Podcasts about Osaka

S6 Episode 49 - Les châteaux originaux du JaponAprès une absence de plusieurs mois, nous marquons le retour du podcast

Meet Keiko Fukuichi, a Japanese freelance translator, who sits down to talk to us about her experience translating games, particularly indie darlings Undertale and Hades. She talks to us about nuances of Japanese translation, the biggest challenges she's had, and her experiences studying abroad and learning English.--0:00 Intro0:50 How Keiko learned English5:10 Studying at Florida high school11:20 Deciding on translation as a career13:40 Translation school18:28 Interest in book translation23:44 Experience as a gamer25:35 First game translation project27:21 Limitations translating games to Japanese28:40 Taking on Undertale project30:12 Translating Papyrus33:40 Limitations of not using kanji38:41 Keiko's translation philosophy40:35 Translating puns, jokes, and memes43:54 Working with Toby "Radiation" Fox45:11 Translation workflow48:37 Do you play your own work?49:48 Translating Hades52:33 Translating old English55:41 Can you use difficult kanji?1:00:14 Translating with voice acting1:02:38 Changes in translation industry over 20 years1:06:07 Dealing with slang1:08:38 Looking back1:09:42 Are you worried about AI?1:12:55 Do you have time to play games?1:16:01 Studying vocabulary for Return of the Obra Dinn1:17:42 Is interest in foreign indie games growing?--Follow Keiko:https://www.instagram.com/keiko.fukuichi/https://www.facebook.com/keiko.fukuichihttps://x.com/keiko_fukuichihttps://note.com/kfukuichiFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Les Chroniques de VOIX DE GARAGE de cette semaine  se lisent ici : DEGURUTIENI En concert : Jeudi 17 Septembre : DEGURUTIENI (Trash Expé Blues One Man Band, Osaka, Japon), à l'écurie à Genève BITTER En concert : Jeudi 17 Septembre : BITTER (Psyché Garage... Continue Reading →

Johnny Mac delivers daily comedy news on 9/11, leading with Pete Davidson reflecting on the anniversary as a 33-year-old father, discussing his firefighter father Scott Matthew Davidson's death at the World Trade Center, his daughter Scotty's name, and how he learned of the death from TV. He then covers a report that John Mulaney may star in a Get Smart reboot, recapping the franchise's history. A Variety cover story on Chris Rock highlights his careful approach to comedy, views on controversy and club workshopping, shifting identity as a “director guy,” his film Misty Green premiering at TIFF, and why he wouldn't host the Oscars again unless nominated. Other items include Johnny's take on Stavros Halkias' special and GQ comments about workload and vices, Dane Cook's 50-pound weight loss and fitness/diet routine ahead of his documentary Funny Money, Kathy Griffin recalling a supportive letter from Dolly Parton, comedy “stock market” buys (Nimesh Patel), SNL UK updates (Jeff Goldblum, CMAT, Freddie Meredith), and notes on Edinburgh winner Marty Gleeson and Osaka's nonverbal comedy festival. 00:33 Pete Davidson on 9/1102:06 Mulaney Get Smart Reboot03:31 Chris Rock Variety Profile05:59 Stavros Special Review06:41 Stavros on Fame and Vices08:06 Dane Cook Weight Loss09:32 Kathy Griffin and Dolly10:07 Weekend Shows and Stock11:15 SNL UK and CMAT12:29 Marty Gleeson Interview13:31 Osaka Comedy Festival14:29 Wrap Up and TeaseBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac--4522158/support.Today's DCN is brought to you by MyBookie use promo code DCN!Daily Comedy News is hosted by Johnny Mac and releases every weekday. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network. For transcripts and show notes visit www.dailycomedynews.comDaily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.  Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month John's Substack about media is free. 

Meet Ray, an entrepreneur running a ryokan in Toyama. He sits down to talk to us about his experience in the hospitality industry, his interest and move to Japan, and his challenges establishing a business under the government's new regulations.After recording our interview, Ray thought it would be important to share his visa status. That segment has been added to the beginning of the interview for context.--0:00 Intro0:50 Ray's visa situation3:48 30 days to leave8:46 What now?11:27 Main interview—Why Japan?18:04 Finding a property to buy23:36 Business manager visa25:34 Bringing family to Japan28:46 Coming to Japan for Ray's children35:39 The real work begins37:01 Hotel licenses in Japan40:57 Building a team in Japan44:28 Setting up a restaurant/bakery47:57 Navigating the language barrier53:00 Joining the community in Toyama56:37 How Ray financed his hotel59:14 What he's learned since arriving1:01:32 Why you should visit Toyama--Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Every leader eventually discovers the gap between being obeyed and being trusted. In Japan's corporate culture — as much as in Sydney, Singapore or Silicon Valley — a title on a business card buys compliance, but it doesn't buy commitment. As of 2025, with talent mobility rising across Japan's white-collar workforce and post-pandemic hybrid teams making face time scarcer, the question of how leaders earn genuine trust has become a boardroom priority from Tokyo to Osaka. Research from organisations like Dale Carnegie consistently shows that earned trust, not positional authority, is what unlocks discretionary effort, creativity and retention. Why doesn't positional authority earn real trust from a team? Positional authority buys obedience, not commitment — only earned trust unlocks discretionary effort. "Automatic trust" comes from a leader's title, seniority or hierarchy, and in Japan's traditionally hierarchical corporate structures, it can look like real influence because staff comply readily. But compliance is not commitment. Executives at firms like Toyota and Rakuten increasingly recognise that genuine, "earned trust" is built through consistent, authentic interactions where leaders "talk the talk" and "walk the walk" over time. Without it, delegation becomes risky: leaders doubt their team will reliably handle tasks, which chokes time management and stalls team growth. When earned trust is present, by contrast, team members offer initiative and creativity no policy can mandate. Do now: Audit whether your team's compliance is habit-driven or trust-driven — the difference shows up the moment you're not watching. How do leaders in Japan build earned trust through everyday communication? Earned trust is built through consistent, authentic interactions, not grand gestures. It compounds slowly, through explaining the purpose behind tasks, listening to concerns, and following through on commitments. This differs from the transactional, order-issuing style still common in some traditional Japanese SMEs, and contrasts with the coaching-led management style favoured by many multinationals and Western-influenced startups operating in Japan. Comparative research across markets — Japan versus the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific — consistently finds that leaders who explain the "why" behind delegated work see higher engagement than those who simply issue instructions. Mutual understanding, not authority, is the currency that compounds into loyalty. Do now: Replace one instruction this week with an explanation — tell your team the "why," not just the "what." What communication mistakes destroy leader-team trust fastest? Losing your temper, dismissing ideas outright, and breaking promises erode trust faster than almost anything else a leader can do. These lapses are magnified in Japan's business culture, where public criticism or visible frustration can cause lasting loss of face for both parties. Insufficient communication — leaders defaulting to issuing orders instead of explaining, listening or seeking input — compounds the damage over time. Across sectors, from consumer-facing retail to B2B manufacturing, the pattern repeats: teams led by low-trust managers show measurably lower initiative and higher turnover. Japan's 2023 labour reforms, which pushed harder on workplace wellbeing and reduced overtime culture, have only sharpened employee expectations around respectful, transparent leadership. Do now: Before reacting to a mistake or a pushback, pause — a leader's next ten seconds either build or break trust. Why is delegation the missing link between trust and time management? Leaders who don't delegate effectively trap themselves in a vicious cycle of mistrust and time poverty. Without delegation, leaders have less time for the one-on-one interactions that build trust in the first place — so trust stays low, and delegation stays risky, and the loop repeats. This is a particularly acute challenge for time-poor executives across Japan's multinationals and fast-scaling startups alike, where headcount pressure leaves little slack for mentoring. Breaking the loop requires leaders to prioritise one-on-one time deliberately, rather than waiting for a quiet week that never arrives. Firms that treat delegation as a growth tool, not a workload dump, consistently report stronger succession pipelines. Do now: Block a recurring weekly slot for one-on-ones — treat it as non-negotiable as a client meeting. How should leaders invest one-on-one time to build lasting trust? Understanding a team member's motivations, interests, fears and goals is what turns delegation into development.These personal insights let leaders align delegated tasks with each person's career path, giving the work a sense of purpose rather than obligation. For successful delegation, leaders should involve team members in planning and monitoring progress, not just handing over a task and disappearing. This approach requires dedicated time that's easily deprioritised amid competing obligations — a common failure point for conglomerates managing large teams versus the more agile, relationship-dense structures typical of SMEs. Committing to these conversations consistently pays off in stronger trust and accountability. Do now: Ask one team member this week what career outcome they actually want from the next twelve months. What does an ongoing trust-building system look like for busy executives? Building trust is a continuous discipline, not a once-a-year initiative. It requires leaders to change mindset, habits and time allocation rather than repeating the same annual review cycle and hoping relationships hold. Earned trust elevates team cohesion, individual motivation and collective success — and consistent attention to trust-building efforts creates a lasting foundation that survives leadership transitions, restructures and market pressure. Leaders who treat trust as infrastructure, not sentiment, are better positioned for the retention challenges facing Japan's workforce as competition for skilled talent intensifies. Do now: Schedule a quarterly review of your own trust-building habits, not just your team's KPIs. Conclusion Trust in leadership isn't inherited with a title — it's built through the accumulation of small, consistent actions: explaining rather than ordering, listening rather than dismissing, and delegating with a team member's growth in mind. The leaders who get this right in Japan's evolving business environment, and everywhere else, aren't necessarily the most senior in the room. They're the ones who've made trust-building an ongoing habit rather than a one-off exercise. FAQs Trust built through hierarchy and trust earned through behaviour are fundamentally different, and only one drives discretionary effort. Positional or "automatic" trust secures compliance because of a leader's rank; earned trust secures commitment because of a leader's consistent, demonstrated integrity. Delegation and trust reinforce each other in a loop — low trust limits delegation, and limited delegation leaves no time to build trust. Breaking the cycle usually requires a leader to delegate deliberately before they feel fully ready, then use the freed-up time for one-on-one relationship building. Yes — trust-building norms vary by market, but the underlying behaviours (explaining, listening, following through) are consistent everywhere. In hierarchical business cultures like Japan's, visible respect and face-saving communication matter more; in flatter Western structures, transparency and direct feedback tend to carry more weight. Quick Actions For Leaders •          Distinguish, this week, between team compliance and team commitment on your own projects. •          Replace one directive with an explanation of purpose before Friday. •          Lock in a recurring one-on-one slot with each direct report. •          Ask each team member what career outcome they want from the next year. •          Review your own trust-building habits quarterly, not just team KPIs. Author Bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts recap another day of US Open which was headlined by Zheng Qinwen once again coming back to win a set from 0-5 down, this time en route to knocking out Iga Swiatek. Part one - We discuss the extraordinary Zheng comeback, why it's so special to see her back in the latter stages of a Grand Slam, and her prospects in the next round against Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh is now just win one away from becoming World No.1 after a flawless display to defeat Naomi Osaka. How did Osaka and Swiatek process their defeats? We also chat about wins for both Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva who set up a quarter-final clash. Part two (37:25) - On the men's side, we cover Alexander Zverev finding form and avoiding another really late finish, five set wins for both Botic van de Zandschulp and Karen Khachanov, and a big injury concern for Alexander Blockx despite his victory. Part three (51:55) - Previewing and predicting Tuesday's quarter-finals. Can either Linda Noskova or Ben Shelton defeat Aryna Sabalenka or Carlos Alcaraz? And how will Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen handle the Arthur Ashe stage?Thank you to Steve Furgal's International Tennis Tours Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast, the Premium Hospitality and Experience provider for supporting our US Open coverage.They can organise your dream tennis-watching experience at the biggest tournaments in the world, inducing the WTA Finals held this year at Indian Wells, 8th-15th November.Just go to Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast and use the code DEUCE5 at checkout for 5% off.5% off select WTA Finals packages with code DEUCE5 at tours4tennis.com/podcast. Valid 8/24/26 through 9/30/26. New bookings only; applies to base package price; subject to availability. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to On Location's Purchase Policy and Terms of Use.For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend. Check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠new merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Cut The Faff t-shirts coming soon!Talk tennis with Friends on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Barge! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt's Stat, mascot photos, Fantasy League updates, and more)Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (@thetennispodcast) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Omakase is back for another episode, as John is joined by returning guest Paul Volsch, co-host of the Emerald Flow Show on this very network! They start out a week of talking about mostly smaller shows building to bigger ones with STARDOM's 9/6 Korakuen Hall event, a show that featured some good build to their upcoming Yokohama Budokan show and also a truly horrendous High Speed Title match. They then give a full preview of said Yokohama Budokan show on 9/12 including how likely they think all the major titles are to change hands.Then it's back to the world of Tokyo Joshi to cover their 9/5 Yokohama Radiant Hall event, featuring a great three-way tag match to determine the Princess Tag challengers on their major Ota show early next month. They also give a quick look ahead at what's coming up for TJPW, including an early look at said Ota card and how tickets are moving for it so far. They then continue their ongoing coverage of Marigold's Dream Star GP with a look at the day/night doubleheader from Osaka, including some stuff that really worked for them and a couple things that really, really didn't. (NOTE: This was recorded before Nao Ishikawa withdrew from the rest of her Dream Star GP matches- just noting this since at one point we speculate about whether or not she's out for the rest of the tournament, and now we obviously know she is!)Finally, they wrap things up with a quite passionate review of Dragongate's 9/3 Korakuen show, a truly baffling event on multiple levels. Allegedly this was to build their own major show, also on 9/12 from Ota, but unless you count Jiro Shimbashi it's hard to figure out how exactly this show was supposed to even do that. They rant quite a bit about DG booking in 2026 in general as they also preview said Ota show with an absolutely absurd name (seriously, what was wrong with Dangerous Gate guys??). Also some other odds & ends including Paul attending All In in London, the Wrestle Kingdom 21 ticket prices & on sale dates finally being revealed, and more!Check out the Emerald FlowShow: https://redcircle.com/shows/the-emerald-flowshowFollow Wrestling Omakase's Twitter account: http://www.twitter.com/wrestleomakaseFollow John on Bluesky: http://bsky.app/profile/justoneenby.bsky.socialOur Sponsors:* Sign up for MyBookie today and use our code VOWNETWORK for access to MyBookie's one of a kind Bet Back Bonus! If your bet hits, you win. If it misses, you'll earn a 100% Refund of up to $500 in Free Play. It's win-win. Get in on the action now at https://www.mybookie.agAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A quick update from the Krewe on Season 7 & its release schedule! We're moving our regular release day from Friday to Tuesday mornings, with the next four episodes temporarily moving to a bi-weekly schedule to give us a little more breathing room (starting September 15). We appreciate everyone's continued support & look forward to bringing you the rest of Season 7!------ About the Krewe ------The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Meet Derek, co-founder of YukiHomes, a service that helps people overseas buy cheap homes in Japan. He sits down to talk to us about his own journey buying an akiya in Japan and running a business from overseas, as well as how YukiHomes fits into Japan's problems with depopulation and gentrification.--0:00 Intro0:50 Buying their first home in Japan7:14 Skiing in Japan vs. the U.S.12:28 Why Japan?14:18 Discovering akiya18:49 Regulations on rental properties26:36 Why buy property in Japan?29:21 Should foreigners be allowed to buy property?32:19 Building community businesses34:15 Operating a business from overseas41:20 Getting stopped at the airport44:42 The "right" way to buy akiya?49:14 Aging ski infrastructure52:14 Dealing with an old Japanese house55:22 Next steps--Follow Derek:https://www.yukihomes.comhttps://www.instagram.com/yukihomesjapan @YukiHomes Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Nulla da fare per Darderi, che cedendo in tre set contro Zverev ha posto fine al torneo degli italiani in singolare. Continua invece la corsa di Van de Zandschulp, vincitore in cinque set su Gea, e di Khachanov che ha superato Tien. Vittoria anche per Blockx su F. Cerundolo.Nel femminile prepotente il ritorno di Qinwen Zheng, autrice di una rimonta da 0-5 nel primo set con Swiatek. Affermazione di grande qualità su Osaka da parte di Rybakina, a una vittoria dalla vetta del ranking. Ai quarti anche Andreeva e Gauff.Vanni Gibertini e Luca Baldissera riassumono gli eventi dell'ultima giornata e rispondono alle domande degli ascoltatori. ---Anche per il 2026 ritorna il GoFundMe per le trasmissioni di Vanni Gibertini e Luca Baldissera. https://www.gofundme.com/f/close-call-dirette-e-trasferte-2026-luca-e-vanniRicevi annunci e aggiornamenti sulle prossime dirette al nostro canale Whatsapp. Iscrivetevi!https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb8iTHuDZ4LYs61pLK2V

Jonathan is back from the US Open with stories to share. What is it like attending the US Open now that it's allegedly overrun by influencers? We talk about the difficulty of paying attention to tennis on the sport's biggest court. Plus, we hear about the experience of seeing Venus and Serena play doubles, staying up with Novak and Venus for the tournament's latest ever start, and cold green beans and caviar. As for the tennis, the top women have mostly survived and the race for #1 is still on, while the men are offering precious little when so much is at stake.  1:00 The Louis Armstrong virtual queue 5:40 The women's round of 16: Zheng, Osaka, Gauff, and more 17:40 Waiting around for Venus vs Kenin 20:00 Venus & Serena doubles: Venus was great! 24:35 Watching tennis in Ashe is not for the easily distracted 29:30 Men's results: say goodbye to the top half  44:25 Consider me uninfluenced 53:25 Other stuff from the grounds: lotharios, palomas, and caviar

Andy Roddick breaks down the results from Day 7 of the US Open 2026. Roddick reacts to the “match of the tournament so far” Iva Jovic defeats Alex Eala in 3 sets. He also talks about Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys exiting in the third round. All of this and more from the Cadillac IQ mobile studio! COMMENT BELOW: What was your favorite match of Day 7? FILL OUT YOUR REDRAW: https://served.bracket.tennis/ TAKE OUR SURVEY! https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/894283...

US Open 2026 Day 7 delivered absolute chaos!

VOV1 - Chiều ngày 6/9, tại thành phố Huế, diễn ra Hội nghị “Kết nối Huế - Nhật Bản năm 2026”. Hội nghị có sự tham dự của đại diện Bộ Ngoại giao, Đại sứ quán Việt Nam tại Nhật Bản, Tổng Lãnh sự quán Việt Nam tại Osaka; lãnh đạo thành phố Huế cùng đại diện các cơ quan, tổ chức và doanh nghiệp Nhật Bản. Đại diện các địa phương của Nhật Bản như Nara, Kyoto, Kagawa, Okayama, Kobe, Shimane cũng tham dự.Phát biểu tại Hội nghị,  ông Lê Anh Tuấn, Thứ trưởng Bộ Ngoại giao nhấn mạnh, hợp tác địa phương là một kênh quan trọng góp phần làm sâu sắc hơn quan hệ Việt Nam - Nhật Bản. Việc tăng cường kết nối giữa các địa phương tạo điều kiện để hai bên triển khai những chương trình hợp tác sát với nhu cầu thực tế, mang lại lợi ích thiết thực cho người dân và doanh nghiệp. Thứ trưởng Lê Anh Tuấn cho rằng:“Với những lợi thế đặc thù về di sản văn hóa, cảng Chân Mây - Lăng Cô, vị trí trên hành lang kinh tế Đông - Tây, trục giao thông Bắc - Nam, cùng hệ thống giáo dục, y tế chất lượng cao, Huế có nền tảng để phát triển du lịch, logistics, công nghiệp, kinh tế xanh, kinh tế số và thu hút các nhà đầu tư chiến lược, trong đó có doanh nghiệp Nhật Bản”.Hội nghị “Kết nối Huế - Nhật Bản năm 2026”

Elena Rybakina vs Naomi Osaka — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FOURTH ROUND clash at the 2026 US Open. A Toronto rematch just four weeks on, with a quarterfinal and the World No. 1 ranking both in play.Elena Rybakina is the second seed, the reigning Australian Open champion, and she is INCHING CLOSER TO WORLD NO. 1 with every round in New York. She has been efficient all week, coming through American wild card Thea Frodin and then Yuliia Starodubtseva 7-6, 6-3 to reach the last 16. She is also the form hard-court player on tour, and she is the reigning Canadian Open finalist — she went on from beating Osaka in Toronto to make the final there.Naomi Osaka looks like her old self. The four-time Grand Slam champion — a two-time US Open winner — has been building all summer: a run to the DC Open semifinals in Washington, a quarterfinal in Toronto, and now her deepest New York run in years. She beat Hailey Baptiste, then Daria Kasatkina to reach a Grand Slam round of 16 for the first time since 2021, and survived a genuine test against 23rd seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in 2 hours and 38 minutes, squandering three match points before closing it out.And this is the rematch. Just four weeks ago in the Toronto quarterfinals — their FIRST EVER meeting — Osaka won the opening set before Rybakina came back to take it 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 across 2 hours and 33 minutes, firing 13 aces and saving four break points in the decider. Osaka was a set up and right there. She gets another crack, on the court where she has won two majors.

Cet épisode vous est présenté par NBA 2K27. Commandez NBA 2K27 dès maintenant. Merci aux équipes de 2K27 pour la confiance : http://nba.2k.com/fr-FR/2k27/buy/ Une semaine a suffi pour bouleverser complètement cet US Open 2026. Novak Djokovic éliminé dès le premier tour d'un Grand Chelem pour la première fois depuis vingt ans, Arthur Fils sorti malgré son récent titre en Masters 1000, Rafael Jodar déjà dehors… Mais au-delà des éliminations, ces trois premiers tours ont surtout révélé les forces et les faiblesses de ceux qui restent. Carlos Alcaraz revient après quatre mois et demi sans compétition, Alexander Zverev a déjà passé plus de neuf heures sur le court, Daniil Medvedev semble ressuscité et plusieurs outsiders voient soudain le tableau s'ouvrir devant eux. Alors que les huitièmes de finale commencent, on revient sur les enseignements de cette première semaine avant d'analyser et pronostiquer chaque huitième de finale, chez les hommes comme chez les femmes. Qui possède réellement le tennis, le physique et le mental pour survivre à la deuxième semaine et aller chercher le titre à New York ? #Alcaraz #Zverev #USOpen ⸻

Happy Comics New Year and Manga Month! Angus kicks off Season 9 of Kirby's Kids with a review of two short videos detailing 'The Exhibition of The World of Shirow Masamune' which ran in Tokyo and Osaka through 2025."Ghost in the Shell” Creator Masamune Shirow: The Enigmatic Manga artist and his Special Exhibitionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyHL965zu_s The Exhibition of The World of Shirow Masamune | Making ofhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_5cKXEhSboAngus also reads the forward and postscript from The Ghost in the Shell graphic novel as an introduction to the work.Please join us for our MANGA MONTH celebration reads:MANGA MONTH - The Ghost in the Shell Vol. 1https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Shell-Vol-1-ebook/dp/B01NA69LSR/_____________________________________MANGA MONTH - The Drifting Classroom: Perfect Edition, Vol. 1https://www.amazon.com/Drifting-Classroom-Perfect-Vol-ebook/dp/B07XVRKRPN/Leave a message at kirbyskidspodcast@gmail.comPlease join us for our 2026 Graphic Novel Reads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.kirbyskids.com/2025/11/the-kids-talk-2026-kirbys-kids-graphic.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For detailed show notes and past episodes please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.kirbyskids.com

Meet Martin Fackler, a journalist and author based in Japan. He sits down to talk to us about his career in China and Japan, what went into reporting his biggest stories, and the problems with Japan's kisha club system.--0:00 Intro0:50 Meet Martin8:50 Advantages of a foreign journalist15:48 Journalistic autonomy29:20 Japanese bank extortion story37:42 Managing information as a journalist44:23 The Hainan incident49:15 Running from the Chinese police55:08 Responsibility to international conflict59:54 The Japanese banking crisis1:09:45 Responsibility as Tokyo Bureau Chief1:15:34 The Fukushima disaster1:31:45 Journalism vs. safety1:40:53 Why don't we know what happened?1:46:33 Failure of the Japanese media1:56:07 The Japanese press oligarchies2:06:28 Social media's influence on journalism2:19:28 Why AI can't do journalism2:22:53 Looking ahead--Follow Martin: https://x.com/martfackFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

強力推動 qiáng lì tuī dòng - to vigorously promote; to strongly push forward無菸城市 wú yān chéng shì - smoke-free city政策 zhèng cè - policy抽菸chōu yān ／ 吸菸 xī yān - to smoke; smoking民調 mín diào - public opinion poll; survey調查 diào chá - investigation; survey九成 jiǔ chéng - ninety percent反感 fǎn gǎn - dislike; resentment; aversion困擾 kùn rǎo - trouble; annoyance; disturbance東京 Dōng Jīng - Tokyo大阪 Dà Bǎn - Osaka基本上 jī běn shàng - basically; in general禁止 jìn zhǐ - to prohibit; to ban吸菸區 xī yān qū - designated smoking area吸菸室 xī yān shì - smoking room負壓式密閉吸菸室 fù yā shì mì bì xī yān shì - negative-pressure enclosed smoking room西門町 Xī Mén Dīng - Ximending (shopping district in Taipei)中山站 Zhōng Shān Zhàn - Zhongshan Station雙連站 Shuāng Lián Zhàn - Shuanglian Station透明的玻璃 tòu míng de bō lí - transparent glass空氣清淨 kōng qì qīng jìng - air purification; air cleaning設備 shè bèi - equipment; facilities負壓排煙 fù yā pái yān - negative-pressure smoke exhaust system戶外 hù wài - outdoors; outdoor明確 míng què - clear; explicit告示牌 gào shì pái - sign; notice board專用 zhuān yòng - designated for a specific use; dedicated菸蒂桶 yān dì tǒng - cigarette butt disposal bin; cigarette receptacleDownload “台北通 APP (TaipeiPASS)” to see where smoking is allowed in Taipei!Follow me on Instagram: ⁠fangfang.chineselearning⁠ !

This episode we continue with the reign of Uno no Sarara, aka Jito Tenno, and look at records of the various foreigners and immigrants who came to the archipelago. This includes immigrants from the Korean peninsula as well as those foreigners with whom Yamato shared the Central Land of the Reed Plains--like the Hayato and the Emishi. We also take a look at the Yamato court's widening relationship with and use of Buddhism. Along the way we take a look at a few different incidents and reports, including omens, hunting and fishing restrictions, and a story of sweet wine that reportedly cured the worst of diseases. For more check out the podcast website: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-155 (blogpost goes live 1 Sep 2026) Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 155: Immigrants, Priests, and Sweet Wine The three priests and their companions could see the distinctive pagoda from a distance away.   It stood several stories tall, and the bells at the eave ends glinted in the morning light. To their right, a tall, conical peak stood out from the other mountains, much like a miniature Mt. Fuji.  From there, the mountains swept down to the flat plain, which then ended at the edge of the giant body of water known as Lake Biwa.  The pagoda rose up between the two, its uppermost spire jutting upwards towards the sky.  Around it, much of the flat area had been carved into rectangular rice paddies, with paths and thatched roof buildings around—most of them low to the ground, distinctive of the muro style still prominent amongst most of the common people.  As such, though it didn't come anywhere near the grandeur of the temples in the capital, even a provincial temple stood out with its tiled roof and the brightly colored, red, white, and green walls and windows.  As they approached, the group saw a crowd of people by the gates.  Many of them seemed ill and infirm.  They had come to be healed by the waters of the temple—the same healing waters that had brought these priests all the way from the capital to investigate. We are covering a bunch of different things from the reign of Uno no Sarara, from 686 to 697.  This episode we take a journey through a few different topics.  Mostly we are talking about foreigners—both those from overseas and the ones that Yamato shared the archipelago with—and with Buddhism and how the court used this continental religion that had already become a key organ of the Yamato State. To start with, let's talk about immigrants.  Immigration to the archipelago by this point isn't anything new—and I'm not just talking about the groups that came over and kickstarted the Yayoi culture and the eventual mounded tomb period that we know as the Kofun era.  There were numerous ethno-linguistic groups that fell under Yamato's hegemony, and evidence of active migration. Of the various groups on the archipelago, there appear to be several categories.  For instance, we have groups that are clearly external immigrants, from outside of the archipelago  and then we have those groups that appear to be considered indigenous, at least by Yamato's thinking.. Some of this can be seen in how they are treated, discussed, and even assimilated.  Those external, while often presented as being in a tribute status, are still treated differently from those on the archipelago, where the land borders of Yamato would abut against the territories of local ethnic groups.  This probably also had something to do with the claim that the Heavenly Grandchild and their descendants, the current Tennou, were presumably given sovereignty over the entire Land of the Central Reed Plains, aka the Japanese archipelago. External immigrants included people from Silla, and, even though the kingdoms themselves had fallen and been absorbed by Silla, Gogureyo and Baekje.  This last one might be a bit surprising if we think about it in modern terms where we tend to think in terms of citizenship and nationality first and foremost.  So we think of someone as being American, French, or Japanese based on the country they came from.  But that American might be Dine—aka Navaho—or they could identify as Cajun or their parents might have been immigrants from somewhere else and they are the first generation born in the US.  That doesn't mean they aren't American, but "American" is only part of their identity.  Likewise that Japanese person could be Ainu, Ryukyuan, or even one of the Bonin islanders.  That is to say they may be from an ethno-linguistic group other than the majority ethnic group in that nation. In the same vein, while it's true that Baekje had been conquered by Silla, that doesn't mean that the Baekje people were suddenly erased and that the people suddenly changed their lifestyles or language overnight.  And so, while they may have been subjects of the Silla kingdom, there were still Baekje people both in Silla and in the archipelago.  And as late as 690, decades after it was conquered, we see that Baekje immigrants were arriving in Japan. Similarly, we see Goguryeo immigrants who came over in 687, three years earlier, even though that kingdom no longer existed.  They were settled in Hitachi, where they were given lands, received an allowance of grain to help tide them over, and then allowed to grow their community and work, as long as they did so peacefully, under the care of the local Yamato officials. And it isn't difficult to see why people of Baekje and Goguryeo might come to the archipelago.  Their other options were to head to the Great Tang, which had been the other conquering force, or possibly to go find refuge with various Tungusic ethnic groups around the Amur river area, outside of Tang control. What actually strikes me as a bit more surprising, to be honest, is the immigration of people from Silla.  After all, Silla was ascendant, was it not?  They had just unified the peninsula and this seems like it would have been a great time to be team Silla, and yet we see people leaving to come to Yamato. For instance, in 687 we see 14 immigrants from Silla settled in Shimotsuke.  22 more were presented by the Dazai-Sochi and settled in the land of Musashi.  In 689 and then in 690 we see more Silla immigrants settled in both places.  We also had 50 people come over with Buddhist priests, though we don't know where they ended up settling.  So both Musashi and Shimotsuke were being settled with immigrants from Silla.  Musashi, if you didn't already know, is the name for the area that would largely become the Tokyo metropolis in modern times.  Shimotsuke was the land adjoining it to the northeast.  In all likelihood, all of these people were probably being located to areas near each other, even though they are mentioned as being in different provinces.  That may have been more of an administrative distinction.  That also seems to indicate that they were likely being relocated to border areas where there weren't already large populations, probably because that is where there was open land that wasn't already claimed.  We see something similar with the court sending the people from Goguryeo all the way to Hitachi. It does make me wonder what must have happened for someone to choose to come to the Japanese archipelago from Silla to be sent all the way to the far end of Yamato to work the land.  In previous centuries I would have assumed that these were captives brought back from raids against the mainland, but by all accounts—and the fact that we continue to have relatively cordial diplomatic relations between Yamato and Silla—it appears that Yamato wasn't sending raids and that these individuals were likely coming willingly.  Perhaps they were getting crowded out somewhere in Silla, and had heard of new opportunities.  Or perhaps they had done something to make them persona-non-grata, as they say, back in their home country.   Whatever the reason, there were a number of people coming over, who would have also brought their cultural and technological knowledge along with them.  And many of them were being settled in the far eastern end of Honshu—though that may be something for another time. The indigenous category includes not only the Wa people of Yamato, but also the Hayato and the Emishi.  Of these we don't have a lot of information about who they were or what languages they spoke. For the Hayato we only have a few possible words of their language, and various other things that we know from Yamato's court records.  We know that the Yamato officials needed interpreters to speak with the Hayato.  There are those that theorize that the Hayato language had evolved from one of the languages spoken during the Jomon era—which doesn't give us much to go on other than the idea that it may not have been a Japonic language.  Attempts have been made to connect the Hayato with the unique burial features and other material artifacts of southern Kyushu, and then to the previous ethnic group, known as the Kumaso—or possibly the Kuma and So—but so far there are theories but no hard and fast connections. For example, we know that the Hayato were said to be from Ata and Ohosumi, according to the records of the court, but they also only show up in the late 7th century.  Prior to that we have stories of the Kumaso, and even people called Tsuchigumo.  Were those previous names for the ancestors of the Hayato?  Or were the Hayato encountered later, as Yamato's borders expanded, having perhaps encompassed the lands of the Kumaso and now running into the Hayato?  The fact that they show up so late in the narrative is particularly interesting, as they really only get mentioned in the reign of Ohoama and then Uno no Sarara—though they would be particularly active in the years to come, when the Nihon Shoki was being compiled.  For example, we know that the Hayato were brought into the court system, and also that they resisted, with numerous rebellions in the 8th century, though at this early point, things seemed to be going well. So Hayato were coming to the court, likely seeing some benefit in their association with Yamato.  They are shown coming in fairly significant numbers as well. Meanwhile, we have the ongoing assimilation of the Emishi.  Unlike the Hayato, the Emishi have shown up in the narrative since the legendary period.  We've talked about them quite a bit in various episodes.  Even within the Emishi, the Emishi of Koshi are differentiated from the Emishi further north in Tohoku.  Linguistically, a lot of place names in Tohoku and eastern Honshu have been compared to the Ainu language, with suspicions that a related language was in use in eastern and northeastern Japan for some time.  Tohoku is also the area that most resisted Yayoi culture, based on archaeological finds.  We know that wet rice paddy agriculture also made early in-roads into Tohoku, but then retreated much farther south, perhaps because it wasn't as suitable for the colder climate at that time.  Northern material culture continued to exhibit signs of evolution from the previous Jomon era, with Hokkaido continuing a tradition that we know as the Epi-Jomon, which we first talked about back in episode 50, and several times since then as well..  There were some mounded tombs—even some keyhole shaped tombs around Sendai and Osaki, in modern Miyagi prefecture—but nothing comparable to the large numbers of tombs found in areas further to the south. The Yamato people had had regular encounters with people called "Emishi" since at least the time of Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tenno.  During the time that Takara Hime was on the throne a second time, there were massive military operations, first against the Emishi, and then supporting them against the Mishihase people in what appears to have been Hokkaido.  The Emishi were further brought under the Yamato court and into the court rank system, and we see rank handed out to various members of the group.  Then, in the reign of Uno no Sarara, we start to see further cultural assimilation in the form of the spread of Buddhism. In 689, we are told of Shiriko, an "Emishi of Kikafu, in Ukitamu district, in Michinoku".   This possibly refers to Okitama no Kori, a district in modern Yamagata Prefecture.  Shiriko had two sons, Maro and Kanawori, who requested permission to shave their hair and become Buddhist priests.  Perhaps related to this, about twenty days before, about 231 Emishi men and women had attended a banquet under the tsuki tree by Asukadera, where they were given gifts and rank.  Did that inspire them to want to learn more about this "Buddhism" thing? Either way, Uno no Sarara agreed.  In the edict she commented that Maro and his brother were both refined and modest, despite their youth, and that they were eating vegetarian dishes and keeping the Buddhist precepts.  So presumably this wasn't a last minute decision on their part, though we should probably take the wording in the edict with at least a grain of salt, given their purpose. Only six days later we see that the court is presenting a load of gifts to an Emishi monk named Doushin.  Doushin is said to have been a Koshi Emishi, rather than the Kitafu Emishi of Michinoku.  The court granted him a Buddhist statue, a purification flag, a wine cup, a begging bowl, five-colored silk cloth, thirteen pounds of flossed silk, 10 bolts of regular cloth, ten hoes, and a saddle. Six months later there is another priest:  Jitoku, an Emishi of Michinoku, who is granted a gold-copper image of Yakushi Buddha and a gold-copper image of Kanzeon—or Kannon—Boddhisatva, as well as a bell, a begging bowl, a precious curtain, an incense burner, and a banner. What this looks like, to me, is the court promoting Buddhism among the Emishi.  This feels similar to the way that priests also spread the worship of Mt. Miwa or other kami.  While Buddhism was technically universal, the Court had ensured that they had a hand on the center of Buddhist teaching, at least early on.  Indeed, at the same time that Uno no Sarara was building up the Jingikan and bolstering the worship of Amaterasu at Ise Grand Shrine, she and the court were also leveraging Buddhism and Buddhist concepts in a variety of ways.  She put it in an edict to the ministers in 691.  She noted that they had erected Buddhist Halls and Sutra repositories, and they practiced the six monthly fasts.  The sovereigns would occasionally send Ohotoneri to inquire after the welfare of priests.  As such, they should continue to uphold the Buddhsit Faith with zealous hearts. Upholding the faith wasn't just about words.  There were actual financial contributions.  Besides the national temples, there were gifts made, such as those to the Emishi priests, mentioned earlier.  In 692, Kwansei was presented silk and cloth and commended for making white lead, which was a popular ingredient for cosmetics.  Later that year, Yamada no Mikata was granted rank, and the fact that he had gone to Silla to study as a priest is mentioned in conjunction with that, though apparently he either didn't take orders or had gone back to being a lay person.   And in 693 they gave the priest, Hokyo, 3 chou worth or rice-land.  And in 696 there were 30 houses granted as a sustenance-fief to Bendou, a priest of Daikandaiji. And that tells us the kinds of resources the State was putting towards it, but what were they using Buddhism for?  What purpose did it serve the State, or was it purely altruistic?  A big part of it, as we have discussed in the past, was through the concept of karma and merit.  The court seems to have been making a variety of decisions that look to be efforts to increase the State's merit.  This is a continuation of things we saw in Ohoama's reign, along with some new moves.  For instance, we have previously mentioned in passing how the court was giving alms to the elderly and infirm, at least in the capital, and we see a lot more amnesties—though often qualified amnesties, with various crimes excluded. Then there were things like the edict of 689, in which Hunting and Fishing were prohibited in the Sea of Muko in the province of Settsu for a distance of 1000 paces, and for 20,000 shiro on the plain of Nagino in the district of Ate in the province of Kii, and for 20,000 shiro on the plains of Mino in the district and province of Iga.  The edict also attached keepers to these places in the same way as the Sea of Takashi in the district of Ohotori in the province of Kawachi.  Right off the bat we know a few things.  First off, this is the first time we've seen an edict like this, and yet the Chronicles say that this is similar to the way that "Keepers" were attached to the Sea of Takashi in Ohotori district.  The term used for "Keepers" appears to be "shugo", which would later be used for military governors in the Kamakura period, which would eventually become the shugo daimyo and then the Sengoku daimyo—our namesake.  But in this case it appears that "shugo" is just a literal translation of a "protector".  In front of that is the word "oku", meaning to keep or preserve.  Hence Aston's translation of these people as "keepers".  What is not clear to me is whether this is a reference to something that happened earlier, and just didn't get recorded, or if the Chroniclers are talking about a later practice which the audience for the Nihon Shoki would have been familiar with.  The Takashi sea would refer to the Seto Inland Sea just off the coast of Takashi, which was in Kawachi, south of modern Osaka.    The other places we see named are the Sea of Muko, in Settsu, which would have been north and west from modern Osaka, as well as Nagino in Kii and Mino in Iga. Nagino's location is not quite certain.  Ate is likely Arida, and Nagino may be what was eventually Nago, now thought to be near or including the Hirogawa region of Wakayama.  Later there were be prohibitions on fishining in the areas of Yuasa, Hiro, and Hirogawa, so perhaps there was also a prohibition on hunting on the plains.  This is all on the west side of the Kii peninsula, south of modern Osaka, so still facing the Seto Inland Sea. Iga, however, was on the other side of the peninsula.  Given that it was in Iga district of the land of Iga, this prohibition would definitely be about hunting, and not fishing.  It is also interesting to take a look at the measurements involved.  The one clear prohibition on fishing, in the Sea of Muko, is measured in paces while the other two are mentioned as being on the "plains"—though technically it should probably be "Nagi Plain" and "Mi Plain"—and they are measured differently, in something called "shiro".  By the way, I tried to find how big a "shiro" was and I couldn't quite do it. I wonder if the difference there, though, is area versus length:  For the sea of Muko it probably meant the waters directly out from the shore of Muko, and so I imagine that the paces were measure out from a certain point, walking along the shoreline, and then you couldn't go out into the sea in those areas to fish.  For the plains you could have more definitive markers indicating a particular area that was under the prohibition. For another clue to protected areas and distances, we see later that "long-life places" were established throughout the various provinces, each one being 1000 paces.  Aston notes that "long life places" indicated areas where animals couldn't be harmed, and given that they talk about it in terms of "paces" I would assume that means these were probably more prohibitions on fishing. That language also suggests to me that there was some kind of Buddhist reasoning behind it—mercy for the creatures of the land.  It isn't clear how long these prohibitions remained in effect, either.  This may also explain an order just a few days later that a white swallow that was caught in Mike, in the land of Sanuki, should be set free.  Unusually white or albino animals were often caught and presented to the throne as auspicious omens, not always in a live state.  However, Buddhism often teaches that there is merit in releasing animals, and so this feels like it was a way of demonstrating mercy and building merit, while also acknowledging the auspicious omen that accompanied its appearance. Also in this edict is who it is directed to:  Tanaka no Ason no Norimaro, who is named as the "soryo" of Iyo.  We've mentioned this before, in passing; this was a position similar to the Dazai no Sochi.  Effectively, the government official in charge of Iyo was in charge of the entire island of Shikoku.  Unlike the Dazai no Sochi, this position does not seem to have remained for long; instead, Shikoku was divided up into separate provinces and then each province had its own governor. By the way, we've talked about Norimaro before, as well.  He was previously in charge of the mission to Silla, when they went to announce Ohoama's demise, but then ran into a bunch of diplomatic etiquette issues such that they weren't able to deliver the news—or perhaps more appropriately they decided they couldn't deliver the news.  So from representing the court on missions, Norimaro went on to become the government official in Iyo overseeing all of Shikoku.  A couple of years later he would show up again, this time sending gold and silver that had apparently been found at Mt. Mima in Uwa district—modern Uwajima.  Unfortunately, after that he disappears from the narrative, and the position seems to end with him. Speaking of animals—the presentation of auspicious plants animals continued, and was often wrapped up with amnesties and similar such things.  The year 692 seems to have been of particular significance.  There we see the Governor of Sagami presenting a pair of fledgling red crows that had been caught in Miura.  Later we see that the governor, the vice governor, and the individual who had caught the crows—Kashima no Omi no Kusu—were gifted with rank and presents, while Miura district had its taxes and forced labor remitted for a period of three years. Later that same year, the Governor of Ise presented auspicious stalks of rice while the Governor of Echizen, that is to say the western part of Koshi closest to the capital, presented a white moth.  The stalks of rice don't seem to have warranted much, but the white moth, which presumably was not just a moth that is naturally white, was apparently considered something noteworthy.  We are told that it was caught on the shore at Uragami, in the district of Tsuruga.  As such, the Fief of the Kebi no Kami—the kami of Kebi, or at least his shrine—was increased by 20 houses.  Unfortunately, we have a lacuna or gap in the text so we don't get everything else.  This is a good reminder that sometimes we don't have anything because it wasn't written down, and sometimes because accidents happen.  Either something doesn't get transcribed properly or something gets damaged early on and there aren't enough copies for it to propagate from another source. Our next omens come in 694—the same year that the Fujiwara Palace was occupied.  We are told that a white copper-pheasant was presented by Sarara in Kawachi.  So the Governor and Vice-Governor of the district received promotions, as did the many who had caught it, Osakabe no Miyatsuko no Karakuni.  Four months later, a white bat was found by a man in Araki, in Hida province.  His name was Ohokunibe no Otohi, and he didn't receive a promotion in court rank, but he did get material presents in terms of silk cloth and floss, and, perhaps more importantly, he was exempted from all forced labor for the rest of his life.  Not a bad deal, if you ask me. Now omens were good and all, but omens were hardly active expressions by the government.  When things were happening—like damaging rains—or perhaps not happening—like droughts—people wanted the government to do something.  I know it may be hard for people to believe in this day and age, but many people believed that the government was responsible for all sorts of things that it had little control over.  In this case, that was the weather, and the state could at least prepare by collecting taxes in rice and then providing relief via those same resources.  But that still only did so much.  So when months went by with no rain falling, the state would turn towards ritual.  In some cases that ritual was directed at the kami and the new Jingikan, but in other cases, it fell on Buddhist priests. So, for example, in 688 we are told that there was a drought and the court initiated prayers for rain.  Those prayers were carried out by the priest Douzou.  Douzou was of Baekje extraction, but that didn't concern the court—they just wanted to know that he was effective.  Sure enough, after praying for rain, the clouds opened up and before morning the rain had fallen.  We are told it fell "across the realm", which I'm pretty sure is hyperbole.  It probably fell all across the Nara plains and surrounding areas, which was enough for the court. In 691, they were struck with the opposite problem, which we know because the court issued an edict dated to the 19th day of the 6th month of that year.  Apparently rain had fallen for two straight months.  And while the fifth month rains—the Satsuki-ame—are well-known, this apparently had started back in the 4th month of that year, and now there was a worry that it would start to injure the crops, reducing the annual yield.  The conclusion appears to have been that the country did not have enough merit.  Therefore the ministers and officials were prohibited from the use of strong drink or meat—Aston translates it directly as "animal food".  They were also ordered to compose their hearts and repent of any sins they may have committed.  At the same time, the priests in the temples of the capital and Home provinces were told to recite sutras for five straight days.  We also know that a day later they announced an amnesty for various criminals, as well.  Another act of mercy and hopefully for making merit. And it seems to have worked.  Or one could just say that the natural monsoon rains finally stopped after a particularly heavy season.  Who's to say? In the 5th intercalary month of 692, the rains were again pretty bad.  This time it isn't that they were long, but that it was heavy rain—what Japanese meteorology reports would likely call "Oyu", or Great Rain—which brought with it floods. Unfortunately, while they could pray for rain to start or stop, floods are another matter.  By the time you know the flood has happened it is too late.  And so this is where the government's preparedness came into focus.  Commissioners were sent to visit the districts and provinces.  There they found people affected by the flooding and they were empowered to make loans to provide relief.  Furthermore, they allowed people to access resources that might otherwise have been restricted, allowing them to fish and cut wood in the hills, forests, ponds, and marshes, even if that was normally a prohibited activity, so that they could sustain themselves until they were able to get back on their feet.  At the same time, the Sutra of Golden Light, the Konkwoumyou Sutra, one of the sutras for protecting the state, was to be read aloud in the capital and the Home Provinces.  The Sutra of Golden Light is the one which not only talks about the Shitennou, the four heavenly kings, but also emphasizes that if rulers support and honor the recitation of the sutra, then their kingdoms would be prosperous and peaceful, so what better time to read it than during or just after a disaster? There were other recitations and congregations that were not quite so obviously connected.  In 690, there were discourses in the inner precinct of the palace during the "Vassa", known in Japanese as "Ango" or "Dwelling in Peace".  This comes from the tradition in Buddhism where it is said that the Buddha and his disciples, though normally traveling around the countryside, would come together during the rainy season.  During this time they would talk and share.  It is still practiced in many Theravada schools, where monks will gather in temples during the rainy season.  Of course, as we've discussed, the 5th month was right in the middle of Japan's rainy season, so it seems like they may have been attempting to emulate that tradition. Three years later, we are told that they held a great-congregation of monks on that same date—the 15th day of the 5th month.  This is not referred to as an Ango, however, possibly noting a change in the way they were organizing or conducting it—or possibly just because it was referred to differently in the record the Chroniclers used.  That said, a great-congregation was simply a Buddhist gathering, where various priests would provide sermons or sutra readings, and not necessarily tied to a particular time.  Another one was called in the 9th month of 693 on behalf of the late sovereign, Ohoama and all prisoners were released, which was no doubt merit seen as accruing to the late sovereign. A month after that, the Benevolent King Sutra, or Ninnou-kyou, was expounded in the provinces for four days.  This is another one of the sutras considered important for the well-being of the state. In 694 we have 100 copies of the Konkwoumyou sutra—the Sutra of Golden Light—being sent out to the provinces, with the intent that they should be read together, at a certain time, when the moon of the first month was in the first quarter.  Any fees or resources needed by the temples to carry this out were to be defrayed from the public revenues of the provinces.  As Aston points out, "revenues" in this case would not necessarily be cash money.  Not that they didn't have coins—they had the Fuhonsen coins from Ohoama's time; see Episode 146 for more information.  We are even told that in 694 the court appointed three officials—Ohoyake no Maro, Utena no Yashima, and Kibumi no Honjitsu—to be governors for the mint, although Aston notes a Shoku Nihongi account from 708 that claimed that was the "first time" the title was given out.  Either way, even though they were minting coins, these wouldn't have been in common circulation.  The government may have used them to pay for things, but taxes coming in, especially in the provinces would have been in-kind taxes, meaning that the revenue to the temples were likely paid in rice, cloth, or similar. We similarly see another edict to read the Golden Light sutra on the first day of the twelfth month of 696.  This time it wasn't just a one time reading, though: they were setting a precedent.  The edict was to expound the Sutra of Golden Light and then, every year hence, they would schedule ten people of pure life who should be inducted as monks on the eve of the New Year.  I have to wonder about how they had people take orders—and whether it was a lifelong commitment or, as in some cultures, today, a temporary position.  After all, Ohoama took orders but didn't exactly remain "retired" for all that long. The same thing had happened back in 694, when one hundred and four people were made to enter religion for the sake of Royal Princess Asuka.  So how long did they remain Buddhist priests? There is a reference, in 693, of a priest being stripped of his monkhood.  It was done by royal order for a Goguryeo priest Fukuka, and it isn't made clear why.  Was it something that the priest wanted?  Maybe they wanted to stop being a monk for some reason?  Or was it done as a punishment?  There was apparently a great-congregation only about two weeks prior.  Maybe there was some drama?  We'll probably never know. In 697, there was an uptick in merit-making.  In the third month, a great-congregation was being held in the Eastern Palace.  The Eastern Palace was the home of the Crown Prince, so this may have something to do with the planned succession, but then in the 6th month we see a bunch of things happening.  There was a royal order for sutras to be read in temples in the Home Provinces, and then, nine days later, an order that people of 5th rank and lower were to go spend time cleaning out the temples in the capital.  On the 26th, 11 days after that, we get a record the seems to bring this into focus, as the Ministers and public functionaries started making votive images of the Buddha for the sake of Uno no Sarara's illness.  It seems that she was feeling unwell, which probably kicked off a lot of this activity, and may even be why she finally decided to abdicate.  There was one more seemingly related note.  On the 29th day of the 7th month the Ministers and public functionaries prepared a festival for the installation of Buddhist images in the temple of Yakushiji.  This was the temple Ohoama had originally commissioned for Uno no Sarara during his reign when she was sick back then.  She had recovered, then, and she would recover again—but her faith in the healing power of the Buddha may have been limited.  She would abdicate a few days later, leaving the throne to Prince Karu—the future Monmu Tennou. One last thing, somewhat tangential, it seems.  In the 11th month of 693, three priests, Houin, Zen'ou, and Shingi, set out, along with others, to the Yasu district in Afumi to taste the sweet wine of the local springs.  This is likely the area around the Yasu river, where it flows northwest from the mountains into Lake Biwa.  Today it is Yasu city on one side of the river and Moriyama city on the other. They apparently came back in the third month of the following year, as that is when we get a royal edict concerning said springs.  Based on that, we are told that the spring of quote-unquote "sweet wine" or "sweet sake" bubbled up at Mt. Tsuga in the Yasu district of Afumi.  Mt. Tsuga, or Tsugayama, may be related to "Moriyama", and Moriyama city is still known for the spring water that comes out of the nearby mountains. In the edict they mention that people who were afflicted with various disease would stay at Yasudera, where they presumably drank the water from the springs, and many of them found themselves healed.  For this miraculous occurrence, the temple itself was awarded four chou of rice-land, and an amount of cloth.  In addition, the district of Yasu was exempted from taxes and forced labor, as well as from any other kinds of corvees that might be levied, for at least one year.  Local authorities were promoted a grade in rank, and gifts were made out to those who were credited with first discovering the springs and their miraculous properties—Kadono no Hatsuki and the daughter of Kudara no Tsurara. A couple of extra notes, based on what we see here.  First off, it is unfortunately too often the case that we see women described like this—the daughter of so-and-so—without providing an actual name.  It is interesting that she is the daughter of someone with the name "Kudara", meaning "Baekje".  During the reign of Naka no Ohoe, aka Tenji Tennou, a number of Baekje people were settled in the areas around Lake Biwa and the Echi River, the next major river to the northeast. The temple mentioned, Yasudera, would have been the local temple, probably run by the local elites.  That likely means the Yasu no Atai family.  The temple itself is no more, and we aren't sure exactly where it was, but there is a strong case to be made that archaeological remains at Yoshimi-chou, in modern Moriyama city, might be that temple.  Still, there is no conclusive evidence. As for springs having healing properties—this is nothing new.  Minerals could have given the water a sweet taste, or perhaps there was something that clouded it, like nigori-zake—unfiltered rice wine.  Whether or not there were any natural healing properties I leave up to your own imagining.  Did people actually benefit from the waters?  Or maybe just because they believed?  Was the fact that a Buddhist temple was involved part of it, or is this just the same thing we see with people going to various springs and imparting to them some healing properties? Either way, it seems that at some point the spring no longer produced the "sweet wine" that had made it famous in its day, and people moved on to a different location. For now, I think we can stop here.  We have probably one more episode talking about specific items from this reign, but we are starting to get more and more sources, including the poetry of the Man'yoshu, which I hope to dig into here in a bit.  Plus a few other things in the works. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Is this Carlos Alcaraz's US Open to lose? Arthur Fils suffers a shock exit, Ben Shelton looks on fire, while Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka continue their campaigns at Flushing Meadows.We break down the biggest matches, shocks, standout performances and talking points from Day 2 of the 2026 US Open across both the men's and women's draws.Who impressed most on Day 2? Can anyone stop Alcaraz? How far can Shelton go? And could Swiatek or Osaka make a deep run in New York?Join the Game To Love Tennis Podcast for daily US Open 2026 coverage, match reactions, predictions, draw analysis and all the biggest stories from the final Grand Slam of the year. ❤️ SUBSCRIBE TO GTL: https://bit.ly/35JyOhz ▶️ JOIN YOUTUBE MEMBERSHIP: https://bit.ly/3Fk9rSr

Meet Philip, an author and photographer who's spent years documenting Japan's jazz kissa, who sits down to talk to us about his work and the cafes he's explored in his book. He tells us about the history and culture of jazz kissa, and the growing interest in analogue culture.--0:00 Intro0:50 Coming to Japan on JET10:40 What he learned as a JET teacher19:54 Starting photography in Yokohama22:39 The importance of Bebop Square32:02 Next photography projects36:05 Documenting jazz kissa45:25 Origin of jazz kissa51:02 Why jazz kissa are so special59:34 Are jazz kissa dying?1:02:30 Looking back1:10:06 Future projects--Follow Philip:https://www.philiparneill.com/https://www.tokyojazzjoints.com/https://www.instagram.com/philiparneill/https://www.instagram.com/tokyojazzjointsFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

The 2026 US Open main draw is out and it's wide open. Sinner's out, Alcaraz is back but rusty, and nobody looks like the guy to beat.Norm, JB, and Natalie Cutter break down both draws: whether Alcaraz gets out of a quarter stacked with Shelton, Fils, and Tommy Paul; why the last three Cincinnati winners went on to win the Open; Menšík's path through the soft second quarter; and a fourth quarter on the women's side with Świątek, Osaka, Rybakina, Keys, and Bencic that reads like a bracket unto itself.Plus: the Wawrinka wild card mess and what actually goes into handing them out, JB on how draws really get made after years inside ATP events, the ticket-price backlash against a $23 honey deuce that somehow didn't go up this year, Federer's exhibition night and why Andre was the awkward one, and Sabalenka's fishnet kit getting torched online.Then Nat's Numbers on where the value actually sits in round one — set betting on Berrettini/Wawrinka, live-betting angles on Fils/Tsitsipas, and futures on Shelton and Djokovic if you think Alcaraz goes early.

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Meet Hanna, an activist who has been living with chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as PTSD. She sits down to talk to us about her experiences living with invisible illness in Japan, and her views on Japan's medial and social welfare systems.--0:00 Intro0:26 Some context from Tobi2:32 Meet Hanna3:14 When her pain started5:13 Response from doctors7:40 Realizing her situation is not normal9:39 Breaking free from her family12:27 What are Hanna's illnesses?13:50 Understanding her own life15:08 Starting social media17:37 Japanese health care/social support20:04 Daily life for Hanna23:13 Hanna's medication24:37 Social media response26:26 Has Hanna's messaged reached researchers?28:58 What should change in Japan?32:12 Starting a GoFundMe38:31 Hanna's goals39:59 Hanna's dreams42:14 How Hanna experiences pain44:41 Dealing with prejudice45:44 Message from Hanna--Follow Hanna: @hanna_with_pain https://www.instagram.com/hanna_with_painhttps://www.tiktok.com/@hanna_with_painFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Send us Fan MailY'all, the North American hard-court swing has been an absolute rollercoaster and we are buckled in for every single twist, turn, and unhinged racket toss. Alex Eala had her full main character moment in DC — Ialla-mania is officially a documented phenomenon — taking down three top seeds (Pegula! Svitolina! Osaka!) for her first-ever WTA title and becoming the first player from the Philippines to do it. Tickets to her matches were selling out in 30 minutes. We are obsessed, and we are not sorry.Meanwhile Iga finally snapped her title drought in Toronto looking scary-composed, and Sabalenka? Girl is spiraling. Racket tantrums, a missing dampener that conveniently bought her extra time, and a shocking early exit in Cincinnati — 2026 has gone from Sunshine Double glory to full meltdown era. We're unpacking all of it, no judgment (okay, a little judgment).And then there's Coco, who is serving both immaculate tennis AND main character chaos — her "I'm in love with the Coco" on-court moment absolutely sent the internet into a tailspin, especially with the timing landing days after Kyrgios's cocaine suspension news broke. Iconic. Unplanned. Devastating for him, delightful for us.Just when you thought we'd buried the lede — Serena's BACK, teaming up with Carlos Alcaraz for mixed doubles at the Open (Wilcaraz? Carena? We need a team name, stat), while Venus is out here playing singles at 46 like the concept of time simply does not apply to her. We're also getting into the wildcard chaos, the tightening WTA Finals points race, injury updates on some of our faves, and — because we're contractually obligated — five whole minutes on the men (Alcaraz's comeback, an all-American Cincinnati final, and yes, more Kyrgios hypocrisy to unpack).Grab your iced matcha, get comfy, and let's get into it — for the girls, the gays, and the theys who know a good scandal (and a good backhand) when they see one.

Meet Roland Kelts, an author known for his book Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S. He sits down to talk to us about the anime industry and the spread of Japanese pop culture overseas, as well as his work on the upcoming documentary Tezuka: God of Manga.--0:00 Intro0:50 Meet Roland4:29 Building a stronger connection to Japan8:55 Joining the JET Programme to write about Japan15:20 Living alone in Japan24:04 Leaving Japan to build a career29:43 Writing Japanamerica36:40 Studying Tezuka and anime40:22 How otaku brought anime overseas45:34 The 4Kids incident47:49 Has the anime industry changed over 20 years?55:58 The Tezuka documentary1:00:14 Why Tezuka was so influential1:03:27 How Tezuka came to be1:06:44 Challenges of producing a documentary1:11:08 Looking back1:21:39 The power of pop culture1:26:03 The world viewed from Japan--Follow Roland:https://www.instagram.com/rolandkelts/https://x.com/rolandkeltshttps://www.japanamericabook.com/Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

The Fulbright Program offers another unique path to experience Japan through academic and professional exchange. Dr. Rose Honegger joins the Krewe to share her Fulbright experience in Japan, what she gained from the program, and how it influenced her work in higher education. The conversation also explores who Fulbright is for, what makes a strong candidate, and tips for those considering applying. ------ About the Krewe ------ The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy! ------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------ Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode! Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season! Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  ------ Links for the Fulbright Program ------ Fulbright Program Website ------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------ JSNO Event Calendar Join JSNO Today!

Download SAILY in your app store and use our code sbp at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/sbpChapters:0:00 Intro0:31 Arusha, Tanzania3:05 Atlanta, US4:13 Austin, US5:50 Baghdad, Iraq6:33 Bali, Indonesia8:37 Bangkok, Thailand11:40 Budapest, Hungary12:04 Buenos Aires, Argentina13:19 Cairo, Egypt14:31 Chengdu, China15:10 Chicago, US15:21 Chongqing, China16:54 Delhi, India17:43 Florence, Italy19:39 Fukuoka, Japan21:26 Hanoi, Vietnam22:14 Hiroshima, Japan24:17 Hargeisa, Somaliland25:55 Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam26:20 Hong Kong27:13 Houston, US28:04 Istanbul, Turkey28:51 Kashgar, China29:24 Kyiv, Ukraine29:50 Los Angeles, US31:00 Lahore, Pakistan31:36 London, England32:20 Lviv, Ukraine33:05 Madinah, Saudi Arabia33:44 Medellín, Colombia34:19 Nairobi, Kenya34:53 Nashville, US35:44 New York, US37:10 Osaka, Japan38:32 Paris, France39:25 Portland, US39:48 Rome, Italy40:10 Salt Lake City, US40:41 San Antonio, US40:51 Sapporo, Japan42:57 Seattle, US43:31 Seoul, South Korea44:06 Seville, Spain44:33 Taipei, Taiwan45:08 Tijuana, Mexico45:38 Tokyo, Japan47:16 Tulum, Mexico47:34 Venice, Italy47:49 Washington DC, US49:14 Doha, Qatar50:01 Ranking the S-tier citiesSupport the show on Patreon to get access to unfiltered travel content. Early access to every video, extended cuts, and uncensored content. https://www.patreon.com/smallbrainedamericanFollow the show ⬇️ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/realsmallbrainedamericanInstagram https://www.instagram.com/smallbrainedamerican/X https://x.com/SmallBrainedUSA

Joel “Jay-Ray” Anderson is a drummer that was recently touring with The Wiz.I caught up with him mid-tour. We talked about growing up in a musical family in Fort Lauderdale, learning drums from YouTube and his oldest brother, coming up through the Dillard High School drumline, studying music at Broward College and Florida Memorial University, landing his first tour (Pretty Woman) the week after graduation, and transitioning to The Wiz through a network built one relationship at a time. We got into gospel drumming history, drumline battles, a month spent touring Japan, and why networking, not just chops, is what actually opens doors.Jay-Ray comes from a house full of musicians. His father plays guitar and sings; his oldest brother plays drums and keys; another brother sings, plays drums, and plays saxophone; and a third brother plays bass, guitar, and keys while producing. Jay-Ray's own introduction to the drums came at six years old, when his oldest brother sat him down in front of a kit for the first time. By twelve, he had his own Sonor drum set, a gift from that same brother, and was already teaching himself by copying drumming videos on YouTube.Jay-Ray attended Dillard Center for the Arts, where he played in two jazz bands, marched snare in the wind orchestra and drumline, and got pulled onto snare drum as a freshman after impressing section leader Javon with a string of paradiddles. He talks about the discipline instilled by band directors Christopher Dorsey and Dr. Sheldon McClain, learning traditional grip for the first time, and the intensity of real drumline battles.Jay-Ray studied at Broward College (Associate's in Music Performance) before transferring to Florida Memorial University for his bachelor's degree, where he played under percussion director Taurus Lovely, a 25-year Broadway touring veteran (including Tina Turner: The Musical) who would later become the person who got Jay-Ray his first tour. Jay-Ray's first trip to New York came in 2018, when Dillard's jazz band won the Essentially Ellington competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the same trip where he first saw a Broadway show, Ain't Too Proud.The day after Jay-Ray graduated from Florida Memorial in May 2023, Taurus Lovely called with an audition opportunity for the Pretty Woman national tour. Jay-Ray recorded four songs from the show, landed the gig, and was in rehearsals in Syracuse, New York within months. He talks candidly about the learning curve of running click tracks and Ableton on the road, getting walked through the system by original drummer Kevin Maynard, and the parts of touring nobody warns you about, like setting up and breaking down your own kit on travel days. Over roughly two years with the show, he toured extensively across the U.S. and spent a month performing in Japan (Shinjuku, Tachikawa, Kyoto, and Osaka).Jay-Ray's move to The Wiz came through his network: Sammy Merandino and Quentin “Q” Robinson recommended him, and MD Michael Aarons brought him in. Jay-Ray left Pretty Woman in Wichita and, within a week, was in New York starting rehearsals, spending his off-hours studying original drummer Trevor Holder's book and comparing the Broadway cast recording to the touring arrangement. He also shares how he first met Q Robinson years earlier, showing up at Hamilton's closing show in Fort Lauderdale just to introduce himself.Asked what he'd tell a high school or college drummer chasing a career like his, Jay-Ray's answer is simple: networking. Every opportunity in his career, from Pretty Woman to The Wiz to this very podcast episode, traces back to a relationship someone else made on his behalf.Where to Find Jay-Ray* Instagram & TikTok: @jay.ray04* Facebook: Joel Anderson* Email: joel.r.anderson04@gmail.comResources * Free: How to Land a Broadway Gig Roadmap — subscribe to Broadway Drumming 101 (free or paid) and grab it at broadwayboundbook.com/roadmap* The Broadway Sub Playbook ($7.99) — available at signaturebrandworks.com* Broadway Drumming 101 merch (backpacks, tees, hats, mugs, and more) — signaturebrandworks.com* Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career by Clayton Craddock — out nowClayton Craddock was most recently the drummer for Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician's Guide to Building a Theater Career.His Broadway credits include Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Ain't Too Proud, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with additional credits spanning tick, tick…BOOM!, The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, and subbing on Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards. He has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.www.claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe

Regreso a clases: así puedes ahorrar en útiles y uniformes¡A bailar Thriller! CDMX prepara mega baile gratuitoSequía golpea al Colorado y EE.UU. prepara recortes de aguaMás información en nuestro Podcast#grc

Osaka - Swissotel Nankai Osaka; Arigato Travel and Culinary Food Tours; Food Activity Japan's Sushi Making ClassMichelle traveled to Japan with her two children, ages 7 and 9 and the last stop on their trip was the really fun city of Osaka. Besides the overstimulation of crane machines, pokémon stores, and amazing shopping for mom, there's a lot to explore, including the incredible food scene.  We stayed at two wonderful properties while there - one was the really fun Pokémon themed room at Mimaru in Namba North and then an the extremely central and convenient Swissotel Nankai Osaka. The Swissotel Nankai Osaka was a great last stop for shopping and a central base to then take the train back the Kansai Airport.  It also has a great indoor pool, cold/hot plunge pools and a gym.  Osaka has a great food scene and offers so many different restaurant options and markets to try a variety of local cuisine.  Arigato Travel and Culinary has amazing tour guides who will make sure you try it all.  Their Osaka food tour will leave you stuffed and educated!Food Activity Japan is a great company, located in Tokyo and Osaka, and offers sushi, chopstick making and matcha tea classes.  It is a wonderful kid friendly activitity and perfect for those days you may want a break from the outdoors.Osaka also has cultural sites to see and is a 45 minute train ride from Kyoto, so it's a great city to base yourself to explore other regions as well.  You can stock up on all your Japanese cosmetics, sunscreens, snacks and clothes, so you may want to bring an extra bag or suitcase or buy one there!

Episode 186 features Mike and guest Joe Petrovic covering news and a deep dive into their Japan trip.News: U.S. Bank launched transfer partners (Flying Blue, Ethiopian Sheba Rewards, ALL), but access is limited to legacy cards no longer open to new applicants. Aeroplan is reinstating its 18-month points expiration policy starting November 30, 2026, with any account activity resetting the clock. Both hosts also shared recent card bonuses and trip updates, including Mike's Punta Cana stay at Sanctuary Cap Cana.Japan trip: The main topic was their 4-5 night Tokyo, 2-night Osaka trip, booked largely with points and miles (Joe's itinerary was roughly $41K in retail value). Outbound flights included Mike's Singapore Airlines business class LAX-NRT (using stranded SQ miles) and Joe's ANA first class ORD-NRT. Hotels ranged from the budget-friendly Comfort Kanda to the iconic Park Hyatt Tokyo (with a suite upgrade) and Hilton Osaka in the well-connected Umeda area. They covered sightseeing highlights (Shibuya, Asakusa, Lake Kawaguchi/Mt. Fuji, Odaiba, Dotonbori, Osaka Castle), food favorites (sushi, yakiniku, tonkatsu, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and 7-Eleven egg salad sandwiches), and getting around via trains and the Suica card.Return: Both flew JAL business/first ITM-HND-ORD and sampled several Haneda lounges. The episode closed with a tip: dump spare change into a 7-Eleven coin machine before leaving Japan to convert it into bills.Episode Links:US Bank Transfer PartnersAeroplan Expiration PolicyWhere to Find UsThe Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.You can also email us at 101@award.travelBuy your Award Travel 101 Merch hereReserve tickets to our Late Summer 2026 Meetup in Milwaukee now. award.travel/mke2026Our partner CardPointers helps us get the most from our cards. Signup today at https://cardpointers.com/at101 for a 30% discount on annual and lifetime subscriptions! Lastly, we appreciate your support of the AT101 Podcast/Community when you signup for your next card!Technical note: Some user experience difficulty streaming the podcast while connected to a VPN. If you have difficulty, disconnect from your VPN.  

Meet Sayaka, a Japanese teacher known for her work on her channel Nihongo Dekita. She sits down to talk to us about her own journey to English fluency, discovering a passion for teaching language, and how she built her brand and Japanese school online.--0:00 Intro0:50 How Sayaka learned English10:26 Studying teaching abroad 22:52 Work for company hiring immigrants in Japan27:54 Starting her own teaching company30:53 Growth on social media38:41 Hiring her own teachers40:37 How to make online lessons succeed49:05 Should you learn by watching TV?52:29 How to get fluent in a language57:02 Learning vocabulary1:04:54 Looking back--Follow Sayaka:https://nihongodekita.com/ @NihongoDekita https://www.instagram.com/nihongodekita/https://www.facebook.com/nihongodekita/https://www.tiktok.com/@nihongodekitaFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

This week we cover the Ridley Scott thriller BLACK RAIN. New York City policemen Nick (Michael Douglas) and Charlie (Andy Garcia) witness a murder in a bar and quickly apprehend the assailant. The killer, named Sato (Yusaku Matsuda), is a member of Japan's infamous Yakuza mob, and Nick and Charlie must transport the gangster back to Osaka for his murder trial. There, Sato's fellow gangsters free him from police custody, forcing Nick and Charlie to scour Japan's dangerous underworld of organized crime in search of their fugitive. Hear our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT. SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

Many organisations say they need better leadership, but what they often have is a collection of very busy managers. Managers are expected to control costs, meet deadlines, maintain quality, solve problems and keep increasingly complex processes moving. Then, without providing much leadership training, companies complain that these same people are not developing their staff, communicating the strategy or inspiring stronger performance. Management and leadership overlap, but they are not the same job. Organisations need people who can manage the processes, interpret the strategy and develop the people. What is the difference between a manager and a leader? Managers make sure the work gets done correctly, while leaders make sure people understand where the organisation is going and want to contribute to getting it there. Managers naturally concentrate on processes, budgets, deadlines and quality. Modern work involves multiple interconnected tasks, so one late or poorly completed piece can disrupt an entire project. Someone must watch the details and make sure everything stays in tandem. Leadership adds two major responsibilities: setting or interpreting the strategy and developing the people. Senior executives may determine the broad corporate strategy, but leaders further down the organisation must translate that strategy into meaningful action for their own division, department or team. The problem is that companies often promote good technical performers into management and assume leadership will somehow appear automatically. Do now: Clearly define which parts of a role involve managing processes and which parts require leading people. Why do good managers sometimes struggle to become leaders? Good managers often struggle with leadership because the abilities that earned them promotion are not necessarily the abilities they need after promotion. A technically strong employee may be promoted because of expertise, reliability and attention to detail. These are valuable qualities, particularly in Japan's no-defect work culture, where managers are expected to prevent errors and avoid surprises. However, leadership requires a different set of behaviours. Leaders must communicate direction, coach individuals, handle difficult conversations, build confidence and persuade people to support objectives beyond their own immediate responsibilities. Too many companies provide little formal training, limited onboarding and almost no meaningful on-the-job coaching before expecting newly promoted managers to lead effectively. This became even more obvious during the pandemic, when remote work reduced opportunities to observe experienced leaders and learn informally. Promotion changes the title immediately. It does not automatically change the person's capabilities. Do now: Provide leadership training before or immediately after promotion rather than waiting for the new leader to struggle. How should leaders connect corporate strategy with daily work? Leaders must translate broad corporate strategy into practical priorities that employees can understand, remember and act upon. Vision, Mission and Values statements are often beautifully framed and placed behind glass. Unfortunately, many become corporate dust catchers. Nobody remembers them, nobody discusses them and certainly nobody lives them. The leader's job is to make those ideas real. Employees need to understand how the organisation's strategy connects with their daily responsibilities, customer interactions and decisions. They also need to know what the strategy means for their particular team. This requires repetition. It is not enough to mention the strategy at an annual meeting and assume everyone is now aligned. At Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training, we begin each morning with what we call the "Daily Dale". We review our Vision, Mission and Values, together with one Dale Carnegie human relations or stress management principle. Repetition helps the team remember the ideas so they can actually live them. Do now: Turn strategic language into short, repeated conversations about what employees should do differently today. How did Ritz-Carlton make its service principles part of the culture? Ritz-Carlton made its service principles operational by discussing them constantly rather than leaving them in a manual. I once attended a presentation in Osaka by Ricco De Blanc, who helped open the Ritz-Carlton hotels in Osaka and Tokyo. He explained the organisation's customer service principles and how they were embedded into daily operations. I was so impressed that I later invited him to speak to my colleagues at Shinsei Retail Bank. I also convinced my boss to send me to the Ritz-Carlton training centre in Washington, D.C. When I returned, I adapted what I had learned and created customer service principles for our retail banking business. The secret sauce was consistency. At Ritz-Carlton locations around the world, each shift began by reviewing the same service principle for that day. The principles were not treated as decorative statements. They became a shared language for behaviour and decision-making. Do now: Choose one cultural principle each day and ask the team how it applies to their customers and current work. Why is employee coaching disappearing from the workplace? Employee coaching is disappearing because managers are overloaded with operational work and mistake giving instructions for developing people. Technology was supposed to make work easier, but in many cases it has simply increased the quantity and speed of work. Managers now spend their days moving between email, online meetings, reporting systems, deadlines and urgent requests. One of the casualties is coaching. Look closely at the calendars of many people in leadership positions and remove the meetings where they are simply giving commands, checking progress or correcting errors. The remaining time devoted to genuine coaching may be measured in nanoseconds. Remote and hybrid work add another complication. Managers have fewer informal opportunities to notice changes in performance, attitude or confidence. Coaching must therefore become intentional rather than accidental. Real coaching means asking questions, listening, helping people think and encouraging them to take greater ownership. It cannot be reduced to telling employees what to do more loudly or more frequently. Do now: Schedule regular coaching conversations that are separate from progress checks and performance instructions. Can leaders really motivate their employees? Leaders cannot directly motivate other people, but they can create an environment in which people are more likely to motivate themselves. The phrase "motivating others" is slightly misleading. We cannot reach inside another person and install motivation. People are motivated by different combinations of achievement, recognition, responsibility, security, growth, purpose and belonging. The leader's responsibility is to discover what matters to each person and communicate accordingly. That takes time, curiosity and excellent interpersonal skills. Leaders must also help employees see the connection between organisational objectives and their own goals. When employees understand why the work matters, how they contribute and how they can grow, they are more likely to take ownership. This is particularly important in Japan's increasingly competitive talent market. Employees may tolerate a weak manager for a while, but talented people have more reason than ever to seek an environment where they feel respected, developed and valued. Do now: Ask employees what kind of work, responsibility and recognition brings out their best performance. What should companies expect from their middle leaders? Middle leaders must manage the processes, interpret the strategy and build the people at the same time. Process management remains essential. Deadlines, costs and quality do not disappear simply because someone has adopted a leadership mindset. However, operational control alone is not enough. The middle leader must connect senior management's direction with frontline execution. This means explaining the strategy, gaining commitment, adjusting priorities and helping employees build the capabilities required to deliver. Companies also need to give middle leaders enough time, authority and training to perform these responsibilities. It is unreasonable to overload managers with administrative work and then criticise them for failing to coach their teams. The organisations that develop capable middle leaders will be better positioned to retain talent, implement strategy and adapt to change. Their competitors may have equally good products and systems, but stronger leadership will eventually create a major performance difference. Do now: Assess middle leaders on people development and strategic alignment, not only on budgets, deadlines and error rates. Conclusion Companies do not need to choose between management and leadership. They need both. Managers keep the machinery operating. Leaders make sure the machinery is heading in the right direction and that the people operating it are growing, contributing and committed. The problem begins when organisations assume that management experience automatically produces leadership ability. It does not. Leadership requires deliberate development, repeated practice, coaching and organisational support. Your managers may already be extremely busy controlling processes, budgets and quality. The question is whether you are also helping them become the leaders your people and your strategy require. In the long term, talented employees will not simply leave companies. They will leave middle managers and stay with middle leaders. There is a world of difference between the two. Author Bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" in 2018 and 2021 and received the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2012. As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across leadership, communication, sales and presentation programmes, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including the bestsellers Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery and Japan Presentations Mastery, together with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His Japanese-language books include Za Eigyō（ザ営業）, Purezen no Tatsujin（プレゼンの達人）, Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō（トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう）and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā（現代版「人を動かす」リーダー）. Greg also publishes regular business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook and X and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery and Japan's Top Business Interviews for executives and professionals seeking practical strategies for succeeding in Japan.

Meet Kofi Bazell-Smith, the United States' first manga professor. He sits down to talk to us about the rules, form, and history of manga, his work in teaching and cultural relations, as well as his own projects as an artist.--0:00 Intro0:50 Start in martial arts5:16 Deciding to take manga seriously10:30 Studying with a manga professor13:38 The rules of manga19:13 How this experienced changed him22:50 Manga as an academic art form26:48 Manga can be anything29:28 How Tezuka brought filmmaking to manga34:20 Becoming the manga professor37:52 Manga as a cross-cultural art form43:34 Is there a market for foreign manga?49:36 Kofi's manga53:39 Publishing manga57:28 Working with Japanese manga schools1:01:54 Exhibiting manga in an art gallery1:06:13 Kofi's work in US-Japan cultural relations--Follow Kofi:https://www.kofimanga.comFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/