Podcasts about Nagano

Olympic figure skater Nicole Bobek has long been on our list of athletes to interview, and we're thrilled she's able to come on the show! In 1995, Nicole dazzled at the US Championships, winning gold and then taking bronze at the Figure Skating World Championships later that year.  Her career on and off the ice has had a lot of highs and lows, from her beautiful performances to dealing with injuries and the sudden death of her coach Carlo Fassi at the 1997 World Championships where she was still competing. Nicole also represented the US at the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics. Nicole has a new memoir out called The Wild One, in which she talks candidly about her skating career and her life afterward, which involved an arrest for being part of an alleged drug ring, for which she served five years of probation.  Since then, Nicole has found her way back, and she embraces her role as a mother....and you can still find her free skating! Find out more about Nicole and her book The Wild One at her website: http://nicolebobek.com Follow Nicole on Insta! @nicolebobek77   In news from Milano Cortina 2026, we now know who will be the first torchbearers for the torch relay. One is a very inspired choice! Also, construction on the Milano Athletes Village has been completed, and Snoop Dogg is back. In news from LA 2028, organizers plan to use electric school buses for some shuttles, and the LA Convention Center is embarking on a massive renovation plan--will it be done in time for the Games? Also, Team New Zealand's planning an epic New Zealand House in Culver City. The International Paralympic Committee had its General Assembly, and we've got the results of some key votes (that not everyone is happy about). Plus, Team Keep the Flame Alive is busy representing TKFLASTAN at multiple competitions. And Listener Erica shared a great article about what author David Davis' book inspired.   For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.   Like this episode? Have thoughts on the show? Comment/write us a review, and you may be our review of the week!   Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!    Photos courtesy of Nicole Bobek. *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. ***     Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348      

Hello Youtube Members, Patreons and Pacific War week by week listeners. Yes this was intended to be an exclusive episode to join the 29 others over on my Youtube Membership and Patreon, but since we are drawing to the end of the Pacific War week by week series, I felt compelled to make some special episodes to answer some of the bigger questions. Why did Japan, or better said, why did Emperor Hirohito decide to finally surrender? It seems obvious on the face of it, but there is actually a lot more to it than bombs or Soviet invasions. I guess you can call this episode a teaser or a shameless plug for going over to my Youtube Membership or Patreon. There's honestly a lot of interesting subjects such as ‘why was the japanese army so brutal”, “Hirohito's war time responsibility”, “the 4 part Kanji Ishiwara series”. Thus if you liked this one please show some love and check out my other stuff on my Youtube Membership or over at www.patreon.com/pacificwarchannel.   Stating all of that lets just jump right into it.   We first need to start off briefly looking at Emperor Hirohito.    Upon taking the throne, Emperor Hirohito in 1926 Hirohito inherited a financial crisis and a military that was increasingly seizing control of governmental policies. From the beginning, despite what many of you older audience members may have been told, Hirohito intensely followed all military decisions. Hirohito chose when to act and when not to. When the Kwantung Army assassinated Zhang Zuolin, he indulged their insubordination. This emboldened them to invade Manchuria in 1931, whereupon Hirohito was furious and demanded they be reigned in. Attempts were made, but they were heavily undermined by radicals. Hirohito could have put his foot down, but he chose not to. On September 22nd, at 4:20pm Hirohito said to the IJA Chief of General staff, Kanaya Hanzo “although this time it couldn't be helped, the army had to be more careful in the future”. Thus Hirohito again acquiesced to the military, despite wanting them to stop or at least localize the conflict. The military had disregarded his wishes, they should have been severely punished. Why did Hirohito not take a firmer stance?    Again for older audience members you may have heard, “hirohito was a hostage at the whim of his own military”. This narrative made it seem he was some sort of hostage emperor, but this is not the case at all. In fact Hirohito was instrumental in many military decisions from 1931-1945. The reason this, I will call it “myth” , went on was because after Japan's surrender, the US basically rewrote the Japanese constitution and covered up the Emperor's involvement in all the nasty stuff, to maintain control over Japan. Yeah it sounds a bit conspiracy esque, but I assure you it was indeed the case. This narrative held firm all the way until Hirohito's death, when finally meeting notes and personal accounts from those close to him came out, illuminating a lot. Though to this day, many records are still red -tapped.   The reason Hirohito did not stamp his foot down has to do with the Kokutai.    The Kokutai   So before I carry on, I have to explain what exactly is the Kokutai.    The Kokutai, loosely translated as "national essence," refers to the qualities that distinguish the Japanese identity. However, this concept is remarkably vague and poorly defined; even Japanese historians acknowledge this ambiguity. In contrast to Kokutai is seitai, or "form of government." While the Kokutai embodies the eternal and immutable aspects of Japanese polity—rooted in history, traditions, and customs centered around the Emperor—Japan's seitai has evolved significantly throughout its extensive history. For instance, shoguns governed for over 700 years until 1868, when the Meiji Restoration reinstated direct imperial rule.   Nevertheless, Emperor Meiji's direct authority came to an end with the adoption of the Meiji Constitution in 1889, which established a constitutional monarchy, introducing significant complexities into the governance system.   Article 4 of the constitution declares: “The Emperor is the head of the Empire, combining in Himself the rights of sovereignty, uniting the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, although subject to the consent of the Imperial Diet.” Under this framework, the Emperor alone possessed the power to appoint or dismiss ministers of state, declare war, negotiate peace, conclude treaties, direct national administration, and command the army and navy.   A glaring flaw in this arrangement is the inherent ambiguity of the Meiji Constitution. While it established a democratic parliament, it simultaneously afforded the Emperor absolute authority to usurp it. The document failed to clearly define the relationships between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and its language was intentionally vague. Most critically, the military—the army and navy—were not directly accountable to the civilian government.    So with the kokutai, the Emperor is a divine figure who embodies the state's sovereignty. It was not necessarily the Emperor's job to surrender on behalf of the official government of Japan, but he most certainly could do so, given the Japanese people still remained faithful to the kokutai.    Now Hirohito did not live an ordinary life. According to the imperial custom, Japanese royals were raised apart from their parents, at the age of 3 he was placed in the care of the Kwamura family who vowed to raise him to be unselfish, persevering in the face of difficulties, respectful of the views of others and immune to fear. One thing that was absolutely indoctrinated into him was to defend the kokutai. It became his top mission as a monarch, it was the only mission in many ways. At the very core of how he saw the world and how he acted, it was always to protect the kokutai.    So when the Japanese military began these insubordinate acts, Hirohito's primary concern was to the kokutai, ie: anything that threatened his imperial authority and the imperial institution itself. Although the military usurped his authority, the operations had been successful. Hirohito was not at all opposed to seeing his empire expand. He understood the value of manchuria, he was fully onboard with the military plans to eventually seize control over it, but these radicals were accelerating things to quickly for everyone's liking. He turned a blind eye, dished light punishments and carried on. However the local conflict escalated. It traveled to Shanghai by 1932 and here Hirohito took action. He understood Shanghai was full of western powers. Nations like Britain and America could place economic sanctions on Japan if things were allowed to get out of hand here. So he ordered General Yoshinori Shirakawa to bring the Shanghai expedition to a close.    During this period, two factions emerged within the Japanese military: the Kodoha, or “Imperial Way,” and the Toseiha, or “Control” faction. The Kodoha was founded by General Sadao Araki and his protégé, Jinzaburo Masaki. Their primary objective was a Shōwa Restoration aimed at purging Japan of corrupt politicians and businessmen, especially those associated with the zaibatsu. Composed mainly of young army officers, the Kodoha espoused a romanticized and radical interpretation of Bushido, idealizing pre-industrial Japan, which Araki believed had been tainted by Western influences. To achieve their goals, they resorted to assassinations and planned a coup d'état.   In response, the Toseiha faction was formed, initially led by Lt. General Tetsuzan Nagata and later by Hideki Tojo. Like the Kodoha, the Toseiha sought a Shōwa Restoration but adopted a more moderate and conservative approach. They recognized the importance of preserving traditional values while integrating Western ideals, advocating for a balanced perspective. The Toseiha promoted pragmatic military strategies to navigate the complexities of modern warfare. Although they acknowledged the existence of corrupt politicians and zaibatsu, they preferred to work within the existing political system, anticipating that future total wars would necessitate a strengthened industrial and military capacity. Their ranks primarily included promising graduates from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) Academy, Army Staff College, and select naval members. The most significant distinction between the two factions was that the Toseiha explicitly rejected the use of a coup d'état in pursuit of their goals.   Between 1932-1936 radical officers, mostly of the Kodoha faction assassinated politicians and military leaders trying to usher in a showa restoration. You might be led to believe this was in the interest of Hirohito, you would be mistaken. Hirohito did not want a military dictatorship at the whim of the cult of the emperor. Ironic to say, given how WW2 turns out mind you. This really would have been a hostage situation. Hirohito wanted to maintain the exact ambiguous situation that was Showa Era Japan pre 1945. He saw this as the most ideal structure to defend the kokutai, because blame could not be placed solely upon his shoulders. He always maintained a get out of jail free card one could say.    The February 26 incident of 1936, was the climax of the Kodoha faction. They performed a mutiny trying to usher in a SHowa restoration. They assumed when their messenger came to the emperor he would join them and take direct rule. Instead Hirohito was furious. His first thought was the mutineers were trying to enlist his brother Chichibu to overthrow him. He dragged his brother who was a fraternizer amongst the kodoha members mind you, into a meeting, demanding he never associate with them again nor attempt to challenge him. Then Hirohito furious demanded the mutineers be dealt with. At one point he even threatened to lead the imperial guards to put them down. The coup failed, the kodoha faction was destroyed. Ironically the toseiha faction were the ones to do it and thus they became the defacto ruling clique.    The military, especially the kwantung army did not stop with their insubordination.    On July 8th of 1937 the Kwangtung army performed the Marco Polo Bridge incident, ushering in the second sino-japanese war. This was one of many false flag operations they had pulled off over the years. Upon being told about this Hirohito's first response was whether the USSR would invade Manchukuo over the matter. This is what he said to Prime Minister Konoe and army minister Sugiyama “What will you do if the Soviets attack us from the rear?” he asked the prince. Kan'in answered, “I believe the army will rise to the occasion.” The emperor repeated his question: “That's no more than army dogma. What will you actually do in the unlikely event that Soviet [forces] attack?” The prince said only, “We will have no choice.” His Majesty seemed very dissatisfied. Hirohito furious demanded to know what contingency plans existed and his advisors told him before he gave his red seal of approval to invade northern china.   Henceforth he micromanaged a lot of the military decisions going forward and he oversaw the forming and dissolving of numerous cabinets and positions when things went his way or did not in the military and political scene.  Emperor Hirohito was presented with several opportunities to cause cease-fires or peace settlements during the war years. One of the best possible moments to end it all came during the attack on Nanking when Chiang Kai-sheks military were in disarray. On July 11 of 1938, the commander of the 19th division fought a border clash with the USSR known to us in the west as the battle of Lake Khasan. It was a costly defeat for Japan and in the diary of Harada Kumao he noted Hirohito scolded Army minister Itagaki “Hereafter not a single soldier is to be moved without my permission.” When it looked like the USSR would not press for a counter attack across the border, Hirohito gave the order for offensives in China to recommence, again an example of him deciding when to lay down the hammer.   By 1939 the US began threatening sanctions for what Japan was doing in China. Hirohito complained to his chief aide de camp Hata Shunroku on August 5th “It could be a great blow to scrap metal and oil”. Hirohito was livid and scolded many of his top officials and forced the appointment of General Abe to prime minister and demanded of him “to cooperate with the US and Britain and preserve internal order”.   Fast forward a bit, with war raging in Europe Hirohito, on June 19th of 1940 Hirohito asked if chief of staff Prince Kan'in and Army Minister Hata “At a time when peace will soon come in the European situation, will there be a deployment of troops to the Netherlands Indies and French Indochina?” This question highlighted Hirohito's belief at that time that Germany was close to achieving victory, which led him to gradually consider deploying troops to French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies since neither of those parent nations was in a position to protect their territories and vital resources. Regarding the war in China, the Japanese aimed to stop the flow of materials entering China from places like Hong Kong. Hirohito received reports indicating that Britain would not agree to block the shipment of materials into China via Hong Kong. The military recognized that an invasion of Hong Kong might be necessary, which would mean declaring war on Britain. When this was communicated to him, Hirohito responded, “If that occurs, I'm sure America will enforce an embargo, don't you think?” In response, Kido, the lord of the privy seal, reassured him by stating, “The nation must be fully prepared to resist, proceeding with caution and avoiding being drawn into events instigated by foreign interests.”   Hirohito went through countless meetings, but eventually signed order number 458 authorizing the invasion of French Indochina, knowing full well the consequences. The US,UK and Netherlands began embargoes of oil, rubber and iron. In the words of Admiral Takagai “As time passes and this situation continues, our empire will either be totally defeated or forced to fight a hopeless war. Therefore we should pursue war and diplomacy together. If there is no prospect of securing our final line of national survival by diplomatic negotiations, we must be resolved to fight.” Hirohito understood the predicament full well, that each day Japan was wasting its oil reserves, if they were to strike it had to be quickly.   On October 13th Hirohito told his closest advisor Koichi Kido “In the present situation there seems to be little hope for the Japan–U.S. negotiations. If hostilities erupt this time, I think I may have to issue a declaration of war.”   The reason I am bringing up all this stuff is to solidify, Hirohito had agency, he was micromanaging and forming decisions. After the war broke out with the west, Hirohito did have the ability to stamp his foot down. Of course there could have been wild repercussions, his military could have usurped him with Chichibu, it was definitely possible. But you need to keep this mind set, as far as why Hirohito acts or doesn't, its always to protect the Kokutai. Thus one of the levers for peace, solely rested on Hirohito's perception if the kokutai could be retained or not.    From the outset of the Pacific War, Hirohito believed Germany was going to defeat the USSR. In line with his military leaders, they all believed Japan had to seize everything they could in the asia-pacific and thwart off the US until a negotiated peace could be met. Hirohito committed himself to overseeing the war, determined to achieve victory at any cost. He was a very cautious leader, he meticulously analyzed each campaign, anticipating potential setbacks and crafting worst-case scenario predictions. He maintained a skeptical view of the reports from his senior officials and was often harshly critical of high commanders.   While he did not frequently visit the front lines like other commanders in chief, Hirohito wielded significant influence over theater operations, shaping both planning and execution whenever he deemed necessary. Similar to his approach during the war in China, he issued the highest military orders from the Imperial Headquarters, conducted audited conferences, and made decisions communicated under his name. He regularly welcomed generals and admirals to the imperial palace for detailed briefings on the battlefront and visited various military bases, battleships, and army and naval headquarters. His inspections encompassed military schools and other significant military institutions, adding to his comprehensive involvement in the war effort.   Now the war went extremely well for Japan until the battle of Midway. This was as major setback, but Japan retained the initiative. Then the Guadalcanal campaign saw Japan lose the initiative to the Americans. Upon receiving the initial report of the Ichiki detachment's destruction, Hirohito remarked, “I am sure it [Guadalcanal] can be held.” Despite the numerous reports detailing the devastating effects of tropical diseases and starvation on his troops, he persistently demanded greater efforts from them. Hirohito exerted continuous pressure on his naval and land commanders to retake the island. On September 15th, November 5th, and November 11th, he requested additional Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) troops and aircraft to be allocated to the cause.   General Sugiyama expressed concerns about dispatching more IJA pilots due to their inexperience in transoceanic combat, preferring to reinforce the North China Army for an attack on Chongqing instead. Hirohito pressed the issue again, but Sugiyama responded that the IJA had diverted its air resources to New Guinea and Rabaul. Undeterred by the objections from senior commanders, Hirohito persisted in his demands. By late November, it became evident that Guadalcanal was a lost cause.   At an Imperial Headquarters conference on December 31st, 1942, the chiefs of staff proposed canceling the attempts to recapture Guadalcanal. Hirohito sanctioned this decision but stated, “It is unacceptable to just give up on capturing Guadalcanal. We must launch an offensive elsewhere.” He insisted on this point, leading to the selection of new strategic targets in the Solomons, north of New Georgia, and in the Stanley Range on New Guinea. Hirohito even threatened to withhold authorization for withdrawing troops from Guadalcanal until a new plan was established. He later opposed the withdrawal from Munda Airfield, as it contradicted the newly defined defensive line.   As the defensive perimeter in the central and northern Solomons began to crumble, Hirohito continued to insist that the navy engage in decisive battles to regain the initiative, allowing for the transport of supplies to the many soldiers trapped on various islands. When he learned of the navy's failure to reinforce Lae on March 3rd, he asked, “Then why didn't you change plans immediately and land at Madan? This is a failure, but it can teach us a good lesson and become a source of future success. Do this for me so I can have peace of mind for a while.” The phrase “Do this for me” would come to be his signature rallying cry.   After Guadal canal, it was loss after loss for Japan. By February of 1944, Hirohito forced Sugiyama to resign so Hideki Tojo could take his position as chief of the general staff, note Tojo was prime minister and army minister at this point. Hirohito worked alongside Tojo to plan some last ditch efforts to change the war situation. The most significant one was Operation Ichi-Go. As much damage as they did to China with that, Chiang Kai-Shek's government survived. Hirohito watched as island by island fell to the Americans. When the Americans were poised to take Saipan he warned Tojo “If we ever lose Saipan, repeated air attacks on Tokyo will follow. No matter what it takes, we have to hold there.” Saipan fell, so Hirohito stopped supporting Tojo and allowed his rivals to take down his cabinet by june 18th of 1944.    Hirohito remained resolute in his determination to wrest victory from the Allies. On October 18th, the Imperial Headquarters ordered a decisive naval engagement, leading to the Battle of Leyte Gulf. After the war, Hirohito publicly stated, "Contrary to the views of the Army and Navy General Staffs, I consented to the showdown battle at Leyte, believing that if we launched an attack and America hesitated, we might find an opportunity to negotiate." Leyte Gulf didnt work. The military began the kamikaze program. On new years day of 1945 Hirohito inspected the special last meal rations given to departing kamikaze units. Iwo Jima fell. Okinawa remained, and Hirohito lashed out “Is it because we failed to sink enemy transports that we've let the enemy get ashore? Isn't there any way to defend Okinawa from the landing enemy forces?” On the second day of Okinawa's invasion Hirohito ordered a counter landing by the 32nd army and urged the navy to counterattack in every way possible. It was a horrible failure, it cost the lives of up to 120,000 Japanese combatants, 170,000 noncombatants. The Americans lost 12,500 killed and 33,000 wounded. An absolute bloodbath.    The Surrender time   Now we come to the time period where Japan seriously began looking for ways to surrender. In Europe Germany was heading to its defeat and Japan knew this. As for Japan, their army in Burma had been annihilated. Their forces in China were faring better after Operation Ichi-go, having opened up a land corridor along the main railway from Beiping to Wuhan and from throughout Guangdong but still stuck in a deadlock stalemate, facing a guerrilla war that was costing them 64% of their military expenditures. They deeply feared once the Soviets finished up with Germany, they would undoubtedly turn east against Manchuria. With the Soviets attacking from the north, the US would attack from the south, perhaps landing in Shanghai and the home islands. The Kamikaze tactics were proving formidable, but not nearly enough. By 1945, 43% of the IJA were now stationed in Japan, Korea and Formosa, bracing for the final stand. Former prime minister Reijiro Wakatsuki came out of retirement in may of 1945, having heard Germany collapsed, to urge Hirohito and the Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki to open negotiations with the US as soon as possible. However he also said “the enemy must first be made to see the disadvantages of continuing the war”. To this Hirohito's chief counselor Makino Nobuaki said that “the ultimate priority is to develop an advantageous war situation.” Advisor admiral Kesiuke Okada said Japan should wait for “a moment favorable for us,” then make peace. Advisors Kiichiro Hiranuma and Koki Hirota advised the emperor to fight on until the end.   Now I want to bring in a key player to the surrender decision, that of Prince Konoe. Konoe was very close to Hirohito and understood the emperors mentality, especially how he viewed things in relation to the kokutai.    The senior statesman Prince Konoe had been consulting with Hirohito for over 18 months at this point trying to convey the message that if the war continued it would threaten the kokutai. Many months prior, he confided in the emperor's brother, Prince Takamatsu, that the army was suffering from “a cancer” in the form of the Toseiha faction. However, he noted that “Kido and others” did not share his perspective, while “his Majesty is relatively unconcerned with ideological issues.” For the past four years, he continued, the emperor had been advised and still believed that “the true extremists are the Kodoha faction.” In reality, the greater threat to the kokutai arose from the Toseiha faction. Konoe further asserted that if the war escalated, they would attempt to alter the kokutai.   Konoe speculated that whether the threat originated from communists within the nation, primarily referring to left-wing radicals in the Toseiha faction, or from the “Anglo-American enemy,” both would seek to preserve the emperor while pushing towards the country's communization.In his written report to the emperor on February 14, which Kido listened to attentively, Konoe elaborated on his conspiracy theory. He asserted that the Soviet Union regarded Japan as its primary threat in East Asia. The Soviets had allied with the Chinese Communists, the largest and most formidable Communist party in Asia, and were collaborating with the United States and Britain to drive Japan out of China. He warned that they would enter the war when the opportunity arose.   Defeat, he cautioned the emperor, was inevitable if the conflict persisted. However, he emphasized that a far greater fear was the potential destruction of the kokutai. The ongoing war was eroding the domestic status quo, unleashing forces that threatened Japan and its imperial institution from within as much as from external adversaries. The real danger lay in the emperor's and Kido's trust in the generals of the Toseiha faction, who were unintentionally facilitating the communization of Japan. Konoe implored for a swift peace settlement before a Communist revolution emerged, making the preservation of the kokutai impossible. Hirohito agreed with Konoe but stated “ To end the war would be “very difficult unless we make one more military gain.” Konoe allegedly replied, “Is that possible? It must happen soon. If we have to wait much longer, . . . [a mere battle victory] will mean nothing.” Hirohito replied “If we hold out long enough in this war, we may be able to win, but what worries me is whether the nation will be able to endure it until then.”   On February 15th of 1945, Hirohito's intelligence warned the Soviet Union would likely abrogate its Neutrality Pact with Japan. Even Tojo conceded there was a 50/50 chance the USSR would invade Manchuria. In March, the US began B-29 incendiary bombing raids over Tokyo, turning 40% of the capital into ash. On March 18th, Hirohito with some aides drove around the capital to witness the devastation. The civilians looked exhausted and bewildered to Hirohito. Factory production was collapsing, absenteeism was rising, instances of lese majeste were running rampant. For the next 5 months imperial family members and senior statesmen all began speaking to Hirohito about the “crises of the kokutai”. The threat Konoe had warned about for months was becoming the main talking point. It seemed like the Japanese people within the countryside and urban areas remained steadfast in the resolve to obey their leaders, work and sacrifice for their nation, but for how long would they feel so?    It was only after the battle for Okinawa was lost and 60 Japanese cities had been leveled by American incendiary bombs that Hirohito openly indicated he wanted to negotiate a surrender.   Kido's diary reveals the first clear indication that the emperor might be urged to consider an early peace on June 8, 1945, when Kido drafted his “Draft Plan for Controlling the Crisis Situation.” This marked a pivotal moment. It followed the unintentional bombing of the Imperial Palace, the complete loss of hope for saving Okinawa, and coincided with the day the Supreme War Leadership Council adopted the “Basic Policy for the Future Direction of the War.” With the fighting in Europe concluded, Japan found itself entirely isolated. Kido's plan, although vague, proposed seeking the Soviet Union's assistance as an intermediary to help Japan gain leverage in negotiations with its adversaries. By drafting this plan, Kido signaled the end of his long alliance with the military hard-liners. Hirohito's acceptance of it indicated his readiness for an early peace.   Hirohito was moved to an underground bunker in the mountains of Matsushiro in Nagano prefecture where upon those around him noted he fell into a deep depression. On June 22nd  Hirohito informed the Supreme War Leadership Council he wanted them to open diplomatic maneuvers to end the war. In early July Soviet Ambassador Jacob Malik broke off inconclusive talks with Hirota. Hirohito stepped in immediately and ordered a new special envoy be sent to Moscow. However Hirohito nor the Suzuki government had concrete plans on how to mediate a surrender through the Soviets. The only things they did prioritize was a guarantee of the emperors political position and retainment of the imperial system, ie the kokutai. This was taken into consideration rather than ending the war as quickly as possible to save the lives of millions.    From April 8, 1945, until Japan's capitulation, the Suzuki government's chief war policy was “Ketsugo,” an advanced iteration of the “Shosango” (Victory Number 3) plan for defending the homeland. The hallmark of this strategy was a heavy reliance on suicide tactics, including deploying a massive number of kamikaze “special attack” planes, human torpedoes launched from submarines, dynamite-stuffed “crash boats” powered by truck engines, human rocket bombs carried by aircraft, and suicide assaults by specially trained ground units.   While preparations for Operation Ketsu progressed, the Imperial Diet convened on June 9 to pass a Wartime Emergency Measures Law, along with five additional measures aimed at mobilizing the entire nation for this final battle. On the same day, the emperor, who had yet to initiate efforts to end the war, issued another imperial rescript in conjunction with the Diet's convocation, instructing the nation to “smash the inordinate ambitions of the enemy nations” and “achieve the goals of the war.” Concurrently, the controlled press launched a daily die-for-the-emperor campaign to foster gratitude for the imperial benevolence and, from around mid-July onward, initiated a campaign to “protect the kokutai.”   The Americans countered with their own propaganda aimed at breaking Japan's will to fight. B-29 bombers dropped millions of leaflets written in Japanese, announcing the next scheduled targets for bombing raids and urging surrender, while using the emperor to challenge the militarists. Leaflets bearing the chrysanthemum crest criticized the “military cliques” for “forcing the entire nation to commit suicide” and called on “everyone” to “exercise their constitutional right to make direct appeals [for peace] to the Emperor.” They asserted that “even the powerful military cliques cannot stop the mighty march for peace of the Emperor and the people.” One notable batch of seven million leaflets conveyed the terms of the “joint declaration” issued by the United States, Great Britain, and China. “Today we come not to bomb you,” they stated. “We are dropping this leaflet to inform you of the response from the United States government to your government's request for conditions of surrender.... Whether the war stops immediately depends on your government. You will understand how to end the war if you read these two official notifications.”   Amid pressures from imperial edicts to continue preparations for a final battle and focus solely on victory, the Japanese people were also subjected to an intense American psychological warfare campaign in addition to aerial bombardment. During late July and August, prefectural governors, police chiefs, and officers of the “special higher police” submitted reports to the Home Ministry detailing the rapidly deteriorating national morale.    Now on the other side, Roosevelt made it known back in January of 1943 at the Casablanca conference, the allies would only accept unconditional surrender. By 1945, the allies understood the predicament this left Japan with. On May 8th of 1945, Truman added “Japan's surrender would not mean the extermination or enslavement of the Japanese people” trying to indicate a non vindictive spirit. However the Kokutai question always remained ambiguous. State Department Joseph Grew, the former ambassador to Japan, began arguing to Truman they needed to make public a clear definition of the terms to persuade Japan to surrender. As he argued to Truman: Emperor Hirohito was seen as the key figure in Japan's surrender, likened to a "queen bee in a hive... surrounded by the attentions of the hive." Throughout the war, he was characterized in various ways—as a “puppet” of the militarists, a constitutional monarch, and a pacifist. Grew had immense faith in the influence exerted by what he referred to as the “moderates” surrounding the Japanese throne.    However many of Grew's colleagues argued the future existence of the monarchy was intolerable as it was akin to fascism. Many wanted to punish the emperor. Truman was in a tug of war. The Potsdam declaration issued on July 26th of 1945 came in the form of a ultimatum aiming to quicken japans surrender. Truman clarified the terms for the unconditional surrender at the end of its terms: "We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction." Zero mention of the emperor. Grew had argued to add “this may include a constitutional monarchy under the present dynasty.” But it was deleted from the article. The status of the emperor was not guaranteed, the kokutai was thus up in the air.    The next day, the Suzuki cabinet rejected the terms. The Japanese leadership and Hirohito were still banking and awaiting Soviet replies to their terms.    Lets talk about the Soviet talks now   Back on July 12th ambassador Naotake Satō sent this message to the Soviets: “His Majesty the Emperor, mindful of the fact that the present war daily brings greater evil and sacrifice upon the peoples of all the belligerent powers, desires from his heart that it may be quickly terminated. But so long as England and the United States insist upon unconditional surrender, the Japanese Empire has no alternative but to fight on with all its strength for the honor and existence of the Motherland”.  However the Soviets had made commitments to their allies, promising in fact to invade Japan to aid them.    As for the Soviets their primary objective was to ensure unrestricted access to the Pacific Ocean. The year-round ice-free areas of the Soviet Pacific coastline, particularly Vladivostok, could be blockaded by air and sea from Sakhalin Island and the Kurile Islands. Securing these territories to guarantee free access to the Soya Strait was their main goal. Secondary objectives included acquiring leases for the Chinese Eastern Railway, the Southern Manchuria Railway, as well as gaining control over Dairen and Port Arthur.   To achieve these aims, Stalin and Molotov prolonged negotiations with the Japanese, creating a false sense of hope for a Soviet-mediated peace. Simultaneously, in their discussions with the United States and Britain, the Soviets insisted on strict adherence to the Cairo Declaration, which had been reaffirmed at the Yalta Conference. This declaration stipulated that the Allies would not accept a separate or conditional peace with Japan; thus, the Japanese would need to surrender unconditionally to all the Allies. The Soviets aimed to prolong the war by opposing any efforts to dilute this requirement. This approach would provide the Soviets with the necessary time to complete the transfer of their troops from the Western Front to the Far East and to conquer Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, northern Korea, South Sakhalin, the Kuriles, and potentially Hokkaidō, starting with an assault on Rumoi. AUGUST 1945   Thus we come to at last the critical point, August of 1945.    The Americans prepared for the deployment of atomic bombs and for an invasion of southern Kyushu, known as Operation Olympic, scheduled to commence on November 1. At 8:15 A.M. on August 6, a single B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay dropped little boy, devastating much of the undefended city of Hiroshima, instantly killing an estimated 100,000 to 140,000 people and leading to the deaths of possibly another 100,000 over the next five years. At the epicenter of the explosion, “a light appeared 3,000 times brighter than the sun,” creating a fireball that emitted thermal radiation capable of “instantly scorching humans, trees, and houses.” As the air heated and rushed upward, cold air surged in to ignite a firestorm. Hours later, a whirlwind escalated the flames to their peak until more than eight square miles were virtually reduced to cinders. Subsequently, black, muddy rain filled with radioactive fallout began to fall. Two days later, using Japan's rejection of the Potsdam Declaration as a pretext, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. Then on August 9, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, resulting in the immediate deaths of approximately 35,000 to 40,000 people and injuring more than 60,000.   Meanwhile, in Tokyo, during the critical period between the Potsdam Declaration and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Emperor Hirohito remained silent about accepting the Potsdam terms. However, on July 25 and 31, he explicitly conveyed to Kido that the imperial regalia must be defended at all costs. The three sacred objects—a mirror, a curved jewel, and a sword—symbolized the legitimacy of his rule through the northern court and were integral to his identity as the divine sovereign. Hirohito's focus was on protecting these symbols of office, as he insisted on having them brought to the palace. This fixation on maintaining his symbols occurred during a pivotal moment when the pressing issue was whether to accept immediate capitulation. Reflecting on this, he was unprepared to seize the opportunity to end the war himself.   Prime Minister Suzuki, following his initial rejection of the Potsdam ultimatum, also saw no need for further action. His Cabinet Advisory Council, which included the president of Asano Cement, the founder of the Nissan consortium, the vice president of the Bank of Japan, and other representatives from the nation's leading business interests that had profited significantly from the war, convened on the morning of August 3. They recommended accepting the Potsdam terms, arguing that the United States would permit Japan to retain its non-military industries and continue participating in world trade.    Here are some reactions to the two bombs and invasion of Manchuria.    Yonai Mitsumasa said to admiral Takagi Sokichi, on August 12, that “I think the term is perhaps inappropriate, but the atomic bombs and the Soviet entry into the war are, in a sense, gifts from the gods [tenyu, also “heaven-sent blessings”]. This way we don't have to say that we quit the war because of domestic circumstances. I've long been advocating control of our crisis, but neither from fear of an enemy attack nor because of the atomic bombs and the Soviet entry into the war. The main reason is my anxiety over the domestic situation. So, it is rather fortunate that we can now control matters without revealing the domestic situation”.    Konoe's characterized the Soviet involvement in the war as “a godsend for controlling the army,”. Kido viewed of both the atomic bombings and the Soviet entry into the conflict as “useful” elements for ensuring a smooth transition. A nascent power struggle was unfolding, rendering the potential death toll—whether one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand—immaterial to those involved, as long as their desired outcome was achieved: an end to the war that would leave the monarchy intact and capable of managing the discontent that defeat would inevitably provoke. Throughout the final acts of this wartime drama, the Japanese “moderates” found it easier to capitulate to external pressures than to take decisive action on their own to conclude the war.   Another illuminating looks at Japan's elite's perspective on surrender terms was the document titled “Essentials of Peace Negotiations” (wahei kosho no yoryo). Drafted by Konoe and his adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Sakai Koji, after Konoe had reluctantly accepted a mission to Moscow, this document, stipulated the preservation of the emperor system, along with most of the imperial prerogatives, as the absolute minimum condition for peace. It defined the “original” or “essential homeland” as including the southern half of the Kurile Islands but showed a willingness to concede all overseas territories to the enemy, including Okinawa and the American-occupied Bonin Islands, as well as the southern half of Sakhalin. The “Essentials” also accepted complete disarmament for an unspecified period, thereby compromising on the issues of demobilizing and disarming the armed forces. More significantly, an “explanation” attached to the “Essentials” emphasized that “the main aim is to secure the imperial line and maintain the political role of the emperor.”    Why Japan surrendered   We come to it atleast after a long podcast. Why did Japan ultimately surrender?   The twin psychological shocks of the first atomic bomb and the Soviet entry into the war, combined with Kido's and the emperor's concern over escalating public criticism of the throne and its occupant, fueled an almost paranoid fear that, sooner or later, the populace would react violently against their leaders if the war persisted much longer. These factors ultimately led Hirohito to accept, in principle, the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.   At the first meeting of the six member constituents of the Supreme War Leadership Council, held from 10:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. on August 9, Army Minister Anami Korechika, Chiefs of Staff Umezu Yoshijiro, representing the army, and Yonai, representing the navy, along with Tōgō, from the Foreign Ministry, were expected to discuss the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. Instead, the conversation revolved around whether to attempt a conditional surrender—specifically, should they insist on one condition, the preservation of the kokutai, or four?   After Suzuki addressed the assembly regarding the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and the Soviet attack, Yonai, as recounted by Navy Chief of Staff Toyoda, was the first to speak, framing the issue in terms of four conditions. “Let's start to talk, Do we accept the Potsdam Declaration with no conditions? If not, and we wish to insist on attaching hopes and conditions, we may do so this way. First, preservation of the kokutai; then for the rest, the main items in the Potsdam Declaration: treatment of war criminals, method of disarmament, and the matter of sending in an army of occupation.” Thus, the participants identified what they perceived to be the ambiguous points within the Potsdam Declaration and used them as the foundation for their discussions.   The army insisted on four conditions: First, the preservation of the kokutai, which they considered distinct from the Potsdam Declaration itself. The other conditions proposed were, second, that the Imperial Headquarters assume responsibility for disarmament and demobilization; third, a prohibition on occupation; and fourth, the delegation of the punishment of war criminals to the Japanese government. The army equated the kokutai with the emperor's right of supreme command. Their self-serving desire for autonomous war crimes trials was based on the belief that the Allies would use such trials to politically indict the military. Consequently, army leaders aimed to preempt the activities of any international tribunal by conducting their own trials—similar to the approach taken by the uninvaded and unrepentant Germans after World War I.   Supporting the military's views during cabinet meetings that day were three civilian members of the Suzuki cabinet: Justice Minister Matsuzaka Hiromasa, Home Minister Yasui Toji, and Minister of Health Okada Tadahiko. At the imperial conference that night, which extended into the early hours of the tenth, Foreign Minister Tōgō's interpretation of the “preservation of the kokutai” referred solely to the safeguarding of the Imperial House or dynasty, rather than the continuation of Hirohito's reign.   Hiranuma, another advocate for the single condition, interpreted the kokutai as the “emperor's sovereign right to rule the state [not] deriving from national law. Even if the entire nation is sacrificed to the war, we must preserve both the kokutai and the security of the imperial house.” This discrepancy illustrated that there was no completely unified understanding of what the kokutai entailed; the debate over one condition versus four represented conflicting visions for the future of the Japanese state and masked the competition for political power that was already unfolding.   It remains doubtful whether the emperor and Kido initially sided with Tōgō against the four conditions proposed by the senior military leaders. A more likely inference is that both men retained sympathies for the hardliners, both military and civilian, who preferred to continue the futile war rather than surrender immediately and unconditionally. This may explain why, on August 9, Konoe had Hosokawa Morisada approach Navy General Headquarters to urge the emperor's brother, Prince Takamatsu, to pressure Hirohito (through Kido) to accept the Potsdam terms. Later that afternoon, Konoe enlisted the help of diplomat Shigemitsu Mamoru to persuade Kido to reconsider his stance on the four conditions. Ultimately, at the urging of Takamatsu and Shigemitsu, Kido did shift to support Tōgō's position.   At the end of the war, as at its beginning and throughout every stage of its progression, Emperor Hirohito played a highly active role in supporting the actions carried out in his name. From the very beginning of the Asia-Pacific war, the emperor played a significant role in the unfolding events around him. Prior to the Battle of Okinawa, he consistently advocated for a decisive victory. Afterward, he acknowledged the necessity of pursuing an early peace, although he did not favor an immediate cessation of hostilities. Instead, he wavered, steering Japan toward ongoing warfare rather than direct negotiations with the Allies. When the final crisis fully unfolded, the only option left was unconditional surrender. Even then, he continued to procrastinate until the atomic bomb was dropped and the Soviets launched their attack. The wartime emperor ideology that once sustained morale made it exceedingly difficult for Japan's leaders to accept the act of surrender. Aware of their objective defeat, yet indifferent to the suffering the war inflicted on their own people—as well as on the populations of Asia, the Pacific, and the West whose lives they had disrupted—the emperor and his military leaders sought a means to lose without appearing to lose. They aimed to mitigate domestic criticism following surrender while preserving their power structure.   Blinded by their fixation on the fate of the imperial house and committed to an overly optimistic diplomacy toward the Soviet Union, Japan's leaders missed several opportunities to end their lost war. Would Japan's leaders have surrendered more promptly if the Truman administration had “clarified” the status of the emperor before the cataclysmic double shocks of the atomic bomb and the Soviet entry into the war? Probably not. However, it is likely they would have surrendered to prevent the kokutai from being destroyed from within. The evidence suggests that the first atomic bomb and the Soviet declaration of war led Hirohito, Kido, and other members of the court to believe that continuing the war would inevitably result in that destruction. They recognized that the populace was war-weary and despondent, with rising hostility toward the military and the government, accompanied by increasing criticism of the emperor himself. More specifically, Kido and Hirohito were privy to Home Ministry reports, which contained information from governors and police chiefs nationwide. These reports indicated that citizens were beginning to label the emperor as an incompetent leader responsible for the deteriorating war situation.   This is the third variable, never spoken about. Many first look at the atomic bombs. Bigger brain people turn to the Soviet Invasion of Manchuria. But hardly anyone reads about how the collapse of Japan's social fabric, scared the shit out of the Emperor and his closest advisors. You can't have a kokutai, without a populace that worshiped you.    When the emperor expressed in February, “What worries me is whether the nation [could] endure” long enough to achieve victory, he was not merely voicing concern for the suffering of his subjects; rather, he feared that such suffering could lead to social upheaval—in short, revolution. At that time, he referred to the ordinary, war-related hardships of food shortages, air raids, devastated cities, destruction of homes, and the omnipresent grief from the loss of loved ones. The atomic bomb escalated death, pain, and suffering to unimaginably higher levels, intensifying the threat from within. After the bombings of Japan and two atomic bombs, Hirohito was in a dark way, given a golden get out of jail free card. Hirohito could now save his suffering people from further anguish by surrendering, allowing him to deflect responsibility for leading them into misery while adopting an air of benevolence and care. Indeed, Hirohito did care—though not primarily for the Japanese people, but rather for the survival of his own imperial house and throne.   After the bombing of Hiroshima, Hirohito delayed for a full two days before instructing Kido, shortly before 10 A.M. on August 9, to “quickly control the situation” because “the Soviet [Union]” had declared war. Kido immediately communicated with Prime Minister Suzuki, who began arrangements for an Imperial Conference scheduled for later that night. Following the seidan of August 10, Chief Cabinet Secretary Sakomizu took charge of drafting the “Imperial Rescript Ending the War” based on Hirohito's directives. Assisted by two scholars of the Chinese classics, Kawada Mizuho and Yasuoka Masahiro, Sakomizu worked tirelessly for over three days before submitting a version of the rescript to the Suzuki cabinet. After six hours of contentious discussion on the night of August 14, the cabinet modified and approved the document. Hirohito promptly signed it, and Shimomura and Kido persuaded him to record a suitably opaque final version for broadcast to the nation.   On the night of August 14, the Suzuki government notified the United States and other Allied nations that it had accepted both the Potsdam Declaration and the Byrnes letter of August 11. Accelerating the emperor's actions during this climactic moment of the unconditional surrender drama was the American psychological warfare campaign. When a leaflet dropped from B-29 bombers came into Kido's possession on the night of August 13 or the morning of the fourteenth, he conferred with the emperor and explained the gravity of the situation. The latest enemy leaflets were informing the Japanese people of the government's notification of surrender under one condition, along with the full text of Byrnes's response. If this continued, it would undermine the imperial government's reliance on secrecy to obscure the true nature of the lost war and the reasons for the prolonged surrender delay.   Given Kido's and the emperor's concerns about rising signs of defeatism, including criticism of the throne, immediate action was necessary to prevent the populace from acting on their own initiative. Thus, the second seidan was convened. At noon on August 15, the Japanese people gathered around their radio receivers and heard, for the first time, the high-pitched voice of their emperor telling them:    “After pondering deeply the general trends of the world and the actual conditions obtaining in Our Empire today, We have decided to effect a settlement of the present situation by resorting to an extraordinary measure. We have ordered Our Government to communicate to the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union that Our Empire accepts the provisions of their Joint Declaration. To strive for the common prosperity and happiness of all nations as well as the security and well-being of Our subjects is the solemn obligation which has been handed down by Our Imperial Ancestors and which lies close to Our heart. Indeed, We declared war on America and Britain out of Our sincere desire to ensure Japan's self-preservation and the stabilization of East Asia, it being far from Our thought either to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark upon territorial aggrandizement. But now the war has lasted for nearly four years. Despite the best that has been done by everyone—the gallant fighting of the military and naval forces, the diligence and assiduity of Our servants of the State, and the devoted service of Our one hundred million people—the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage, while the general trends of the world have all turned against her interest. Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers... The hardships and sufferings to which Our nation is to be subjected hereafter will be certainly great. We are keenly aware of the inmost feelings of all of you, Our subjects. However, it is according to the dictates of time and fate that We have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is unsufferable”.   Clearly Hirohito sought to justify his decision to surrender by citing the dropping of the atomic bombs. He wanted to become the saviour of the Japanese people. Hirohito wanted to obfuscate the issue of accountability, to prevent expressions of strife and anger and to strengthen domestic unity around himself, to protect and raise the kokutai.  Interestingly, the surrender declaration to the civilian population was not the same one sent to the military. On August 17th Hirohito issued a second “rescript to soldiers and sailors” throughout the asia-pacific.   “ Now that the Soviet Union has entered the war against us, to continue . . . under the present conditions at home and abroad would only recklessly incur even more damage to ourselves and result in endangering the very foundation of the empire's existence. Therefore, even though enormous fighting spirit still exists in the Imperial Navy and Army, I am going to make peace with the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, as well as with Chungking, in order to maintain our glorious national polity”.   The lesser-known August 17 rescript to the army and navy specified Soviet participation as the sole reason for surrender, while maintaining the kokutai as the primary aim. Dissembling until the end—and even beyond—it was noted that the emperor presented two different justifications for his delayed surrender. Both statements were likely true.   Months later Hirohito's said this about his decision to surrender “The main motive behind my decision at that time was that if we . . . did not act, the Japanese race would perish and I would be unable to protect my loyal subjects [sekishi—literally, “children”]. Second, Kido agreed with me on the matter of defending the kokutai. If the enemy landed near Ise Bay, both Ise and Atsuta Shrines would immediately come under their control. There would be no time to transfer the sacred treasures [regalia] of the imperial family and no hope of protecting them. Under these circumstances, protection of the kokutai would be difficult. For these reasons, I thought at the time that I must make peace even at the sacrifice of myself.”    There exists this sort of childish argument today whether it was the atomic bombs or the Soviet Invasion that caused Japan to surrender. However, this overlooks as I think I've explained in 9000 words jeez, the influence of the kokutai. Defending the kokutai was Hirohito's number one priority. The Soviets threatened it. Communism threatened it. What Japan perceived to be “democracy” threatened it. American victory threatened it. And the destruction of Japan's social fabric threatened it. I love this one piece of history, that I have only come across in one book, that being the main one I am using here.   On August 12th, Hirohito came to the imperial family to tell them he had made the decision to surrender. His uncle Prince Yasuhiko Asaka asked him whether the war would be continued if the kokutai could not be preserved. Hirohito replied “of course”.

Jon Steele welcomes back a jetlagged James Taylor for the latest checkup on J3. The episode begins with a brief recap of Sagamihara's Emperor's Cup quarter final (to 02:45), before discussing teams near the top of the table: Nara (to 05:55), Kagoshima (to 09:15), Tochigi City (to 15:40), FC Osaka (to 20:40), and Hachinohe (to 29:25). Then attention turns to the bottom and the perilous predicaments of Nagano (to 37:20) and Numazu (to 40:20), before Jon lets James loose in Kanazawa Korner (to 47:00). Finally, there's a look ahead to the round 27 fixtures (to end).   Thanks for your support of the J-Talk Podcast, J-Talk: Extra Time, and J-Talk: Short Corner. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Brad Steward didn't just ride snowboarding's first wave—he helped make it. As a teenage builder-rider-organizer, he pushed the sport from outlaw to organized, working alongside Jake Burton and Tom Sims, lobbying the Forest Service when resorts said no, and helping pave the path that led to Nagano. He co-founded one of the early camps where an eight-year-old Shaun White showed up—years before the world knew his name. Then Brad jumped lanes: into the Spike Jonze era of skate-culture filmmaking—directing spots for Cartoon Network (Powerpuff Girls), Adult Swim, AMC, and music work that had him shooting bands like Soundgarden and collaborating with UK labels. Today, his canvas is hospitality: Caravan Outpost in Ojai—a film-set-caliber, not-glamping hideaway that's hosted The Bachelor and a steady stream of celebrity regulars. Today on the show, I'm joined by Brad Steward—snowboarding's early architect, director/producer, and co-founder of Caravan Outpost. In this episode, we cover: How Brad helped move snowboarding from trespass to televised, shoulder-to-shoulder with Jake Burton and Tom Sims—and why the Nagano moment mattered. How an eight-year-old Shaun White landed at his camp—and what that signaled about the sport's future. How the Spike Jonze pipeline turned a DIY camera habit into gigs with Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, AMC, and major-label music videos. Why Caravan Outpost is “production design for memory-making,” not glamping—and how it became a magnet for celebrities and The Bachelor. The throughline: build the culture first, then build the brand.   Connect with Brad on LinkedIn Visit Caravan Outpost's website to book and learn more   Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world's top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we'd love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance.

Tous les dimanches à 6h42 dans Europe 1 Matin Week-end, Philippe Legrand reçoit une personnalité pour un entretien autour d'une date et d'une histoire. Ce dimanche, le champion olympique Philippe Candeloro revient sur l'année 1998 et les JO de Nagano.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Lyubim Kogan is giving back to our wounded soldier amputees in a big, big way. He is the founder and president of Kogan Financial Group, LLC, a firm that specializes in proactive tax-based financial planning and risk management. For over 14 years, Mr. Kogan has helped hundreds of business owners and professional athletes in the U.S. and internationally to implement tax-reduction strategies, set up and protect investment and business interests, create powerful income strategies, and efficiently transfer wealth to next generations. Lyubim is an Olympic Athlete and participated in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. Now, he is the founder and driving force behind “Wings4Heros” a humanitarian mission devoted to helping amputee and disabled veterans rediscover their strength, purpose, and freedom—through flight, connection, and shared experiences that transcend borders. To learn more about Wings4Heros and contribute to Lyubim's amazing work, check out his website: https://wings4heroes.org/ ******************************************** Interested in learning how to scale your business to improve cash flow and maximize profits all while working less and enjoying it more? Then join my Business Success Mastermind group. A new cohort is starting. Now accepting applications: https://ib4e-coaching.com/mastermind ******************************************** Please support this podcast: https://ib4e-coaching.com/podinfo #leadership #leadershipcoaching #business #success #somaticawareness #jenniferzach #leadingwithbodyawareness #ib4ecoaching ******************************************** If you like this podcast, consider supporting the effort. Every little bit helps. Thanks.

WELCOME BACK TO PART TWO OF WOMENS LORE. We have officially entered the Michelle Kwan era! Grab your passports as we travel back in time to Nagano '98 and Salt Lake '02 -- it's a short trip in this episode. There is just too much to cover! LETS GO!Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheRunthroughPodcastYoutube: The RunthroughADAM'S WATCH LISTSurya Bonaly 1995 Worlds freeNicole Bobek 1995 US Nationals FreeLu Chen 1995 Worlds FreeMichelle Kwan 1995 Worlds FreeMichelle Kwan 1996 Worlds FreeLu Chen 1996 Worlds FreeTara Lipinski 1996 Worlds FreeTara Lipinski 1997 US Nationals FreeMichelle Kwan 1998 US Nationals ShortMichelle Kwan 1998 US Nationals FreeLaetitia Hubert 1997 Trophée Lalique FreeTara Lipinski 1998 Olympics FreeJulia Soldatova 1999 Worlds FreeMaria Butyrskaya 1999 Worlds FreeLucinda Ruh 1999 Worlds FreeNaomi Nari Nam 1999 US Nationals FreeSarah Hughes 1999 Worlds FreeSasha Cohen 2000 US Nationals ShortMaria Butyrskaya 2000 Worlds ShortMichelle Kwan 2000 Worlds FreeAngela Nikadinov 2001 US Nationals FreeAngela Nikadinov 2001 Worlds ShortSarah Hughes 2001 Worlds LongIrina Slutskaya 2001 World ShortMichelle Kwan 2001 Worlds FreeSarah Hughes 2001 Skate Canada FreeMichelle Kwan 2002 US Nationals FreeIrina Slutskaya 2002 Olympics ShortSasha Cohen 2002 Olympics ShortSarah Hughes 2002 Olympics Free

Doc Kane Life in Hikone And A Special Offer From Maplopo For Listeners Of Lost Without Japan Season 5 EP 118 Get CLEAR on Japanese grammar with Maplopo's Verb Pro Masterclass. Stop grumbling, stumbling, and fumbling your way through Japanese... and finally get to sounding confident and intelligent in the language this year. For a limited amount of time, Lost Without Japan listeners save 70% off the full retail price and pay only $60 through December 31st. PLUS get access to Maplopo's private Discord community for support on your verb-related conjugation questions. Head on over to maplopo.com/lost-without-japan and begin your transformation today. Website: https://maplopo.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@maplopo LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dockaneinjapan/ Gaijinpot: https://blog.gaijinpot.com/author/dockane/  TokyoDev: https://www.tokyodev.com/authors/doc-kane As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#   

From the icy slopes of Nagano to the high-altitude buzz of Beijing, Tom Kelly has been the voice behind the curtain—shaping how we hear, feel, and remember the Olympic Games. In this episode, we sit down with the legendary communicator, podcaster, and longtime U.S. Ski & Snowboard media maven to uncover the stories behind the stories.Tom shares wild behind-the-scenes moments, the art of interviewing athletes fresh off the podium (or the heartbreak), and why the best Olympic stories aren't always about gold. Whether you're an aspiring sports storyteller or just someone who gets goosebumps at the sound of an anthem, this episode is a masterclass in heart, hustle, and heritage.Plus: Tom reveals his favorite underdog, his most unforgettable Olympic quote, and what it really takes to capture a once-in-a-lifetime moment—on air and in memory.Connect with Tom Kelly:LinkedInInstagram

Nagano Governor Shuichi Abe is set to become the next head of Japan's National Governors' Association, after no other candidates emerged by Thursday's deadline.

Review các phim ra rạp từ ngày 25/07 và review sớm phim Jumbo và Người bạn diệu kỳBỘ TỨ SIÊU ĐẲNG: BƯỚC ĐI ĐẦU TIÊN – T13Đạo diễn: Matt ShakmanDiễn viên: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, Sarah NilesThể loại: Hành Động, Khoa Học Viễn Tưởng, Phiêu LưuSau một chuyến bay thám hiểm vũ trụ, bốn phi hành gia bất ngờ sở hữu năng lực siêu nhiên và trở thành gia đình siêu anh hùng đầu tiên của Marvel. The Fantastic Four: First Steps là bộ phim mở đầu Kỷ nguyên anh hùng thứ sáu (Phase Six), đặt nền móng cho siêu bom tấn Avengers: Doomsday trong năm sau.THÁM TỬ TƯ: PHÍA SAU VẾT MÁU – T18Đạo diễn: Lý Tử Tuấn, Chu Vấn NhưDiễn viên: Cổ Thiên Lạc, Trương Thiệu Huy, Châu Tú Na, Huỳnh Hạo Nhiên,...Thể loại: Kinh Dị, Tội phạm5 vụ án mạng rúng động, một "trò chơi" sinh tử đầy uẩn khúc - và Cổ Thiên Lạc, trong vai thám tử tư, vô tình bị cuốn vào vòng xoáy kinh hoàng đó. Bí ẩn nối tiếp bí ẩn, ai sẽ là con mồi, ai mới là kẻ săn? Câu trả lời đang chờ được hé lộ…QUỶ ĂN HỒN – T16Đạo diễn: Chad ArchibaldDiễn viên: Ashley Greene, Shawn Ashmore, Ellie O'BrienSau khi tìm về ký ức tàn khốc và chứng kiến hàng loạt sự kiện tang thương, nhà ngoại cảm nổi tiếng Cynthia bất ngờ gặp tai ương sau khi tiếp nhận một khách hàng đặc biệt. Một cô gái trẻ đã khăng khăng rằng mình đang bị một thực thể đoạt xác và chiếm giữ linh hồn. Quá tuyệt vọng và đau đớn nên trước khi linh hồn bị chiếm hữu hoàn toàn, cô tìm đến Cynthia với hy vọng cuối cùng, tuy nhiên QUỶ ĂN HỒN đã trỗi dậy và khiến cơn ác mộng kinh hoàng nhất trở lại…Jumbo Và Người Bạn Diệu KìQuốc gia: Indonesia Thể loại: Hoạt Hình Phiêu Lưu Đạo diễn: Ryan Adriandhy Don, một cậu bê mồ côi 10 tuổi, bị dánh giá thấp vì ngoại hình to lớn, quyết tâm tham gia cuộc thì tài năng để chứng minh giá trị bản thân. Nhờ cuốn truyện tranh kỳ diệu do cha mẹ để lại và cuộc gặp gỡ cô bé Meri, Don bước vào hành trình khám phá lòng can đảm, tình bạn và giá trị bản thân. Cả hai cùng vượt qua nhiều thứ thách để tìm lại cuốn truyện bị đánh cắp và giúp Meri hội ngộ với cha mẹ mình. Hành trình ấy đưa Don đến sân khẩu chính, nơi cậu dũng cảm đứng lên thể hiện bản thân và chia sẽ cậu chuyện của mình với mọi người. Phim mới Jumbo/ Jumbo Và Người Bạn Diệu Kì dự kiến khởi chiếu 08.08.2025 tại các rạp chiếu phim toàn quốc.PHIM ĐIỆN ẢNH THÁM TỬ LỪNG DANH CONAN: DƯ ẢNH CỦA ĐỘC NHÃN - KĐạo diễn: Katsuya ShigeharaDiễn viên: Minami Takayama, Wakana Yamazaki, Rikiya Koyama, Megumi Hayashibara, ...Thể loại: Bí ẩn, Hành Động, Hoạt HìnhTrên những ngọn núi tuyết của Nagano, một vụ án bí ẩn đã đưa Conan và các thám tử quay trở lại quá khứ. Thanh tra Yamato Kansuke - người đã bị thương nặng trong một trận tuyết lở nhiều năm trước - bất ngờ phải đối mặt với những ký ức đau thương của mình trong khi điều tra một vụ tấn công tại Đài quan sát Nobeyama. Cùng lúc đó, Mori Kogoro nhận được một cuộc gọi từ một đồng nghiệp cũ, tiết lộ mối liên hệ đáng ngờ giữa anh ta và vụ án đã bị lãng quên từ lâu. Sự xuất hiện của Morofushi Takaaki, cùng với những nhân vật chủ chốt như Amuro Tooru, Kazami và cảnh sát Tokyo, càng làm phức tạp thêm cuộc điều tra. Khi quá khứ và hiện tại đan xen, một bí ẩn rùng rợn dần dần được hé lộ - và ký ức của Kansuke nắm giữ chìa khóa cho mọi thứ.

Review các phim ra rạp từ ngày 19/07/2025:PHIM XÌ TRUMĐạo diễn: Chris MillerDiễn viên: Rihanna, James Corden, Thể loại: Gia đình, Hài, Hoạt Hình, Phiêu LưuCâu chuyện trở lại với ngôi làng Xì Trum, nơi mà mỗi ngày đều là lễ hội. Bỗng một ngày, sự yên bình của ngôi làng bị phá vỡ khi Tí Vua bị bắt cóc một cách bí ẩn bởi hai phù thủy độc ác Gà Mên và Cà Mên. Từ đây, Tí Cô Nương phải dẫn dắt các Tí đi vào thế giới thực để giải cứu ông. ĐÀN CÁ GỖ - T13Đạo diễn: Nguyễn Phạm Thành ĐạtDiễn viên: Nguyễn Hùng, Minh Hà, Lãnh ThanhThể loại: Tâm Lý, Tình cảmPhim ngắn “Đàn Cá Gỗ” - cùng giải thưởng Phim ngắn xuất sắc nhất tại Cánh Diều Vàng 2024; kể về hành trình của Cường, chàng trai miền biển phải gác lại đam mê âm nhạc để chăm lo cho gia đình. Phim là câu chuyện dịu dàng về tình yêu, khát vọng và những lựa chọn khó khăn trong cuộc sống.MÙA HÈ KINH HÃI – T18Đạo diễn: Jennifer Kaytin RobinsonDiễn viên: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders,...Thể loại: Hồi hộp, Kinh DịKhi năm người bạn vô tình gây ra một vụ tai nạn xe hơi chết người, họ quyết định che giấu và lập một giao ước giữ bí mật thay vì phải đối mặt với hậu quả. Một năm sau, quá khứ trở lại ám ảnh họ, buộc họ phải đối diện với một sự thật khủng khiếp: có ai đó biết những gì họ đã làm vào mùa hè năm ngoái… và quyết tâm trả thù họ. Khi từng người trong nhóm bị một kẻ sát nhân truy đuổi, họ phát hiện ra rằng điều này đã xảy ra trước đây, và họ tìm đến hai người sống sót từ vụ thảm sát huyền thoại ở Southport năm 1997 để cầu cứu.CHUYỆN MA NGHĨA ĐỊA – T18Đạo diễn: Adirek Phothong; Songsak Mongkolthong; Suttawat Settakorn; Phontharis ChotkijsadarsoponDiễn viên: Ruethaiphat Phatthananapaphangkorn; Rebecca Patricia Armstrong; Thể loại: Kinh DịBốn câu chuyện nghĩa địa mang theo bốn cơn ác mộng kinh hoàng, thách thức người xem chứng kiến ranh giới mong manh giữa sự sống và cái chết, nơi đất cát chưa nguội lạnh, cõi chết vẫn còn vọng tiếng oan hồn oái ăm.CON NÍT QUỶ - T16 (Indonesia)Đạo diễn: Sidharta TataThể loại: Kinh Dị20 năm sau thảm kịch Jatijajar, nỗi kinh hoàng mang tên Ummu Sibyan một lần nữa trỗi dậy. Lần này, điểm đến là ngôi làng hẻo lánh Giritirto. Sau một cuộc ẩu đả giữa đội bóng chính và đội dự bị, 8 đứa trẻ thất trận vội vã trở về làng giữa lúc chạng vạng. Trong cơn tức giận, chúng buông lời nguyền rủa đội thắng sẽ gặp tai họa, và rồi tai họa thật sự ập đến. Không ai hay biết, chính lời nguyền rủa vu vơ ấy đã vô tình đánh thức một thế lực tà ác từng bị chôn vùi trong quá khứ. TIẾNG ỒN QUỶ DỊ - T18Đạo diễn: Kim Soo-JinDiễn viên: Lee Sun-bin, Han Soo-a, Kim Min-Seok...Thể loại: Hồi hộp, Kinh DịSau khi dọn vào căn hộ mới, hai chị em Joo-Young (Lee Sun-Bin) và Joo-Hee (Han Su-A) liên tục bị quấy nhiễu bởi những tiếng động kỳ quái phát ra từ giữa các tầng – thứ âm thanh âm ỉ, vặn vẹo như thể có ai đó… hoặc thứ gì đó đang sống giữa các bức tường. Rồi một ngày, Joo-Hee biến mất không dấu vết. Joo-Young cùng bạn trai của em gái lao vào cuộc truy tìm trong vô vọng – khi càng đào sâu, họ càng tiến gần đến một bí mật đen tối bị chôn vùi sau những bức tường cách âm. PHIM ĐIỆN ẢNH THÁM TỬ LỪNG DANH CONAN: DƯ ẢNH CỦA ĐỘC NHÃN - KĐạo diễn: Katsuya ShigeharaDiễn viên: Minami Takayama, Wakana Yamazaki, Rikiya Koyama, Megumi Hayashibara, ...Thể loại: Bí ẩn, Hành Động, Hoạt HìnhTrên những ngọn núi tuyết của Nagano, một vụ án bí ẩn đã đưa Conan và các thám tử quay trở lại quá khứ. Thanh tra Yamato Kansuke - người đã bị thương nặng trong một trận tuyết lở nhiều năm trước - bất ngờ phải đối mặt với những ký ức đau thương của mình trong khi điều tra một vụ tấn công tại Đài quan sát Nobeyama. Cùng lúc đó, Mori Kogoro nhận được một cuộc gọi từ một đồng nghiệp cũ, tiết lộ mối liên hệ đáng ngờ giữa anh ta và vụ án đã bị lãng quên từ lâu. Sự xuất hiện của Morofushi Takaaki, cùng với những nhân vật chủ chốt như Amuro Tooru, Kazami và cảnh sát Tokyo, càng làm phức tạp thêm cuộc điều tra.

El contralmirante Shigetarō Shimada y el vicealmirante Tadamichi Hirayama, de la Armada Imperial Japonesa, proponen construir un super-acorazado. Los almirantes Yamamoto y Nagano , partidarios de los portaaviones, reclutan a Tadashi Kai para que encuentre defectos en la propuesta. Kai es un prodigio matemático autista obsesionado con la geometría. Te lo cuentan María Vázquez y Antonio Gómez. Y recuerda que puedes encontrar el blog 📽️ Todo sobre mi Cine Bélico en https://todosobremicinebelico.blogspot.com/ Casus Belli Podcast pertenece a 🏭 Factoría Casus Belli. Casus Belli Podcast forma parte de 📀 Ivoox Originals. 📚 Zeppelin Books (Digital) y 📚 DCA Editor (Físico) http://zeppelinbooks.com son sellos editoriales de la 🏭 Factoría Casus Belli. Estamos en: 🆕 WhatsApp https://bit.ly/CasusBelliWhatsApp 👉 X/Twitter https://twitter.com/CasusBelliPod 👉 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CasusBelliPodcast 👉 Instagram estamos https://www.instagram.com/casusbellipodcast 👉 Telegram Canal https://t.me/casusbellipodcast 👉 Telegram Grupo de Chat https://t.me/casusbellipod 📺 YouTube https://bit.ly/casusbelliyoutube 👉 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@casusbelli10 👉 https://podcastcasusbelli.com 👨💻Nuestro chat del canal es https://t.me/casusbellipod ⚛️ El logotipo de Casus Belli Podcasdt y el resto de la Factoría Casus Belli están diseñados por Publicidad Fabián publicidadfabian@yahoo.es 🎵 La música incluida en el programa es Ready for the war de Marc Corominas Pujadó bajo licencia CC. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/ El resto de música es bajo licencia privada de Epidemic Music, Jamendo Music o SGAE SGAE RRDD/4/1074/1012 de Ivoox. 🎭Las opiniones expresadas en este programa de pódcast, son de exclusiva responsabilidad de quienes las trasmiten. Que cada palo aguante su vela. 📧¿Queréis contarnos algo? También puedes escribirnos a casus.belli.pod@gmail.com ¿Quieres anunciarte en este podcast, patrocinar un episodio o una serie? Hazlo a través de 👉 https://www.advoices.com/casus-belli-podcast-historia Si te ha gustado, y crees que nos lo merecemos, nos sirve mucho que nos des un like, ya que nos da mucha visibilidad. Muchas gracias por escucharnos, y hasta la próxima. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Hall of Fame Week presented by Kentuckiana Friends of V and 5 Iron Golf welcomes it's first gold medalist from the ice! Gold medalist Tara Lipinski joins to talk about her famous win in Nagano, the mental toughness needed to compete in the Olympics, her transition to the broadcast booth and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 Locations for One Piece Statues Near Kumamoto, Japan, Lost Without Japan Ep 115 Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our crowd-funded show By Supporting Us Through Our show's Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Google Shared Maps For This Episode:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/fimxQf2sPBtFsdAF8 

【欢迎订阅】 每天早上5:30，准时更新。 【阅读原文】 标题：Japan's civil war over surnames Inventive schemes help women dodge inflexible marriage laws 正文：For a couple that has divorced three times, Uchiyama Yukari and Koike Yukio get along remarkably well. The two teachers, who live in the city of Nagano in central Japan, have never fallen out of love. Yet they have parted several times on paper, in order to sidestep a law that requires married people to have the same surname. Most of the time the couple lives happily outside wedlock. Each time they have a child they remarry (because that makes registering the birth simpler) and then divorce again. 知识点：get along phr.v. /ɡet əˈlɒŋ/ to have a harmonious relationship. 相处融洽 e.g. Despite their differences, the two colleagues get along quite well. 尽管存在分歧，这两位同事相处得相当融洽。 获取外刊的完整原文以及精讲笔记，请关注微信公众号「早安英文」，回复“外刊”即可。更多有意思的英语干货等着你！ 【节目介绍】 《早安英文-每日外刊精读》，带你精读最新外刊，了解国际最热事件：分析语法结构，拆解长难句，最接地气的翻译，还有重点词汇讲解。 所有选题均来自于《经济学人》《纽约时报》《华尔街日报》《华盛顿邮报》《大西洋月刊》《科学杂志》《国家地理》等国际一线外刊。 【适合谁听】 1、关注时事热点新闻，想要学习最新最潮流英文表达的英文学习者 2、任何想通过地道英文提高听、说、读、写能力的英文学习者 3、想快速掌握表达，有出国学习和旅游计划的英语爱好者 4、参加各类英语考试的应试者（如大学英语四六级、托福雅思、考研等） 【你将获得】 1、超过1000篇外刊精读课程，拓展丰富语言表达和文化背景 2、逐词、逐句精确讲解，系统掌握英语词汇、听力、阅读和语法 3、每期内附学习笔记，包含全文注释、长难句解析、疑难语法点等，帮助扫除阅读障碍。

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Cherry Blossoms and Friendships: Capturing Graduation Memories Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-06-14-22-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 春の風がやさしく、桜の花びらが舞う長野の善光寺村。En: In the village of Zenkoji in Nagano, the gentle spring breeze carried the cherry blossom petals in the air.Ja: 高等学校の終わりが近づいていた。En: High school was nearing its end.Ja: 春は変化の季節。別れと新しい始まり。En: Spring is a season of change, farewells, and new beginnings.Ja: その中で、春人はカメラを握りしめていた。En: Amidst all this, Haruto clutched his camera tightly.Ja: 春人は写真を撮るのが好きだ。En: Haruto loved taking photos.Ja: 特に、この最後となる高校生活の瞬間を残したいと思っていた。友だちとの日々を忘れないように。En: He especially wanted to capture these final moments of his high school life, so he wouldn't forget the days spent with his friends.Ja: だけど、最近の春人は少し不安だった。En: Yet, recently, Haruto had been feeling a bit anxious.Ja: 「卒業したら、もう会えなくなるのかな？」そんな思いが頭をよぎる。En: "Will we stop seeing each other after graduation?" such thoughts crossed his mind.Ja: 親友の藍子は明るくて、みんなに人気だった。En: His best friend, Aiko, was cheerful and popular with everyone.Ja: 春人とは幼なじみだ。En: She had been Haruto's childhood friend.Ja: そして、この春に東京から引っ越してきた理奈。En: Then, there was Rina, who had moved from Tokyo this spring.Ja: 彼女は静かな子だったが、この村の穏やかさを気に入っていた。En: She was a quiet girl but had grown fond of the calmness in this village.Ja: ある日、春人は決心した。En: One day, Haruto made a decision.Ja: 「三人で善光寺の庭に集まって、写真を撮ろう。」古い寺や美しい桜の下で、特別な瞬間を残そうとアイデアを出した。En: "Let's gather in the garden of Zenkoji and take a picture together," he suggested, coming up with the idea of capturing a special moment under the old temple and the beautiful cherry blossoms.Ja: 当日、天気は快晴。En: On the day of the gathering, the weather was perfectly clear.Ja: 寺の庭では、桜が満開だった。En: The temple garden was in full bloom with cherry blossoms.Ja: 優しいピンク色が空を覆い、遠くからは鐘の音が聞こえた。En: Gentle pink hues covered the sky, and the sound of a distant bell could be heard.Ja: 春人、藍子、理奈の三人は、一緒に笑いながら庭を歩いた。En: Haruto, Aiko, and Rina walked through the garden, laughing together.Ja: だが、春人の心は少し重かった。En: However, Haruto's heart felt a bit heavy.Ja: 写真を撮っても、その瞬間は二度と戻ってこない。En: Even if he took photos, those moments would never come back.Ja: 未来への不安が膨らんでいった。En: Anxiety about the future was growing within him.Ja: そのとき、藍子が言った。「春人、私たちの友情は写真に写るだけじゃないよ。大事なのは、この時間を一緒に過ごすことだよ。」En: Then, Aiko said, "Haruto, our friendship doesn't only exist in photos. What matters is spending this time together."Ja: 春人はハッとした。En: Haruto had an epiphany.Ja: そうだった。写真だけではなく、今を楽しむことが大事なんだ。En: That was it. It wasn't just about the photos; it was about enjoying the present moment.Ja: 急に重くなったカメラを下ろし、彼は二人と一緒に笑い、遊び、語ることにした。En: Suddenly, he put down his heavy camera and decided to laugh, play, and talk with the two of them.Ja: 最後には、春人はカメラを置き、友だちと手をつなぎ、桜の下で新しい思い出を作った。En: In the end, Haruto set the camera aside, held hands with his friends, and made new memories under the cherry blossoms.Ja: 彼の心の中に、写真以上に大切な友情があることを知ったからだ。En: He realized that in his heart, the friendship was more precious than any photo.Ja: この春、春人は気づいた。変わることは怖いものではない。En: That spring, Haruto realized: change is not something to fear.Ja: 友情は遠くても心の中で続いていける。En: Friendship can continue in the heart, no matter how far apart.Ja: 桜の風に吹かれながら、彼の心は未来の変化を受け入れた。En: As he was swept by the cherry blossom wind, his heart embraced the changes of the future.Ja: そして、彼らの時間は美しく続いていくことを信じた。En: And he believed that their time together would continue beautifully. Vocabulary Words:gentle: やさしくbreeze: 風blossom: 花びらfarewells: 別れclutched: 握りしめていたanxious: 不安epiphany: ハッとしたprecious: 大切embraced: 受け入れたgathering: 集まってdecision: 決心realized: 気づいたpopularity: 人気quiet: 静かchildhood: 幼なじみcalmness: 穏やかさdistant: 遠くcapture: 残そうhue: 色heavy: 重かったmoment: 瞬間bell: 鐘swept: 吹かれながらfuture: 未来temple: 寺decided: 決めたmemories: 思い出cherished: 気に入っていたfear: 怖いlife: 生活

A Glimpse into Japan Craft Beer@echigo_beer @yonayona.ale #craftbeer #japanesebeer #beer #podcast #radioshow Co hosts : Good ol Boy Dave and Good ol Gal Julieanna SUDS  Episode – We embark on a flavorful journey through the world of Japanese craft beer!  As we explore these exceptional brews, expect lively banter, tasting notes, and the signature humor that keeps our audience coming back for more. Tune in to discover how these Japanese beers stand up to their American counterparts and find out which ones earn our coveted Suds ratings! We taste and rate the following beer from 1-5: 5:40      Koshihikari Japanese Rice Lager – using Niigata Koshihikari rice.  5% ABV.  Echigo Beer Co., Ltd.  Nigata-shi, Niigata, Japan   SUDS-4 12:56    Flying IPA- American style IPA .  5.5% ABV.  Echigo Beer Co., Ltd.  Nigata-shi, Niigata, Japan   SUDS-3 20:15    Premium Red Ale – 6% ABV.  Echigo Beer Co., Ltd.  Nigata-shi, Niigata, Japan SUDS-5 28:09    Suiyoubi no Neko - Belgian-style white ale- 5% ABV.  Yo-Ho Brewing Company Saku-shi, Nagano, Japan SUDS-3 37:18    Sorry Umami IPA – brewed with Bonito flakes.  6.5% ABV Yo-Ho Brewing Company Saku-shi, Nagano, Japan SUDS-5 info@sipssudsandsmokes.com X- @sipssudssmokes IG/FB/Bluesky - @sipssudsandsmokes Sips, Suds, & Smokes® is produced by One Tan Hand Productions using the power of beer, whiskey, and golf.  Available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeart, and nearly anywhere you can find a podcast.Check out Good ol Boy Dave on 60 Second Reviewshttps://www.instagram.com/goodoleboydave/ Enjoying that cool new Outro Music, it's from Woods & Whitehead – Back Roads Download your copy here:https://amzn.to/2XblorcThe easiest way to find this award winning podcast on your phone is ask Alexa, Siri or Google, “Play Podcast , Sips, Suds, & Smokes” Credits:TITLE: Maxwell Swing/ FlapperjackPERFORMED BY: Texas GypsiesCOMPOSED BY: Steven R Curry (BMI)PUBLISHED BY: Alliance AudioSparx (BMI)TITLE: Back RoadsPERFORMED BY: Woods & WhiteheadCOMPOSED BY: Terry WhiteheadPUBLISHED BY: Terry WhiteheadCOURTESY OF: Terry WhiteheadPost production services : Pro Podcast SolutionsAdvertising sales: Contact us directlyContent hosting services: Talk Media Network, Audioport, Earshot, Radio4All, PodBeanProducer: Good ol Gal Julieanna & Good ol Boy DaveExecutive Producer: Good ol Boy MikeJapanese Craft Beer, Echigo Beer Co., Koshi Hikari, Flying Ipa, Suyubi Nonero, Wednesday Cat, Sari Umami Ipa, Craft Beer Tasting, Beer Reviews, Beer Ratings, Microbrewery, Japanese Rice Lager, Belgian Style Ale, Beer Pairing, Craft Beer Culture, Niigata Prefecture, Yoho Brewing Company, Beer Enthusiasts, Beer Flights, International Beer Competition 

Send us a textThis is a short announcement that Outland Japan continues to be on a break. Outland Japan has been running for over two years now, the most recent episode being Episode 50. I very much enjoy making the podcast but it takes quite a bit of time and effort - something I need to balance with work, family and other commitments. Looking forward I can see that that balance is going to be hard to achieve, especially in the next 6 to 12 months. Rather than overburden myself, I have decided to leave the podcast on a break for now as I figure out a way to continue Outland Japan in a manner more aligned and workable with my other commitments.I am hesitant to do that as it takes a lot of effort and time to build up an audience, yet little time at all to lose an audience. For that reason I will endeavour to return with Outland Japan as soon as possible. If you're following or subscribed to the podcast on whichever app your listening on, it would be great if you could not change that so once I know the return date, you'll get that announcement in your feed. Thanks for listening!Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

本集简介 / Episode Summary / エピソード概要：中文： 大家好，明天我就将从美国出发前往日本。在九州、鹿儿岛玩一个星期，然后到长野的白马村和松本再玩一个星期，接着前往中国待一个月，7月14日回到美国。七月中下旬，我还会去看三场 Blackpink 的演唱会，分别在芝加哥和纽约！这个夏天我还会教两个一对一的中文暑期课程，帮助学生完成跳级目标。这期节目是一次旅行前的暑期更新，接下来的两周我可能不会更新，但整个暑假期间仍有机会继续和大家见面。我十分期待这次日本之行，也希望大家的夏天都精彩充实！English: Hi everyone! Tomorrow I'll be leaving the U.S. for Japan. I'll spend a week traveling in Kyushu and Kagoshima, then another week in Hakuba and Matsumoto in Nagano. After that, I'll head to China for a month and return to the U.S. on July 14. In the second half of July, I'll be going to three Blackpink concerts—one in Chicago and two in New York!This summer, I'll also be teaching two one-on-one intensive Chinese courses to help students skip a level. This episode is a summer update before I head off. I may not post in the next two weeks, but I'll likely reconnect again later this summer.I'm really looking forward to this trip to Japan, and I hope your summer is fun and fulfilling too! 日本語： みなさん、こんにちは！明日、私はアメリカを出発して日本に向かいます。九州や鹿児島で1週間過ごし、その後、長野の白馬村と松本でさらに1週間滞在します。その後は中国で1か月過ごし、7月14日にアメリカに戻る予定です。7月の後半には、シカゴとニューヨークで行われる Blackpink のコンサートに3回行く予定です！この夏は、2人の生徒に夏期集中レッスンとして1対1の中国語授業を行い、飛び級を目指すサポートをします。今回のエピソードは、出発前の夏の予定アップデートです。これからの2週間は更新できないかもしれませんが、夏の後半にはまた皆さんとお会いできると思います。今回の日本旅行をとても楽しみにしていますし、皆さんの夏も楽しく充実したものになりますように！#暑假旅行 #日本 #Blackpink #暑期课程 #SummerTravel #Japan #Blackpink #SummerCourse #SummerPlans #夏の旅行 #日本 #DuLịchMùaHè #NhậtBản #Blackpink #KhóaHọcHè #KếHoạchMùaHè发短信给我！ Send me a text!Support the show如果您喜欢我的播客，欢迎通过下方方式表达您的支持。您的支持对我来说是巨大的鼓励。但无论如何，我都很感激有您作为听众。能够每周与您分享几分钟的时光，对我来说是莫大的荣幸。❤️ If you enjoy my podcast, you're welcome to show your support through the options below. Your support means a great deal to me and is a huge source of encouragement. But no matter what, I'm truly grateful to have you as a listener. It's an honor to share a few minutes with you each week. ✨

Dominik Hasek is a two time Stanley Cup Champion, and Olympic Gold Medalist who is considered amongst the best goaltenders in the history of hockey. He played for 16 seasons with four different NHL teams and won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's most outstanding goalie 6 times. He is also the only goaltender to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player twice. Hašek was the first European Goaltender to win the Stanley Cup, setting an NHL play-off record for shutouts in the process and is credited for opening the door for future European goaltenders who are now a strong force across the NHL. In 1998 in Nagano, Japan, he led Czech Republic to their first and only Olympic Gold medal, famously shutting out Canada in a tie-breaking shootout & eliminating the Canadian “dream team” along the way. Hašek holds the NHL record for the best career save percentage (.922) and was inducted into the Hockey hall of Fame in 2017 and has been named one of top 100 Players in NHL history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Enough about Mobile Suits, let's talk Heavy Metals! The D.Sserd is, as best as I can tell, the GM of Heavy Metal L-Gaim. It's an old school Nagano design, which is another way of saying "awesome." We'll have to put off the L-Gaim itself for another time, but we do want to double back to it. That guy's cool too. You can find a video version of this podcast for free on Scanline Media's Patreon! If you want to find us on Twitter, Dylan is @lowpolyrobot and Six is @sixdettmar. Our opening theme is the Hangar Theme from Gundam Breaker 3, and our ending theme for this episode is Resumption from Gundam Breaker 4. Our podcast art is a fantastic piece of work from Twitter artist @fenfelt. Want to see a list of every unit we've covered from every episode, including variants and tangents? It's right here. Units discussed: D.Sserd Novel D.Sserd Flicker MSZ-009BX Prototype ZZ Gundam (NITRO) MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam (Hyper Giga Launcher) MSZ-009H3 F.A.V.N.R.

Send us a textWith the podcast on a break between Season 4 and Season 5, I am republishing another of my travel guides – in this case, my guide to Kamikochi. Open to the public from mid-April to mid-November, Kamikochi is an alpine valley located within Japan's highest mountain range, the Hida Mountains or “North Alps”. Bookended by Hotakadake in the north – Japan's third tallest mountain – and Yakedake in the south – an active volcano – the 16km / 10mi valley follows the Azusa River and is known for its outstanding beauty blended with spiritual importance. Access to Kamikochi is controlled and restricted to use of public buses, taxis or chartered vehicles meaning that planning ahead and knowing what to expect is important to getting the most out of your visit. If you're enjoying pod and would like to support me in continuing to make it, please do make sure to subscribe or follow on which pod app you're listening on. I will announce the return date for the podcast as soon as possible. Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy.Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

Osaka Day Trip: Echoes of History Day Trip Japan LWJ Episode 111 Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd-Funded show By Supporting Us Through Our show's Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Google Shared Maps For This Episode:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/BGqKS91QiXnxDHND9  Rome2Reo: https://www.rome2rio.com/ 

Episode 178.  In this episode join John and Timothy as they interview Keith Norum.  Keith is a well known figure in the sake industry and he has represented the Masumi brand of sake since 2005.  Keith tells us his story of getting to Japan and finding his way to the world of sake.  What's it like working at a traditional Japanese sake brewery?  Keith gives us a peek behind the noren!  Together we all taste one of the most popular Masumi sakes in the market outside Japan - Masumi Shiro Junmai Ginjo - a light and breezy delight!  Join us and listen in as we chat with our good buddy in Nagano!  #SakeRevolutionSupport the show

durée : 00:13:36 - Le Disque classique du jour du vendredi 09 mai 2025 - Enregistrée en août 2022 à l'Elbphilharmonie de Hambourg par le Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg sous la direction de Kent Nagano, cette version n'est pas celle habituelle en sept mouvements.

durée : 00:13:36 - Le Disque classique du jour du vendredi 09 mai 2025 - Enregistrée en août 2022 à l'Elbphilharmonie de Hambourg par le Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg sous la direction de Kent Nagano, cette version n'est pas celle habituelle en sept mouvements.

Send us a textThe podcast is currently on a break between Season 4 and Season 5. As promised, during this period I'll be uploading two previous episodes starting with my travel guide to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Open to the public from mid-April until the end of November, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route traverses Japan's highest mountain range – the Hida mountains or North Alps – from Ogizawa Station on the Nagano-side of the range to Tateyama Station on the Toyama-side. Closed to the public through winter due to the extremely heavy snowfall experienced in the mountains, the route has just reopened for 2025 making it a good time to republish this travel guide, which I originally published in April 2024 under the old podcast name of ‘Snow Country Stories Japan'.This episode will be followed by my other travel guide published in July last year, my guide to Kamikochi, which has also just reopened to the public. If you're enjoying pod and would like to support me in continuing to make it, please do make sure to subscribe or follow on which pod app you're listening on. Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy.Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

La línea Hokuriku Shinkansen conecta Tokio con Nagano (el primer final de la línea), Kanazawa (la primera extensión en 2015) y Tsuruga (segunda extensión en 2024). Idealmente llegará a Kioto y Osaka de aquí a unos años, aunque eso, además de su historia, te lo contamos con detalle en el episodio. Hablamos también de los servicios que operan, qué pases puedes usar, cuánto tardas en llegar y qué lugares de interés puedes visitar con esta línea, para que descubras sitios muy poco masificados y de gran encanto. Luego, en Japonismo mini hacemos un ejercicio de honestidad y te contamos cómo metimos la pata en episodios anteriores, hablamos de la firma de libros que hicimos en Barcelona por Sant Jordi y de nuestro cuarto libro, al que le queda nada para estar en librerías (pero se puede reservar ya). Tras leer comentarios de japonistas (ha habido muchos en estas dos semanas), te contamos cómo decir "conveniente" en japonés, algo apropiado porque esta línea de tren bala lo es... ¡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

Good Times Episode 10: Lost Without Japan Finds A Bottle Of Yamakzaki 12 year While Cleaning LWJ Ep 110 Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd-Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/paying-for-our-4-109129803?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link  As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#   

Send us a textIn Episode 50 of the podcast I speak with Marcus Consolini, owner and general manager of Daimon Shuzo - a 200 year old sake brewery in Osaka - and board member of the Minka Preservation Society. Marcus has hands on experience in the restoration of multiple historical properties in Japan including the brewery, private residences and other buildings. Given that experience, Marcus is an ideal guest to speak about the process of acquiring and renovating ‘kominka' (traditional houses) and other historical buildings.Marcus breakdowns the process of selecting the right property and determining how you will renovate it, including key questions to ask along the way. He categories the types of owners he has encountered and how principles including passion, thick skin and patience underscore yet also risk the success of every renovation. Marcus goes on to propose a working model based on three key focuses - evaluation, design and build - and the dynamic between the architect, designer and builder it is the carpenter that wins.This episode will be of interest to anyone interested in acquiring a historical / heritage home in Japan or perhaps you are already in the process or have done so yourself. It builds upon Episode 43 and Episode 48,  my interviews with fellow Minka Preservation Society board members, Lauren Scharf and Vincent Ing. For more information, visit the Minka Preservation Society website or Instagram and for further information about the brewery, visit the Daimon Shuzo website or Instagram.A big thank you to Marcus for making time to speak with me and providing the images used in support of this episode. This episode is the last of Season 4. I will announce the return date of the podcast as soon as possible. In the meantime, I will republish popular episodes from Season 3. I hope you enjoy.Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

Send us a textEpisode 49 of the podcast takes us to the smallest of Japan's main for islands, Shikoku, and onto the Shikoku Henro. Associated with the life and teachings of legendary Buddhist monk Kūkai - also known as Kōbō Daishi – the Shikoku Henro is an 88 temple, 1200km / 745 mile pilgrimage circuit that circumambulates the island. Long-known by Japanese, “the Henro” is increasingly popular for international visitors with many people traveling to Japan specifically to walk a section or the complete trail. Our guide in exploring the Henro today is guest Kōei Ervin. Kōei is an ordained priest in the Shingon tradition of Japanese Buddhism, Shugendō practitioner, and tour guide with Shikoku Tours including accompanying guests along the Henro. Kōei's depth of knowledge of the Henro and Japanese Buddhism is self-evident, and as a guide, he weaves an engaging and accessible story regarding the history of the trail, why people walk it, what to expect, traditional clothing and basic logistics of accommodation and when to do it.For more information about the Shikoku Henro, visit the Henro.org website, Shikoku Tourism website or Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage website. For guided tours with Kōei, visit the Shikoku Tours website or contact him via his Scattered Blossoms blog or his Instagram. During the interview, Kōei makes several recommendations including the revised Shikoku Japan 88 Route Guide Book, Ohenro San Facebook Group, Shikoku 88 Ohenro Pilgrimage Facebook Group and Sumotoriya Asano supply store.A very big thank you to Kōei for making time to speak with me and for providing the images used in support of the episode. I hope you enjoy.Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

Nagasaki Day Trip: Echoes of History Day Trip Japan LWJ Episode 108 Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Google Shared Maps For This Episode:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/VbSSZ5N8AXe6eboaA

Send us a textIn Episode 48 we travel to rural Kyoto Prefecture to speak with Vincent Ng, otherwise known on Instagram as Kyoto Insider. As Kyoto Insider, Vince documents his life in rural Kyoto, and in doing so, explores the interconnection of food chain origins while showing off his lifestyle. He is hands on in that exploration, embracing all aspects of rural life. Fishing, farming and hunting all feature heavily and reflect the realities and opportunities of life in rural Japan and how food is produced, procured and traded within communities, while also reflecting the idyllic beauty of that part of Kyoto Prefecture.Vince is actively involved in the revitalisation of his village, performing many roles and working to attract prospective migrants as a rural tourism and migration consultant. In addition, he is the Managing Director of Ipanshadan Houjin Minka Preservation Society – an organisation dedicated to the conservation of Japan's wonderful heritage and historical homes. As such, Vince is a wonderful advocate for the lifestyle available in rural Japan while also conveying a realistic understanding of what to expect and how to go about transitioning to life in the countryside. Thank you for Vince for making time to speak with me and for sharing the images used in support of this episode. For more information and to follow Vince, make sure to check out his profile as Kyoto Insider on Instagram along with the Minka Preservation Society website. Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

Good Times Episode 10: Lost Without Japan Time To Buy Some Expensive Plastic 107 Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/paying-for-our-4-109129803?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link  As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#

Send us a textIn Episode 47 I speak with Reverend Dr. TK Nakagaki. Rev. Dr. Nakagaki is the author of the book 'The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross: Rescuing a Symbol of Peace from the Forces of Hate'. Published in 2017, the book presents a cross-cultural history of the “swastika”, a symbol of peace used by multiple Eastern religions, including Japanese Buddhism, and indigenous peoples but typically regarded as a hate symbol in the West. Known as 'manji' in Japan, the swastika is commonly found on Buddhist temples along with many Shinto shrines. In keeping with its meaning in Buddhist and Hindu traditions, the swastika is a symbol of peace, light and represents the mind and teaching of the Buddha. It is found at temples and shrines throughout the country yet most international visitors depart without ever gaining an understanding of its meaning is the Japanese Buddhist context. I hope this episode goes some way to addressing that. Rev. Dr. Nakagaki is an ordained priest in the Jodoshinshu tradition of Japanese Buddhism and Founder of the Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York. He is a President Emeritus of the Buddhist Council of New York, an Honorary Board Member of the Interfaith Center of New York and a New York City Police Department Clergy Liaison along with a Hiroshima Peace Ambassador, Nagasaki Peace Correspondent and Honorary President of Sanghakaya Foundation of India. He graduated Ryukoku University in Kyoto in 1983 having majored in Buddhist history before undertaking advanced study in Jodoshinshu doctrine to Gyoshin Buddhist Seminary in Osaka from 1983 to 1985. He has an MA in Linguistics from California State University at Fresno in 1994 and a earned a Doctorate of Ministry in Multifaith Studies from the New York Theological Seminary in 2012. Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

Con Mario Mora y Ana Laura Iglesias | La pasada semana pudimos asistir a un encuentro histórico. El Ministro de Cultura de España, Ernest Urtasun, y el próximo director de la OCNE, el Maestro Kent Nagano, mantuvieron una relajada conversación de cara a un amplio grupo de interesados a la que pudimos asistir y de la que vamos a escuchar y analizar algunos fragmentos. Un episodio ampliamente centrado en las respuestas del maestro Nagano sobre su futuro en Madrid y sobre su visión de la música con reflexiones muy interesantes. Branded Podcast de la Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España

Each winter, hundreds of thousands of tourists go to see the spectacle of Japan's snow monkeys bathing in the hot springs of Jigokudani Park in Nagano. Temperatures in the Japanese Alps plunge to around minus 20 and the macaques rely on the natural springs to survive the cold. With increasing visitor numbers to Japan, the monkeys have become the region's biggest attraction which is raising concern for their welfare. Staff here say the number of visitors to Jigokudani Park last year reached 257,000, the highest since it opened in 1964. The majority—60%—are from overseas. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) website, there were 36,869,900 foreign visitors to the country between January and December 2024—an increase of 47% from the previous year. Park director Toshio Hagiwara shares mixed feelings about the surge in visitors. The increase in visitor numbers has improved the park's finances but Hagiwara expresses concern over the impact of tourism, particularly as many people try to physically interact with the monkeys. "Some visitors do not follow rules—touching monkeys, throwing stones at them and trying to feed them. Inside (the park) we are strictly monitoring and giving them warnings, but some still do it sneakily as we cannot monitor the whole area, which has been quite a pain in the neck for us," he says. "As a company, our business is going well to the level that we can relax financially. There was a time that we were at the risk of closing the park. So compared to that, we are financially relaxed now thanks to them (tourists)." Hagiwara also warns that many visitors arrive ill-prepared for the snow-blanketed and potentially treacherous valley and many injure themselves. Among the well-prepared tourists is French visitor Mari Berbertiere, who's secured lodging near the park to catch the monkeys in the early morning before the crowds arrive. "Too many people. But I knew it was like that, so it is not a surprise," she says. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

Send us a textIn Episode 46 of the podcast I speak with outdoor guide, Kouhei Nishida. Kouhei is the founder of Shinano Discovery - an outdoor guiding company - and a key member of the team behind creation of the Amatomi Trail. Opened to the public in 2021, the Amatomi Trail stretches 86km / 54 miles from Nagano City through Myoko Togakushi Renzan National Park to Lake Nojiriko and onto Madarao, on the border of Nagano and Niigata Prefectures. The Amatomi Trail is one of, if not the most accessible, hiking trail in Japan and provides access to mixed natural and cultural landscapes, working alpine villages, and important sites including Zenko-ji – one of Japan's oldest and most important Buddhist temples – and the Shinto shrine complex of Togakushi. As Kouhei explains, the Amatomi Trail combines a number of preexisting trails including the pilgrimage trails of the 'Togakushi Kodo', which lead hikers into the national park where they then traverse the foothills of the ‘Shinetsu Gogaku' or ‘Five Peaks of Shinetsu'. The trail can be walked as a through hike or section hike, with Kouhei recommending 4 to 5 days for a through hike, with the most accessible section from Nagano City to Togakushi taking 2 days. With plenty of accommodation along the trail – ranging from hotels and lodges, ‘ryokan' (traditional guesthouses, ‘shukubo' (temple lodgings), ‘minshuku' and ‘pension' (basic guesthouses), and camping sites – there is no shortage of places to stay, catering to all budgets and tastes.I consider walking to be the best way to experience a country and Japan, to be an outstanding walking travel destination. Trails are numerous and varied, increasingly interconnected, well maintained and safe. I hope this episode plays a role in raising the profile of the Amatomi and hiking or walking as one of the best ways to explore Japan. For more information, visit the Amatomi Trail website or Instagram and to follow or contact Kouhei, visit his Shinano Discovery website, Instagram or Facebook. I hope you enjoy!Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

Last time we spoke about the Mukden Incident. In the early 1930s, Ishiwara and Itagaki of the Kwantung Army believed Japan must seize Manchuria to secure its interests against China and the USSR. Frustrated by delays from Tokyo, they orchestrated a surprise attack, framing it as retaliation for the mysterious death of a fellow officer. On September 18, 1931, they bombed railway tracks, claiming a Chinese atrocity, and swiftly attacked, overwhelming Chinese forces despite being outnumbered. Their decisive actions sparked Japan's occupation of Manchuria, defying orders from high command. In a bid to expand Japan's influence, Ishiwara and Itagaki incited chaos in Manchuria, leading to the Mukden Incident. They manipulated local unrest to justify military action, swiftly capturing Kirin without resistance. Despite Tokyo's orders against expansion, they continued their aggressive tactics, pushing for Manchuria's independence. Ishiwara's defiance of command led to significant military successes but also sowed seeds of indiscipline within the army. Ultimately, their actions set Japan on a path toward conflict with China and the West, forever changing the region's fate.   #138 How Zhang Xueliang lost Manchuria Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Little disclaimer this is not a quote en quote regular episode. In this one we are going to look more so into the reasons the Japanese had an easy time conquering Manchuria. Its honestly a very complicated subject involving numerous variables, but I thought it be important to talk about this before we get into the campaign itself.  So last we left off are good friend Ishiwara Kanji had unleashed the Mukden Incident, initiating an unofficial war with China. On September 18, 1931, the Japanese executed a false flag operation by detonating explosives along the South Manchurian Railway near Mukden. This action was followed by an assault from 500 Kwantung soldiers on the Peitaying Barracks, which were defended by 7,000 troops under Zhang Xueliang. At the time, Zhang was in Beiping serving as the North China garrison commander. Those around him, including Chiang Kai-shek, urged him to instruct his men not to resist, to conceal their weapons, and to retreat westward if possible. Chiang Kai-shek recognized that the Japanese were attempting to provoke a full-scale war with China, a conflict they were not prepared to win at that moment. China needed additional time to organize and train its forces to confront such an adversary. Zhang Xueliang understood the weakness of his own forces and aimed to preserve a significant army, making these orders advantageous for him. Both men also believed that the League of Nations or the Wakatsuki cabinet might intervene to halt the illegal occupation. During the confrontation at the Peitaying Barracks, approximately 500 Chinese soldiers were killed, many surrendered, and others fled as the Japanese forces destroyed the barracks and the small air force stationed there. Now what is known as the invasion of Manchuria, is actually an extremely complicated story. For those interested over on the Pacific War Channel I have a full documentary covering it with a lot of combat footage and Chinese Drama Series footage which is always absolutely hilarious. To overly summarize, the officials in charge of various regions of Manchuria did one or more of three options when faced with Japanese aggression. 1) Most defected in return for monetary gain and new positions under the emerging puppet government. 2) They attempted to sabotage and thwart the Japanese while portraying themselves to be complicit. And 3) they actively fought back. So before we begin this story lets talk about Manchuria during this time period. After the death of his father Zhang Zuolin, Zhang Xueliang inherited an extremely chaotic Manchurian dynasty one could call it. The problems were political, social and economic and while the Young Marshal was tackling these issues, 3 years into his new reign, on September 18th of 1931 the Japanese commenced an invasion. The Japanese had been greatly concerned at Zhang Xueliang' moves to assume control over the regional industries and railways, whose income was incredibly important to Japan after the Great Depression had hit in 1929. What ultimately happened to Zhang Xueliang echoed the fate of Yuan Shikai during his tenure of 1912-1916. Yuan Shikai had made moves to centralize China while simultaneously alienating its populace by abolishing its provincial assemblies and trying to make the militarists dissolve their armies. Both men faced enormous external threats while trying to transition their regimes. Nonetheless, Zhang Xueliang did oversee a lot of real change in manchuria in terms of political awareness, education, greater availability of foreign goods and increased the populations feeling they were part of China proper. This increased awareness alongside a sense of international crisis caused by the clashes with the USSR and Japan, spur a new sense of nationalism that would persist for the 15 year war.  So lets talk about the regions of Manchuria shall we. There are 3 provinces in Manchuria, Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, altogether they encompass 380,000 square miles. The central third of Manchuria consists of plains, with the Xing'an range extending around the border areas from the west to northeast and the Changbaishan mountains following the border from east to southeast. To the west of the Xing'an Mountains lies a region that is geographically part of Mongolia and is characterized by steppe terrain. The most fertile regions include the alluvial plain extending from the Gulf of Liaodong to Changchun, as well as the areas near the Sungari and Nonni Rivers in northern Jilin and Heilongjiang. This area experiences significant seasonal climate variations, with average temperatures in July reaching approximately 24 degrees Celsius, while winter averages drop to around –12 degrees Celsius in southern Manchuria and –24 degrees Celsius in the far north. By 1931, there had been no official census conducted in the area, but the Research Bureau of the South Manchurian Railway estimated the population in 1930 to be approximately 34.4 million people. This included 15.2 million in Liaoning, 9.1 million in Jilin, and 5.3 million in Heilongjiang. Population density varied, with Liaoning having 212 people per square mile, Jilin with 89, and Heilongjiang with 23. By 1931, over 90 percent of the population was Han Chinese, while Manchus accounted for about 3 percent, Mongols around 6 percent, and the remaining population comprised Koreans, Russians, and Japanese. During the Japanese occupation, the economy of Manchuria was primarily agricultural, with soybean products accounting for 60 percent of the region's total exports in 1930. In contrast, industrial development was limited in 1931, mainly concentrated in the Japanese-controlled cities of Dairen and Harbin, as well as in areas managed by the South Manchuria Railway and the Chinese Eastern Railway. However, since the early 1920s, a military-industrial complex had begun to emerge, driven by Zhang Zuolin's demand for modern weaponry. The Shenyang arsenal, established in 1919, manufactured rifles and ammunition, employing 20,000 skilled workers who operated at full capacity during the Zhili-Fengtian wars, producing up to 400,000 rounds daily at its peak in 1924-25.The population of Manchuria was overwhelmingly rural and the rivers and roads remained their principal means of transportation. The Amur, Nonni and Sungari rivers were the lifeline of trade, while the roads were in quite a terrible state of repair by 1931. There were 3 key groups of people who met the Japanese invasion, military power brokers, nationalists and civilians who were largely alienated from Zhang Xueliang's regime. Amongst all of them was a large level of interprovincial rivalries.  Local militarism in Manchuria was heavily factionalied with each clique retaining both civilian and military followers. The old comrades of Zhang Zuolin were categorized by the Japanese as “the old faction”, such men as Zhang Zuoxiang and Zhang Jinghui who had risen up alongside the Tiger of Manchuria during the 1920s. They had amassed large fortunes and although they had been subordinate to Zhang Zuolin, they were also power brokers in their own right with private armies and economic bases under their control. Some like Zhang Zuoxiang and Wan Fulin stayed loyal to the Young Marshal once he assumed power. They were often aided by the Japanese who were not keen at all with Zhang Xueliang's enthusiasm for Chinese nationalism. Zhang Zuoxiang would become one of Zhang Xueliangs most important associates. He was born in Jinzhou and at the age of 16 fled his village to escape a family feud and became a bricklayer in Shenyang. However in 1901 he got involved in an incident ending with him stabbing another man, prompting him to flee for Xinmin where he joined forces under Zhang Zuolin. He quickly rose within the military and attended the Fengtian Military Academy. During the 1920s he remained a close ally to Zhang Zuolin, serving as a military governor of Jilin. When Zhang Zuolin was assassinated, Zhang Zuoxiang used his authority to preserve power for Zhang Xueliang who was stationed outside Manchuria at the time and needed time to return to Manchuria.  Wan Fulin would become Zhang Xueliang's other second in command. He was born in 1880 in Changling county of Jilin. Born to a poor farming family, he joined a local militia of around 50 men. His militia was gradually incorporated into the local militarist Wu Junshengs troops in 1900 and from then on Wan rose through the ranks. After Zhang Zuolin's death Wan Fulin was appointed as the military affairs supervisor or “duban” for HEilongjiang. He then took a newly created position of provincial chairman “Zhuxi” in 1929 and held said position during the Mukden Incident.  Now after the Old Tiger had died, one of his old associates Zhang Zongchang, whom I think we all know very well, proved to Zhang Xueliang he could not rely on his fathers old guard. Zhang Zongchang and Chu Yupu tossed their lot in with the Japanese and attacked from Tangshan with 60,000 troops trying to overthrow the new KMT led government. That little venture only lasted from August 2-8th, ending in a hilarious defeat for the so called rebels, but the experience taught Zhang Xueliang that his Fengtian army needed to be reformed, even though it was against the wishes of many of its senior officers.  The most significant opposition to Zhang Xuliang came from his fathers former chief of staff Yang Yuting and his associate Chang Yinhuai. Yang Yuting had been born in Hebei, but his family moved to Faku county in Fengtian when he was young. He was an adept student, rising through the system and by 1909 joined the Japanese military academy “Shikkan gakko”. During the republic days, he joined the Old Tiger and slowly became a trusted ally. In 1925 as General Guo Songling rebelled, in a large part because of Yang Yuting's advocacy of continued militarism even after the failure of the Fengtian army during the second Fengtian-Zhili War. Yang Yuting was chosen by Zhang Zuolin to lead the unsuccessful counterebellion and then became his chief of staff. By 1927 Yang Yuting began negotiations with the Japanese, some of whom thought he would make a much better replacement to the Old Tiger. Yang Yuting saw Zhang Zuolins death as an opportunity to development himself, however in 1928 he began negotiations with Nanjing as well. This led him to change his mind about Japan and adopted unification measures with Nanjing. He hoped to snuggle up to Chiang Kai-Shek, but likewise retained close connections with the Japanese. Dishing out appointments was something Yang Yuting was quite keen upon. When Zhang Xueliang sought to appoint one of his supporters as the new governor of the Eastern Special Zone, this was an area around Harbin that had been made autonomous in its role as a hub for the Chinese Eastern Railway, well Yang Yuting made Zhang Jinghui the de facto governor instead. Yet Yang Yuting's spiderlike nature would become his downfall. One of his closest friends was Chang Yinhuai, who was appointed governor of Heilongjiang by Zhang Xueliang in 1928. Chang Yinhuai's contempt for the Young Marshal became more and more open, until it reached the point where he would money to Yang Yuting for ordnance expenses but not the Young Marshal, oh and he was building his own private army. On the 10th of January of 1929 Chang and Yang went to meet Zhang Xueliang, demanding he create a new post of Northeastern Railway Supervisor for Chang. They both argued they wanted to take control over the Chinese Eastern Railway, currently under Soviet-Chinese dual control, but Zhang Xueliang dragged his feet during the meeting. When the two men left, Zhang Xueliang instructed his police chief Gao Jiyi to arrest and shoot them, which he did. M.S Myers, the American consul in Shenyang cabled his superiors about the execution, noting, “the elimination of the two most powerful and probably able members of the Fengtien Party[,]... although strengthening the position of the existing head of this territory for the time being, may later result in the breakup of that party through internal and external agencies.” Well Mr. Myers was quite right. Although Zhang Xueliang's actions had the effect of stopping Yang Yutings overreach, it ultimately was more of a sign of his weakness, rather than strength. Some like Zhang Jinghui were saved by the fact they were old associates with Zhang Zuolin and had built their own power bases. However other like Zang Shiyi for example, who were close associates of Yang Yuting had to wait for Zhang Xueliang to move to Beiping to take up his position as deputy commander of the Nationalist forces before gaining office as chairman of Liaoning. Zhao Xinbo only managed to grab the office of mayor over Shenyang after the Japanese took over. Overall Zhang Xueliang did not exercise strong enough control over his local militarists any more than his father did. When Guo Songling had rebelled in 1925, Zhang Zuolin's support had bled considerably, it was only Japanese intervention that saved him. His son would find out his rule was more tolerated rather than supported. There was also a lot of friction between those supporting the KMT vs those supporting the CCP in Manchuria. Qian Gonglai was a professor at the Shendao school in SHenyang and was arrested as a Bolshevist agitator in march of 1927. He had developed a large following amongst his students and the local intelligentsia. Qian had been involved with multiple organization such as the local YMCA and within the Shendao school, which were breeding grounds for young activities. These youthful types were inspired by the May Fourth and May Thirtieth movements, most being from Fengtian. Once Zhang Xueliang and his close followers set up a base of operations in Beiping after 1931, these types of intellectuals would become the founders and key movers of the Northeast National Salvation Society or “NNSS”, the most important propaganda organization to favor the military recapture of Manchuria in defiance of Chiang Kai-Shek's nonaggression strategy. One of their members, Yan Baohang was born in a village within Haicheng county of Fengtian. He came from a poor family, but managed to attend the village school and performed well enough to encourage a local elite to pay for his primary schooling. He went on to study at the teacher training college in Shenyang where he came under the influence of Christianity, but also nationalist ideas promoted by the May fourth movement. He attended the Shenyang YMCA and went to college where he met other young activities such as Wang Zhuoran, Du Zhongyuan and Gao Chongmin. After graduating Yan attempted his new teaching methods at various Fengtian schools, before setting up a free school in Shenyang for poor children. This school was supported by the YMCA and funds from Guo Songling's wife. The school was widely admired, and Zhang Xueliang gave it his full support. Yan became quite famous and was sent to Beijing for further training. By 1925 Yan received a scholarship to go to Edinburgh University where he earned a certificate in Social Studies. While in Europe he traveled widely, visiting places like Denmark and Moscow. He came back to Shenyang in 1929 and alongside Lu Guangji, Gao Chongmin, Wang Huayi and Che Xiangchen formed the Liaoning Provincial Nationalist Foreign Affairs association. This organization, whose core members formed the NNSS, was supported by Zhang Xueliang. Their aim was to seek China's freedom and equal status, which obviously stood against the Japanese. By 1931 it had 46 branches and Yan also set up within the YMCA a Liaoning anti-opium association and a Liaoning Provincial Nationalist Education Advancement Association. By 1930 the Educational Advancement Association's speakers went out on 14 occasions to talk about “exposing various crimes and secret plans the Japanese had for invading the Northeast”. Yan would become one of the heads of the NNSS's propaganda section after 1931. The adoption of the KMT in Manchuria post 1929 meant the nationalist activists all became party members. Yan Baohang and his friends Lu Guangji, Che Xiangchen, Du Zhongyuan,Wang Huayi, Zhao Yushi, and Wang Zhuoran were among thirteen delegates sent to Nanjing for the KMT national conference in May 1931. Lu Guanji had a similar career to that of Yan. Born in 1894 in Haicheng county, he came to Shenyang at the age of 15 and graduated from the teacher training college in 1918. He taught in a SMR-zone Chinese school. In 1922 he attended a national YMCA meeting in Shenyang and soon after was dismissed from teaching for supporting student protests. After this he went to Shenyang to see if his friend Yan Baohang could use his influence with Zhang Xueliang to obtain him a job as a schools inspector. By 1926 he left education for business, becoming a manager over a local printing firm. By 1929, he was elected deputy head of the Fengtian Chamber of Commerce where he frequently met with Zhang Xueliang who liked to make use of the chamber to organize anti-Japanese protests that would not be officially linked to himself.  Chen Xianzhou was born in Huanren county to a family who were handicraft manufacturers, but they went bankrupt during the First Sino-Japanese War. Chen moved in with other relatives who paid for his education. He entered the Huanren Teacher training college in 1915, where he also learned Japanese. In 1919 he won a scholarship to Sendai Industrial College where he studied electrical engineering and became active in overseas chinese student groups protesting for the return of Port Arthur and Dairen. After graduating in 1924 he was employed by the Shenyang municipal administration to negotiate with the Japanese on the building of a new tram line. Through his efforts it was built in a year for less than 2 million yuan and for this in 1927, he was asked to do the same service for Harbin. Under Zhang Xueliang's administration, Chen was given permission to restructure the Northeasts telecommunications and broadcasting network. He added 12 new transmitters linking Shenyang, Harbin, Qiqihar, Yingkou and Changchun. After the Mukden Incident, Chen became a committee member of the NNSS in Beiping, advising resistance armies on how to operate field radios.  Du Zhongyuan was born in Huaide county, once located in Fengtian, now in Jilin. He came from a poor village family, but local elites helped pay for his education, allowing him to study at the Fengtian Provincial teacher training college. He also studied english and japanese. He first became a english teacher, but then developed an interest in the porcelain industry, which was heavily dominated by the Japanese in Manchuria. He thought he could break into their market, so he went to Tokyo Industrial college from 1917-1923, before returning to set up a porcelain manufacturing firm in Shenyang. In 1929, Zhang Xueliang authorized a 120,000 yuan loan to support his factory. Du rose into a prominent figure and was elected deputy chairmen of the Liaoning Chamber of Commerce in 1927, then chairman in 1929. His time in Japanese had been spent mostly as a student, but he was also an activist. He had led a group of 29 Chinese students to protest Zhang Zuolin's government for continuing to allow the Japanese to control the Kwantung leased territory. He had a flair for publicity and found himself in a good position to head the NNSS. He befriended Yan Baohang and Lu Guangji along his journey. Che Xiangchen was born in Faku county to a local elite family. He attended Beijing University extension school in 1918 and was quickly caught up in political activities, taking part in the May fourth movement. After graduating he studied at Zhangguo University then after that joined the Shenyang YMCA befriending Yan Baohang. Encouraged by Yan Baohang, he established schools for delinquent and disadvantaged children. The exact field I work in outside of Youtube and Podcasts. By July 1929 he sponsored 41 schools within ities and over 200 rural schools. Alongside Yan Baohang, and Zhang Xiluan he organized the Liaoning Associate for the Encouragement of Nationalist Education. Wang Huayi was born in Liaozhong county to a poor farmer family. He managed to get funding for his education at the Fengtian Teacher training college in 1916. During his studies he befriend Yan Baohang who introduced him to the YMCA and involved him in its activities. He also became friendly with Zhang Xueliang and this paid off after 1928 when he was made deputy head of the Liaoning Education Department. Wang Zhuoran was born in Fushun county to a farmer family. He attended teacher colleges in Beijing and Shenyang where he befriended Yan, Du, Lu and Wang Huayi and other activists at the YMCA. From 1923-1928 he studied at Columbia University in New York and traveled to England often before returning to Shenyang in 1928. He became the tutor to Zhang Xueliang's children and was active in the Northeastern Nationalist Foreign affairs association. All of these figures dominated Liaoning, specifically the area of Shenyang and this meant the core of nationalist activism was also found here. Here the Japanese would manage to co opt local elites, but many of said elites would fight to see Manchuria recaptured by China. Now that covered the educated, nationalistic and politically aligned to Zhang Xueliang types, but the elites of Manchuria at the county level were anything but aligned with the Young Marshal. In fact most of the provincial elites were actually prejudiced against Zhang Xueliang. As a result of the Warlord Era wars, an enormous amount of Manchuria's spending went to the military. To give a more specific idea. Between 1922 and 1924, Zhang participated in the Fengtian-Zhili Wars. Thanks to the careful financial management of his finance minister, Wang Yongjiang, the budget was able to accommodate these expenses even in 1923, despite approximately 50 percent of revenue being allocated to military spending. Fengtian's revenue amounted to 26.8 million yuan, with expenditures totaling 18.2 million yuan; of this, 13.9 million yuan—around 76 percent—was directed towards the military, while only 3 percent was spent on education. However, by 1925, Fengtian's income had decreased to 23 million yuan, while military expenditures surged to 51 million yuan. In an attempt to address this issue, Zhang Zuolin resorted to printing money, which led to rampant inflation. On March 1, 1927, the exchange rate was 6.71 Fengtian dollars for one Japanese gold yen, but by February 1928, it had plummeted to 40 dollars per yen. As Ronald Suleski observes, “Zhang Zuolin drained the provincial economy in order to pay his troops fighting in China proper.” Local elites became very resentful of the increased military spending and rising inflation and this was furthermore met by Zhang Zuolin silencing their complaints by neutralizing their provincial assemblies. The military spending kept growing, alongside the inflation causing high unemployment. By February of 2918 the Shenyang Chamber of Commerce reported , “5,089 businesses were forced to close, among them 456 sundry goods shops, 416 restaurants, 165 factories, 157 machine shops, 142 rice shops, 116 foreign goods stores, and 83 general stores.” When the Young Marshal assumed power he promised major changes including “the development of industry and commerce, the pursuit of education, and utmost efforts to maintain peace.” Yet his fathers pattern of spending did not change. In 1930, total regional expenditure reached 144.2 million yuan, with 98.6 million yuan allocated to the military (68.3%), compared to just 4.7 million yuan for education (3.26%) and 0.34 million yuan for construction projects (0.24%). Regional revenue from taxes and other government sources, including fines, amounted to 122 million yuan, resulting in a deficit of 22 million yuan. Of this revenue, only 8.3 million yuan (6.8%) came from direct taxation, primarily land tax, while the salt gabelle was the most profitable source, generating 45.9 million yuan (37.3%). Following their occupation, the Japanese observed that “if such a large sum were not spent on military purposes, the finances of the Three Eastern Provinces would show a significant surplus.” Many of the civilians who served in Zhang Zuolin's government became quickly disillusioned with the rule of militarists and felt very uneasy about Zhang Xueliangs alliance with Nanjing, as to most in Manchuria, Chiang Kai-Shek was just another warlord. Many of the elites saw Japan as a more rational alternative for an alliance. Yu Chonghan who had been the foreign minister to Zhang Zuolin until he resigned in 1927 had a long lasting relationship with the Japanese. During the Russo-Japanese War he had been a spy for Japan and always kept close contact with Tokyo. Chen Xinbo, the advisor to Yang Yuting was a former legal adviser to Zhang Zuolin. However he also had long standing connections to Japan, working as a school teacher in Dairen, before studying at Meiji University for law. Yuan Jinkai, the former minister of civil affairs for Zhang Zuolin was “a mentor figure to the civilian clique in the 1920s”. He was born in Liaoyang in the 1870s and was a scholar who became head of the conservative faction in the joint provincial assembly. But when Zhang Xueliang came to power, in the words of a Japanese reporter “demoted by the ‘new faction' and completely lost his power. He was exalted to being a member of the Northeastern Governmental Affairs Committee [Dongbei zhengwu weiyuanhui: the highest political body in the Northeast after 1928] and a committee member in the Nanjing Government's Control Yuan, but from the start he was treated as a relic of the past [kotto].” Understandably he became disillusioned with Zhang Xueliang. Yuan was just one of many prominent disenfranchised elites who sought an opportunity to regain what they had lost to the Young Marshal and the Japanese occupation proved a great opportunity.  The South Manchurian Railway was a major factor that contributed to the co-option of the Chinese towards Japanese occupation. It ran 700 miles, over 5 lines and had land rights attached to it encompassing 105 cities, towns and villages. Not only did it provide railway services but also administration and social services. By 1924 the SMR had expanded its workforce to nearly 40,000 with ¾'s being local chinese. It provided expensive facilities, such as hospitals in Mukden, Tieling, Changchun and Dairen. The growth in Chinese nationalism against the Japanese grew amongst the intelligentsia, but the average blue collar types more or less enjoyed the benefits the Japanese were providing. Historian Chong-Sik Lee noted “The living conditions among the Chinese population in the Kwantung Leased Territory were much better than those in China proper, and this was true throughout the region” A combination of improved conditions compared to those in intramural China and the appeal of Japanese-sponsored jobs in industry and mining, he argues, resulted in a significant influx of immigrants to the area. The Japanese capitalized on this newly available labor force by implementing a development strategy that necessitated the hiring of large numbers of unskilled Chinese workers, even with the use of modern equipment. This approach was largely motivated by a desire to avoid widespread unemployment, as these workers also served as consumers of Japanese products. Furthermore, although the working conditions for manual laborers employed by the Japanese were poor by contemporary standards, they were not necessarily worse—and may have even been better—than those faced by factory workers in Japan, such as women aged twelve to thirty-five employed in Nagano's silk factories, where the mortality rate due to lung disease was 23 per 1,000, compared to the typical rate of 7 per 1,000 for that age group.The Japanese had also set up the Manchurian Youth League “Manshu Seinen renmei” in 1928 to specifically deal with the threat of the growing Chinese nationalism, by advocating for a separate state in Manchuria. Both the Japanese army and civilian settlers aspired to set up a Japanese controlled Manchuria that could make use of the existing Chinese local government structures.  There was also the issue of currency. Coins, ingots and notes were all in circulation, but their value differed from region to region. There were competing currencies, Chinese, Japanese and Soviet. Zhang Zuolin had set up three eastern provincial banks aiming to issue a unified currency to supersede the foreign currencies, backed by silver reserves, but it never worked out. Politically when Manchuria joined the new Nanjing system, it meant the KMT would begin a process of elections and appointments, but in the interim it fell upon Zhang Xueliang, who simply reverted to his fathers old way of relying on regional figureheads. Basically only Liaoning saw any real political reform. Militarily Zhang Xueliang inherited his fathers Fengtian military. He wished to reduce the spending of it, but found himself unable to deal with the high unemployment that would result from mass demobilization. Zhang Xueliang also feared reducing his military strength to the point he might become vulnerable to any of his given rivals. On the economic front, it was really Japan who benefited the most from Manchuria's economic activities. 70% of Manchurian imports came from Japan as were 75% of its exports. Zhang Xueliang was determined to reverse the Japanese economic dominance, but the great depression greatly hampered any efforts.  Ultimately, Zhang Xueliang had grand plans when he rose to power in 1928. He intended to align the Northeast with the Nanjing government and diminish Japanese influence in the region. Additionally, he sought to enhance local infrastructure in Manchuria and regain the trust of provincial elites who had been alienated by his father. Although some progress was made toward these objectives, the outcomes fell short of the efforts invested. His alliance with Chiang Kai-shek was marked by mutual suspicion. The economic depression devastated the agricultural exports that had fueled Manchuria's remarkable growth, undermining the financial resources needed for Zhang's initiatives. Both civilian and military leaders in the area struggled to trust Zhang, as incidents like the assassination of Yang Yuting and the outbreak of civil war in 1930 led them to believe that, despite his claims, he was much like his father. Most importantly, the Japanese grew increasingly concerned about the possibility of a nationalist regime threatening their “special position.” By 1931, they recognized a risk to their dominance, while Zhang's reforms remained incomplete and unpopular. Concurrently, the sentiment in Japan was shifting toward aggression against China, which was being partially blamed for exacerbating Japan's economic difficulties. These combined factors led to the coup on September 18, 1931. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Zhang Xueliang sure inherited one hot potato so to say. Much could be blamed upon his father Zhang Zuolin, but likewise the Young Marshal failed to meet the demands of his new reign. Many Chinese would ultimately throw their lot in with the Japanese, rather than what appeared to be a failing warlord. 

Send us a textEpisode 45 transports us to Tohoku in the north-east of Japan's main island of Honshu. Tohoku is a large region comprised of six prefectures – Fukushima, Yamagata, Akita, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori – known for its open and striking landscapes and distinct local traditions. Leading us on this exploration is photographer Alfonso Calero. With more than 20 years of experience as a professional photographer, Alfonso leads small photography tours to Japan each year, including his 10-day autumn tour in Tohoku.Alfonso's tour focuses on the natural landscapes of Tohoku including the mountains, forests, lakes and rivers of Towada-Hachimantai National Park and rugged rock formations of the Sanriku Coast. The tour balances its focus on landscape with cultural destinations including Towada Art Center and the samurai district of Kakunodate. Full details of the tour can be found on Alfonso's website and you can also follow him on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. I hope that this episode piques your interest in Alfonso's photography and tours and Tohoku as a destination. Easily accessible thanks to Japan's Shinkansen / Bullet Train network, Tohoku is in every other sense a world away from the congestion, neon and hum of Tokyo. Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

River, Diverted is a wild and wonderfully dark and campy novel by Jamie Tennant, published by Palimpsest Press in 2022. River Black found cult success writing slasher flicks but has grown increasingly disillusioned and unhappy. When a mysterious book appears in her mailbox, her life is turned upside down. River returns to Nagano, Japan, where the book originated, hoping to pay respects to old friends and revisit her past. Instead, she finds her memory is duplicitous, her reality is porous, and the mysterious book is more alive than she could have believed. River, Diverted is a dark fairy tale that explores the trickery of memory, the delicacy of friendship, the nature of creativity and the deliverance of hope. Filled with pop culture references and a deep love of monster movies, River, Diverted is both a light-hearted and subtly serious read that will captivate readers. About Jamie Tennant: Jamie Tennant is a writer and radio program director based in Hamilton, ON. A long-time music enthusiast, James has covered music and pop culture both locally and nationally. He is the Program Director at 93.3 CFMU at McMaster University, hosting two shows. In 2014, he was co-founder of the Hamilton Independent Media Awards. When he is not helping set up the JUNOs, being on the Grand Jury for the Polaris Prize, or blogging for the Fujirock festival in Japan, Tennant continues to write for several magazines and blogs; his 2009 article on rock band Simply Saucer was nominated for a National Magazine Award. He currently lives in Hamilton with his wife and son. The Captain of Kinnoull Hill is his debut novel. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is the host of the 105.5 FM Bookclub, as well as a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

River, Diverted is a wild and wonderfully dark and campy novel by Jamie Tennant, published by Palimpsest Press in 2022. River Black found cult success writing slasher flicks but has grown increasingly disillusioned and unhappy. When a mysterious book appears in her mailbox, her life is turned upside down. River returns to Nagano, Japan, where the book originated, hoping to pay respects to old friends and revisit her past. Instead, she finds her memory is duplicitous, her reality is porous, and the mysterious book is more alive than she could have believed. River, Diverted is a dark fairy tale that explores the trickery of memory, the delicacy of friendship, the nature of creativity and the deliverance of hope. Filled with pop culture references and a deep love of monster movies, River, Diverted is both a light-hearted and subtly serious read that will captivate readers. About Jamie Tennant: Jamie Tennant is a writer and radio program director based in Hamilton, ON. A long-time music enthusiast, James has covered music and pop culture both locally and nationally. He is the Program Director at 93.3 CFMU at McMaster University, hosting two shows. In 2014, he was co-founder of the Hamilton Independent Media Awards. When he is not helping set up the JUNOs, being on the Grand Jury for the Polaris Prize, or blogging for the Fujirock festival in Japan, Tennant continues to write for several magazines and blogs; his 2009 article on rock band Simply Saucer was nominated for a National Magazine Award. He currently lives in Hamilton with his wife and son. The Captain of Kinnoull Hill is his debut novel. About Hollay Ghadery: Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is the host of the 105.5 FM Bookclub, as well as a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Regional Chair of the League of Canadian Poets and a co-chair of the League's BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. Learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Good Times Episode 9: Lost Without Japan Takes A Winge Episode 104 Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/paying-for-our-4-109129803?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link  As always, the link to our shows Google Resource doc can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit#  

Send us a textThis is the second half of Episode 44 of the podcast, my cha with Richard Pearce of Sustainable Daisen. Originally from the UK, Richard founded and operates Sustainable Daisen – an NPO dedicated to the protection of the Japanese Giant Salamander and effective conservation of its habitat. Richard and I discussed the salamander, the threats it is facing and the tremendous work of Sustainable Daisen in the first part of the interview. In the second half of our interview Richard speaks about the state of environmental conservation in Japan including this critique of farming practices, animal husbandry, waste management and upcoming projects with Sustainable Daisen. Richard is critical of many policies and practices in Japan and in doing so, positions himself a vocal foreign advocate in a society that discourages people from speaking up. As such I think this part of our chat reveals important realities of Japan that will not be of surprise to anyone living here but may surprise anyone who does not – especially given the often repeated trope the deep connection and respect Japanese have for nature. Toward the end of our chat, Richard reference's the video ‘Bad Boy Monk: A Conservation Documentary' about his work in Tottori along with the article ‘Japan was the Future but it's Stuck in the Past' by Rupert Wingfield-Hayes.I hope that my conversation with Richard sparks your interest in what he and Sustainable Daisen are doing and that he and the salamanders act as ambassadors (of sorts) for Tottori, and entice you to visit. For more information, visit Sustainable Daisen's website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook. You can also learn more about experiences led by Richard on his Bushido Japan website. I hope you enjoy!Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

Send us a textIn Episode 44 we travel to the southwest of Japan's main island of Honshu and onto Tottori Prefecture to speak with Richard Pearce of Sustainable Daisen – an NPO dedicated to the conservation of the Japanese Giant Salamander and the habitat it is reliant upon. Originally from the United Kingdom, Richard founded and operates Sustainable with his wife and with the support of others in advocating for, researching and educating the public about the plight of the salamander. One of the largest amphibians in the world and relatively unchanged for 23 million years, the Japanese Giant Salamander is under serious threat due to impact of human action. Sustainable Daisen is endeavouring to address that while there is still time.Richard was an engaging guest with plenty to say about the issues he cares about. In an effort not to edit too much out of our conversation, this episode is split into two parts. In this – the first half of our chat – you'll hear Richard an I discuss the Japanese Giant Salamander and the work he is doing to converse both the animal and its habitat, while increasing public awareness. In the second half of the interview – available in a week's time – Richard and I continue onto a broader discussion about environmental and wildlife advocacy in Japan and the challenges of doing so as a foreign voice. I hope that my conversation with Richard sparks your interest in what he and Sustainable Daisen are doing and that he and the salamanders act as ambassadors (of sorts) for Tottori, and entice you to visit. For more information, visit Sustainable Daisen's website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook. You can also learn more about experiences led by Richard on his Bushido Japan website. I hope you enjoy!Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

“You can either let challenges break you or use them to inspire the next generation.” This belief drives Shelley Looney, a trailblazer in women's ice hockey and a gold medalist at the first Olympics with women's ice hockey (1998). Growing up in Michigan, Shelley dreamed of playing at the highest level, but had no female hockey players to look up to. She became the role model she never had, scoring the game-winning goal in Nagano and cementing her place in sports history. “Not many people get to say that their dreams have come true,” she reflects on her Olympic triumph. Shelley has witnessed the sport evolve from its infancy to the competitive powerhouse it is today. “I'd love to be part of it now,” she says, marveling at the speed, strength, and agility of modern players. Now a coach, she dedicates herself to fostering the next generation of players, from youth leagues to college athletes, ensuring every girl knows there's a place for her in hockey. “If you want to continue to play, there is a place for you,” she emphasizes. “You just have to find the right fit.” Shelley also shares advice for athletes transitioning out of professional sports, an area she wishes she had more guidance in herself. “I wish I had broadened my horizons earlier and explored other interests while still competing,” she admits. Her mantra for athletes and beyond? “Take a deep breath, see what you've done, and be proud of who you are today.” In this episode, Shelley shares her journey, from Olympic triumphs to her mission to grow the talent pipeline for women's ice hockey. She reflects on the lessons she's learned, including the importance of enjoying the journey and being present. “I wish I'd been more thankful and taken the time to appreciate the moment,” she says. ------- Flame Bearers: UNEDITED, a new video and podcast series celebrates the journeys of elite women athletes from around the world at all phases of their journeys: seeking their first international qualifications, at the pinnacle of their careers, and after retirement. In this largely UNEDITED series, we'll meet more athletes than ever before, all at various stages of their paths. This series is different not only because we're broadening who we're featuring, but how we're doing so. In the spirit of bringing you MORE STORIES, the tradeoff is fewer bells + whistles (i.e. animations & fancy sound effects than we normally include in our productions). We think it's worth the trade off so we can elevate more women doing incredible work -- we'd love to hear your thoughts. ------ Flame Bearers is a multi media movement, illuminating the unsung stories of elite women athletes from around the world. We tell stories via podcast, video and live events and have worked with over 250 Olympians and Paralympians from 55 countries and counting. For more videos about elite women athletes, subscribe to our YouTube channel ► / @flamebearers Follow us - Instagram - / flamebearers Facebook - / flamebearerspodcast Linkedin - / flame-bearers Tiktok- / flame_bearers X- / flame_bearers OUR WEBSITE - https://flamebearers.com/

Two-Day Hiroshima Day Trip Itinerary: Lost Without Japan LWJ Season 4 Ep 103 Start Of Day Trip Time Stamp:  8:59 Lost Without Japan Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lostwithoutjapan/  Please Consider Kindly Supporting Our Crowd Funded Show By Supporting Us Through Our Shows Patreon: https://patreon.com/lostwithoutjapanpodcast?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Google Shared Maps For This Episode:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/GNdxq1QWarMLLQGu6    The link to Google Doc that includes Google Maps for all cities covered on Lost Without Japan, as well as the link to Amazon for travel purchase recommendations and other helpful information for your travel to Japan, can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WEVbRmvn8jzxOZPDaypl3UAjxbs1OOSWSftFW1BYXpI/edit?usp=sharing 

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

Tommy Moe is an absolute legend. This longtime US Ski Teamer is the only Olympic Downhill gold medalist I've had on the podcast. While Part 1 took us through what it took for Tommy to make the US Ski Team and ended with frustration in Albertville, Part 2 is all about the glory. We talk about Olympic Gold and Silver, winning a World Cup, Johnny Moseley, Shane McConkey, the Tordrillo Mountains, and more. It's another amazing conversation, and another one of Tommy's US Ski Team teammates, Chad Fleischer, asks the Inappropriate Questions  Tommy Moe Show Notes Part 2: 4:00: 2nd rock bottom after Albertville, growing into his body, focusing on the tech aspect of skiing, ski techs, and tuning his skis today 12:00: Sports psychologists, Japan, first podium in Whistler, and a change in training style 21:00:  Stanley:  The brand that invented the category! Only the best for Powell Movement listeners.  Check out Stanley1913.com   Best Day Brewing:  All of the flavor of your favorite IPA or Kolsch, without the alcohol, the calories and sugar. 22:30:  Performance training, killing it in 94, Lillehammer Olympics, bonding with the course, SI crapping on the US Ski Team, the race, waiting in the finish coral, and the awards ceremony    41:00:   Elan Skis:  Over 75 years of innovation that makes you better. Outdoor Research:  Click here for 25% off Outdoor Research products (not valid on sale items or pro products) 43:00:  Setting the tone for the whole team, sponsorship and money, heli-skiing in AK, the first time being high profile, and the freeskiing movement in AK  53:00:  McConkey, hurting his knee, Nagano, Johnny Moseley, retirement from the US Ski Team, the Jeep King of the Mountain Series, and Tordrillo Mountain Lodge 78:00:   Inappropriate Questions with Chad Fleischer