaga, with the elimination of the Ogata family and on-going torture of those around him. It's real fucking bad, guys. Today's guest is Nika Howard! You can find her on Twitter @nika_howard, and all of her wonderful content can be found on her Linktree Page. For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode! You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app. Sources: Medium blog by S.A. Ozbourne Unknown Misandry blog Chubun article Japan Times Weekly article Japan Times - death sentence Murderpedia article Wikipedia - DSED Wikipedia - Futoshi Matsunaga Wikipedia - Junko Ogata Japanese Wikipedia on the case YouTube Channel - I am the Son of Futoshi Matsunaga

Content Warning: It's brutal. Domestic abuse, torture, rape, murder Futoshi Matsunaga was a conman, romancing, deceiving and defrauding women out of huge sums of money. This would be terrible enough if it weren't for his penchant of using electric shocks as torture, and the horrifying series of murders he orchestrated. Today's guest is Nika Howard! You can find her on Twitter @nika_howard, and all of her wonderful content can be found on her Linktree Page. For more content follow me on @hikikomoripodcast on Instagram where I'll be posting photos relevant to this episode! You can also find me on Twitter @sequencepod, or you can listen to my other podcasts Final Fanservice and Not Another Film on any big podcast app. Sources: Medium blog by S.A. Ozbourne  Unknown Misandry blog  Chubun article  Japan Times Weekly article  Japan Times - death sentence  Murderpedia article  Wikipedia - DSED  Wikipedia - Futoshi Matsunaga  Wikipedia - Junko Ogata  Japanese Wikipedia on the case  YouTube Channel - I am the Son of Futoshi Matsunaga 

De stad Kitakyushu, in Japan, wordt tussen 1996 en 1998 het speelveld van een manipulatieve seriemoordenaar. Met geld als grootste drijfveer, weet Futoshi Matsunaga meerderen te manipuleren om in zijn naam te moorden. En hij? Hij is de seriemoordenaar die zelf nooit gedood heeft.

With the big third-tier kick-off almost upon us, Mike 'Orlando Magic' Innes and Jon Steele convened again to take a look at six more clubs that will be taking part in this season's J3 League.  In the first half of the show, Mike and Jon focused on the Shikoku trio of (gulp) Sanuki, Imabari, and Ehime, and in the second half, turned their attentions to Kyushu, and the triumvirate of Kitakyushu, Miyazaki and Kagoshima. The gents finished off the pod with some overall closing comments and listener questions. Hope everyone enjoys the show, and the new J3 season! Timecodes Part 1 - Shikoku 02:30 to 10:30 - Sanuki 10:30 to 19:00 - Imabari 19:00 to 27:10 - Ehime Part 2 - Kyushu 27:50 to 36:00 - Kitakyushu 36:00 to 44:00 - Miyazaki 44:00 to 52:40 - Kagoshima 52:40 to Finish - Final comments and listener questions

Hidup jauh dari keluarga pasti membuat beberapa orang jadi gampang kangen rumah alias homesick. Bagaimana dengan orang yang sudah mempunyai pengalaman hidup jauh dari keluarga dari remaja? Bagaimana cara mengatasinya? Tamu saya di episode ini, Bagaspati Wasi, adalah seorang profesional yang sedang bekerja dan sudah lama menetap di Jepang. Beliau membagikan ceritanya tentang perbedaan hidup sendiri di Indonesia dan Jepang, alasan mengapa SIM itu penting, kendala suami istri saat melahirkan saat pandemi, dan insiden gelas tengah malam. Silahkan follow, dan donasi untuk pembangunan dan pengembangan masjid pertama di kota Kitakyushu, Jepang di @kitakyushu_masjid_donation dan @kmikitakyushu. Sampaikan semua yang berkenaan dengan podcast ini di @langlangtravel. Ahoj! Foto oleh: Bagas

Today, our immediate reactions after watching the final competition at the 50th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships including beam and women's floor; men's vault, p-bars and high bar: World and Olympic Rebeca Andrade (BRA) in the beam final Battle P-Bars and vault with 2019 floor world champion from the Philippines, Carlos Yulo, USA's Yul Moldauer and Hashimoto Daiki (JPN) and Kaya Kazuma (JPN) Japanese beam goddess, Ashikawa, Urara vs. world champion Pauline Schaefer-Betz (GER) and beam star Luo Rui (CHN) Floor leaders, American Leanne Wong, power house Euros Champion Anastasila Bachynska (UKR) and world champ Murakami Mai (JPN) will compete against Maria Ceplinschi (ROU) and all-around champion Angelina Melnikova (RUS) for the podium Bronze all-around medalist Kayla Dicello (USA) vs World All-Around Champion Angelina Melnikova (RUS)  on floor and beam King Kohei Uchimura (JPN) swings high bar in front of his hometown in what may be his last elite performance. American national champion, Brody Malone (USA) attempts to make the medal stand on high bar BONUS CONTENT: Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes is a live Q&A podcast just for club gym nerd members! We're providing daily coverage after each day of competition plus podium training days during the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan! It's our appreciation love letter to club members for supporting the show. Here's how to ask questions live. Behind the Scenes we talk about all the stuff you can't see on the screen! What the Japanese team did after the meet was over, how we got in trouble with our fellow quarantine-ers  at the hotel; the travel saga; the robot machine COVID tests we took to get home Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD  Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 2021 World Championships, Event Finals - Day 1 2021 World Championships, Men's All Around Final 2021 World Championships, Women's All Around Final 2021 World Championships, Qualification – Day 3 2021 World Championships, Qualification – Day 2 2021 World Championships, Women's Qualification – Day 1 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 3 2021 Worlds Championships in Kitakyushu – Podium Training, Day 2 2021 Worlds Championships in Kitakyushu – Podium Training, Day 1 2021 World Championships Preview RELATED LIVEBLOGS Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Even Finals – Day 2 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Even Finals – Day 1 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Men's All-Around Finals Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Women's All-Around Finals Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 3 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 2 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 1 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 3 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 2 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 1  

Today, our immediate reactions after watching: Rebeca Andrade (BRA) Battle Pommel with Alec Yoder, Stephen Nedoroscik Elza Geurts (NED)!!!!! World All-Around Champion Angelina Melnikova (RUS) Wei Xiaoyuan (CHN) Carlos "Are You Kidding Me" Yulo! (PHI) Italian Domination and Finish a surprise! Plus an epic fight about ties and E scores. BONUS CONTENT: Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes is a live Q&A podcast just for club gym nerd members! We're providing daily coverage after each day of competition plus podium training days during the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan! It's our appreciation love letter to club members for supporting the show. Here's how to ask questions live. Behind the Scenes we talk about all the stuff you can't see on the screen! Travel craziness; Kenzo after the meet and pizza by Armani with the Italian Federation on the bus ride back to our hotel. Plus we answer your questions. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD  Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 2021 World Championships, Men's All Around Final 2021 World Championships, Women's All Around Final 2021 World Championships, Qualification – Day 3 2021 World Championships, Qualification – Day 2 2021 World Championships, Women's Qualification – Day 1 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 3 2021 Worlds Championships in Kitakyushu – Podium Training, Day 2 2021 Worlds Championships in Kitakyushu – Podium Training, Day 1 2021 World Championships Preview RELATED LIVEBLOGS Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Even Finals – Day 1 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Men's All-Around Finals Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Women's All-Around Finals Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 3 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 2 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 1 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 3 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 2 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 1  

Today, our immediate reactions after watching: Tokyo Olympic Champion Hashimoto Daiki (JPN) falls to new all-around world champion, snubbed Chinese Olympic Trials winner, Zhang Boheng (CHN) The fight for third between eventual bronze medalist Ilia Kovtun (UKR); Yul Moldauer (USA), Shi Cong (CHN) and Adem Asil (TUR) Plus allll the Khorkina sighting news. What in Kohei's Kingdom was going on with all of the approved inquires?! D scores judges have some explaining to do! BONUS CONTENT: Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes is a live Q&A podcast just for club gym nerd members! We're providing daily coverage after each day of competition plus podium training days during the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan! It's our appreciation love letter to club members for supporting the show. Here's how to ask questions live. Behind the Scenes we talk about all the stuff you can't see on the screen!  What happened in the press conference that you might miss unless you are paying close attention to the video on our YouTube page; Japanese pens; the office where things are really getting done; we answer lots of your questions and Spencer describes what it's like to sit next to Jessica at a gymnastics meet. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD  Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 2021 World Championships, Qualification – Day 3 2021 World Championships, Qualification – Day 2 2021 World Championships, Women's Qualification – Day 1 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 3 2021 Worlds Championships in Kitakyushu – Podium Training, Day 2 2021 Worlds Championships in Kitakyushu – Podium Training, Day 1 2021 World Championships Preview RELATED LIVEBLOGS Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Women's All-Around Finals Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 3 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 2 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 1 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 3 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 2 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 1  

Today, our immediate reactions after watching: Olympic all-around bronze medalist, Angelina Melnikova (RUS) USA's Leanne Wong and Kayla diCello Khorkina and the robot medal deliverer Russia's Vladislava Urazova Wei Ziaoyuan (CHN) France's Carolann Heduit and Celia Serber after her scary fall on beam in qualifications Filipa Martins of Portugal History makers Jennifer Williams (SWE), Emma Slevin (IRL) and Naomi Visser (NED) Power house tumbler Anastasia Bachynska (UKR) BONUS CONTENT: Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes is a live Q&A podcast just for club gym nerd members! We're providing daily coverage after each day of competition plus podium training days during the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan! It's our appreciation love letter to club members for supporting the show. Here's how to ask questions live. Behind the Scenes we talk about all the stuff you can't see on the screen!  Everyone takes sides on Battle Email Notifications and the adorable flub during the press conference. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here. JOIN CLUB GYM NERD  Join Club Gym Nerd for access to Behind the Scenes episodes. Buy our awesome clothing and gifts here. We have masks too! RELATED EPISODES 2021 World Championships, Qualification – Day 3 2021 World Championships, Qualification – Day 2 2021 World Championships, Women's Qualification – Day 1 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 3 2021 Worlds Championships in Kitakyushu – Podium Training, Day 2 2021 Worlds Championships in Kitakyushu – Podium Training, Day 1 2021 World Championships Preview RELATED LIVEBLOGS Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Women's All-Around Finals Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 3 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 2 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Qualifications – Day 1 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 3 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 2 Live Blog: 2021 World Championships, Podium Training – Day 1  

Today, our immediate reactions after watching Japan's two Olympic Champions King Uchimura Kohei and Hashimoto Daiki compete in front of a sold out home crowd. Plus defending world high bar champion, Arthur Nory (BRA), USA's battle pommel horse between Alec Yoder and Stephen Nedoroscik with Donnell Whittenburg joining the Dragulescu vault-a-thon; Yul Moldauer joined a stacked field in the AA; Irish star Rhys McClenaghan trying to repeat his PH greatness; and last but never least, Carlos Yulo (PHI) trying to defend his 2019 floor World Championship. Plus news on the spinal injury to Hatakeda Hitomi (JPN) and the COVID disinfection of the equipment after a competing athlete tested positive.   ​​BONUS CONTENT: Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes is a live Q&A podcast just for club gym nerd members! We're providing daily coverage after each day of competition plus podium training days during the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan! It's our appreciation love letter to club members for supporting the show. Here's how to ask questions live. Behind the Scenes we talk about all the stuff you didn't see on the screen! The HR department has to step in to an internal GymCastic Crew dispute.

Today, our immediate reactions after watching the end of women's qualifications with Andrade and Melnikova plus the beginning of men's qualifications! Plus  Konnor McClain recently recovery from COVID and Igor Radivilov's grip situation on rings vs the grip break rules. BONUS CONTENT: Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes is a live Q&A podcast just for club gym nerd members! We're providing daily coverage after each day of competition plus podium training days during the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan! It's our appreciation love letter to club members for supporting the show. Here's how to ask questions live. Behind the Scenes we talk about all the stuff you didn't see on the screen! What Spencer overhead on the livestream; we answer your questions about China's giant puffer jackets; judging here vs the Olympics; why the subdivisions aren't consolidated and more on USA's Warm-Up Gate. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here.

Today, our immediate reactions after watching the first day of women's qualifications, including China, Great Britain and Becky Downie's revenge tour, Italy, Netherlands with Elze Geurts in first place on vault, USA's amazing comeback from podium training and DiCello hitting bars without a one touch, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and Romania. BONUS CONTENT: Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes is a live Q&A podcast just for club gym nerd members! We're providing daily coverage after each day of competition plus podium training days during the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan! It's our appreciation love letter to club members for supporting the show. Here's how to ask questions live. Behind the Scenes we talk about our adventures with the Italian Federation on the bus; what's happening in the arena that you can't see; the made up reason for disallowing photos in the arena; how to escape a fire in a Japanese hotel. Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here

Today, our instant takes immediately after watching day the third day of podium training, including the Japanese men, Carlos Yulo, USA and the three gymnasts who may be out of the competition. BONUS CONTENT: Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes is a live Q&A podcast just for club gym nerd members! We're providing daily coverage after each day of competition plus podium training days during the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan! It's our appreciation love letter to club members for supporting the show. Here's how to ask questions live. In the bonus content about why Nederosic didn't arrive in Japan until today and why the FIG Vice President came to talk to us up in the rafters!

Today, our instant takes immediately after watching day the second day of podium training, which featured Andrade, Russia's Olympic Champion women's team kicking ass today, Ireland and men's podium training with Germany, China, Russia and Ukraine.

Today, our instant takes from watching day the first day of podium training, which featured USA, Romania, Japan, Ukraine, Germany BONUS CONTENT! BTS is a live Q&A podcast just for club gym nerd members! We're providing daily coverage after each day of competition plus podium training days during the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan! It's our appreciation love letter to club members for supporting the show. Here's how to ask questions live. In the bonus content hear how Jessica made someone cry on her first day in Japan, about the "quarantine bubble", the struggles the athletes have faced during this last minute Worlds, things we can and cannot do while we are here and why it took three days to get to our destination.  Please login to your Club Gym Nerd account to listen and/or watch this episode. Not a member? Join here.

A la fin des années 90, Ogata Junko et son amant Matsunaga Futoshi ont créé l'effroi lors de la découverte de leurs terribles exactions. Séquestrations, tortures et meurtres de leurs proches, parfois très très jeunes, tout ça par seul appât du gain.

Listen to the Loud Table conversation taped at Daddy Juice Energy Studio in the Beaded Curtain District. Discover a unique experience that you have been craving all this time. Double X Quantimino. True or False: Yolandi Visser of Die Antwoord. McFly in the flesh at Daddy Juice Energy Studio. Everyone is vaccinated. Time for a human centipede. Atlanta orgy. Roofers. Curbside pickup. Shingles: The Revenge of the Chicken Pox. Update on Wes Burrito moving. Watermelon Girl. Meta-Analysis. This Is The Newz. Boy, 4, accidentally buys $2.6K worth of SpongeBob Popsicles on Amazon. Legends of the Hidden Temple Revival Now Casting. Movie Amnesia. You Actually Aren't Supposed to Mix Wasabi With Soy Sauce When Eating Sushi. Fries with ketchup flavor baked in. Ohio State Senator Is Caught Zooming and Driving. Some Poor Guy Logged into a Court’s Zoom Call with Anal Sex-Themed Screenname. Man crashes stolen police car on I-95, steals second police car. Scientists have taught bees to smell the coronavirus. They can identify a case within seconds. BJP MLA recommends drinking cow urine to stop Covid spread, demonstrates on camera. Burrito’s Nippon Newz. Japanese high school kendo coach was caught forcing students to pay birthday-tribute money. Aichi man who stole and replaced women's shoes set free, victims too "disgusted" to press charges. Man's panties stolen from man in Nagoya by male/female team of thieves. Pooping in the supermarket checkout lands Kitakyushu man 300,000 yen fine. More Newz. Fresh pizza vending machine prompts curiosity and horror in Rome. Loose tiger roaming around Houston neighborhood leads to armed standoff. 1,000 feral cats released onto Chicago streets to tackle rat explosion. Fry’s Electronics permanently closing all stores nationwide. Street™ cologne: Smell like you been somewhere. Chick-fil-A is facing a sauce shortage. A 28-year-old woman posed as a student, sneaked into high school to promote her Instagram. What I Had For Lunch. Eric America’s Learning Corner. The north star is 4000 times brighter than our sun. The light we see when we look at the north star was generated in the year 1587, and it has been traveling through space for 434 years to reach us. It would take 375,000 Lego bricks stacked one on top of another to destroy the bottom brick. The tower would be nearly 12,000 feet tall. Bears form "Fecal Plugs" during hibernation. It is formed from hair, callused footpad, and plant material ingested while grooming, as opposed to a changed diet as previously speculated. The wood frog can hold its pee for up to eight months. Deepfake Sponsors: Julio Tejas, Booba Gettz The Crazy One, Daddy Juice Energy, Blo-N-Go Hair Dryers.

Yoshiya Tanaka, Professor and Chairman of the department of Internal Medicine at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Kitakyushu, Japan. Join Professor Peter Nash as he interviews authors of recent notable papers in rheumatology. In this edition, Professor Tanaka discusses the safety and efficacy of filgotinib as a Novel JAK1-Preferential Inhibitor for the Treatment of RA.

En este episodio entrevistamos a Marciano Sanchez Bretón – Co-Fundador y Director General Vira Como Director General, Marciano esta a cargo de la operación en el día a día de la empresa, siendo responsable por proyectos en la CDMX. Marciano tiene más de 15 años de experiencia en la gerencia de proyectos, destacando su capacidad en el control de obra, costos y gestión. Es Ingeniero Industrial y de Sistemas egresado del Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM CCM) y tiene estudios en calidad del Instituto de Tecnología de Kitakyushu en Kyushu, Japón.

Chris interviews Dr. Robert S. Murphy - Associate Professor of English at The University of Kitakyushu. Read the article here: ResearchGate Contacts: haswell247@gmail.com, m@murphyschool.com

Want to know what went on in J2 this past midweek? Only got 20 minutes available?  No worries! Jon Steele is here to guide you through the wacky world of Kitakyushu defeats, Yamaga shenanigans, JEF United home defeats & Fukuoka making hay.  Enjoy!

Jonathan interviews Dr. Jenifer Larson-Hall - Associate Professor of English at The University of Kitakyushu. Contacts: JonathanShachter@gmail.com, drlarsonhall@gmail.com

In Episode 67 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with former BBL, NBL and England Head Coach, Dave Titmuss, aka Coach T.Titmuss has spent over 50 years on the sidelines of British basketball, starting out as a 22 year old before working his way up to the highest levels of the game experiencing success at every level, with 15 national titles, a Paralympic World Cup gold medal, a World Wheelchair Basketball Championship silver medal, a Paralympic bronze medal, two Coach of the Year awards and two Paralympic sport Coach of the Year awards.Starting in 1970 with St Albans Phoenix, Titmuss went on to the Hemel Lakers, the side that ultimately became Ovaltine Hemel Hempstead in National League Division 1 in the late 70s and early 80s, competing in the Korac Cup in Europe. From there he spent time with Tigers Juniors in Hemel, Brunel in Division 1, before joining Thames Valley Tigers in the BBL.He then developed the Ware Rebels junior programme, experiencing his first undefeated season, and before joining the Reading Rockets in NBL D1 where they had a historic quadruple-winning undefeated season in 2008-09.Whilst with Reading, he served as Head Coach and Performance Director of Great Britain's Paralympic squad for eight years, coaching GB to fourth place at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, a Silver Medal at the 2002 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, Bronze at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, and Gold at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.He went on to a season in the BBL with Worthing Thunder, before rounding out his career with Hemel Storm from 2010-2019.Titmuss has dedicated a large amount of his time coaching coaches, and is now mentoring whist enjoying retirement.In this 1 hour 39 minute episode, hear from Coach T on: His first exposure to basketball and making the switch from football How he ended up coaching his first session and falling in love with it in his early twenties His process for developing his coaching skills Coaching in the burgeoning national league with Hemel Lakers The professionalisation of the Hemel club within a 7-year time frame becoming Ovaltine Hemel Hempstead and competing in Europe Why basketball more 'mainstream' in the late early 80s, and how big of a role tv played The level of American player teams were able to recruit to play in England in that era How much of a role having British talent at home plays in the development of the game Hemel running their own lottery in the south of the country which helped the club turnover upwards of £1.5million (incorrectly labelled as £5m in the pod) His role at Hemel encompassing a lot more than just coaching, specifically the commercial side of the club Formulating his own coaching philosophy and style Recruiting players that fit the style you want to play versus building a philosophy around the roster make up His three years coaching the England Senior Men First experience coaching in the BBL with Thames Valley Tigers from 1990-1994 Building the Ware Rebels junior programme and it cementing his beliefs around youth development Coaching the England Juniors including a coming up Drew Sullivan Becoming involved with the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association and taking the reigns of their GB Senior Men squad Competing in multiple Paralympics, a world championship and experiencing the highest levels of the game His undefeated season with the Reading Rockets in NBL D1 in 2008-09 winning the quadruple A year in the BBL with Worthing Thunder in 2009-10 the following year Rounding out his career on the sidelines with Hemel Storm Mentoring coaches now to pass on his knowledge What he would do if he was tasked with improving the quality and quantity of coaches in the UK And much, much more! The show has been approved on iTunes – find it here and please subscribe to automatically receive new episodes straight to your phone/computer/tablet – if you could give us a review/rating it would be much appreciated to help the podcast spread far and wide, meanwhile it is also on Spotify here, Overcast, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.You can support Hoopsfix's work in helping to grow British basketball on Patreon.

This is a brief preview for the eighth episode in my new series, Resolved, which is available now on Patreon. To learn more about this series - and how you can listen - consider heading to https://www.patreon.com/unresolvedpodThis episode can be found at the following link:https://www.patreon.com/posts/33829499

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast we're talking about the Japanese language and the very interesting linguistic phenomenon of "made in Japan English" (wasei eigo). Anne Crescini is an Associate Professor at the University of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture. She has conducted extensive research on the linguistic phenomenon of wasei eigo ("made in Japan English") and has even written a book on the subject called Petto Botoru wa Eigo Ja nai tte Shittō to!? (English: Did you know that "PET Bottle" is not an English word!?). Aside from teaching and her work on wasei eigo, Anne regularly appears on Japanese television, writes a column for a Fukuoka newspaper, and makes her own miso. Anne is also well-known for her mastery of the Hakata dialect. In this episode we discuss: The various types of words that make up the Japanese language The various languages of origin of gairaigo (loanwords/foreign origin words in Japanese) What wasei eigo is Examples of wasei eigo What a "handle keeper" (handoru kīpā) What a "paper driver" is (pēpā) What "magic tape" (majikku tēpu) is What "skinship" is How the need for efficient communication shapes the words people use Possible reasons why wasei eigo came to be so prevalent How wasei eigo can be confusing for both English-speakers and Japanese-speakers Why Anne moved to Japan How Anne became interested in the Japanese language and researching it The changing nature of language Recent Japanese slang such as the use of wanchan and futsū ni (murai, oishii, etc) The use of re-tasu kotoba The use of ra-nuki kotoba The importance of knowing when you should speak formal Japanese versus casual Japanese Anne's interest in cooking Japanese food The potential probiotic benefits of making one's own miso And much more! Follow Japankyo on Facebook and Twitter so you don't miss any updates! For full show notes visit www.japanstationpodcast.com.

Salut à tous ! Cette semaine, Damien et Léo parlent de ce qui fait l'actualité rugbystique en France : le staff prévu pour l'après Coupe du Monde 2019 au Japon. Avec Fabien Galthié à sa tête. Bonne ou mauvaise chose ? On enchaîne avec les derniers résultats du WE. Le Top14 (FR), la Pro D2 (FR), le Trophée Jean Prat (FR), l'Elite 1 Féminines (FR), le Premiership (EN), le Pro14 (IRL-ECO-ITA), le Super Rugby (SUD), la Major League Rugby (US), le Kitakyushu 7s féminin (Sevens), les demi finales des 2 Coupes d'Europe de rugby à XV (EUR), la Super League XIII (EN), le Championship XIII (EN), le NRL XIII (AUS), le France XIII Elite 1 (FR), la Draft de la NFL 2019 (US), la Draft internationale de la CFL (CAN), le Championnat Elite France de Foot US (FR), et l'Australian Football League (AUS) Et on finit par ce qu'il faut suivre le WE prochain. Et notamment la dernière journée de championnat de ProD2. Musiques : - "A ma place" d'Axel Bauer et Zazie, - "Se Canta", l'hyme officiel du MHR, - "Galaxy Express 999" par Godiego. - "The Rugby League Song" par Danny McMaster. Bonne écoute !

Warren and Preston look at the recent D1A college rugby results, review the Women's bronze performance in Kitakyushu, dive into Major League Rugby scores, and talk about some major MLR signings.

As the Easter Bank Holiday weekend drew to a close, LJ arrived back from Japan to a BBQ and a podcast recording session at Nolli's.Nolli breaks down all the European Champions Cup Semi Final action, LJ fills us in on the World Rugby Sevens Series in Kitakyushu and the Try Hards make their predictions for the upcoming Tyrrell's Premier XVs Final. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Warren and Preston are back to review the men's performance at Hong Kong 7s and Singapore 7s, look ahead to the women's Kitakyushu 7s, and review Major League Rugby scores and news.

This week Adam takes us to the wonderful country of Japan to tell us about The Kitakyushu Serial Murders. This entire case has nearly slide complely under the rader and covers the sadistic murders named Futoshi Matsunaga and Junko Ogata. The promo at the beginning of our show is from the podcast Anyways, How's Your Sex Life Follow us on Instagram! Follow us on Twitter! Email us - bumblebuttpodcast@gmail.com  Intro/outro music is titled 'LOSE' from New Totally Radical by EXIT MINDBOMB Brando's Twitter Listen to all of Brando's projects on his YouTube, and watch h

Alvar Gimeno y Gonzalo Núñez, de VRAC y Chami, analizan el duelo más esperado; también Eli Martínez nos habla del éxito de España en Kitakyushu; oímos cómo están los playoff a División de Honor y analizamos cómo llegan los finalistas a Bilbao

Warren and Preston review Kitakyushu 7s, preview Singapore 7s, discuss the D1A playoffs and bracket controversies, and are joined by Curtis from This Is American Rugby to break down the first ever weekend of Major League Rugby.

Alvar Gimeno y Gonzalo Núñez, de VRAC y Chami, analizan el duelo más esperado; también Eli Martínez nos habla del éxito de España en Kitakyushu; oímos cómo están los playoff a División de Honor y analizamos cómo llegan los finalistas a Bilbao

Warren and Preston discuss the upcoming Women's 7s stop in Kitakyushu, look back at the Men's Hong Kong stop, talk about developments north of the border, preview the college rugby playoffs and more.

Futoshi Matsunaga and his common-law wife, Junko Ogata, are responsible for brainwashing, torturing, and killing at least seven people. Listener discretion is advised. Sponsored by Sudio Sweden: https://goo.gl/gQvUid Website: https://www.crimesmith.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/crimesmith Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesmithpodcast/ Email: crimesmithpodcast@yahoo.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/crimesmithpodcast

"I never thought I was going to travel two or three years ago...it just came up to me...it was some sort of instinct saying 'Let's do it. Let's go for it.'" - Ryoji Yoshimura Ryoji Yoshimura (@ryoji_o_yoshimura) is a veteran couchsurfing host based in Kitakyushu, Japan. Since 2015, he has hosted over 40 travelers in his home. These travelers are commonly called "couch surfers." A couch surfer is a person who stays at a local's place, often on their couch or extra mattress, for free. Meeting travelers from around the world, Ryoji felt inspired to see a bit of the world for himself. After trips to The Philippines and South Korea, Ryoji took a year off from school to travel. In order to do this, he first spent four months working in Australia. Once he had enough money he put these funds towards visiting places like the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, and Iran. Ryoji has fascinating experiences from couchsurfing in different countries and continuing to host travelers in his home. The lessons he learned throughout his gap year changed his perspectives and helped him develop a deeper understanding of who he is. He is now finishing up his university studies in Kitakyushu, which I think is a great testament to not put your dreams on hold.   Some of the things we discuss include: Experiences from couchsurfing: both hosting and being hosted. Hitchhiking around Taiwan Tools for learning a new language Developing a better understanding of yourself Global connections and relationships And so much more   You can find the full episode description, show notes and links at https://edgeofcomfort.com/eocp3/    

We've talked a lot about turning hobbies into a career, and my guest Julius Pang (ALT 2004-2007 Kitakyushu) not only became a professional photographer, he combined it with his love of Japan and started a photography tour business (Incredible Photo Tours). We talk about the work, photographing Mt Fuji (i.e. much harder than you'd expect) and wrangling old people. - Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julius-pang-165baba/ - Portfolio and Tours: http://juliuspang.com/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliuspang/ Julius was also a presenter at the After JET Conference: http://jetprogramme.org/en/after-con/ To start his business, Julius joined the New Enterprise Initiative Scheme (NEIS), for Australian job seekers who are interested in running a new small business: https://www.employment.gov.au/self-employment-new-enterprise-incentive-scheme-neis Music for this episode: Photograph by Derek Clegg is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Derek_Clegg/End_It_For_Now/Derek_Clegg_-_End_It_For_Now_-_04_Photograph

An amusement park in Japan has been forced to close its skating rink after a torrent of online criticism over its centerpiece: thousands of fish frozen into the ice. Space World in the city of Kitakyushu, south-west Japan, bowed to pressure to close the facility after an online campaign denouncing the piscine graveyard as “cruel”, “immoral” and “weird”. Jeff and Anthony weigh in on the controversy and decide whether this is artistic or offensive. GET BONUS EPISODES, VIDEO HANGOUTS AND MORE. VISIT: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Get all your sweet We Have Concerns merch by swinging by http://wehaveconcerns.com/shop Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here’s the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And here’s the Stitcher link: http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni Today’s story was sent in by Steven Badgery: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/28/anger-as-japanese-skating-rink-freezes-thousands-of-fish-into-ice-as-gimmick If you’ve seen a story you think belongs on the show, send it to wehaveconcernsshow@gmail.com or leave it on the subreddit:http://reddit.com/r/wehaveconcern

Introduction Amen. Well, one of the greatest advantages in a battle is the ability to strike your enemy without him ever knowing that you were there, to be able to slip in at night through his defenses, to silently carry on covert operations to achieve your mission with silent, invisible, deadly precision, by stealth. That has always been a dream of warriors everywhere. The element of surprise, the element of stealth. When my wife and I were missionaries in Japan, we had the opportunity to visit these spectacular ancient castles. You've perhaps seen pictures of them in various places. There are hundreds of them all over Japan, but we saw ones in Kitakyushu, we saw ones in Osaka, in Kobe. These impressive castles, built over 500 centuries ago, with steep sloping rock walls with their huge boulders, fitted together with amazing precision. Towering hundreds and hundreds of feet above the city, and we learned about a special class of warriors called the Shinobi Warriors, who are specially trained to scale those walls at night by stealth. And silently, secretly enter those castles while everyone slept, or to evade the sentries, slip in through windows. They study the arts of self. Techniques of silence in everything they did, these Shinobi Warriors, more commonly called, “ninja.” And these ninja warriors have a special skill at stealth. I've been thinking about ninja. I don't want to be a ninja. Some of you would say, "I wish I could be a ninja. I'd love to be a ninja." But I want to have an image in your mind, if you would, just to think in your mind's eye. I want to take another image from antiquity and image given us by the author, John Bunyan, his famous work, The Holy War, in which he pictured the human soul like a walled city, or a fortress. And I want you to picture yourself, your soul, like that, but I also want you to picture the walls of your castle as though they are being scaled continually by these black, covered ninja warriors, wearing these special black suits, and black hoods, and with their faces sooted up with black soot. Slipping in, if they can, into your life. Slipping in through the cracks of your defenses into your minds to do you devastating damage. Most Christians, as I've said for weeks now, are unaware of spiritual warfare moment by moment. We don't tend to think about it. We don't tend to think about the devil and his angels. And it seems like this text, this scripture is given to wake us up in the night. Imagine if those ninja were going up the walls and suddenly the whole area was flooded with light. A thousand, 10,000 torches suddenly lit. They'd be completely exposed and they would be helpless, unable to finish their dark mission. I want to shed the light of the word of God on what Satan is trying to do in your life, what he's trying to do in your soul, by means of these sermons. So, we are at war and we need to know that. Look again at verses 10 through 13. It says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. And after you've done everything, to stand." I. The Basic Command: Stand Firm Review: Spiritual Warfare So, fundamental to understanding this warfare is for us to understand our enemy. We've been talking for several weeks about Satan, the devil and his angels. Satan rules an organized dark empire with spiritual beings under him, fallen angels, spiritual beings called in this text, “rulers, authorities, powers of this present darkness.” Spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Those are the names that Paul gives them. These words are plural, so they're multi-faceted, they're different created beings who do this damage to us. They're intelligent, they're organized, they're unspeakably wicked. They're hateful, murderous, treacherous, they hate all humanity, generally. Because all human beings are created in the image of God and they hate God. But they especially hate Christians. And the devil and his angels, the demons, constantly assault Christians all over the world with invisible weapons. Pulling us away from righteousness, away from holiness and towards sin all the time. These invisible powerful assaults are called temptations, or accusations, or doubts, that assault our souls, they're invisible. And Paul calls on us Christians to fight, to stand firm and fight. Ultimately, the power for success in this kind of warfare comes, not from us but from God, Almighty God, through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's where our strength comes from. Because the devil's intellect soars vastly above ours. The devil's intelligence, his experience far greater than ours. He's been tempting people in every generation for millennia. People far more difficult to cause to sin than any of us. He has tremendous experiences. Power for us as far as we're concerned, is immeasurable. Really have no idea how powerful he is. Vastly greater than our power. His memory and record keeping about our tendencies is impeccable. Knows our weaknesses, knows what will work against us. He is relentless. He left our Lord. When he tempted him, he left him until an opportune time. Don't know when that is but he's coming back, never leaves for long. And his goal is to destroy your soul. I don't know if he believes in the eternal security of the believer or not, but he'd like to pull you down to Hell, if he could. He would also like to destroy the fruitfulness of your life here on earth. He'd like to destroy your good works. We are his workmanship, God's workmanship, “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance, that we should walk in them.” He wants to be sure you do none of them on any given day, none of the good works that God's prepared for you to do. He hates the fruit of the Spirit, he does not want you characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. That's the goal. God alone has the power to defeat him. You do not have that power and God will defeat him, and he will defeat him through us. We're told in James 4:7, "Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Well, what could make the devil flee? I know what makes him flee, terror. And not terror of you or me. He's afraid of God. And he should be. But we, in this text, we have a vital responsibility. We're told that there are things we must do to be successful in this fight. God has left some things to us to do. God calls on us to prepare to fight, to stand firm in the fight, to be strong in the Lord, in his mighty power, the power of his might. If we do that, we will win. We will be victorious. But if we give way, we will live defeated lives. And honestly, many of you are living defeated lives spiritually, already. So, we have a responsibility here. Even though the power for victory is from God, not from us. The Spiritual Armor Today, we're going to look more at what it means to stand firm in this battle. We're going to talk more specifically, as we look at the footwear of the Christian soldier. And we're going to talk about the shield of faith, as well. We're going to talk about what it means to lift up the shield of faith. This brings us, again, for the second week in detail to the topic of the whole armor of God. The spiritual armor that God has crafted for us. We have this responsibility, this whole armor of God, we could think of it as the whole armor from God. It's armor that God has crafted. It's nothing we could make but it's something that he has made. And we have a responsibility here to put it on. Well, what does that mean? What does it mean to put on these elements? I think what it means is to be mindful of doctrinal aspects of our salvation. That the words like “breastplate of righteousness, or belt of truth, or feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace.” We're going to talk about that. That these specific words call up doctrinal concepts that are related to our salvation. That we're to think about those aspects of our salvation, and do so with prayer, with a sense of dependence on God as we look upward. We're meditating on concepts, and we're lifting ourselves upward in prayer. How often do we have to do this? Once a day in the morning? No, that's not enough. There's a sense of continual need to come back to these, to know that we are constantly assaulted. And so, for us to go again to these elements is beneficial. So, whenever the evil day comes, whenever it might be that we're assaulted, we have to do this. That's what I think it means. Now, last week, we looked at two elements. The belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. This morning, God willing, we'll look at the footwear of the Gospel of peace, and the shield of faith. God willing, next week we'll finish looking at the elements of the full armor of God, namely the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Quick Review of Last Week Now, last week, we talked about the belt of truth, we talked about how soldiers back then wore tunics that were long and flowing, in order to get ready for action. They had to gather these garments around themselves, and belt them close to themselves with a belt. Paul identifies this belt as the belt of truth, we're girded up around with truth. I said there's overlap in each of the elements of the full armor of God. Honestly, as we're going to get to it later, it's hard to make a distinction between the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit in its defensive posture. Swords block attacks by Satan. And so, there's going to be a tremendous overlap there, and I think there's overlap between, let's say, the sword of the Spirit and the belt of truth. But I think that we could helpfully look at it this way. It's the belt of the overarching truth of God as revealed in the Bible. The fact that the Bible is truth, God's word is truth. And especially, as it testifies to Jesus. So, the idea of unshakable, immutable truth, heaven and Earth will pass away, but God's word will never pass away. And how vital that is for us who live in a postmodern age, questioning metaphysical truths, think that there's no way we can know. To be strong and draw into our inner being the concept of truth because Satan's whole attack is an attack of lies. That was last week, belt of truth. We also talked about the breastplate of righteousness, that radiant, shining beautiful piece of armor polished to a shine. A sense of the beauty of it, and how it goes on here and protects your vital organs. And it's strapped on and Paul uses the word righteousness, breastplate of righteousness, and how we dispense with any concept that that's your own righteousness. Satan would laugh at that. If you were to put that on and stand against him, you would shred it in an instant. But instead, it's a perfect righteousness, he can't shred. He tried. It's Christ's righteousness. One by momentary obedience of the Son to the Father. Moment by moment, for years and years, a perfect life lived under the Law of God. That's the righteousness of Christ. "I always do what pleases him," said Jesus. How beautiful is that? And then he has one for us, this imputed righteousness, and given it to us by faith and we just put it on. You know what's beautiful about that? If you're a Christian in one sense, you don't have to put on the breastplate of righteousness, it's never moving. Satan can't kill you. How frustrating is that for Satan? I'm glad he's frustrated. He can't kill you. However, there's still an obligation, put on the breastplate of righteousness. So, it really matters that you know that you're perfectly righteous in Christ, it's very important. And not just so that you know it, but remember how I said that that's on your internal organs, your heart and your intestines, your gut. You need to feel that you're righteous. You need to have that assurance of salvation because it's so vulnerable, we're so vulnerable there. That was last week. If I'm not careful, I'm just going to preach last week's sermon, which I would love to do, but there are more elements that we need to look at. Let's look at two more elements now and let's start with the footwear of the Gospel. II. The Footwear of the Gospel Verses 14-15, "Stand firm, then, with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace." Now, I want to give you right away when it comes to footwear, two of lasting images here. One of standing firm and the other is making advance. And I'm going to say you need good traction for both of those. So, to some degree, we stand firm and we advance. Both of those things are going on, and I don't think it's actually that difficult for us to picture that. We need stability, so that we can move ahead, we need a good grip on the earth. A good grip under us, so that we can actually make the progress that we need to make. We are marching forward with strong stable feet to both stand in advance. Remember that we're always talking about these two infinite journeys and we will continue to keep them in front of us, because we're left on earth to make progress and these journeys. Having come to faith in Christ we are here for the purpose of glorifying God by making progress in the internal journey of holiness and the external journey of Gospel advance to lost people. That's why we're left here. Not one or the other. We're not preferring one over the other. Both of them are vital and interconnected. Holiness: Standing Firm is the Vital Issue Now, let's talk first about the aspect of holiness, standing firm in holiness. Standing firm is the vital issue. Falling, slipping, and falling, then, as a metaphor for defeat, spiritual defeat. It's for sin. We slip and fall. So, the Bible uses this image frequently. First Corinthians 10:12 says, "So, if you think you're standing firm, take heed," lest you what? Fall. So, there's a sense of standing versus falling. Falling then refers to sin. To stand firm then in the day of testing means to overcome all that Satan does to you. The onslaught that he does to get you to fall. And then when all of that's done, you're still standing in righteousness, in Christ. That's the image here. Footwear is essential for that. Footwear is Essential in Hand to Hand Combat Now, footwear was especially essential in ancient warfare. In our day and age, not so much. What do I mean by that? Well, the most powerful weapons that are available to the worldwide military right now are launched by the pushing of a button. Like ICBMs, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles are launched by the pushing of a button, I guess the punching of codes and pushing. I don't think it much matters what your footwear is when you push those buttons, or you think about cruise missiles, or some of these drones. They're controlled with a joystick. I think if you're good at computer games, you could be an amazing warrior these days. You could be barefoot, you could be in sandals and you could do amazing damage. But back in Paul's day, it was not so. Back in Paul's day, war was a brutal face-to-face affair. It was a brutal thing in which foot soldiers in an army were the most powerful force in that army, by far, actually. And battle is consistent, immense hand-to-hand struggles. Shield walls where soldiers are standing side, by side, by side, by side, by side with shields, and they're pushing against other shield walls. And there's a grunting and pushing like an NFL line of scrimmage. And then, once all that broke down, there was just simple hand-to-hand combat, you and your enemy. And for that kind of warfare, stability is everything. Honestly, if you're in hand-to-hand combat, each of you having a shield and a sword in hand, and you're pushing, and slashing, and stabbing at each other, if one of you slips and falls, and is down on the ground, they're almost certain to be instantly killed. You're completely vulnerable at that point, so you need that stability, and for that you had to have reliable footwear. Now, these days, we have an astonishing variety of footwear for an amazing amazingly wide array of situations. Dress shoes, work shoes, leisure shoes. When I went on a mission trip to Nepal, we were supposed to be trekking. We went trekking through the Himalayan Mountains, and I bought some really expensive hiking boots. Do you want to hear a funny story? We got to this one rock slide, and all of these rocks had slid down and it was covered with fine mud, and for some reason someone said that we should take off our boots in order to cross. It was one of the worst mistakes I've ever made on the mission field. I'll never forget, I still to this day don't know why I took off my expensive boots, I paid $125 for those boots for such a time as that. And there they were around my neck as I went across this jagged river of rocks that cut my feet something fierce. Got to the other side, put my boots back on. What was I thinking? Someone tell me afterwards what I was thinking, because I still don't know. I never needed them the rest of the mission trip like I needed them that moment. Was I afraid they were going to get dirty? I don't have any idea what I was thinking. But I needed good footwear. A soldier's footwear, it's more important even than an athlete's. Think about all the money that Nike and Reebok and others put into developing their shoes for playing basketball or cleats for baseball or soccer. Think of all of that. Listen, a soldier's need for good footwear is far greater than any athlete's. Soldiers' feet have to carry them over rugged terrain like we were on that mission trip, burning sands, just different terrain or even just hot asphalt, and the soldiers' feet need protection. If they become blistered or cut or wounded in some way, they're not going to be able to fight as well, or even be able to stand up. Think about pictures of Valley Forge, where Washington's army marched with the inadequate footwear and there's just a trail of blood in the snow from the soldiers' feet. A Roman Soldier’s Footwear Now a Roman soldier's footwear looked at the top like sandals, but they were really essentially like boots that were strapped up. They had a tough flexible leather base with studs of metal, nails, different things, and the footwear enabled the soldier to have two things. I want you to focus on these words, stability and mobility, both of those things, stability and mobility. Many of the barbarian armies that the Romans fought did not have good footwear, and frankly, if they had the Romans shoes were studded with metal and they're fighting barefoot enemies, they could have won by stomping to some degree, stomping right on their feet. And actually this gives an image of spiritual victory, frankly. I love this verse, listen to this, Romans 16:20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." Isn't that powerful? How does he do that? Well, one way he does it is by Gospel advance. "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news." Isn't that a beautiful verse? So we're just crushing Satan by a steadfast marching of the Gospel advance. We'll get to more of that in a moment, but think of it this way. Joshua 10:24, after the defeat of I think seven Canaanite kings or there were three kings in particular, and he had the kings, the defeated Canaanite kings, lay down, and he had his commanders come and put their feet on the necks of those kings. Joshua 10:24 and he said, "In this way, God will crush all of your enemies under your feet." Well, Paul uses that image against Satan. Spiritual Analogy: Four Key Concepts The Gospel of Peace So I want to give you four key concepts from this verse. “Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace.” Four words we're going to look at. Gospel of peace, we're going to talk about that, preparation or readiness, I want to talk about that, and stability and mobility I've already given you, and I want to talk about that. So quickly, first, the Gospel of peace. Go to the end of that section, it says, "Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace." The shoes are in some way the preparation that comes from the Gospel of peace. We'll get to preparation in a minute, but let's concentrate on the phrase Gospel of peace. The Gospel is the message of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Paul says, in Romans 1:16. "I'm not ashamed of the Gospel because it is powerful, it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." So the idea of the Gospel is, is that of tremendous power, but it's called here, the “Gospel of peace,” and I think what that does is it zeroes in specifically on the fact that the Gospel brings peace with God. How powerful is that, how sweet is that. The Gospel takes former enemies, as all of us were. We were at one point at war with God and that changes everything so that Romans 5:1, "Having been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." You know what that means? It means that God who was our enemy is now at peace with us and will be through all eternity. The Gospel of peace means that God is your ally, he is your friend, he is your father, he is your king. You are now on the side of peace. I think it's beautiful too, that the Christian warrior brings a trail of peace behind him or her. Isn't that beautiful? Unlike the Roman legions that brought nothing but destruction and tyranny and death, what we bring is we bring peace to people who believe the message. So, first and foremost, you as a warrior, you need to know that God's at peace with you. That's beautiful, isn't it? And not only that there's a status of peace between us and God, but also we can actually experience peacefulness in the Christian life. We can feel peaceful. Because it says in Philippians 4:6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." How powerful is that in the midst of spiritual warfare? How much does Satan want to make you anxious, make you afraid, make you filled with doubts, filled with fears. So often Satan's work produces fear. Fear. I will never forget. I was called on to go preach in India. This is the strongest encounter I ever had, I think, with a sense of demonic oppression. I've had multiple stories, I shared some with some of the guys earlier this week, but this one sticks out in my mind. I was called to preach to a large assembly in Pune, India, and when I got there, to the grounds that day, the thing, the revival meeting, whatever, or the preaching time was set for 7:30 that night. But when I got there to the grounds, I saw chairs set up like it was Woodstock or something, it was like 5000-7000 chairs with a huge stage, and with projection screens, and big speakers, big black boxes, and a big banner, and my name under the big banner. I was like, "Oh my goodness, you got the wrong guy," and fear started to well up inside me. And when I climbed up on the stage that afternoon and looked out at all the empty chairs, and I was like I wanted to run and hide, I was looking inward and I was like, "Do I have the resources to speak to such a huge crowd?" And all afternoon, the fear just built and built and built and built. Right around that time, it was the time of Diwali, which is a Hindu festival. They have a lot of festivals. But this is a big festival, lots of pagan worship going on in that city, and an ever escalating sense of fear inside my heart about preaching from Philippians 1-4, chapter 1 that night. And I'll never forget driving in that van to the grounds. It was about 6:45 and there were these big lights like it was a huge ball game, like it was the World Series or the Super Bowl or something like that. And just the fear was rising, and we came and I saw that they had filled all the seats and then some. I was thinking maybe just 100 people will show up, that'll be really good. We'll have a Bible study. The fear was in me. I really felt, I didn't say it, I think Jenny was with me and a couple from our church. I didn't say what was in my heart. I feel like I'm going to my own execution. And when I got in there, and they were spraying this fog to kill mosquitoes that carry Dengue fever. All of this. And this blue smoke just rose and hovered over the entire crowd, and I was like, demonic oppression, a cloud of demons. Almost wasn't far from the truth, but I guess I'd never realized how much they were focused on me right there and then to cause me to be afraid, just fear. And it reached a peak right before I went up to preach. And when I got up there and the translator was there, godly man, about 10 years older than me, he smiled at me and said, "Let's preach the word." Fear left. And I just preached Philippians chapter 1. It was gone. But that hovering feeling was a feeling of almost if I could see in the spiritual world, it was demonic oppression focused on fear. How powerful would peace be at a moment like that, of knowing that God's at peace with me? I don't have to succeed, I just have to preach the word. Are you ever assaulted like that? Are you ever assaulted with fears and terrors and anxieties and no peace at all and restless and anxious? That's Satan's work. And isn't it beautiful to know that at times like that, God will fight for you, to know that not only is God at peace with you, but you actually, to some degree, don't have to do anything. All you have to do is stand firm and see the salvation that God works. How many times does that happen in the Old Testament? First, at the Red Sea crossing. You remember in Exodus 14, Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid." Satan's always going after fear, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. These Egyptians you see today, you'll never see them again. The Lord will fight for you, you need only to stand firm and to be still. That's all." Or again in the time of Jehoshaphat, when this overwhelming army came. 2 Chronicles 20, same message, "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, oh Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged." The same message, stand firm in peace and watch God fight. Preparation Secondly, preparation. What does preparation mean? The preparation of the Gospel of peace. Well, been talking about it, but now we're going to zero on the word preparation. Get ready for war. That's what it means. Get ready. Are you ready to fight? That's what preparedness means. Are you ready to have a mortal enemy? Are you ready to have someone who's coming after you and will never stop until he kills you? Are you ready for that? Are you ready to fight today? Don't imagine you're ever going to have any days off in this battle, ever. Preparation. Preparedness. Get your heart ready to fight. I talked about soldiers sleeping with their boots on. What that meant is that they're ready instantly to get up and fight. Well, Paul would say don't sleep. Just be vigilant. I'm not saying he never says, you never go to... Alright, don't do that. You're going to quote me and say, "Pastor, you told us never to sleep," don't do that. Go to sleep, alright. “The Lord grants sleep to those he loves.” But the point is preparation. Even if you were to some degree resting, you're still resting with your boots on, you're ready to fight. Preparation. Remember how Peter and the other apostles were with Jesus in Gethsemane, and he had already predicted, Jesus had already predicted that that very night before the rooster crowed, he would deny him three times. Remember? And Jesus went to pray and he went to get himself ready to fight the greatest battle he would ever fight against Satan. And he was on the ground praying with sweat coming out like drops of blood. What was Peter doing? Sleeping. And Jesus went and woke him saying, "Are you sleeping? Could you not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, the body is weak, so get ready." Your entire outlook on life should be, "I'm ready for warfare, that God left us here to glorify God by advancing in holiness and advancing in evangelism and missions. That's why we're here. I'm ready for a fight." It's not going to be easy. So I would suggest that you begin every day getting ready for a fight, getting ready. Put on the whole armor of God, stand firm in the Lord, get ready for a fight. Stability Third word is stability. Stability. What do I mean by that? Well, four times Paul says stand. Look at it, verse 11, "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Verse 13, "Therefore put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand." By the way, notice he says after you have done everything, after you are fully prepared, then stand. So, it's preparation. And then verse 14, "Stand firm then." So that's four times he's told us to stand, you need stability. What does it mean then to fall? It means to give into temptation, to slip and fall into sin. Psalm 73, the psalmist gives us an example of that. He says in Psalm 73, "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet almost slipped, I nearly lost my foothold, for I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." So the psalmist said, “I almost slipped into envy and covetousness when I saw how rich the wicked are.” That's the image of slipping and falling. So conversely, we get Jude 24, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you blameless before His presence, blameless with great joy." So that's the image of stability. Mobility And then finally, mobility. We need to be able to move, traction for mobility. Satan is going to try to outflank you. You're thinking he's always going to come from the same direction. No, he's not always going to come from the same direction, sometimes he's going to come from the front, sometimes from the side. I often think about Peter. Peter was ready to die at the hands of a burly Roman soldier, but he was not ready to answer a little slave girl at the door. And so Satan came in from the side, the ability to turn with mobility and face what Satan's going to do. Satan's going to try to flank you in reference to holiness. But then in reference to missions, you know we have miles to travel. We have a road to travel, even a physical road. The Great Commission says, "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations." Acts 1:8 says, "You'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." So we've got miles to travel, even literal miles. We have got to be ready to move out. Ready to move out. And so the image I have here is of Satan's dark kingdom with powerful towering walls, and we are called to move out and take those walls, to scale them. Basically you're saying, "Pastor, we're the ninja?" I guess kind of. We're up over the walls. Jesus said, "I will build my Church and the gates of Hades will not prove stronger than it." So we have to go into the dark kingdom and rescue the perishing, and for that you need good footwear, you need mobility, you need to move out. III. The Shield of Faith What Was the Roman Shield? Alright, verse 16, the shield of faith: "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." So clearly, Paul has in mind the Roman scutum, four feet long, two-and-a-half feet wide, this was a big thing. This wasn't one of those little round things that you hold, like you're playing medieval-like knights and all that, little round thing. No, this was huge, covered from just below the base of the throat down to the shins, it's a big thing. And it was protection against bows and arrows, projectile weapons. Bows and arrows, a devastatingly effective weapon if you didn't have a shield. And the shield would have a powerful lining that could not be pierced with the arrow. And the arrows, they were constantly developing them, but one of the developments was to wrap it up with pitch-covered cloth and light it so that if it got in your leg, ordinarily it'd just be a leg, when you keep fighting, but if your tunic's on fire, you're a dead man. So it's devastatingly effective, these flaming arrows. The Shield of Faith Described? So what is this shield of faith? Well, he says in verse 16, I like the NIV best here on this one, “In addition to all this,” KJV says, "Above all," implying this is the most important thing. I don't think that's a good translation, it's just in addition to what I've already mentioned, now you're going to want to take the shield of faith. This is something that you, to some degree, pick up and hold. So what is the shield of faith? It's an impenetrable barrier, a wall of protection that you carry, that protects you from the projectiles that the enemy is shooting at you. Now, at the beginning of this worship time, Chase was talking about faith being the eyesight of the soul. That's huge here. The ability to see the invisible spiritual weapons that are coming at you, the arrows as they're flying at you, stealth technology. Nowadays, it's up in the air with F-22 jets. I was reading this article about F-22s versus F-15s. Who would win? F-22 every time, but it's an unfair fight, it's like who wins between the biggest, strongest, most powerful warrior on earth, who's never been defeated in a hand-to-hand combat and a sniper, who wins? Sniper. The guy has no chance. Why? Because the F-22 can fire its missiles without the other plane even knowing it was there. Even in the region, the missiles are already flying, it's gone, and then you're done. It's a stealth fighter. Satan is far worse. He fires his missiles, you don't even know, you didn't even know he was there. And you're depressed, you're discouraged, you're lustful, your covetous, you're angry, and you don't know why. Well, you've been hit with flaming arrows. We have invisible enemies, and the devil is able to fight us from his hiddenness and slaughter us in that way. So we have to understand what these flaming arrows are. What are they? Remember, I said spiritual warfare has to do with ideas that produce feelings that together produce actions. That's what's going on in spiritual warfare. Satan is insinuating concepts in your mind, lies, making you feel things about those lies and then making you act sinfully. That's what he's doing. So what are these flaming arrows? I want to say three types, temptations, accusations, and doubts, those things in particular. The Flaming Arrows of the Evil One First temptations, flaming arrows. Oh yes, they're on fire. The temptations want to make your soul on fire, they want to set you on fire, they want to kindle a fire within you, a fire of evil desire. For example, sexual lust, like when David saw Bathsheba bathing he was struck with a flaming arrow. When Potiphar's wife seized Joseph by the arm, that was a flaming arrow coming his way that he was able to see, “how could I do this and sin against God,” he was seeing the invisible God at that moment. That's how you lift the shield of faith at that moment, you can see what's happening. It's like, "I will not do that. How could I sin." He also didn't forget Potiphar. “He's given me the charge over this whole place and everything except you because you're his wife. He didn't forget he was just, he saw clearly what was happening there.” The flaming arrow hit the shield of faith and was extinguished. He had no power over him. You think about the alluring temptress of Proverbs 7, who catches the young man by the arm and starts to pour honeyed words into his ear. "Come with me, my husband is gone, he won't get back for another month. I've got meat. I've perfumed my bed, everything is ready. Let's enjoy a night together." That's a flaming arrow. Inciting lust. Or perhaps it's a flaming arrow of sinful anger, Satan is flaming your heart making you hot with rage, because you're so angry, you're so angry at this individual and you're going to say things and do things that you would never do. It's almost like you're drunk and then our heart clears and you said, "Why did I do that? What happened?" It's a flaming arrow. Makes you angry at your spouse or your child, or another church member, a total stranger on the road, or perhaps temptations like Psalm 73, like the Psalmist toward covetousness, got to have it. You see the ad. I remember sitting with my brother we were watching, it was a football game, watching a series of ads, one after the other, six in a row, it was half-time. And at the end of that, he just stared blankly ahead and said, "I want.” “What do you want?” “I don't know, I just want, I want stuff." Well, that's what the ads do, they make you want things? They're flaming arrows, they stimulate discontent and covetousness in your heart. You lift up the shield of faith to see all of these things as what they are, they're temptations. Along with that is the flaming arrow of accusation. After having gotten you to sin, Satan then goes righteous on you and accuses you of the sin. He condemns you of guilt, he tells you you're disqualified from ministry, he lays you low with guilt and makes you weak, because the things he says are true, actually you did sin and the Law of God is against you. If it weren't for Christ, you would deserve Hell. But then you lift up the shield of faith and you say Romans 8, “who shall bring any charge against those whom God has justified. It is God who justifies, who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus who died, more than that, he was raised to life, is at the right hand of God is interceding for me.” Or maybe the flaming arrow of doubt, like you did with Eve. In the garden of Eden. “Did God really say, this or that, did he really…” Is that really in the word, that doubt that comes in, that creeps in, false doctrines, flaming arrows of false teaching, the prosperity Gospel, the cults like Mormonism, and Jehovah's Witnesses. False religions like Buddhism, and Hinduism, and Islam. Atheistic philosophies, materialism, various things creep in and cause doubts. These are all flaming arrows. Isn't it wonderful to know that the shield of faith is impenetrable and effective. Look again at what it says, take up the shield of faith with which you are able, it is able to extinguish all of the flaming arrows of the evil one. How important is the word “all”? Imagine if it got 99% of them. Well, you're dead. And so, the shield of faith is 100% effective when lifted up. We're able then to see the moment for what it is. The flaming arrows coming toward you, and you can see what's happening, you know what Satan wants to do in your soul and you're able to lift up your faith, and see the moment, see it in eternity, see what it's going to look like on Judgment Day. You're using the internet, you see a tempting site that you could click on, and you just see that moment in eternity. What is this going to look like on Judgment Day, by faith, you can see judgment day. “When you're going to have to give an account for every careless word you've ever spoken. Everything ever done in the body, whether good or bad, you can see it, feel like my job as a pastor make that moment just alive in your hearts.” That moment is coming, judgment days coming. Are you ready? And so by faith, you see that moment, and you lift up the shield of faith. Application Repent and Believe the Gospel So applications. Well, I've been making applications all the way through, but the first and greatest always is the same. If you're not a Christian, you can't fight, you're already in Satan's kingdom, you already in chains, you're in a dungeon. But God's Gospel is powerful, he can set you free. He can make the dungeon flame with light and you can see yourself as you really are, and you can see the chains of sin on your wrist and guilt and condemnation, and you can cry out to Jesus. The one who died on the cross for sinners like you and me, you can cry out to him, and you'll find like Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, the chain just fall off you. The guilt is gone. You have become an adopted son or daughter of the living God, and the door just flies open, like it did for Peter and you just walk right through and you're out and you're free. And then you can begin your spiritual warfare against Satan. Then you can put on the full armor of God and fight because you'll need to, because finally, you're alive. Christians, Get Ready Finally, you're in Christ's kingdom. So come to Christ. And secondly, if you're already come to Christ, it was a day ago, a week ago, a decade ago, 50 years ago. Get ready to fight, get prepared to fight. Wake up, get up out of bed, be aware of what Satan has been doing to you for years. Don't let him do it anymore. Fight the good fight of faith, get up on your feet, get up on the Gospel of peace, put on the Gospel of peace on your feet and take up the shield of faith, see what Satan is doing. Get ready. You're in a siege right now. Mans soul, that's Bunyan analogy in holy war. You are besieged. The Ninja are crawling the walls, probably right now. Shed the light, see what they're doing and watch them just fall dead under your feet. This is the calling of God. He wants us to make progress in these two journeys. We're only going to do it by fighting, put on the full armor of God and fight. Close with me in prayer. Prayer Father, we thank you for the time we've had today in your word. We thank you for the clarity that comes concerning spiritual warfare. God, I pray for my brothers and sisters, I pray that you give them strength, give them courage to fight. Give them the wisdom to be prepared, the preparation, the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace. Help us O Lord to move out, I pray that we would be willing to cross the street to talk to lost neighbors. I pray that we would put on the Gospel on our feet and cross the office to a cubicle to meet a new employee, and get to know him or her and be able hopefully at some point to share Christ. I pray that we as a church would be willing to send out more and more missionaries who go to unreached people groups. There are three billion people who live in almost 7,000 unreached people groups. Oh God, help us to be passionately aware of that and concerned about people who don't even know the name of Jesus and no one in their village, knows the name of Jesus. Oh God, help us to reach out to those that are unevangelized, unengaged, unreached give us a passion and God give us protection in the spiritual realms, help us to see what Satan is trying to do to us through sin. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

**Warning: this week’s episode is especially disturbing.** Some couples just aren’t good for each other... and then there’s Futoshi Matsunaga and Junko Ogata. Matsunaga, an undeniable psychopath, with Ogata at his side led a decades long crime spree which included fraud, blackmail, murder, rape, kidnapping, as well as physical and psychological torture. In fact, Matsunaga took particular delight in breaking his victims’ spirits, often forcing them to harm their own family members. His crimes were so numerous and heinous the Japanese media refused to report the details. Contact info: Facebook group. It’s private, but everyone is free to join. https://www.facebook.com/groups/599855356835724/ Email us. truecrimejapan@gmail.com Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futoshi_Matsunaga http://murderpedia.org/male.M/m/matsunaga-futoshi.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junko_Ogata http://murderpedia.org/female.O/o/ogata-junko.htm http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/09/29/national/pair-to-hang-for-seven-murders/ http://www.absolutecrime.com/futoshi-matsunaga.html#.V3uTSBgdzq0

The Plum in Mr Blum's Pudding (Penny Ante Editions) “My hours of leisure I spent in reading the best authors, ancient and modern, being always provided with a good number of books; and when I was ashore, in observing the manners and dispositions of the people, as well as learning their language; wherein I had a great facility, by the strength of my memory.” - Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels The Plum in Mr. Blum's Pudding is Los Angeles native Tosh Berman's first printed collection of poetry. In 1989, Berman left the United States behind, moving to Japan after learning his wife's (artist Lun*na Menoh) mother was ill in Kitakyushu. The Plum in Mr. Blum's Pudding was penned while both rapt and lost by this transition. Gracefully toiling between the quirky and earnest, these poems describe the liminal space of the foreigner caught between the strange and the familiar. The result is surreal and unclassifiable, a book of love poems overshadowed by isolation and underscored with curiosity and lust. Originally published in 1990 by “Cole Swift & Sons” (Japan) as a small hardcover edition of two hundred copies, this new edition acts to preserve this work and features an introduction by art critic and curator Kristine McKenna and an afterword by Ruth Bernstein. Tosh Berman is a publisher and writer. His press, TamTam Books, has published works by Boris Vian, Guy Debord, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Mesrine, artist Lun*na Menoh, and Ron Mael & Russell Mael (Sparks). He is the author of Sparks-tastic: 21 Nights with Sparks in London. As the son of artist Wallace Berman, Tosh has delivered talks and various essays toward furthering his late father's artistic legacy including his influential folio series, Semina (1955–1964). He resides in Los Angeles. Ruth Bernstein lives in Highland Park where she writes postcards and collects books.

Ep186 Got Faded Japan Podcast Johnny and Shank play the dumbest batsu game ever while discussing how turds make it down the Sky Tree. Man busted with 3D printed pistolas, taxi driver doses dames with diuretic, body parts found outside real estate office, spiced-up driver strikes woman and three cars, car arson fire bug hits Kitakyushu, woman phones fiance and vanishes, and police pop speed popper for purchases with bitcoin. The Got Faded Japan Podcast gives listeners a glimpse of the seedy side of Japan's news, culture, politics, parties, and all around mischief and mayhem. Hosted by Johnny and Shank who add their own opinions and otherwise drunken bullshit to the mix.  Send us an email on FB/twitter/instagram @ Got Faded Japan,gotfadedjapan@gmail.com or go to gotfadedjapan.com to buy a t-shirt to support the show. Or hell man, just tell a friend & post a link to keep this pod rolllin' Fader! Kanpai mofos!