Podcasts about Tokyo

SHOW 12-8-2025 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1895 KHYBER PASS THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE FEDERAL RESERVE  BOARD OF GOVERNORS. FIRST HOUR 9-915 The DC Shooter, the Zero Units, and the Tragedy of the Afghan Withdrawal: Colleagues Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio discuss recent violence in Washington, D.C. involving an Afghan immigrant that has drawn attention back to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021; the shooter, Ramanula Lakanal, was a member of the elite "Zero Units" of the Afghan National Army, a force that demanded priority evacuation for their families in exchange for providing security at the Kabul airport during the U.S. retreat, and while these units were stalwart allies against enemies like al-Qaeda and ISIS, they fought a "dirty war" and were accused of human rights violations, highlighting the broader failure of the withdrawal which occurred because political will faded across multiple administrations. 915-930 The Vetting Failure and the Lack of an Exit Strategy in Afghanistan: Colleagues Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggioexplain that the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was exacerbated by the lack of a methodical exit strategy, unlike the British who organized their departure and evacuation lists well in advance; critics argue that the U.S. imported significant security risks by rushing the evacuation, bringing in over 100,000 Afghans without adequate vetting, and while there was a moral obligation to help those who served, experts suggest that wholesale importation of citizens from a war-torn country was not the only solution and that better vetting or resettlement in third countries should have been considered. 930-945 Martial Law in South Korea and the Shadow of the North: Colleagues Morse Tan and Gordon Chang discuss South Korea facing severe political turmoil following President Yoon's declaration of martial law, a move his supporters argue was a constitutional response to obstructionist anti-state forces; the opposition, led by figures previously sympathetic to North Korea, has been accused of attempting to paralyze the government, while accusations of "insurrection" against President Yoon are dismissed as nonsensical, with the political infighting fracturing the conservative party and leaving South Korea vulnerable to the North Korean regime in a way not seen since the Korean War. 945-1000 Japan Stands Up for Taiwan While Canada Demurs: Colleagues Charles Burton and Gordon Chang report that Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi recently declared that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be a "survival threatening situation" for Japan, authorizing the mobilization of self-defense forces; this statement has triggered a massive propaganda campaign from Beijing demanding a retraction, as a successful invasion of Taiwan would likely require violating Japanese sovereignty, while in contrast Canada remains reluctant to support Tokyo or criticize Beijing, hoping to secure trade benefits and diversify exports away from the U.S., leaving Japan isolated by its allies. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 The Survival of UNRWA and the Flow of Terror Finance: Colleagues Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotterreport that despite investigations revealing corruption and ties to terrorism, the UN has renewed the mandate for UNRWA for another three years; the organization's facilities have been used by Hamas and its schools have been implicated in radicalizing children, yet international efforts to replace it have stalled, while Hamas leadership refuses to disarm or accept international oversight, demanding a Palestinian state as a precondition for any change, with financial support for terror groups continuing to flow through networks in Europe and the Middle East. 1015-1030 Greece's "Achilles Shield" and Israel's Iron Beam Laser Defense: Colleagues Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter report that Greece is undertaking a historic modernization of its armed forces, unveiling a new national defense strategy focused on long-range missiles and a modernized air defense system dubbed "Achilles Shield," allowing Greece to project power more flexibly in the Eastern Mediterranean and counter threats from Turkey; in Israel, a major defensive breakthrough is imminent with the deployment of the "Iron Beam," a laser defense system capable of intercepting threats at approximately $50 per shot, expected to rewrite the rules of air defense by effectively countering drone swarms and missiles. 1030-1045 Hezbollah's Quiet Regeneration Under Naim Qassem: Colleagues David Daoud and Bill Roggio report that since the ceasefire began, Hezbollah has received at least $2 billion from Iran and is actively rearming and regenerating its forces in Lebanon; the terror group is focusing on acquiring drone swarms and other asymmetrical weapons that are cheap to produce and difficult for Israel to counter, while Hezbollah's new leader Naim Qassem is leveraging his "bookish" and underestimated persona to lower the temperature and allow the group to rebuild without attracting the same level of scrutiny as his predecessor. 1045-1100 Fragmentation in Yemen: The Southern Transitional Council Advances: Colleagues Bridget Tumi and Bill Roggio report that the civil war in Yemen is fracturing further as the Southern Transitional Council, which advocates for southern secession, advances into eastern governorates to secure territory and combat smuggling; this move has heightened tensions within the anti-Houthi coalition, as the STC is backed by the UAE while other government factions are supported by Saudi Arabia, weakening the collective effort against the Houthis who control the capital Sanaa and maintain ambitions to conquer the entire country. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 The Druze National Guard and Internal Strife in Southern Syria: Colleagues Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio report that instability is growing in Syria's Druze-majority Suwayda province, where a newly formed "National Guard" militia has begun arresting and killing political opponents; the militia is spiritually guided by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who has consolidated power by sidelining other Druze leaders who were open to reconciliation with the Assad regime, with Turkey expressing support for the anti-Assad Druze factions against both the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, while recent violence suggests a hardening of anti-regime sentiment. 1115-1130 The "Variable Geometry" of the Muslim Brotherhood and Its Global Affiliates: Colleagues Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio explain that the Muslim Brotherhood operates as a "mothership" for various Islamist movements, utilizing a strategy of "variable geometry" to adapt to local political environments while aiming for a global caliphate; Hamas functions as the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood and despite being severely damaged by the war with Israel remains the dominant force in Gaza, with the Brotherhood finding state sponsorship primarily in Qatar, which provides funding and media support via Al Jazeera, and Turkey, where President Erdogan acts as a leader for the organization. 1130-1145 Ukraine Negotiations Hit a Cul-de-Sac Amidst Infiltration Tactics: Colleagues John Hardie and Bill Roggio report that peace talks regarding Ukraine are currently at a standstill, with the U.S. and Ukraine at odds over Russia's demands for territory in the Donbas versus Ukraine's need for meaningful security guarantees; while the U.S. has pressured Ukraine to concede territory, the security assurances offered are viewed skeptically by Kyiv, and Russia refuses to accept any Western military presence in Ukraine, while on the battlefield Russia employs infiltration tactics using small groups, sometimes single soldiers, to penetrate deep into Ukrainian positions. 1145-1200 The Trump Corollary: Reviving the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America: Colleague Ernesto Araújo discusses a new "Trump corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine reshaping U.S. policy in the Americas, signaling a more assertive stance against foreign influence and authoritarian regimes; this shift is evident in Venezuela, where President Maduro appears to be negotiating his exit in the face of U.S. pressure, while in Brazil the administration of Lula da Silva faces significant instability due to a massive banking scandal linking the government to money laundering and organized crime, with the new application of the Monroe Doctrine suggesting the U.S. will favor political figures aligned with its security strategy. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Devil's Advocates: Robert Stryk, Rudy Giuliani, and the Business of Influence: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel discusses how in the power vacuum created by Donald Trump's arrival in Washington, unconventional lobbyists like Robert Stryk rose to prominence by marketing access to the new administration; Stryk, described as an "anti-hero" with a checkered business past, hosted a lavish event at the Hay-Adams Hotel to legitimize the regime of Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, successfully delivering Rudy Giuliani as Trump's personal attorney, signaling a new informal channel for foreign diplomacy and highlighting how foreign regimes utilized large sums of money and unconventional intermediaries to seek favor. 1215-1230 The Accidental Diplomat: Robert Stryk and the New Zealand Connection: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel explains that Robert Stryk's rise in the lobbying world was fueled by serendipity and bold bluffs, exemplified by a chance encounter with a New Zealand diplomat at a cafe; the diplomat revealed that New Zealand, having prepared for a Clinton victory, had no contacts within the incoming Trump team and could not arrange a congratulatory call between their Prime Minister and the President-elect, and Stryk, leveraging a connection to a former Trump campaign field director, provided a phone number that successfully connected the embassy to Trump's team, establishing his credibility and launching his career in high-stakes foreign lobbying. 1230-1245 Hunter Biden, Chinese Spies, and the Monetization of Political Connections: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel reports that following his father's departure from the vice presidency, Hunter Biden faced financial pressure and sought lucrative foreign clients, leading to risky entanglements; one venture involved a corrupt Romanian real estate magnate who hired Hunter along with former FBI Director Louis Freeh and Rudy Giuliani to resolve his legal troubles, with the proposed solution involving selling land including the site of the U.S. Embassy in Romania to a Chinese state-linked fund, and Hunter Biden was aware of the nature of his associates, referring to one as the "spy chief of China." 1245-100 AM FARA: From Fighting Nazi Propaganda to Modern Transparency: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel explains that the Foreign Agents Registration Act was originally enacted in 1938 to counter Nazi propaganda in the United States before World War II; at the time, the Third Reich was paying well-connected American consultants to whitewash Hitler's image and keep the U.S. out of the war, operating without public knowledge, and Congress passed FARA to create transparency, requiring those paid by foreign principals to influence the U.S. government or media to register their activities, with the law remaining today the primary vehicle for accountability in foreign lobbying

Japan Stands Up for Taiwan While Canada Demurs: Colleagues Charles Burton and Gordon Chang report that Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi recently declared that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be a "survival threatening situation" for Japan, authorizing the mobilization of self-defense forces; this statement has triggered a massive propaganda campaign from Beijing demanding a retraction, as a successful invasion of Taiwan would likely require violating Japanese sovereignty, while in contrast Canada remains reluctant to support Tokyo or criticize Beijing, hoping to secure trade benefits and diversify exports away from the U.S., leaving Japan isolated by its allies. 1937 SHANGHAI

This week on Jam Session, Juliet and Amanda break down the latest in pop culture, starting with the premiere of 'Marty Supreme,' featuring Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner in matching orange Chrome Hearts looks (4:11). Next, they discuss Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's (supposedly) confirmed wedding date (16:00), plus some Taylor-adjacent antics with Selena Gomez and Lena Dunham. Then they break down Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau's trip to Tokyo (26:44), Olivia Nuzzi's departure from Vanity Fair (33:53), and the latest on Romy Mars (35:38). Hosts: Amanda Dobbins and Juliet LitmanProducers: Jade Whaley and Belle Roman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last time we spoke about the beginning of the battle of lake Khasan. On a frost-bitten dawn by the Chaun and Tumen, two empires, Soviet and Japanese, stared at Changkufeng, each certain the ridge would decide their fate. Diplomats urged restraint, but Tokyo's generals plotted a bold gamble: seize the hill with a surprise strike and bargain afterward. In the Japanese camp, a flurry of trains, orders, and plans moved in the night. Officers like Sato and Suetaka debated danger and responsibility, balancing "dokudan senko", independent action with disciplined restraint. As rain hammered the earth, they contemplated a night assault: cross the Tumen, occupy Hill 52, and strike Changkufeng with coordinated dawn and night attacks. Engineers, artillery, and infantry rehearsed their movements in near-poetic precision, while the 19th Engineers stitched crossings and bridges into a fragile path forward. Across the river, Soviet scouts and border guards held their nerve, counting enemy shadows and watching for a break in the line. The clash at Shachaofeng became a lightning rod: a small force crossed into Manchurian soil in the restless dark, provoking a broader crisis just as diplomacy teetered.   #179 From Darkness to Crest: The Changkufeng Battle Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. As remarked in the 19th division's war journal "With sunset on the 30th, the numbers of enemy soldiers increased steadily. Many motor vehicles, and even tanks, appear to have moved up. The whole front has become tense. Hostile patrols came across the border frequently, even in front of Chiangchunfeng. Tank-supported infantry units were apparently performing offensive deployment on the high ground south of Shachaofeng." Situation maps from the evening indicated Soviet patrol activity approaching the staging area of Nakano's unit near the Tumen, moving toward Noguchi's company to the left of Chiangchunfeng, and advancing toward Matsunobe's unit southwest of Shachaofeng. Russian vessels were depicted ferrying across Khasan, directly behind Changkufeng, while tanks moved south from Shachaofeng along the western shores of the lake. The 19th division's war journal states "Then it was ascertained that these attack forces had gone into action. All of our own units quietly commenced counteraction from late that night, as scheduled, after having systematically completed preparations since nightfall." Meanwhile, to the north, the Hunchun garrison reinforced the border with a battalion and tightened security. All evidence supported the view that Suetaka "in concept" and Sato"(in tactics" played the main part in the night-attack planning and decisions. Sato was the only infantry regimental commander at the front on 30 July. One division staff officer went so far as to say that Suetaka alone exerted the major influence, that Sato merely worked out details, including the type of attack and the timing. Intertwined with the decision to attack Changkufeng was the choice of an infantry regiment. The 76th Regiment was responsible for the defense of the sector through its Border Garrison Unit; but the latter had no more than two companies to guard a 40-mile border extending almost to Hunchun, and Okido's regimental headquarters was 75 miles to the rear at Nanam. T. Sato's 73rd Regiment was also at Nanam, while Cho's 74th Regiment was stationed another 175 miles southwest at Hamhung. Thus, the regiment nearest to Changkufeng was K. Sato's 75th, 50 miles away at Hoeryong. Although Suetaka had had time to shuffle units if he desired, Sasai suggested that troop movements from Nanam could not be concealed; from Hoeryong they might be termed maneuvers. Suetaka undoubtedly had favorites in terms of units as well as chiefs. K. Sato had served longest as regimental commander, since October 1937; Okido's date of rank preceded K. Sato's, but Okido had not taken command until 1938. He and Cho were able enough, but they were unknown quantities; T. Sato and Cho were brand-new colonels.  Thus, K. Sato was best known to Suetaka and was familiar with the terrain. While he did not regard his regiment as the equal of units in the Kwantung Army or in the homeland, K. Sato's training program was progressing well and his men were rugged natives of Nagano and Tochigi prefectures. From the combat soldier's standpoint, the Changkufeng Incident was waged between picked regulars on both sides. The matter of quantitative regimental strength could have played no part in Suetaka's choice. The 74th, 75th, and 76th regiments each possessed 1,500 men; the 73rd, 1,200. Even in ordinary times, every unit conducted night-attack training, attended by Suetaka, but there was nothing special in July, even after the general inspected the 75th Regiment on the 11th. It had been said that the most efficient battalions were selected for the action. Although, of course, Sato claimed that all of his battalions were good, from the outset he bore the 1st Battalion in mind for the night attack and had it reconnoiter the Changkufeng area. Some discerned no special reasons; it was probably a matter of numerical sequence, 1st-2nd-3rd Battalions. Others called the choice a happy coincidence because of the 1st Battalion's 'splendid unity' and the aggressive training conducted by Major Ichimoto, who had reluctantly departed recently for regimental headquarters. Coming from the 75th Regiment headquarters to take over the 1st Battalion was the 40-year-old aide Major Nakano. By all accounts, he was quiet, serious, and hard-working, a man of noble character, gentle and sincere. More the administrative than commander type, Nakano lacked experience in commanding battalions and never had sufficient time to get to know his new unit (or they, him) before the night assault. He could hardly be expected to have stressed anything particular in training. Since there was no battalion-level training, the most valid unit of comparison in the regiment was the company, the smallest infantry component trained and equipped to conduct combat missions independently. Sato valued combat experience among subordinates; Nakano's 1st Battalion was considered a veteran force by virtue of its old-timer company commanders. All but one had come up through the ranks; the exception, young Lieutenant Nakajima, the darling of Sato, was a military academy graduate. For assault actions synchronized with those of the 1st Battalion, Sato selected Ito, the one line captain commanding the 6th Company of the 2nd Battalion, and Takeshita, 10th Company commander, one of the two line captains of the 3rd Battalion. In short, Sato had designated five veteran captains and a promising lieutenant to conduct the night-attack operations of 30-31 July, the first Japanese experience of battle against the modern Red Army. During the last two weeks of July, numerous spurious farmers had gambled along the lower reaches of the Tumen, reconnoitered the terrain, and prepared for a crossing and assault. Scouts had operated on both the Manchurian and Korean sides of the river. Major Nakano had conducted frequent personal reconnaissance and had dispatched platoon and patrol leaders, all heavy-weapons observation teams, and even the battalion doctor to Sozan Hill, to Chiangchunfeng, and close to enemy positions. In Korean garb and often leading oxen, the scouts had threaded their way through the Changkufeng sector, sometimes holing up for the night to observe Soviet movements, soil and topography, and levels of illumination. From this data, Nakano had prepared reference materials necessary for an assault. Hirahara, then located at Kucheng BGU Headquarters, had established three observation posts on high ground to the rear. After Chiangchunfeng had been occupied, Hirahara had set up security positions and routes there. Regarding Changkufeng, he had sought to ensure that even the lowest private studied the layout. Formation commanders such as Takeshita had volunteered frequently. Sato had also utilized engineers. Since the order to leave his station on 17 July, Lieutenant Colonel Kobayashi had had his regiment engage in scouting routes, bridges, and potential fords. Sato's 1st Company commander had prepared a sketch during 3% hours of reconnaissance across from Hill 52 during the afternoon of 18 July. Captain Yamada's intelligence had contributed to the tactical decisions and to knowledge of Russian strength and preparations. The most important information had been his evaluation of attack approaches, suggesting an offensive from the western side, preferably against the right flank or frontally. This concept had been the one applied by the regiment in its night assault two weeks later; Yamada had died on the green slopes he had scanned. Cloudy Saturday, 30 July, had drawn to a close. The moment had been at hand for the 75th Regiment to storm the Russians atop Changkufeng. Setting out from Fangchuanting at 22:30, Nakano's battalion, about 350 strong, had assembled at a fork one kilometer southwest of Changkufeng. The roads had been knee-deep in mud due to intermittent rain and downpours on 29–30 July. Now the rain had subsided, but clouds had blotted out the sky after the waning moon had set at 22:30. Led by Sakata's 1st Platoon leader, the men had marched silently toward the southern foot of Changkufeng; the murk had deepened and the soldiers could see no more than ten meters ahead. It had taken Sakata's men less than an hour to push forward the last 1,000 meters to the jump-off point, where they had waited another two hours before X-hour arrived. Scouts had advanced toward the first row of wire, 200–300 meters away. Platoon Leader Amagasa had infiltrated the positions alone and had reconnoitered the southeastern side of the heights. Sakata had heard from the patrols about the entanglements and their distance and makeup. While awaiting paths to be cut by engineer teams, the infantry had moved up as far as possible, 150 meters from the enemy, by 23:30. Although records described Changkufeng as quite steep, it had not been hard to climb until the main Russian positions were reached, even though there were cliffs. But as the craggy peak had been neared, the enemy defenses, which had taken advantage of rocks and dips, could not have been rushed in a bound. It had been 500 meters to the crest from the gently sloping base. The incline near the top had been steep at about 40 degrees and studded with boulders. Farther down were more soil and gravel. Grass had carpeted the foot. Japanese Army radio communications had been in their infancy; wire as well as runners had served as the main means of linking regimental headquarters with the front-line infantry, crossing-point engineers, and supporting guns across the Tumen in Korea. From Chiangchunfeng to the 1st Battalion, lines had been installed from the morning of 29 July. Combat communications had been operated by the small regimental signal unit, 27 officers and men. In general, signal traffic had been smooth and reception was good. Engineer support had been rendered by one platoon, primarily to assist with wire-cutting operations. Nakano had ordered his 1st Company to complete clearing the wire by 02:00. At 23:30 the cutters had begun their work on the right with three teams under 1st Lieutenant Inagaki. Since the proposed breach had been far from the enemy positions and there were no outposts nearby, Inagaki had pressed the work of forced clearing. The first entanglements had been breached fairly quickly, then the second. At about midnight, a dim light had etched the darkness, signaling success. There had been two gaps on the right. On the left side, Sakata's company had hoped to pierce the barbed wire in secrecy rather than by forced clearing. Only one broad belt of entanglements, actually the first and third lines, had been reconnoitered along the south and southeastern slopes. Sakata had assigned one team of infantry, with a covering squad led by Master Sergeant Amagasa, to the engineer unit under 2nd Lieutenant Nagayama. Covert clearing of a pair of gaps had begun. The Russian stakes had been a meter apart and the teams cut at the center of each section, making breaches wide enough for a soldier to wriggle through. To the rear, the infantry had crouched expectantly, while from the direction of Khasan the rumble of Soviet armor could be heard. At 00:10, when the first line of wire had been penetrated and the cutters were moving forward, the silence had been broken by the furious barking of Russian sentry dogs, and pale blue flares had burst over the slopes. As recalled by an engineer "It had been as bright as day. If only fog would cover us or it would start to rain!" At the unanticipated second line, the advancing clearing elements had drawn gunfire and grenades. But the Russians had been taken by surprise, Sakata said, and their machine guns had been firing high. Two engineers had been wounded; the security patrol on the left flank may have drawn the fire. Sakata had crawled up to Lieutenant Nagayama's cutting teams. One party had been hiding behind a rock, with a man sticking out his hand, grasping for the stake and feeling for electrified wire. Another soldier lay nearby, ready to snip the wire. The enemy had seemed to have discerned the Japanese, for the lieutenant could hear low voices. Although the cutters had been told to continue clearing in secrecy, they had by now encountered a line of low barbed wire and the work had not progressed as expected. Forced clearing had begun, which meant that the men had to stand or kneel, ignoring hostile fire and devoting primary consideration to speed. The infantrymen, unable to delay, had crawled through the wire as soon as the cutters tore a gap. Ten meters behind the small breaches, as well as in front of the Soviet positions, the Japanese had been troubled by fine low strands. They had resembled piano-wire traps, a foot or so off the ground. The wires had been invisible in the grass at night. As one soldier recalled "You couldn't disengage easily. When you tried to get out, you'd be sniped at. The wires themselves could cut a bit, too." Sakata had kept up with the clearing teams and urged them on. On his own initiative, Amagasa had his men break the first and third lines of wire by 01:50. Meanwhile, at 01:20, Nakano had phoned Sato, reporting that his forces had broken through the lines with little resistance, and had recommended that the attack be launched earlier than 2:00. Perhaps the premature alerting of the Russians had entered into Nakano's considerations. Sato had explained matters carefully, that is, rejected the suggestion, saying Changkufeng must not be taken too early, lest the enemy at Shachaofeng be alerted. The entire battalion, redeployed, had been massed for the charge up the slope. In an interval of good visibility, the troops could see as far as 40 meters ahead. A little before 02:00, Nakano had sent runners to deliver the order to advance. When the final obstructions had been cut, Nagayama had flashed a light. Then a white flag had moved in the darkness and the infantry had moved forward. Sakata's company, heading directly for Changkufeng crest, had less ground to traverse than Yamada's, and the point through which they penetrated the wire had been at the fork, where there appeared to have been only two lines to cut. The soldiers had crawled on their knees and one hand and had taken cover as soon as they got through. It had been 02:15 when the battalion traversed the barbed wire and began the offensive. The Japanese Army manual had stated that unaimed fire was seldom effective at night and that it had been imperative to avoid confusion resulting from wild shooting. At Changkufeng, the use of firearms had been forbidden by regimental order. Until the troops had penetrated the wire, bayonets had not been fixed because of the danger to friendly forces. Once through the entanglements, the men had attached bayonets, but, although their rifles had been loaded, they still had not been allowed to fire. The men had been traveling light. Instead of the 65 pounds the individual rifleman might ordinarily carry, knapsack, weapons and ammunition, tools, supplies, and clothing, each helmeted soldier had only 60 cartridges, none on his back, a haversack containing two grenades, a canteen, and a gas mask. To prevent noise, the regulations had prescribed wrapping metal parts of bayonets, canteens, sabers, mess kits, shovels, picks, and hobnails with cloth or straw. The wooden and metal parts of the shovel had been separated, the canteen filled, ammunition pouches stuffed with paper, and the bayonet sheath wrapped with cloth. Instead of boots, the men had worn web-toed, rubbersoled ground socks to muffle sound. Although their footgear had been bound with straw ropes, the soldiers occasionally had slipped in the wet grass. Considerations of security had forbidden relief of tension by talking, coughing, or smoking. Company commanders and platoon leaders had carried small white flags for hand signaling. In Sakata's company, the platoons had been distinguished by white patches of cloth hung over the gas masks on the men's backs, triangular pieces for the 1st Platoon, square for the second. Squad leaders had worn white headbands under their helmets. The company commanders had strapped on a white cross-belt; the platoon leaders, a single band. Officer casualties had proven particularly severe because the identification belts had been too conspicuous; even when the officers had lay flat, Soviet illuminating shells had made their bodies visible. On the left, the 2nd Company, 70–80 strong, had moved up with platoons abreast and scouts ahead. About 10 meters had separated the individual platoons advancing in four files; in the center were Sakata and his command team. The same setup had been used for Yamada's company and his two infantry platoons on the right. To the center and rear of the lead companies were battalion headquarters, a platoon of Nakajima's 3rd Company, and the Kitahara Machine-Gun Company, 20 meters from Nakano. The machine-gun company had differed from the infantry companies in that it had three platoons of two squads each. The machine-gun platoons had gone through the center breach in the entanglements with the battalion commander. Thereafter, they had bunched up, shoulder to shoulder and with the machine guns close to each other. Kitahara had led, two platoons forward, one back. The night had been so dark that the individual soldiers had hardly been able to tell who had been leading and who had been on the flanks. The 2nd Company had consolidated after getting through the last entanglements and had walked straight for Changkufeng crest. From positions above the Japanese, Soviet machine guns covering the wire had blazed away at a range of 50 meters. Tracers had ripped the night, but the Russians' aim had seemed high. Soviet illuminating shells, by revealing the location of dead angles among the rocks, had facilitated the Japanese approach. Fifty meters past the barbed wire, Sakata had run into the second Soviet position. From behind a big rock, four or five soldiers had been throwing masher grenades. Sakata and his command team had dashed to the rear and cut down the Russians. The captain had sabered one soldier who had been about to throw a grenade. Then Master Sergeant Onuki and the others had rushed up and overran the Russian defenses. The Japanese had not yet fired or sustained casualties. There had been no machine guns in the first position Sakata had jumped into; the trenches had been two feet deep and masked by rocks. To the right, a tent could be seen. Blind enemy firing had reached a crescendo around 02:30. The Russians had resisted with rifles, light and heavy machine guns, hand grenades, rifle grenades, flares, rapid-fire guns, and a tank cannon. "The hill had shaken, but our assault unit had advanced, disregarding the heavy resistance and relying only on the bayonet." The battalion commander, Major Nakano, had been the first officer to be hit. Moving to the left of Sakata's right-hand platoon, he had rushed up, brandishing his sword, amid ear-splitting fire and day-like flashes. He had felled an enemy soldier and then another who had been about to get him from behind. But a grenade had exploded and he had dropped, with his right arm hanging grotesquely and many fragments embedded in his chest and left arm. After regaining consciousness, Nakano had yelled at soldiers rushing to help him: "You fools! Charge on! Never mind me." Staggering to his feet, he had leaned on his sword with his left hand and pushed up the slope after the assault waves, while "everybody had been dashing around like mad." Sakata had encountered progressive defenses and more severe fire. The main body of the company had lost contact with other elements after getting through the entanglements. Sakata had thought that he had already occupied an edge of Changkufeng, but about 30 meters ahead stood a sharp-faced boulder, two or three meters high, from which enormous numbers of grenades had been lobbed. The Japanese, still walking, had come across another Soviet position, manned by four or five grenadiers. Sword in hand, Sakata had led Sergeant Onuki and his command team in a rush : "The enemy was about to take off as we jumped them. One Russian jabbed the muzzle of his rifle into my stomach at the moment I had my sword raised overhead. He pulled the trigger but the rifle did not go off. I cut him down before he could get me. The others ran away, but behind them they left grenades with pins pulled. Many of my men fell here and I was hit in the thighs".  Onuki had felled two or three Russians behind Sakata, then disposed of an enemy who had been aiming at Sakata from the side. It had been around 03:00. On the right, the 1st Company had made relatively faster progress along the western slopes after having breached two widely separated belts of barbed wire. Once through the second wire, the troops had found a third line, 150 meters behind, and enemy machine guns had opened fire. Thereupon, a left-platoon private first class had taken a "do or die" forced clearing team, rushed 15 meters ahead of the infantry, and tore a path for the unit. At 03:00, Yamada had taken his men in a dash far up the right foot of the hill, overran the unexpected position, and captured two rapid-fire guns. The company's casualties had been mounting. Yamada had been hit in the chest but had continued to cheer his troops on. At 03:30, he had led a rush against the main objective, tents up the hill, behind the antitank guns. Yamada had cut down several bewildered soldiers in the tents, but had been shot again in the chest, gasping "Tenno Heika Banzai!" "Long Live the Emperor!", and had fallen dead. His citation had noted that he had "disrupted the enemy's rear after capturing the forwardmost positions and thus furnished the key to the ultimate rout of the whole enemy line." Sergeant Shioda, though wounded badly, and several of the men had picked up their commander's body and moved over to join Lieutenant Inagaki. On the left, Kadowaki had charged into the tents with his platoon and had played his part in interfering with the Russian rear. After this rush, the unit had been pinned down by fire from machine-gun emplacements, and Kadowaki had been wounded seriously. His platoon had veered left while watching for an opportunity to charge. Eventual contact had been made with Sakata's company.   The assault on the right flank had been failing. With the death of Yamada, command of the company had been assumed temporarily by Inagaki. He and his right-flank platoon had managed to smash their way through the entanglements; Inagaki had sought to rush forward, sword in hand. Furious firing by Soviet machine guns, coupled with hand grenades, had checked the charge. Losses had mounted. Still another effort had bogged down in the face of enemy reinforcements, supported not only by covered but by tank-mounted machine guns. Russian tanks and trucks had appeared to be operating behind Changkufeng. Sergeant Shioda had been trying to keep the attack moving. Again and again, he had pushed toward the Soviet position with five of his surviving men, to no avail. The left-flank platoon had sought to evade the fierce fire by taking advantage of rock cover and hurling grenades. Finally, a private first class had lobbed in a grenade, rushed the machine gun, and silenced the weapon. By now, precious time and lives had been lost. Either instinctively or by order, the 1st Company had been shifting to the left, away from the core of the enemy fire-net. Inagaki had decided to veer left in a wide arc to outflank Changkufeng from the same side where the 2nd Company and most of the battalion were at-tacking. There would be no further attempts to plunge between the lake and the heights or to head for the crest from the rear. Military maps had indicated tersely that remnants of the 1st Company had displaced to the 2nd Company area at 04:00, sometime after the last charge on the right by Yamada. On the left front, in the sector facing the main defenses on Changkufeng crest, Sakata had fallen after being hit by a grenade. A machine gunner had improvised a sling. "I had lost a lot of blood," Sakata had said, "and there were no medics. Onuki, my command team chief who had been acting platoon leader, had been killed around here. I had ordered Warrant Officer Kuriyama to take the company and push on until I could catch up." As Sakata lay on the ground, he had seen the battalion commander and the Nakajima company move past him in the darkness. Nakano had said not a word; Sakata had not known the major had been maimed. "I still hadn't felt intense pain," Sakata had recalled. "I had rested after the first bad feelings. In about 15 minutes I had felt well enough to move up the hill and resume command of my company." With both Nakano and Sakata wounded, individual officers or noncoms had kept the assault moving. The 1st Platoon leader, Kuriyama, had been securing the first position after overrunning it but had become worried about the main force. On his own initiative, he had brought his men up the hill to join the rest of the company, while the battalion aide, 2nd Lieutenant Nishimura, had made arrangements to deploy the heavy machine guns and reserve infantry in support. Before 4 A.M., these troops under Kitahara and Nakajima had caught up with the remnants of the 2nd Company, which had pressed beyond the third position to points near the Soviet Crestline.   By the time Sakata had regained his feet and moved toward the peak, somewhere between 03:30 and 04:00, the Japanese had been pinned down. Most of the losses had been incurred at this point. "Iron fragments, rock, sand, blood, and flesh had been flying around," Akaishizawa had written. Grenades had caused the preponderance of wounds after the men had penetrated the barbed wire. Deaths had been inflicted mainly by the Soviet "hurricane" of small arms and machine-gun fire and by ricochets ripping from man to man. Six Russian heavy weapons had kept up a relentless fire from three emplacements, and milk-bottle-shaped grenades had continued to thud down on the Japanese. The grenades had hindered the advance greatly. Mainly at the crest, but at every firing position as well, the Russians had used rifle grenades, primarily to eliminate dead angles in front of positions. There had been low piano wire between firing points, and yellow explosive had been planted amidst rock outcroppings and in front of the emplacements. "The Russians had relied exclusively on fire power; there had been no instance of a brave enemy charge employing cold steel." Only 20 meters from the entrenchments atop Changkufeng, Kitahara had been striving to regain the initiative and to hearten the scattered, reeling troops. One Japanese Army motto had concerned the mental attitude of commanders: "When surprised by the enemy, pause for a smoke." Kitahara had stood behind a rock, without a helmet, puffing calmly on a cigarette—a sight which had cheered the men. Sakata could not forget the scene. "It really happened," he had said, respectfully. As soon as Sakata had reached the forward lines, he had joined Kitahara (the senior officer and de facto battalion commander till then) and three enlisted men. All had been pinned behind the large boulder, the only possible cover, which had jutted in front of the Soviet crestline positions. Fire and flame had drenched the slopes, grenades from the peak, machine guns from the flank. The eastern skies had been brightening and faces could be discerned. Troubled by the stalemate yet not feeling failure, Sakata had said nothing about his own wounds but had told Kitahara he would lead his 2nd Company in a last charge up the left side of Changkufeng if only the machine gun company could do something about the enemy fire, especially some Soviet tanks which had been shooting from the right. "The enemy must have learned by now," the regimental records had observed, "that our forces were scanty, for the Soviets exposed the upper portions of their bodies over the breastworks, sniped incessantly, and lobbed illuminating shells at us." Agreeing with Sakata that the "blind" Japanese would have to take some kind of countermeasure to allow his two available heavy machine guns to go into concerted action, Kitahara had ordered illuminating rounds fired by the grenade dischargers. He had clambered atop the boulder and squatted there amidst the furious crossfire to spot for his guns, still only 20 meters from the Russian lines. Perhaps it had been the golden spark of Kitahara's cigarette, perhaps it had been the luminescence of his cross-bands, but hardly a moment later, at 04:03 am, a sniper's bullet had caught the captain between the eyes and he had toppled to his death. Nakajima had wanted to support Sakata's stricken company as well. The lieutenant had seen the advantage of outflanking the emplacements from the far left of Changkufeng where the fire of two Soviet heavy machine guns had been particularly devastating. Nakajima had swung his reserve unit around the crest to the southwest side, pressed forward through deadly grenade attacks, and had managed to reach a point ten meters from the Russian positions. Perched on the cliff's edge, he had prepared to continue: "Nakajima, who had been calming his men and looking for a chance to advance, leaped up and shouted, "Right now! Charge!" Sword in hand, he led his forces to the front on the left and edged up against the crest emplacements. But the enemy did not recoil; grenades and machine gun fusillades burst from above on all sides. Men fell, one after another. [During this final phase, a platoon leader and most of the key noncoms were killed.] A runner standing near Nakajima was hit in the head by a grenade and collapsed. Nakajima picked up the soldier's rifle, took cover behind a boulder, and tried to draw a bead on a Russian sniper whom he could see dimly 20 meters away through the lifting mist. But a bullet hit him in the left temple and he pitched forward, weakly calling, "Long Live the Emperor!" A PFC held the lieutenant up and pleaded with him to hang on, but the company commander's breath grew fainter and his end was at hand. The time was 4:10 am". Nakajima's orderly said of the event "Lieutenant Nakajima charged against the highest key point on Changkufeng, leading the reserve unit, and ensured the seizure of the hill. The lieutenant was wearing the boots which I had always kept polished but which he had never worn till this day." Akaishizawa added that Nakajima had purified himself in the waters of the Tumen before entering combat, in traditional fashion. Lieutenant Yanagihara had penned a tribute to his young fellow officer, the resolute samurai "Lt. Nakajima must have been expecting a day like today. He was wearing brand-new white underclothes and had wrapped his body with white cloth and the thousand-stitch stomach band which his mother had made for him. .. . Was not the lieutenant's end the same as we find in an old tanka verse? "Should you ask what is the Yamato spirit, the soul of Japan: It is wild cherry blossoms glowing in the rising sun."  On this main attack front, Soviet heavy machine guns and tanks had continued to deliver withering fire against the Japanese remnants, while Russian snipers and grenadiers had taken an increasing toll. Shortly after 04:00, enemy reinforcements had appeared at the northeast edge. Of the company commanders, only Sakata had still been alive; the other three officers had died between 03:30 and 04:30. A machine gunner who had been pinned down near the crest had commented: "It must have been worse than Hill 203" (of bloody Russo-Japanese War fame). Between a half and two-thirds of each company had been dead or wounded by then. Sakata had still been thinking of ways to rush the main positions. After Kitahara had been shot down, he had moved around to investigate. A colleague had added: "The agony of the captain's wounds had been increasing. He rested several times to appease the pain while watching intently for some chance to charge once more." Now, Sakata had been wounded again by grenade fragments tearing into the right side of his face. "It hadn't been serious," Sakata had insisted. As he had limped about, he could see his platoon leader, Kuriyama, sniping at a Russian grenadier.   Much would depend on the effectiveness of supporting firepower. With the death of Kitahara, control of the machine-gun company had been assumed by Master Sergeant Harayama. There had been almost no time to coordinate matters before Kitahara had fallen, but Harayama as well as Sakata had known that the infantry could not break loose until the Soviet heavy weapons had been suppressed. Working with another sergeant, Harayama had ordered his gunners to displace forward and rush the positions 20 meters away. The one heavy machine gun set up for action had been the first to fire for the Japanese side at Changkufeng, after its crew had manhandled it the last few meters to the first Soviet trench below the crest. The trench had been empty. Thereupon, the gunner had opened up against tents which could be seen 20 meters to the rear. Other friendly machine guns had begun to chatter. Kuriyama had dashed up and secured the southeast edge of the heights. Enemy resistance had begun to slacken. What appeared to be two small Soviet tanks, actually a tank and a tractor had been laying down fire near the tents in an apparent effort to cover a pullback. The two vehicles had advanced toward the Japanese and sought to neutralize the heavy machine guns. A squad leader had engaged the tractor, set it afire, and shot down the crewmen when they had tried to flee. Next, the tank had been stopped. The Japanese lead gun had consumed all of its armor-piercing (AP) ammunition—three clips, or 90 rounds—in 10 or 15 seconds. No more AP ammunition had been available; one box had been with the last of the six squads struggling up the heights. "More AP!" had yelled the 1st Squad leader, signaling with his hand—which had at that moment been hit by a Russian slug. A tank machine-gun bullet had also torn through the thumb and into the shoulder of the squad's machine gunner, whereupon the 21-year-old loader had taken over the piece. Similar replacements had occurred under fire in all squads, sometimes more than once in the same unit. "It had been a fantastic scene," Sakata had commented. "Just like grasshoppers! But they had finally neutralized the heavy weapons." The knocked-out Russian vehicles had begun to blaze while the eastern skies had lightened. New enemy tanks (some said many, others merely three) had lumbered up the slopes, but the Japanese heavy machine guns had continued to fire on them, and the tanks had stopped. If the machine guns had gone into action minutes later, the Russian armor might have continued to the top, from which they could have ripped up the surviving Japanese infantrymen: "So we gunners fired and fired. I could see my tracers bouncing off the armor, for there was still no AP. We also shot at machine guns and infantry. Since we carried little ammo for the night attack, my gun ran out, but by then the enemy had been ousted. We had originally expected that we might have to fire in support of the infantry after they took the crest. We lost none of our own heavy machine guns that night, overran four Maxims and captured mountains of hand grenades. By dawn, however, our machine gun company had lost more than half of its personnel—about 40 men".  The light-machine-gun squad leader had been wounded in the hand by a grenade near the site where Sakata had been hit. Nevertheless, the superior private had clambered up the slope with his men. After 04:00, when he and his squad had been pinned down with the infantry below the crest, he had heard Japanese heavy machine guns firing toward the foe on the right: "Our units were in confusion, bunched up under terrific fire in a small area. Getting orders was impossible, so I had my light machine gun open up in the same direction at which the heavies were firing. We could identify no targets but tried to neutralize the enemy located somewhere on the crest. Although Soviet flares were going off, we never could glimpse the enemy clearly. But we heard the Russians yelling "Hurrah!" That ought to have been the signal for a charge; here it meant a retreat".  But, of the ten men in this Japanese machine-gun squad, only four had been in action when dawn had come. The turning point had arrived when the machine-guns belonging to Sakata, and the reserves of the late Nakajima, had torn into the Russian emplacements, tanks, and tents behind. Others had said the key had been the fire of grenade dischargers belonging to the same units. A high-angle weapon, the grenade discharger, had been light, effective, and ideal for getting at dead space. In terms of ammunition, it had been especially useful, for it could fire hand grenades available to the foot soldier. Undoubtedly, the combined action of the grenade dischargers and machine guns (heavy and light) had paved the way for a last charge by the infantry. The four light machine guns of the 2nd and 4th companies had played their part by pouring flank fire against the Russians, who had clung to the position although Kuriyama's platoon had made an initial penetration. At about 04:30, Japanese assault forces could be seen dimly, in the light of dawn, exchanging fire with the Russians only a few meters away on the southern edge of Changkufeng Hill. At the same time, on the northern slopes, enemy reinforcements numbering 50 men with trucks and tanks had been scaling the hill. Around 04:45, Japanese grenades began to burst over the heads of the last enemy atop Changkufeng; the Russians had wavered. After the heavy weapons had finally begun to soften up the Soviet positions, Sakata had judged that there were not many Russians left. He had jumped into the first trench, ahead of his only surviving platoon leader, Kuriyama, and several soldiers. Two or three Russians had been disposed of; the rest had fled. By then the 2nd Company had been chopped down to a platoon; about 40 men still lived. There had been no cheer of banzai, as journalists had written; it would have drawn fire to stand up and raise one's arms. But Sakata had remained proud of the assertion by Sato that, from Chiangchunfeng, he had observed the last rush and knew the "real story," that "Sakata was the first to charge the peak." The regimental eulogist had written that Sakata's earnestness "cut through iron, penetrated mountains, and conquered bodily pain." As for Inagaki, about 15 or 20 minutes after the badly wounded Sakata had managed to reach the point where Kitahara and Nakajima had been pinned down near the Crestline, the lieutenant had arrived with the remnants of Yamada's company, probably by 04:20. The records would have us believe that Sakata had been able to coordinate the next actions with Inagaki despite the storm of fire: "The acting battalion commander [Sakata] resumed the charge with a brand-new deployment—his 2nd Company on the right wing and the 1st Company on the left." Actually, all Sakata could think of had been to charge; it had been too confused a time to issue anything like normal orders as acting battalion commander: "About all I remember asking Inagaki was: "What are you doing over here? What happened to your company commander?" I think he told me that Yamada had been killed and resistance on the right flank had been severe. Undoubtedly, he acted on his own initiative in redeploying. Nor was there any particular liaison between my company and Inagaki's force." To the left of Sakata's survivors were the vestiges of Nakajima's platoon, and further to the left, the outflanking troops brought up by Inagaki. These forces gradually edged up to the rear of the foe, in almost mass formation, on the western slope just below the top. "The enemy soldiers who had been climbing up the northern incline suddenly began to retreat, and Inagaki led a charge, fighting dauntlessly hand-to-hand." As a result of the more or less concerted Japanese assaults, "the desperately resisting enemy was finally crushed and Changkufeng peak was retaken completely by 05:15," three hours after the night attackers had jumped off. Akaishizawa had said that the troops "pushed across the peak through a river of blood and a mountain of corpses. Who could withstand our demons?" Sato's regimental attack order had called for the firing of a green star shell to signal success. At 05:15, according to the records, "the signal flared high above Changkufeng, showering green light upon the hill; the deeply stirring Japanese national flag floated on the top." Sakata thought that this must have been 10 or 20 minutes after the hill was taken, but he remembered no flare. "After the last charge I had no time to watch the sky!" The flare had probably been fired from a grenade launcher by the battalion aide or a headquarters soldier. After the final close-quarter fighting, Sakata had pressed forward while the survivors came up. The captain had deployed his men against possible counterattack. Later he had heard that Soviet tanks had lumbered up to reinforce the peak or to counterattack but that, when they observed the Japanese in possession of the crest, they had turned back. Only after his men had secured the peak had Sakata talked to Inagaki about sharing defensive responsibility. The records described Sakata's deployments at 05:20, but there had been painfully few men to match the tidy after-action maps. Did Sakata and his men push across the peak? "Not downhill a bit," he had answered. "We advanced only to the highest spot, the second, or right-hand peak, where we could command a view of the hostile slope." He had merely reconnoitered to deploy his troops. The senior surviving Japanese officer atop Changkufeng heights had been Sakata. What had happened to Major Nakano, who had been wounded shortly after jump-off? Although his right arm had been shattered, he had dragged himself to his feet, once he had regained consciousness, and kept climbing to catch up. His men had pleaded with him to look after his terrible wounds, but he had insisted on advancing, leaning on his sword and relying on spiritual strength. "Left! Move left!" he had been heard to shout, for the faltering Japanese had apparently been of the opinion that they were at the enemy's rear. Instead, they had pressed against the Russians' western wing, directly in front of the enemy works, from which murderous fire had been directed, especially from machine-gun nests ripping at their flanks. With sword brandished in his uninjured hand, high above his head, Nakano had stood at the corner of the positions. The explosion of an enemy grenade had illuminated him "like the god of fire," and he had been seen to crumple. He had died a little before 0500, to the left of where young Nakajima had fallen at 0430. His citation had said: "The battalion commander captured Changkufeng, thanks to his proper combat guidance and deployments. He provided the incentive to victory in the Changkufeng Incident." A eulogist had called Nakano a "human-bullet demon-unit commander": "All who observed this scene were amazed, for it was beyond mortal strength. One could see how high blazed the flame of his faith in certain victory and what a powerful sense of responsibility he had as unit commander. Major Nakano was a model soldier." When Nakano had pitched forward, badly wounded PFC Imamura had tried to protect the commander's corpse. Imamura had killed a soldier who appeared from behind a boulder, had lunged at another two or three, but had toppled off the cliff. Two other Japanese privates—a battalion runner and PFC Iwata—had been lying nearby, hurt seriously; but when they saw Imamura fall to his death, leaving the major's body undefended, they had dragged themselves to the corpse, four meters from the foe. Iwata, crippled and mute, had hugged Nakano's corpse until other soldiers managed to retrieve it. While death had come to Nakano, Sakata had been fighting with no knowledge of what was going on to his left. Pinned behind a boulder, he had had no way of checking on the battalion commander. Only after Sakata had charged onto the crest and asked for the major had he been told by somebody that Nakano had been killed. He had not even been sure where the commander had fallen. Such had been the time of blood and fury when battalion chief, company commanders, and platoon leaders had fought and died like common soldiers, pressing on with saber or pistol or sniping rifle under relentless cross-fire. Pretty patterns of textbook control had meant nothing. Life—and victory—depended on training, initiative, raw courage, and the will to win. The result of this combination of wills could not be ascertained, on 31 July 1938, until dawn brightened the bleeding earth on Changkufeng Hill. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Tokyo gambled on a night strike to seize Changkufeng, while diplomacy urged restraint. Amid mud, smoke, and moonless skies, Nakano led the 1st Battalion, supported by Nakajima, Sakata, Yamada, and others. One by one, officers fell, wounds multiplying, but resolve held. By 05:15, shattered units regrouped atop the peak, the flag rising as dawn bled into a costly, hard-won victory.

Learn how to shift savings between retirement and a home down payment without derailing your future. How do you balance big life experiences with long-term financial goals? Is it smart to scale back retirement savings to buy a home sooner? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss wedding budgeting, honeymoon spending, and saving trade-offs to help you think through your own big-ticket plans. Fresh off his San Francisco City Hall wedding and multi-city honeymoon through Japan and South Korea, Sean shares how he saved ahead of time, avoided debt, and still came home with money left over. They talk about budgeting for flights and hotels, deciding when to splurge versus save, the realities of travel fatigue, and how to reset your budget afterward by trimming categories like clothing. Elizabeth also opens up about her “37 to 37” joy challenge, holiday shopping stress around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and the emotions of planning birthday and Christmas spending. Then, fellow Nerds Dalia Ramirez and Kate Ashford join Elizabeth to discuss whether it makes sense to divert retirement savings toward a home down payment. They walk through how to prioritize savings goals, use age-based benchmarks to see if you're on track, and set a clear end date for any “pause” to protect your future self. They also break down key differences between Roth IRAs and 403(b)s, when it may be smarter to lower 403(b) contributions instead of tapping a Roth, how first-time homebuyers might use up to $10,000 in Roth earnings for a purchase, and the trade-offs of sacrificing compound growth today for the long-term benefits of owning a home. Enter to Win NerdWallet's Debt-Free December Sweepstakes: https://www.nerdwallet.com/m/loans/personal-loans/debtfreedecember  Use NerdWallet's free retirement calculator to check your progress, see how much retirement income you'll have and estimate how much more you should save: https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/calculators/retirement-calculator  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: retirement savings, home down payment, diverting retirement savings, saving for a house, Roth IRA withdrawal for home, Roth IRA first time homebuyer, 403b vs Roth IRA, pension and retirement savings, retirement savings benchmark by age, compound interest retirement, emergency fund vs house down payment, balancing savings goals, saving for retirement in your 30s, retirement calculator planning, how much to save for retirement, wedding budget, honeymoon budget, travel budget planning, Japan trip cost, Tokyo travel budget, Seoul travel budget, big life event budgeting, saving for wedding and house, Cyber Monday shopping tips, Black Friday shopping stress, holiday gift budget, birthday spending, joyful spending, government pension retirement planning, high interest debt payoff vs investing, reducing 403b contributions, Roth IRA contributions vs earnings, and first time homebuyer rules Roth IRA. To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#240: Jerry Colangelo is the founder and former owner of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks, as well as Managing Director of USA Basketball.He is a 4x NBA Executive of the Year, former NBA GM & Head Coach, Chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame, founder of multiple sports franchises, and also started with Dick Klein to found the Chicago Bulls.The accolades are endless, but he additionally won a world championship with the Diamondbacks and returned the once-tarnished U.S. Olympic men's basketball team to glory. As Chairman of USA Basketball, Colangelo created a team that brought home the Gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, another in the 2012 London Olympics, again in the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, and most recently in 2021 in Tokyo.Having served as Chairman and CEO, general manager, and head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Colangelo boasts the second longest tenure with one franchise in the NBA.On the show he shares his story of growing up, starting the Bulls, moving to Phoenix to start the Suns, winning a world series with the Diamondbacks, confidence, the power of relationships, preparation, failure, listening, excellence, his faith, and much more.Currently, he continues his business in real estate as a principle in JDM Partners, LLC. He is also the special assistant to the president of Grand Canyon University.For more on Jerry check out www.jcolangelo.com as well as his book How You Play The Game which is one of my favorites all time. Enjoy the show! 

The yen has made a huge move over the past seven months and no one can figure out why. According to every mainstream economic theory, JPY should be soaring not sinking. It's got the government in Tokyo hollering about currency intervention claiming there is no fundamental reason for the yen's plight. Except, there is and we just got more confirmation as household spending there utterly plunged in September and October. Eurodollar University's Money & Macro Analysis---------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDU's Webinar SeriesThursday December 17, 6pm ETA Trillion-Dollar Eurodollar Bomb is going Off on Wall StreetThe most important funding system in the world is flashing warning signals, and almost no one is paying attention.https://event.webinarjam.com/m9wym/register/n0rnxu7n---------------------------------------------------------------------------------https://www.eurodollar.universityTwitter: https://twitter.com/JeffSnider_EDU

Got Faded Japan ep 794! In this action-packed episode, Johnny sits down with James Straker, an adventurer, punk-rock enthusiast, and fearless explorer of Japan's hidden corners. James takes us on a wild ride through his experiences driving across Japan, uncovering forgotten countryside homes, and diving deep into the rich, often surprising history woven into the country's rural landscapes. This episode is packed with stories, insight, and the kind of excitement that makes you want to jump on a plane and start your own adventure. FADE ON! Learn more about James's adventures on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jstrakertroublemaker?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== @jstrakertroublemaker   And check out: https://www.instagram.com/pizasukeruton?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Ur1LEVEY3QtdcDbRZc1oD https://open.spotify.com/track/3Hay0dlNMTuxcEBpy2PTP0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Supporting GOT FADED JAPAN ON PATREON directly supports keeping this show going and fueled with booze, seriously could you imagine the show sober?? Neither can we! SUPPORT GFJ at: https://www.patreon.com/gotfadedjapan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!!!!   1. THE SPILT INK: Experience art, buy art and get some original art commissioned at: SITE: https://www.thespiltink.com/ INSTAGRAM: @thespiltink YouTube: https://youtu.be/J5-TnZLc5jE?si=yGX4oflyz_dZo74m -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. MITSUYA LIQUOR in ASAGAYA: "The BEST beer shop and standing beer bar in Tokyo!" 1　Chome- 13 -17 Asagayaminami, Suginami Tokyo 166-0004　 Tel & Fax: 0303314-6151Email: Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------   3. Harry's Sandwich Company 1 min walk from Takeshita Street in HarajukuCall 050-5329-7203 Address: 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 1 Chome−16−7 MSビル 3F -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Share Residence MUSOCO “It's a share house that has all that you need and a lot more!” - Located 30 minutes form Shibuya and Yokohama - Affordable rent - Gym - BAR! - Massive kitchen - Cozy lounge space - Office work units - A spacious deck for chilling - DJ booth and club space - Barber space - AND MORE! Get more info and move in at: https://sharedesign.co.jp/en/property.php?id=42&property=musaco&fbclid=IwAR3oYvB-a3_nzKcBG0gSdPQzxvFaWVWsi1d1xKLtYBnq8IS2uLqe6z9L6kY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soul Food House https://soulfoodhouse.comAddress:2-chōme−8−10 | Azabujūban | Tokyo | 106-0045 Phone:03-5765-2148 Email:info@soulfoodhouse.com Location Features:You can reach Soul Food House from either the Oedo Line (get off at Azabujuban Station and it's a 7-minute walk) or the Namboku Line (get off at Azabujuban Station and it's a 6-minute walk). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GET YOURSELF SOME GOT FADED JAPAN MERCH TODAY!!! We have T-Shirts, COFFEE Mugs, Stickers, even the GFJ official pants! BUY NOW AND SUPPORT THE SHOW: http://www.redbubble.com/people/thespiltink/works/16870492-got-faded-japan-podcast -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Got Faded Japan Podcast gives listeners a glimpse of the most interesting side of Japan's news, culture, peoples, parties, and all around mischief and mayhem. Hosted by Johnny and Jeremy who adds opinions and otherwise drunken bullshit to the mix. We LOVE JAPAN AND SO DO YOU! Send us an email on Facebook or hell man, just tell a friend & post a link to keep this pod rolllin' Fader! Kanpai mofos! #japan #japantalk #japanpodcast #gotfadedjapan #livemusic  

Justin Bieber BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.Justin Bieber has been in the headlines this week not for a new song but for a very relatable tech rant. According to AOL and India Today, Bieber took to social media on Friday to vent about the iPhone's iMessage dictation button, saying if he hits it one more time and it stops his music, he's going to “find everyone at Apple and put them in a rear naked choke hold.” He shared a screenshot showing how the send button and dictation or voice note controls sit too close together, calling it bad design and insisting the send button shouldn't have multiple functions in one spot. His frustration clearly hit home, because the post went viral, with thousands of users agreeing they suffer the same accidental taps. Elon Musk reshared Bieber's post with two fire emojis, and Ian Silber, head of product design at OpenAI, joked that Bieber is officially invited to their weekly design critiques. India Today notes this isn't the first time Bieber has complained about iMessage interrupting his music, and his public criticism is now amplifying a long-standing user complaint that Apple may finally have to address.Meanwhile, Bieber's been spotted in Tokyo over the past few days. A YouTube short from December 5 shows him at the 1 OAK TOKYO nightclub, and another clip from December 3 captures him and Hailey Bieber at a café in the city. These sightings suggest the couple is enjoying some downtime in Japan, though no official reason for the trip has been confirmed.On the business front, there's no new announcement this week, but AOL's coverage of his Apple rant also touches on his broader role as a high profile user whose feedback now carries weight in tech circles, especially as Apple faces leadership changes and increased competition from OpenAI and Meta.That's all for now. Thanks for tuning in. Come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for me, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Justin Bieber BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.This is Biosnap AI. In the past few days Justin Bieber has been quietly expanding his footprint in both tech discourse and fashion while keeping his public movements relatively low key but very on brand.According to Moneycontrol and the Times of India, Bieber ignited a mini tech firestorm when he blasted the iPhones dictation and voice note controls on Instagram and X, complaining that the send button should not have multiple functions and joking that if the dictation button interrupts his music one more time he will put everyone at Apple in a rear naked chokehold. Elon Musk amplified the rant with fire emojis, while OpenAI design chief Ian Silber publicly invited Bieber to their weekly design critique sessions, effectively recasting the pop star as an accidental product design influencer. Tech outlets framed it with headlines along the lines of Justin Bieber hates this iPhone feature so much he wants to put everyone at Apple in a chokehold and highlighted that his gripe landed during a week of high level Apple departures, giving the outburst unusual long term biographical weight as part of his shift into tech cultural commentary.On the business side, sneaker and streetwear press in Japan and the UK report that Bieber is in Tokyo for a limited run SKYLRK popup, a five day capsule shop from December 4th to 8th pitched as a scarcity driven masterclass in hype marketing, with tightly controlled stock, surprise drops and heavy social buzz positioning SKYLRK as his next serious fashion play rather than a one off merch table.Social media sightings back up his Tokyo stay. Fan videos on YouTube and TikTok show Justin and Hailey Bieber at a café in the city on December 3rd, looking relaxed and dressed down, and another clip has him later at 1 OAK Tokyo nightclub on December 5th, suggesting the trip is a mix of work for the popup and nightlife downtime. These are unverified fan recordings but consistent in timing and location.Meanwhile, older footage has resurfaced in the tabloids, with LadBible circulating a past clip of Sean Diddy Combs telling a very young Bieber to stay silent about what strange friends do together, which is being reinterpreted through the lens of current allegations against Diddy. That resurfacing is more about Diddys story than Biebers, but it keeps Justin peripherally in the narrative without any new accusations directed at him.There are no credible reports in the last few days of new music releases, tours, or major legal controversies; speculation about surprise performances or albums is circulating among fan accounts only and remains unconfirmed.Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

The Krewe sits down with Chris Madere (Baird Brewing) & Chris Poel (Shiokaze BrewLab) to explore Japan's growing craft beer scene. They discuss how Japan's drinking culture evolved beyond the big-name breweries, what daily life is like behind the brewhouse doors, the challenges small and foreign brewers face, and the innovations shaping the future of Japanese craft beer. A fun, informative look at the people driving Japan's craft beer boom.------ About the Krewe ------The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, Threads: @kreweofjapanpodcast & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ Past Food & Beverage Episodes ------Shochu 101 ft. Christopher Pelligrini (S6E7)Craving Ramen ft. Shinichi Mine of TabiEats (S4E11)Hungry For Travel ft. Shinichi of TabiEats (S3E15)Sippin' Sake ft. Brian Ashcraft (S1E19)Talking Konbini: Irasshaimase! (S1E3)------ About Christopher & Honkaku Spirits ------Baird Brewing WebsiteBaird Brewing on IGBaird Brewing on FBShiokaze BrewLab (Nobuto) on IGShiokaze BrewLab Stand on IG------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

"Le parole della pioggia" di Laura Imai Messina e "La volta giusta" di Lorenza Gentile"Innanzitutto diciamo: sono nata in un giorno di pioggia. Solo allora impugniamo l'immenso ombrello che ci sovrasta, allunghiamo il piede in strada e prendiamo a camminare con loro per la città". A parlare sono le cosiddette "donne ombrello" che si possono prenotare attraverso una app in caso di pioggia improvvisa. Le "donne ombrello" sono le protagoniste del piccolo romanzo "Le parole della pioggia" (Einaudi) scritto da Laura Imai Messina con le illustrazioni di Emiliano Ponzi. È una sorta di favola delicata, ambientata a Tokyo.Ancora una volta Laura Imai Messina ci porta nel Giappone dove vive da oltre vent'anni. Mentre queste donne accompagnano qualcuno in caso di pioggia, sotto l'ombrello si crea uno spazio intimo, fuori dal tempo, in cui si può stare in silenzio, si può conversare del più e del meno oppure si possono condividere pezzi di vita interiore. Spesso, però, le "donne ombrello", che sono studentesse, casalinghe, disoccupate, si vergognano di questo lavoro. Tranne una, Aya. Per lei essere una "donna ombrello" è veramente una vocazione. Nella seconda parte parliamo di "La volta giusta" (Feltrinelli) di Lorenza Gentile che avevamo già conosciuto con romanzi come "Le piccole libertà" che parlava della libreria Shakespeare & Co. di Parigi, "Le cose che ci salvano" e "Tutto il bello che ci aspetta". Il romanzo racconta di un "comune polvere", ossia un piccolo borgo che rischia di scomparire per lo spopolamento (ci abitano solo 15 persone). Lucilla e il compagno Enrico vincono un bando per riavviare una vecchia locanda con annesso negozio di alimentari e quattro camere. Un progetto condiviso, almeno all'apparenza, perché Enrico si tira indietro e Lucilla resta da sola a realizzare un progetto che però era di qualcun altro. Del resto lei si è sempre adeguata ai fidanzati che ha avuto, ai loro sogni, alle loro esigenze. Lucilla è una giovane donna piena di insicurezze, non si sente mai "abbastanza", pensa di avere qualcosa di sbagliato, ha un profondo senso di inadeguatezza. Ma di fronte all'abbandono di Enrico deve prendere una decisione: mollare tutto, deludendo però gli abitanti del piccolo borgo, oppure rimboccarsi le maniche e andare avanti da sola. Una storia di rinascita di una donna che si chiede "cosa è importante per me?".

Movie & TV roundup In this week's show we are kicking off the silly season with a big ol' movie and TV roundup! We are checking out the latest from our friends at Critical Role namely The Mighty Nein animated series on Amazon Prime as well as the delightful Rental Family in cinemas and the fascinating Pluribus on Apple TV it's a big week and we have plenty to talk through! As usual we also catch up on what else we have been watching religiously, what we have been discovering and what is going on in outside world! Peta is back from her travels in Japan, Jill is back from another week of *gestures widely at all of this...* and of course Dion and Quinny are just here...forever! Synopsis -The Might Nein: Follows a group of criminals and misfits who are the only ones that can prevent the kingdom from plunging into chaos. Synopsis -Pluribus: In a world overtaken by a mysterious wave of forced happiness, Carol Sturka, one of the few immune, must uncover what's really going on - and save humanity from its own bliss. Synopsis -Rental Family: An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. He rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the beauty of human connection. https://youtu.be/5wAijJ7lox0?si=K8fO-3y1_n0RpyhE A huge thank you to all smiling hive minded folks who already know about each episode of the show, especially those of you free thinkers who join in on the live-chat during the Twitch stream this week (and every week!). If you haven't done so before join the weekly zoom chat (on twitch) next week for our live show! Special love and thanks goes to those who have financially bolstered this podcast with your critical cash that you have slipped into our Ko-Fi cup and now also by subscribing on Twitch! Your generosity is always appreciated! If you feel so inclined drop us a sub! The more likes and subscribes we get the more emotes, you get! Every bit of your support helps us to just keep walking through each of our podcasts. Don't fret if you can't be there for the recording though as you can catch them on Youtube usually within a day or so. Make sure to subscribe there, so you don't miss them! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri2wNyvSpiY&pp=ygULbWlnaHR5IG5laW4%3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0pqP6ClcE8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6lzvWby9UE WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK! Send in voicemails or emails with your opinions on this show (or any others) to info@theperiodictableofawesome.com Please make sure to join our social networks too!  We're on: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TPToA/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/TPToA Facebook: www.facebook.com/PeriodicTableOfAwesome Instagram: www.instagram.com/theperiodictableofawesome/  

The CDC has just voted on a major change to childhood vaccinations. Criticism is mounting over the Trump administration's strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean. A new Netflix deal with Warner Bros. could reshape Hollywood and online streaming. The DC pipe bomb suspect is set to appear in court, as authorities share a possible motive. Plus, we reveal the city which has overtaken Tokyo as the most populated city in the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On March 20th, 1995, the Tokyo subway system was flooded with sarin nerve gas in a coordinated terrorist attack by the religious cult Aum Shinrikyō. Led by the charismatic new-age guru, Shoko Asahara, the well-funded and technologically ambitious Aum organization manufactured and deployed chemical weapons in an attempt to bring about the end of the world. In the chaos that followed, 13 people were killed, thousands were injured, and the international community shuddered at the possibility of future attacks by fringe political groups.    SOURCES: Amarasingam, A. (2017, April 5). A history of sarin as a weapon. The Atlantic.  Cotton, Simon. “Nerve Agents: What Are They and How Do They Work?” American Scientist, vol. 106, no. 3, 2018, pp. 138–40.  Danzig, Richard; Sageman, Marc; Leighton, Terrance; Hough, Lloyd; Yuki, Hidemi; Kotani, Rui; Hosford, Zachary M.. Aum Shinrikyo: Insights Into How Terrorists Develop Biological and Chemical Weapons . Center for a New American Security. 2011. Gunaratna, Rohan. “Aum Shinrikyo's Rise, Fall and Revival.” Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, vol. 10, no. 8, 2018, pp. 1–6.  Harmon, Christopher C. “How Terrorist Groups End: Studies of the Twentieth Century.” Strategic Studies Quarterly, vol. 4, no. 3, 2010, pp. 43–84. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26269787.  “IHT: A Safe and Sure System — Until Now.” The New York Times, 21 Mar. 1995. Jones, Seth G., and Martin C. Libicki. “Policing and Japan's Aum Shinrikyo.” How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al Qa'ida, RAND Corporation, 2008, pp. 45–62.  Kaplan, David E. (1996) “Aum's Shoko Asahara and the Cult at the End of the World”. WIRED.  Lifton, Robert Jay. Destroying the World to Save It: Aum Shinrikyo, Apocalyptic Violence, and the New Global Terrorism. 1999. Murakami, Haruki. Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche. Translated by Alfred Birnbaum and Philip Gabriel. 2001. Murphy, P. (2014, June 21). Matsumoto: Aum's sarin guinea pig. The Japan Times.  Reader, Ian. Religious Violence in Contemporary Japan: The Case of Aum Shinrikyo.  2000. Tucker, Jonathan B. “Chemical/Biological Terrorism: Coping with a New Threat.” Politics and the Life Sciences, vol. 15, no. 2, 1996, pp. 167–83.  Ushiyama, Rin. “Shock and Anger: Societal Responses to the Tokyo Subway Attack.” Aum Shinrikyō and Religious Terrorism in Japanese Collective Memory., The British Academy, 2023, pp. 52–80.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso welcome Peter Mattis, President of the Jamestown Foundation and former CIA analyst, to dissect the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) "political warfare" against Taiwan. Mattis argues this is not merely diplomatic maneuvering, but "United Front work playing out on a global scale" - a comprehensive campaign to reshape the international order by recreating China's domestic political controls abroad.​War by Other MeansMattis grounds the political warfare concept in George Kennan's Cold War definition: the logical application of Clausewitz's doctrine in peacetime. For Beijing, unification is a political objective requiring total control over Taiwan's social, economic, and political life - goals that military force alone cannot secure. The CCP seeks to "pull in" global interests, ensuring they are mediated through Beijing rather than through alliances or international law.​The View from TaiwanFor the Taiwanese, this warfare is felt on a spectrum. It ranges from the overt "gray zone" harassment of military aircraft and sand dredgers to the psychological grinding of CCP-aligned media narratives. These narratives are designed to paint the U.S. as unreliable and unification as inevitable. Mattis specifically highlights the corrosive effect of espionage, noting that every spy scandal erodes the critical trust necessary for Taiwan's own bureaucracy and its security partners.​United Front: A Global DragnetA key mechanism discussed is the "Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China," which operates chapters globally, including in the U.S. and the Philippines. Mattis explains how these groups mobilize diaspora communities, often hijacking the voices of pragmatic businesspeople, to influence local politicians. He cites the recent indictment of former New York state official Linda Sun as a prime example of how these influence operations effectively bury engagement with Taiwan inside democratic institutions without leaving a public trace.​The Japan Example & Global SignalingWhen Japan's Prime Minister recently called a Taiwan contingency an "existential threat," China responded with fierce rhetoric and economic coercion. Mattis explains this reaction was double-edged: it aimed to punish Tokyo, but also served as a signal to the "Malaysias and Indonesias" of the region. The message is clear: if Beijing can inflict pain on a major power like Japan, smaller nations should fear the consequences of stepping out of line.​The Democratic DeficitWhy do democracies struggle to push back? Mattis argues our institutions are too siloed: the military ignores non-kinetic threats, diplomats fear rocking the boat, and law enforcement is jurisdiction-bound. China exploits these seams to operate without consequence. Mattis suggests democracies must stop looking for "symmetric" responses - which often don't exist - and instead pursue asymmetric, disproportionate measures to re-establish deterrence and uncertainty for Beijing.​

In Part Six of the Mike Tyson career profile, we enter one of the most dramatic chapters in the life of the youngest heavyweight champion in history. This segment covers the peak of Tyson's dominance inside the ring—alongside the chaos that began to consume his world outside of it. The episode opens with Tyson's explosive showdown against Michael Spinks, a fight built up as the ultimate test for the undefeated champion. In just 91 unforgettable seconds, Tyson demolished Spinks, cementing his position as the most feared boxer on the planet. We also revisit his bout with Tony Tubbs in Tokyo—a fight that at the time seemed routine, but in hindsight foreshadowed a darker future. Away from the spotlight of arenas and title belts, Tyson's life was spiraling. His tumultuous marriage to Robin Givens, marked by public conflict and media scrutiny, became a national spectacle. The death of mentor and manager Jim Jacobs—one of the last stabilizing forces in Mike's life—left a void that would never be filled. With Don King beginning to exert influence, friendships fractured and discipline faded. This part concludes with the night that shook the boxing world: February 11, 1990. Tyson vs. Buster Douglas in Tokyo—where the unstoppable champion was finally brought crashing to earth. Through a mix of behind-the-scenes turmoil, loss of focus, and an inspired challenger, Iron Mike suffered one of the greatest upsets in sports history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get a monthly bonus episode and support the podcast at patreon.com/RisingFunPod!Alex went back to Hong Kong Disneyland and was reminded of everything wrong with Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea.Want to bring the magical scents of your favourite rides and attractions into your home? Visit magiccandlecompany.com/risingfun and use promo code RISINGFUN to get 15% off your entire order (and support the podcast)!

In this ep we talk cheap cigarettes, holiday cheer, Trump taking naps on camera, racoon breaks into liquor store found drunk in bathroom, rabid racoon mauls idiot, Waymo car drives passenger through police stand off, Sheriff pulls women over to check their phones for nudes, robot dog on sale for 3k looks awesome, CIA put electrode in dogs brains to control them according to declassified files, and much more! Email here: tokyoblackhour@gmail.com Check us out Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TokyoBlackHour/   Check out the Youtube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX_C1Txvh93PHEsnA-qOp6g?view_as=subscriber Follow us on Twitter @TokyoBlackPod Get your apparel at https://tkbpandashop.com/  You can also catch us Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify Check out the mix here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=outOhNt1vBA&t=1167s Need a logo for your business go here www.fiverr.com/eyeballa/buying 

FULL EPISODE! This time on the PURE TOKYOSCOPE Podcast, authors Matt Alt (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Patrick Macias (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mondo Tokyo: Dispatches from a Secret Japan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) marvel at a recent art show in Tokyo of works by master animator, director, and character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko of Mobile Suit Gundam, Crusher Joe, and Giant Gorg fame!⁠⁠⁠Join the PURE TOKYOSCOPE Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You'll get access to full episodes, bonus content, our Discord server, and an archive of past episodes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head over to Pure TokyoScope Patreon to subscribe today!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INFO⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matt Alt on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patrick Macias on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pure TokyoScope on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The podcast is produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jaPRESS LLC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠© and edited by Patrick MaciasTheme song by Marxy, v.o. by RInRin Doll

In Part Six of the Mike Tyson career profile, we enter one of the most dramatic chapters in the life of the youngest heavyweight champion in history. This segment covers the peak of Tyson's dominance inside the ring—alongside the chaos that began to consume his world outside of it. The episode opens with Tyson's explosive showdown against Michael Spinks, a fight built up as the ultimate test for the undefeated champion. In just 91 unforgettable seconds, Tyson demolished Spinks, cementing his position as the most feared boxer on the planet. We also revisit his bout with Tony Tubbs in Tokyo—a fight that at the time seemed routine, but in hindsight foreshadowed a darker future. Away from the spotlight of arenas and title belts, Tyson's life was spiraling. His tumultuous marriage to Robin Givens, marked by public conflict and media scrutiny, became a national spectacle. The death of mentor and manager Jim Jacobs—one of the last stabilizing forces in Mike's life—left a void that would never be filled. With Don King beginning to exert influence, friendships fractured and discipline faded. This part concludes with the night that shook the boxing world: February 11, 1990. Tyson vs. Buster Douglas in Tokyo—where the unstoppable champion was finally brought crashing to earth. Through a mix of behind-the-scenes turmoil, loss of focus, and an inspired challenger, Iron Mike suffered one of the greatest upsets in sports history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest is Gavin Whitelaw https://rijs.fas.harvard.edu/gavin-h-whitelaw who is the Executive Director of Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University. Gavin has spent over a decade living and teaching in Japan. Before joining the Reischauer Institute in 2016, he was the Senior Associate Professor of Anthropology and Japan Studies at International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo for eight years. He has researched a wide range of topics, including Japanese contemporary commerce, work life, foodways and material culture. Gavin is here today to discuss Konbini, the Japanese-style convenience store, a subject on which he has done extensive research. Convenience stores were born in the U.S in the 1920s and were transplanted to Japan in the 1960s. Then its concept developed into something very different, which has become a necessary part of Japanese society overall. As of January 2025, there were 56,749 Konbini nationwide. In this episode, we will discuss the unique characteristics of Japanese-style convenience stores, what you can buy and experience at Konbini , Gavin's intriguing work experience at Konbini shops and what he discovered there, the possibilities of exporting Japanese Konbini abroad and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael Psaros is a Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of KPS Capital Partners, LP ("KPS") and a member of its Investment and Management Committees. KPS is a leading global private equity firm with approximately $19.4B (as of 6/30/25) of assets under management focused on making controlling equity investments in global manufacturing and industrial companies across an array of industries. KPS generates investment returns by structurally improving the strategic position, competitiveness and profitability of its portfolio companies. The KPS Funds' portfolio companies generate aggregate annual revenues of approximately $21.6B and operate 211 manufacturing facilities in 21 countries (as of 6/30/25 pro forma for recent acquisitions and exits). Mr. Psaros currently serves on the Board of Directors of 14 KPS portfolio companies and as Chairman of six. He previously served on the Board of 35 former KPS portfolio companies. Prior to joining its predecessor in 1991 and co-founding KPS in 1997, he was an investment banker with Bear Stearns & Co., Inc. He received a B.S.B.A. in Finance from Georgetown University and attended Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. The Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy at Georgetown University, named for and endowed by the Psaros family in 2022, provides non-partisan, unbiased expertise to guide policy and practice. The Center leverages the strength of Georgetown's McDonough School of Business, distinguished faculty and leadership in finance and public policy to convene leaders across the private sector, global capital markets, legislators and regulators to solve problems for the common good. Mr. Psaros served on Georgetown University's Board of Directors and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of Advisors at McDonough School of Business. Mr. Psaros received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Honorus Causa, from Georgetown University in May 2025. Mr. Psaros created "The Michael and Robin Psaros Endowed Chair in Business Administration" at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business in 2013 and "The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Endowed Orthodox Chaplaincy, Endowed by the Michael Psaros Family" in 2021. Mr. Psaros is the Vice Chairman of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero in New York City. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and is an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and serves on its National Council. He serves on the Board of Trustees of The Leadership 100 Endowment and the Executive Board of The Hellenic Initiative. Mr. Psaros was honored by the Hellenic Republic (Greece), the International Foundation for Greece and the Hellenic Post for his exceptional business achievements and philanthropy. The Hellenic Post placed Mr. Psaros on a limited-edition postage stamp now in circulation throughout Greece. Michael Psaros, Commencement Speech, Georgetown University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=5U-9gVrfXto 

Join us for a discussion of Satoshi Kon's 2003 animated film Tokyo Godfathers, an unconventional holiday story that's equal parts heartwarming, chaotic, and surprisingly realistic. On Christmas Eve in Tokyo, three homeless individuals — a middle-aged alcoholic, a former drag queen, and a teenage runaway — discover an abandoned baby in the trash and embark on a wild, coincidence-filled quest to return her to her parents. Take out the DVD or watch on Hoopla Digital with your MCPL card this holiday season!

Send us a textThis week on the show!They are back with a twissssst, in:v Zootopia 2 An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig, working for a Japanese rental family agency, in: Rental familyand finally The sequel to the already forgettable 2022 Netflix film comes: Troll 2Ready for my verdict. Let's get into it. *Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you tune in to the Talking Smac Podcast where I join Josh and Alex to discuss Wicked: For GoodListen Here If you haven't followed or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we cover Disney's 1987 classic Dirty Dancing!Listen HereSupport the show

Coldwired Podcast (Follow on Facebook: facebook.com/ColdwiredMusic). December 2025. Tracklisting: [00:00] 01. Super-Frog Saves Tokyo - Minds (Electro Mix) [Electronic Architecture] [04:00] 02. F4T4L3RR0R - Out There (Extended Mix) [Addictive Sounds] [09:28] 03. Frank Savio, Moodfreak - Cosmic Cell [languages music] [13:30] 04. Quivver - Surin (Tilt's Lost Angeles Remix) [White] ***Defrosted from 2008*** [18:00] 05. Danny Tenaglia, Cass and Slide - Fever Rising (Cass 4by4 Remix) [Sudbeat Music] [24:15] 06. Markus Schulz, Matt Fax - The New World (Extended Mix) [A State Of Trance] [29:03] 07. Stelios Vassiloudis, Steven Weston - Two Faces [Bedrock Records] [33:32] 08. Naughty Bear - Do You Remember (Seizmic Rmx) [Superordinate Music] [37:43] 09. Kiz Pattison - It's Got Me (Lemon8 Inner Sanctuary Remix) [Dissident Music / EMG] [44:07] 10. Vhyce, the Haze - El Sentido [Pets Recordings] [47:49] 11. Deniz Bul - Tell Me You Want Me (Extended Mix) [FCKING SERIOUS] [51:15] 12. Banchan - GT30R [Bandcamp] [55:10] 13. Narel, Sunda - Refractor (Facade Remix) [Landscapes Music] [1:00:30] 14. Efreet - Human Being [Creatus Flow] [1:06:48] 15. CLOSE PROXIMITY - Need Somebody [Dischi Autunno] ***Gold Star Track*** [1:10:50] 16. Basil O'Glue - Unnecessary Attitude (Nomas Remix) [BAGRUHM] [1:15:40] 17. Long Island Sound - Stung [Signs Of Space] [1:18:46] 18. Juheun - Exhale [Tronic] [1:23:12] 19. UNKLE, Ian Brown - Be There (Tilt's Planet Of The Breaks Remix) [White]

First up…SAN FRANCISCO—-Incredible Health, the largest AI company powering healthcare hiring, today announced it has reached 1.5 million nurses on its career marketplace, representing half of active nurses in the United States. The company now serves more than 1,500 US healthcare employers. Eight weeks ago, Incredible Health introduced Gale and Lyn, two purpose-built AI voice agents designed to revolutionize the hiring experience for both healthcare workers and employers. The agents are specialized and trained on millions of data points from the Incredible Health marketplace. https://hrtechfeed.com/incredible-health-reaches-1-5-million-nurses/ Findem, the AI platform for talent decisions, today announced it has acquired Getro, the leading operating system powering more than 800 venture capital, private equity, economic development, chamber of commerce and professional networks worldwide. These communities represent 3.5 million open jobs and some of the highest-trust talent ecosystems in the market. https://hrtechfeed.com/findem-acquires-job-board-software-platform/ Built in partnership with Findem, AnitaB.org launched an AI-powered, purpose-driven platform designed to make tech hiring smarter, fairer, and more human. In a year marked by more than 150,000 tech layoffs and ongoing inequities in hiring, the new Talent Network connects recruiters with vetted, diverse technologists while giving job seekers unprecedented visibility into opportunities across the industry. https://hrtechfeed.com/findem-now-powering-niche-talent-networks/ TOKYO — HelloBoss, Asia's leading AI-powered recruitment platform developed by Tokyo-based startup NGA, announced today that it has raised Series A funding backed by international media group Bertelsmann, marking the firm's first-ever strategic investment in Japan.  https://hrtechfeed.com/series-a-funding-accelerates-hellobosss-vision-for-an-ai-powered-global-hiring-platform/ NEW YORK––LizzyAI, the AI-native interviewing platform revolutionizing how companies evaluate talent, today announced it has raised $5 million in seed funding, led by NEA, with participation from Speedinvest and Zero Prime Ventures. https://hrtechfeed.com/another-ai-interview-startup-lands-millions/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textHuman Centered AI: Ep.009 - The Iwakura PrincipleSee comments on where to listen

50 Cent's “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” dropped, WATP Karl joins us with Howard Stern's Ladyboy obsession, Kim Kardashian's Masterclass, Drew Crime, and Corey Feldman v. The World. Don't forget to grab your Drew Lane Show merch right here just in time for the holiday! Congratulations to Jim Bentley for winning the coveted David Hall Bobblehead for the 2nd month in a row. Diddy's documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” is out now on Netflix. The Shuffle is on HBO now and it follows making of the epic Super Bowl Shuffle. Luigi Mangione has so many female fans, but where are all the gay guys? The National Guard were attacked in Washington D.C. There is more information on fugitive Virginia High School football coach Travis Turner. Karl from WATP joins us to chat some Thanksgiving Day football, rip apart a flirty Stuttering John Melendez, dive into the latest with The Howard Stern Show, and much more. Miley Cyrus is engaged again. Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau are hanging in Tokyo. There are rumors that Hoda Kotb may be replacing Gayle King at CBS. Jada Pinkett Smith is accused of threatening Bilaal Salaam. Faith Kates has decided to retire from her high profile gig after ties with Jeffrey Epstein. Meghan Markle's website is a joke just like her. Akaash Singh is YouTube gold. Kim Kardashian has a MasterClass in business. We roll through her ‘Ten Kimmandments'. Drew Crime: Teen sexual exploitation is out of control. The US is leading the world in crypto-kidnapping. Former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, brags about snooping around. Spin instructor murder in California. La Toya Jackson is sparking concern with her super thin frame. Waymo gives zero f**ks about police standoffs. New York Giants Younghoe Koo had the worst kick in NFL history. Matt Riley dropped by ML Soul of Detroit today. Sports: ML Elrick isn't as high on Pat Fitzgerald being hired as the next MSU football coach as everybody else. Adam Thielen (white receiver) moves to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Terrion Arnold lands on the IR. College degrees have lost their luster. There is a new documentary coming out on Apple TV+ on Corey Feldman and we're all for it. If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew Lane, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley and BranDon).

China's Nuclear Threat to Japan — Jack Burnham — Burnham documents China's escalated nuclear threats against Japan, explicitly threatening nuclear weapons deployment if Tokyo militarily intervenes in Taiwan conflict scenarios, marking a significant shift from Chinese minimal deterrence posture toward aggressive nuclear coercion. Burnhamcharacterizes this escalation as reflecting Chinese regional anxiety regarding American-led alliance structures, particularly strengthening U.S.-Japan security cooperation. Burnham recommends robust reinforcement of American-Japanese alliance relationships and extended nuclear deterrence commitments as essential counterbalance to Chinesenuclear blackmail and regional hegemonic ambitions. 1951 LAS VEGAS

It’s time for the Tokyo Special! Hear what we thought about the Stellar Force, the Stellar Matrix, and where this ranks in the Miraculous World Specials. Plus we celebrate 10 years of Ladybug! 4:45 – Initial Thoughts on the Tokyo Special? 21:15 – Stellar Force the show 27:45 – Stellar Matrix Mythology 45:00 – Stellar Force Characters 54:00 – Other things from the Tokyo Special 1:10:45 – Tokyo Tower 1:17:15 – Spamming Miraculous Ladybug 1:22:20 – Rank the Miraculous World Specials 1:30:20 – 10th Ladybug Podcast anniversary! Hosts this week: Dylan Hysen, Delaney Stovall, April Collins, & Sarah Dolman.

It's 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). While everyone chooses to mark it differently - from focusing on leveling up work places, to reminding people to be more inclusive - we've decided to celebrate with some big names from the disability world!Dr Shani Dhanda speaks to us from Tokyo where she's delivering a keynote speech at the world's first Accountability Summit which has brought together 500 companies who made disability pledges in the past two years to see just how well they're doing. Plus she reveals how she would ideally celebrate IDPD CEO of Paralympics GB, Dave Clarke, tells us what he thinks about marking the day and reveals the latest research about the number of disabled people getting involved in sport and what's holding others back.Plus, we have Hollywood film star, presenter and campaigner, Adam Pearson, in the house. He's just been announced as the patron of Face Equality International. He talks about the challenges AI can pose for someone with a facial difference and gives us the inside scoop on his next big film role....a man he once loathed as a child, but has come full circle to love.Intrigued? - Get your party hat on and take a listen!Presented by Emma Tracey Sound mixed by Dave O'Neill Produced by Emma Tracey and Alex Collins Series producer is Beth Rose Editor is Damon Rose

This week, Rose and Crystal talk with Bonnie Ohara, founder of Alchemy Bread Co. and author of Bread Baking for Beginners and Let's Bake Bread!, a new family cookbook about baking with kids. From her microbakery beginnings to her mission of teaching the art of bread to home bakers of all ages, Bonnie shares the beauty and grounding rhythm of working with dough. The conversation drifts through the books that shaped her craft — Michel Suas' Advanced Bread and Pastry, Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread, Sarah Owens' Sourdough, and Martin Philip's Breaking Bread — and into the broader world of flavor, inspiration, and community that keeps her baking.Mentioned in this episode:Kate's Bread microbakery + NewsletterAshley Lima photographySan Francisco Baking InstituteMichel Suas, "Advanced Bread and Pastry: A Professional Approach"  (SFBI Textbook)Jeffrey Hamelman, “Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes”Sarah Owens, “Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More”Martin Philip, “Breaking Bread: A Baker's Journey Home in 75 Recipes”Michael James, “The Tivoli Road Baker”David Leibovitz, “My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories”Tadashi Ono, Harris Salat, “Japanese Soul Cooking: Ramen, Tonkatsu, Tempura, and More from the Streets and Kitchens of Tokyo and Beyond”Joshua McFadden, “Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables”Rebekah Peppler, Le Sud Kitchen Tape is hosted by Rose Wilde ⁠@trosewilde⁠ and Crystal Slonecker ⁠@crystalslonecker⁠, edited by Dressler Parsons  ⁠@dresslerparsons⁠ of The Regenerative Baking Podcast, with original theme music by Dan Crabtree.Follow us on Instagram ⁠@kitchentapepodcast⁠ and hit like and subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes and behind-the-scenes crumbs.

Justin Bieber BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.Justin Bieber has been making headlines over the past few days with developments spanning his social media presence, personal life, and business ventures. According to The Hollywood Gossip, the pop star recently experienced a significant drop in Instagram followers, losing approximately 270,000 followers in what some are calling a mass unfollow. While this represents less than one percent of his 293 million followers, the sudden exodus has sparked considerable speculation among fans. Some attribute the decline to Instagram bot purges conducted by Meta, while others suggest active unfollows stemming from various factors including his transition to family life, fewer social media thirst traps, concerning behavioral patterns, and his posting of AI-generated content. In what many perceive as a direct response to the follower loss, Justin posted a selfie flipping off the camera, though he provided no context for the gesture.On a more positive note, according to AOL, Justin expressed pride in his wife Hailey's major business achievement. On May 28, Hailey announced that her skincare brand Rhode was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty for a staggering 1 billion dollars, marking a massive success in her entrepreneurial journey. Justin reportedly told sources that he has observed her dedication from the beginning and feels extremely proud of her accomplishment.In business developments, Hailey's Rhode brand has demonstrated impressive financial performance, generating 212 million dollars in net sales over the twelve months ending in March 2025, according to AOL. The brand was also named top skincare brand by certain media outlets in 2024.Meanwhile, Justin's own business ventures continue to evolve. According to AOL, he announced in April 2025 that he was ending his association with his fashion label Drew House, stating that it no longer reflects him, his family, or his life. He has since hinted at launching a new fashion line called SKYLRK featuring clothing and accessories, though no official release date has been announced.Additionally, Justin and Hailey were recently spotted together in Tokyo, Japan on December 2, 2025, suggesting the couple remains actively engaged in travel and public appearances despite ongoing tabloid speculation about their relationship status.Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Justin Bieber BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.Justin Bieber has been making waves in recent days with several significant developments. As of December 2, he and his wife Hailey were spotted by fans on the streets of Tokyo, Japan, marking a notable public appearance. This sighting comes amid ongoing speculation about his personal and professional life.On the business front, Hailey made major headlines when her beauty brand Rhode was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty for one billion dollars in May, a deal that continues to dominate discussions about the couple's empire. Justin has been celebrating her success, expressing pride in her entrepreneurial achievements. However, the couple has faced recent challenges. Reports indicate that sources close to Justin expressed concern in April about his personal struggles impacting his business ventures, with insiders claiming he's been making poor choices affecting his friendships and finances.Professionally, Justin has been dropping hints about his musical comeback after a four-year hiatus. Industry sources confirm he's been working in the studio with producer Mk.gee, exploring innovative sounds for what appears to be a highly anticipated new project. He's posted cryptic social media teasers showing himself driving while new music plays, fueling fan speculation about an imminent album release.On the fashion front, Justin ended his association with Drew House in April, his previous fashion label, posting on Instagram that it no longer reflected him or his family. He's now hinting at launching a new fashion line called Skylrk, which appears to feature clothing and accessories, though no official release date has been announced.Additionally, Justin has experienced a significant drop in Instagram followers, losing approximately 270,000 followers recently. When he posted a selfie flipping off the camera on December 1, many interpreted it as a response to the mass unfollow, though he provided no context for the image.On the family front, Justin and Hailey continue enjoying parenthood with their son Jack Blues, whom they welcomed in August 2024. Reports also indicate he unfollowed his former mentor Usher on Instagram, sparking speculation about shifts in his professional relationships.The overall narrative suggests a period of transition for Bieber, marked by family milestones, business challenges, and anticipation surrounding his long-awaited return to music.Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Fluent Fiction - Japanese: Rekindling Bonds: A Winter Reunion Beneath Mount Fuji Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-12-03-23-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 静かな冬の日、川口湖のそばにある雪に覆われた富士山がその雄大さを誇示していました。En: On a quiet winter day, Mount Fuji, covered in snow, was displaying its grandeur beside Lake Kawaguchi.Ja: 秋田市から移住して東京で働く中年男性、アキラは久々に故郷に戻ってきました。En: Akita City native Akira, a middle-aged man who had moved to work in Tokyo, returned to his hometown for the first time in a long while.Ja: 彼は都会の生活に追われ、家族と過ごす時間がめっきり減ってしまっていました。En: Chased by the bustle of city life, he had significantly less time to spend with his family.Ja: 今日、彼は特別な贈り物を手に、長い間会っていなかった妹のユキに会うため、一歩一歩家に近づいていきます。En: Today, with a special gift in hand, he is taking steps towards home to meet his younger sister, Yuki, whom he hasn't seen in quite some time.Ja: ドアを開けると、温かみのある木の香りとともにユキの声が聞こえました。En: When he opened the door, the warm scent of wood accompanied Yuki's voice welcoming him.Ja: 「アキラ、お帰りなさい。En: "Welcome back, Akira."Ja: 」少しの無言の後、二人はお互いの顔を見つめ、微笑みます。En: After a brief moment of silence, they looked at each other's faces and smiled.Ja: そこには言葉にならない安心感と、微かな緊張が交錯していました。En: There was an indescribable sense of relief mixed with a faint tension.Ja: アキラは週末を生かして、家族みんなと特別な夕食を計画していました。En: Akira used the weekend to plan a special dinner with the whole family.Ja: このプランは、普段忙しい彼の生活から一瞬抜け出し、家族の絆を再び深めるためのものです。En: This plan was a way for him to momentarily escape his normally busy life and rekindle the family bonds.Ja: 夕飯の準備中、アキラはユキと話しました。En: During dinner preparations, Akira spoke with Yuki.Ja: 「ユキ、全部一人でやらせてごめんね。En: "Sorry for making you do everything by yourself, Yuki.Ja: 都会での生活が忙しくて…」ユキは静かに笑いましたが、その言葉の裏には少しの苦しみも隠されていました。En: Life in the city has kept me busy..." Yuki quietly laughed, but there was a hint of pain hidden behind her words.Ja: 「アキラ、お兄ちゃんの仕事や夢は大切だとわかってる。En: "I understand that Akira, your work and dreams are important.Ja: でも、たまには顔を見せてほしいの。En: But sometimes, I want you to show your face.Ja: 両親も寂しいし、私も…」その晩、夕飯を囲んで親しい会話が続きました。En: Our parents feel lonely, and so do I..." That evening, intimate conversations continued around the dinner table.Ja: アキラは東京の話をし、ユキは田舎の生活の苦労を語り合いました。En: Akira talked about life in Tokyo, while Yuki shared the hardships of rural life.Ja: 暖かな灯りの下で、心の壁が少しずつ崩れていきました。En: Under the warm light, the emotional walls between them slowly began to crumble.Ja: 食後、ユキはアキラに話しかけました。En: After the meal, Yuki spoke to Akira.Ja: 「たまには私も東京に行ってみたいわ。En: "I would like to visit Tokyo sometimes.Ja: お兄ちゃんの生活を見て、直接話し合えたらいいわね。En: It would be nice to see your life, and we could discuss things directly."Ja: 」その瞬間、アキラは彼女を見つめる目が優しく、頼もしいものとなりました。En: In that instant, Akira's gaze turned gentle and reassuring.Ja: 「もちろんだよ、ユキ。En: "Of course, Yuki.Ja: これからはもっと頻繁に来るし、君も東京に遊びに来るといい。En: I will come more often, and you should visit Tokyo as well."Ja: 」二人は久しぶりの和解と再会の喜びで、心が満たされました。En: Their hearts were filled with the joy of reconciliation and reunion after such a long time.Ja: 外には雪が静かに降り続き、穏やかな冬の夜が二人を優しく包み込んでいました。En: Outside, snow continued to fall quietly, enveloping the two gently on a peaceful winter night.Ja: アキラとユキはそれぞれの道を歩みながらも、いつでも家族という繋がりが心の中に強く残っていることを感じたのでした。En: Akira and Yuki felt a strong sense of their family connection remaining in their hearts as they each continued on their respective paths. Vocabulary Words:grandeur: 雄大さnative: 出身bustle: 生活に追われindescribable: 言葉にならないrekindle: 再び深めるaccompanied: とともにindescribable: 言葉にならないintimate: 親しいreconciliation: 和解reunion: 再会enveloped: 包み込むgaze: 見つめるrelief: 安心感tension: 緊張reassuring: 頼もしいfaint: 微かなbonds: 絆hint: 裏lonely: 寂しいhardships: 苦労dreams: 夢displaying: 誇示してsolace: 安堵momentarily: 一瞬frequent: 頻繁reassuring: 心が頼もしいcrumble: 崩れてwelcoming: 迎え入れるunderstanding: 分かってpain: 苦しみ

In this episode of China Decode, hosts Alice Han and James Kynge break down China's accelerating push for self-sufficiency — from tech to industrial goods — and what that means for a global trading system that once relied on Chinese demands. They unpack a tense week in Asia, with Washington, Beijing, and Tokyo navigating security warnings, diplomatic pressure, and Taiwan's massive new $40 billion defense buildup. And they look at Beijing's latest experiment to revive spending: using school holidays to turbocharge travel and jump-start the services sector. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Tuesday, December 2nd, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Trump urges Venezuelan president to leave country U.S. sabers are rattling off the coast of Venezuela.   The Miami Herald reported that President Donald Trump offered Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro an ultimatum over the weekend: He said, “You can save yourself and those closest to you, but you must leave the country now.”   For any assistance in leading to Maduro's arrest, the U.S. government has placed a bounty of $50 million on the Venezuelan President.   Also, President Trump issued a warning on Saturday via Truth Social. He wrote, “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.” Trump designates Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group The President also designated certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood organization as a terrorist group, as of Sunday.  CounterExtremism.com has counted 48 extremist individuals and groups tied to the Brotherhood. As a Muslim Brotherhood host, the nation of Qatar has transferred $1.8 billion to Gaza since 2012, some of which reportedly has gone to Hamas. That information was revealed through recent audits. 65 people died from Ebola in Congo, Africa The Democratic Republic of the Congo is dealing with another Ebola outbreak — 65 cases confirmed and 45 deaths, reports U.S. News & World Report. The last major Congolese outbreak occurred in 2018. The virus is as dangerous as rabies, the Marburg virus, and the Avian flu. Exodus 4:11 reminds us that God is in control of all health issues: “So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?” Russian-Ukrainian negotiations at stalemate In other world news, the Russo-Ukrainian conflict negotiations are approaching another stalemate. Ukraine announced they will not accept territorial concessions. And French President Emmanuel Macron announced an endorsement of using frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine's defense. Japanese court upholds ban on homosexual marriage Japan's Tokyo court upheld the homosexual marriage ban as constitutional, reports the BBC. Of Asian states, only Thailand, Nepal, and Taiwan have legalized the practice thus far. Christian ministries ranked most and least transparent Ministry Watch has released its 2025 ratings of American ministries for financial efficiency, transparency, and donor confidence. Of the largest ministries in the United States, Medicine For All People International, Grand Canyon University, World Relief, Christian Aid Ministries, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Christian Broadcasting Network rate the highest. Lowest ratings go to Samaritan's Purse, Convoy of Hope, Baylor University, Pepperdine University, and Hillsdale College. Some controversy has been brewing recently over the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and the Billy Graham Evangelical Association's withdrawal from the organization.  Top 3 ministries serving the persecuted Of the six ministries serving the persecuted saints, Ministry Watch rates International Christian Concern, Equipping the Persecuted, and Persecution Project highest for financial efficiency, transparency, and donor confidence. Voice of the Martyrs is rated lowest.   Equipping the Persecuted focuses on Nigeria, and Persecution Project has been actively serving the persecuted saints in Sudan, Africa. Folks, think about giving to the poor and the suffering this Christmas season. Proverbs 28:27 says, “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” U.S. government ran a $1.8 trillion deficit The financial numbers are in for the U.S. government's fiscal year 2025, ending in October. The government ran a deficit of $1.8 trillion for the year. That's down $41 billion or 2% compared to the previous year.  However, revenues increased by $317 billion due to higher tariffs on imported goods. Spending was up a whopping 4% or $275 billion, driven by welfare and benefit programs, as well as rising interest payments on the public debt. Trump to pick new Federal Reserve Chairman U.S. President Donald Trump will soon announce his next pick for chairman of the Federal Reserve. The new pick is slated to replace Jerome Powell in May of next year. Gold hits $4,230/ounce and silver hits $58/ounce Metals are still on the rise again. Gold hit $4,230 per ounce and silver topped $58.00 per ounce. Bitcoin is still down 31% over two months ago. FDA admits COVID-19 shots killed U.S. kids The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has acknowledged, for the first time, that COVID-19 vaccines have killed American children. According to Politico, Vinay Prasad, the vaccine chief for the FDA, issued a memo in which he revealed that FDA staff “found … at least 10 children have died after and because of receiving COVID-19 vaccination.” This comes from an “initial analysis of 96 deaths (associated with the vaccine taking place) between 2021 and 2024.” TN Democrat opposes Christian prayer in public forum And finally, the Christian faith appears to be at stake -- in a tight election in Tennessee for the 7th District Congressional seat. The Democrat candidate Aftyn Behn has gone on record stating she is opposed to Christian prayer in the public forum.   President Donald Trump took to Truth Social yesterday. He warned that Behn “hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants Open Borders. . . men in women's sports, and openly disdains Country music.” The latest polls show the Republican candidate, Van Epps, is holding a slight lead in today's election. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, December 2nd, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com) Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

This week we cover a Perth man who went from "Duty Free" to " Status: Arrested"-----Cody's show CRU$HER is hitting all major centres and more in 2026. He's back. It's red hot. Fuckin' do it. Stop going to shit comedians who charge double and deliver half.-----------------------------------YOUR STUPID has arrived. It's a book. It's a similar vibe to last year's one, but better. If you want a copy, head over to lukeheggie.com and stump up, and it will arrive via Australia Post. Any First Class Patrons, yours have been posted, (including the seppos - at great personal expense) but excluding the three bastards who have not provided an address, and seem to refuse to reply to emails. Sort it out. I'll bring some to live shows too. That is all.Heggie's 2026 show I WON'T SAY IT AGAIN is on sale now too. It's a hand-selected crack team of bits from the last five years. Get on it here.----------------------------------------------------------------------Heggie dropped a FOURTH YouTube special, GROT, but still left the comments closed like a coward. Watch it here.Cody's new stand-up special "LIVE AT THE CORNER HOTEL" is OUT NOW on YouTubeHave a squizz and leave comments before he takes Heggie's cowardly route and turns off the comments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From walk-on to Olympian, Emily Mackay has rewritten every expectation.Now, she's back on the show to open up about the reinvention that's powering the best chapter of her career.Emily ran collegiately at Binghamton University, where her best NCAA finish was 6th in the 1500m as a senior in 2022. She joined New Balance Boston that summer of 2022, while training under coach Mark Coogan. What followed was a rapid improvement as a professional, lowering her 1500m personal best from 4:08.97 to 3:59.99 in 2023. Emily was then one of America's best female middle distance runners in 2024. In addition to her 1500m exploits, her 800m season's best of 1:57.87 ranked sixth in the US that year. She also ran in the 1500m semifinals in the Paris Olympics. In 2025, Mackay finished 4th in the 3,000m at the US indoor championships in February, and took 10th at Tokyo in the 1500m semifinals with a 4:08.19. Emily signed with New Balance in 2022, and while she was formerly part of Team New Balance Boston, she has since left the team. Emily's rise is proof that belief, resilience, and reinvention can take you anywhere. If her journey fired you up, share this conversation and follow along, because her story is only getting betterTap into the Emily Mackay Special.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I'll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!S H O W  N O T E S-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

GUESTYUKO WAKAYAMA YAMADA is the abbot of Shogakuji in Tokyo. She currently teaches at the International department of Eiheiji. She is the first nun to teach at Eiheiji, the head monastery of Soto Zen founded by Dogen Zenji. She trained at Aichi Senmon Niso-do, a training temple for female Soto Zen priests, where she also currently teaches. She was ordained in 1999 by the highly respected Rev. Shundo Aoyama-roshi. She was sent to Mt. Equity Zendo in United States for 2.5 years and has also practiced in Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain and Italy. After returning from Europe and finishing 2 more years at the Niso-do she studied at the graduate school of Komazawa University specializing in Chinese Zen History. Prior to becoming a Zen Buddhist nun, Yuko Yamada was a catholic nun in a convent for 3 years.HOSTREVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

Moviewallas is on YouTube! Reviews: Rental Family – Wicked for Good – Hamnet Happy Thanksgiving weekend! In this episode of Moviewallas, Joe, Rashmi, and Yazdi gather for a packed holiday show featuring three very different films – from heartfelt indie drama, to mega-musical fantasy, to prestige literary adaptation. This Week's Reviews Rental Family Brendan Fraser stars in a soulful tale about an American actor in Tokyo who finds unlikely purpose working for a Japanese “rental family” agency. We discuss the film's charm, emotional beats, cultural context, and Fraser's beautifully understated performance. Wicked for Good The second part of the two-film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical. Rashmi dives into whether the sequel improves on part one, how it ties into The Wizard of Oz, and what works (or doesn't) about its pacing, spectacle, and storytelling. Hamnet Chloé Zhao adapts Maggie O'Farrell's acclaimed novel about Shakespeare's family life and the tragedy that shaped some of his greatest work. We debate the film's pacing, emotional impact, performances by Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, and whether the hype helps or hurts. Join the Conversation Have you seen any of these films? Drop your thoughts in the comments – we always love hearing from you. About Moviewallas Your weekly dose of film reviews, movie news, and lively banter – from theaters, streaming, airplanes, and everywhere in between. If you love the movies, this show is for you. Thanks for listening and supporting us. Too many movies, too little time!

Il y a des histoires qui vous saisissent dès les premiers mots.Des parcours de vie où le courage, la fidélité et la passion se mêlent à la douleur, au dépassement et à l'amour.Dans cet épisode, nous avons eu l'immense chance de tendre le micro à Larissa Pauluis, cavalière belge de très haut niveau en dressage, présente à Tokyo puis à Paris. Une femme au parcours hors normes, façonné par les épreuves de la vie autant que par son incroyable résilience.Ce rêve olympique, Larissa ne l'a pas porté seule, avec Flambeau, son cheval aussi complexe qu'exceptionnel. Et surtout, avec son mari, à qui elle avait fait une promesse : celle d'emmener ce cheval-là, ce couple-là, jusqu'aux Jeux de Paris.Quelques semaines à peine avant Tokyo, il s'en est allé, sans avoir pu la voir dérouler le Grand Prix… mais Larissa est convaincue qu'il continue de veiller sur elle, quelque part là-haut, et de la guider dans chaque foulée.Dans cet échange, elle revient sur les débuts d'une cavalière souvent cantonnée aux jeunes chevaux, sur les rencontres et les opportunités qui lui ont, peu à peu, ouvert le chemin vers l'élite mondiale.Elle nous parle aussi de son rôle de mère, de ses filles qui l'ont portée, peut-être même sauvée, et de cet équilibre qu'elle a su préserver entre sa vie de femme et ses ambitions sportives.Un épisode fort, pudique et bouleversant.Une conversation marquante avec une femme d'exception, qui incarne avec humilité ce que l'équitation peut offrir de plus profond : le lien, la foi, la patience… et l'amour comme moteur.Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

According to a new UN study, Jakarta has now overtaken Tokyo as the world's most populous city. But, what is it actually like living in the Indonesian capital?Joining Seán to discuss is Barry Dunning, an Irishman who spent a number of years living there…

We and our guest YouTuber TrpyCris discuss manga Shojo Null.   MAL Description: With the proliferation of organic robots called Gijins, humanity is enjoying prosperity in 23rd century Tokyo. But when a young man named Riaha meets a certain Gijin, he uncovers the dark truth of the world!   Show Notes: • You can reach us at Twitter @shonenflopcast, Tumblr shonen-flop, or email shonenflop@gmail.com   • You can find our guest at youtube.com/@trpycris   • Become a member of our community by joining our Discord. You can hang out with us, submit your questions or six word summaries! Find it at https://discord.com/invite/4hC3SqRw8r   • Want to be a guest? You can ask to be on a future episode at bit.ly/shonen_flop_guest   Credits: • Manga by Nakanishi, Kanae (Story), Akima (Art)   • Shonen Flop is hosted by David Weinberger and Jordan Forbes   • Additional editing assistance by Dylan Krider you can find his podcast, Anime Out of Context at animeoutofcontext.com   • Assistance with pronunciation, translation, and other miscellaneous research done by Tucker Whatley and MaxyBee   • Episode art by Merliel (IG: mer_liel)   • Cover art funded by our generous art benefactor Nigel Francis

Last time we spoke about the beginning of a conflict between the USSR and Japan. In the frost-hardened dawns by the Chaun and Tumen, two powers eye a ridge called Changkufeng, each seeing a prize and fearing a trap. On the Soviet side, weary front-line troops tighten their grip, while Moscow's diplomats coaxed restraint through Seoul and Harbin.  As July unfolds, Tokyo's generals push a dangerous idea: seize the hill with a surprise strike, then bargain for peace. Seoul's 19th Division is readied in secret, trains loaded with men and horses, movement masked, prayers whispered to avoid widening the rift. Japanese scouts in white Hanbok disguise, peering at trenches, wire, and watchful Russians. Russian border guards appear as shadows, counters slipping into place, yet both sides hold their fire. On July 29, a skirmish erupts: a platoon crosses a shallow line, clashes flare, and bodies and banners ripple in the cold air.    #178 Night Attacks and Diplomatic Strains: The Lake Khasan Conflict Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. A second troop train was scheduled to depart Agochi for Nanam on the night of 29 July, carrying back the initial elements of the 75th Infantry. At Haigan, regimental commander Sato was pulling on his boots at 16:00 when the division informed him that fighting had broken out near Shachaofeng since 15:00 and that the Russians were assembling forces in that area. Suetaka ordered Sato's 3rd Battalion, which had not been slated to leave until the following night, to proceed to Kucheng; the remainder of the regiment was to assemble at Agochi. After consulting with Division Staff Officer Saito at Agochi, Sato returned to Haigan with the conclusion that "overall developments did not warrant optimism, it was imperative to prepare to move the entire regiment to the battlefield." One of Sato's first actions was to telephone a recommendation to the division that he be allowed to occupy Hill 52, which commanded the approaches to Changkufeng from south of Khasan. Suetaka approved, and at 17:30, Yamada's company was ordered to proceed to Shikai along with Hirahara's battalion. Meanwhile, Suzuki's 15th Heavy Field Artillery Regiment, which had been among the last units ordered to leave, had finished loading at Agochi by about 15:00. Sato recommended to Suetaka that a portion of Suzuki's regiment be attached to him; this was why Suetaka decided to transfer one of the two batteries to the 75th Infantry. The rest of the heavy artillery concentrated at Kyonghun. Suetaka's orders, issued at 18:20, called for Sato to have two of his battalions, the 1st and 3rd, cross the Tumen as soon as possible, with engineer support. Attached was Narukawa's heavy battery. Sato's mission was twofold: to assist Senda and to watch the enemy in the Changkufeng area. Sato arrived at 21:15 in Shikai. There, he assembled a number of his officers, including Yamada, and explained his plan: the 1st Company plus machine guns were to cross the Tumen from Sozan ahead of the other units, occupy Hill 52 with an element, and concentrate the main body at the foot of Fangchuanting to await Hirahara's battalion. A portion of the 19th Engineers would go to Sozan to assist the 1st Company with its river crossing. Amid heavy rain and darkness, the various units set out at 22:15. The platoon sent to Hill 52 arrived before dawn on the 30th, the rest of the forces somewhat later, though Sato had intended to move everybody across the river by the early hours. On the 29th the engineer regiment commander, Kobayashi, had also arrived at Shikai. He ordered Captain Tomura to handle the crossing in the vicinity of Sozan, as well as preparations for a future offensive with the main body. When Kobayashi reached Kucheng, he learned from Hirahara not only about the front-line situation but also about Sato's important plans: "The K. Sato force is going to cross the river tonight, 29–30 July. A night attack will be launched against Changkufeng on the night of 30–31 July." Kobayashi issued orders to his two commanders to assist the crossing by Nakano's infantry unit, 1st Battalion, 75th Regiment at Matsu'otsuho and Sozan, and, in addition, to cooperate with the position attack by Nakano and help in the assault at Hill 52. Most of these young officers, such as Seutaka dishing out orders were performing what the Japanese termed "dokudan senko" or "arbitrary or independent action". Japanese operational regulations actually contained a section dealing with dokudan senko, by which initiative, not imperiousness, was meant. Two elements were involved: control but encouragement of self-reliant thinking. This subject became important in training officers, all of whom, including such infantry experts as Suetaka, were well acquainted with the requirements. Combat missions were stipulated in operations orders, but, if these were not realistic, initiative was to come into play, though only when there was no time to contact superiors. By the same token, commanders had to be ready to assume full responsibility if matters turned out adversely. "We were disciples of the 'Moltke' system of AGS control, with dual authority vis-à-vis the local forces and the chief of staff."  The Korea Army's version of events on 29 July, there was no mention of any report received from the division prior to 17:30. Details did not reach Seoul, in the form of printed divisional intelligence reports and operational orders, until 1 August. The late afternoon report from Kyonghun provided the Korea Army authorities with little solid information, but Seoul had to notify higher headquarters immediately. Kitano sent messages to Tokyo and Hsinking at 19:15. The command and Kwantung Army were told that, in addition to Senda's assault party, 40 Japanese soldiers were deployed west of Changkufeng and at Yangkuanping. The division's main forces had begun the rail pullback from the 28th, leaving behind only two infantry battalions and a mountain artillery battalion for the time being. At 21:20 on 29 July, Korea Army Headquarters received the text of Suetaka's full report, which concluded: "With a view toward a possible emergency, the division suspended movement back of the 75th Regiment and is making necessary arrangements to have them advance instead. The latest affair derives sheerly from the enemy's unlawful challenge. It is my firm belief that the nature of this incident differs completely from the one at Changkufeng and should be handled separately. At present, since communication with the forward lines is not good, Lieutenant Colonel Senda (who is at the front) has been entrusted with command, but I assume entire responsibility for the consequences." Instead of boarding their trains at Agochi, Sato's regiment and supporting engineers moved to the Manchurian side of the Tumen as soon as possible. Suetaka called Sato's 2nd Battalion to Kyonghun as divisional reserve. Subsequent dispatches claimed that: (1) Senda's unit, which had driven off intruders in the Shachaofeng area once, was engaged against new Soviet forces (sent at 18:20, 29th);  (2) Senda's unit had expelled trespassers, and a combat situation had developed near Shachaofeng (22:00, 29th);  (3) fighting was going on in the vicinity of Shachaofeng (06:40, 30th).  Korea Army Headquarters, however, obtained no more important communication concerning the events of 29 July than a report, sent that evening by Suetaka, that revealed his concern about a possible Soviet attack in the Wuchiatzu sector near the neck of the long Changkufeng appendix.  After the clash at Shachaofeng, a general officer, Morimoto, happened to be visiting Colonels Okido and Tanaka in Nanam. Both of them were said to be of the pronounced opinion that no troubles ought to be provoked with the USSR while the critical Hankow operation lay ahead; yet Suetaka apparently had some intention of striking at the Soviet intruders, using the 75th Regiment. They urged that this policy not be adopted and that Suetaka be approached directly; the channel through Y. Nakamura, the division chief of staff, was hopeless. Although in agreement, General Morimoto declined to approach Suetaka; since the latter seemed to have made up his mind, it would be inappropriate to "meddle" with his command. Suetaka was functioning as an operations chief at that time. Apart from the mobilization staff officer, who was not enthusiastic about aggressive action, the only other officer who may have affected the decisionmaking process was the Hunchun OSS chief, Maj. Tanaka Tetsujiro, a positive type who shared Suetaka's views and was probably with him on the 29th as well as 30th. Although developments at Suetaka's command post were known more as the result of silence than of elucidation, we possessed considerable information about thinking at the Korea Army level: "Suetaka contacted us only after his men had driven out the enemy near Shachaofeng. Till then, the front had been relatively quiet and we were of the opinion all or most of the deployed forces were on their way home. We at Seoul had no foreknowledge of or connection with the 29 July affair. Reports came in; we never sent specific orders. Triggered by the affray at Shachaofeng, the division attacked on its own initiative. It was our understanding that very small Japanese forces had been committed to evict a dozen enemy scouts and that, when a platoon of ours got atop the hill, they observed surprisingly huge hostile concentrations to the rear. This was probably why the platoon pulied back, although much has been made of the desire to obey the nonaggravation policy to the letter. We at Seoul felt that this was a troublesome matter—that our side had done something unnecessary. When the division finally made its report, the army had to reach some decision. There were two irreconcilable ways of looking at things. We might condemn what had been done, and the division ought to be ordered to pull out promptly, having arbitrarily and intolerably acted against the known facts that Imperial sanction for use of force had been withheld and Tokyo had directed evacuation of the moved-up units. The opposing, eventually predominant view was that the division commander's course of action ought to be approved. Perusal of small-scale maps of the locale indicated a clear violation of the frontier, something not proved in the case of Changkufeng. We shared the division commander's interpretation. His BGU had its mission, and he was acting with foresight to solve matters positively and on his own, since he was the man closest to the problem. General Nakamura felt that the latest development was inevitable; our units did not cross the Tumen until the Soviets attacked us in force. Therefore, the division's actions were approved and a report was rendered promptly to Tokyo. It could be said that our outlook served to "cover" the division commander, in a way. But if IGHQ had ordered us to desist, we would have".  Nakamura added: "I was of the opinion the only solution was to drive the Soviet troops outside Manchukuoan territory; therefore, I approved the action by the division." Such sanction had been granted on the basis of information supplied to Seoul by Suetaka on the evening of 29 July, again post facto. At 01:20 on the 30th, Nakamura wired Suetaka a message characterized by gracious phrasing that suggested his grave concern: "One ought to be satisfied with expelling from Manchurian territory the enemy attacking our unit on the . . . heights southwest of Shachaofeng. It is necessary to keep watch on the enemy for the time being, after having pulled back to the heights mentioned above, but we desire that matters be handled carefully to avoid enlargement; in case the foe has already pulled back south of Shachaofeng . . . he need not be attacked." Nakamura also sent a wire to the AGS chief, the War Minister, and the Kwantung Army commander. After conveying the information received from Suetaka, Nakamura continued: "In spite of the fact that our troops have been patient and cautious . . . this latest incident [near Shachaofeng] started with Soviet forces' arrogant border trespassing and . . . unlawful challenge. Therefore, I am convinced that this affair must be dealt with separately from the incident at Changkufeng. Nevertheless, I shall endeavor to handle matters so that the incident will not spread and shall make it my fundamental principle to be satisfied with evicting from Manchurian territory the hostile forces confronting us. The Korea Army chief of staff is being dispatched quickly to handle the incident".  The Korea Army, "painfully slow to act," says a Kwantung Army major, was merely the intermediary link, the executor of Tokyo's desires. In the case of remote Shachaofeng, there was an inevitable gap between on-the-spot occurrences and AGS reactions. By then, Arisue, Kotani, and Arao, Inada's observers, had returned to Japan—an important fact, given the "Moltke" system of staff control. Nevertheless, their return must have exerted significant effects on central operational thinking. Kotani remembered that his AGS subsection had given him a welcome-home party on the night of 29 July when an emergency phone call was received from the duty officer. "It was about the clash at Shachaofeng. The festivities came to an abrupt end and I headed for the office. From then till the cease-fire on 11 August, I remained at the AGS night and day." Since the 19th Division had furnished higher headquarters with minimal information, Tokyo, like Seoul, had only a few ostensible facts to act upon. But this had been the first combat test for the Korea Army, which needed all the encouragement and assistance possible. Although Japanese field armies, notably the Kwantung Army, were notorious for insubordination, one could not overemphasize the fact that the Korea Army was meek and tractable. If Nakamura had concluded that Suetaka acted properly (which reports from Seoul indicated), the AGS could hardly demur. It would have been unrealistic to think that Tokyo, although cautious, was "softer" about the Russian problem than front-line forces. There had been no concern over time lags; details were Seoul's province. Reaction took time at every level of the chain of command. Decision making in the Japanese Army had been a many-layered process. The Army general staff had been of the opinion that initial guidance ought to have been provided to the Korea Army soon, particularly since there had been evidence of failure to convey intentions promptly to the front and no high command staff officer remained to direct matters. After hearing from Seoul twice about the Shachaofeng affair, the responsible Army general staff officers conferred at length. Stress had been laid on the indivisibility of the Shachaofeng and Changkufeng incidents. It had also been evident that further information was required. On that basis, a "handling policy for the Shachaofeng Incident" was drafted, and Tada notified the Korea and Kwantung armies accordingly on 30 July. Nakamura had received the telegram at 16:50 and had its contents retransmitted to Kitano, then at Kyonghun: "Shachaofeng Incident is progressing along lines of our policy, leave things to local units, which have been adhering to the principle of nonenlargement. Have them report on front-line situation without fail."  The Army general staff and the Korea Army were calling for prudence, but the division, well down the rungs of the ladder of command, was initiating actions that jeopardized the government's basic policy. Earlier quibbling about restraints on "unit-size" elements crossing into Manchuria had been abandoned after the firefight near Shachaofeng on 29 July. At 15:30, Takenouchi's battalion, part of the 76th Regiment, had been directed to assist Senda near Yangkuanping; at 18:20 Suetaka was ordering the 75th Regiment to head for the Kucheng sector and be ready to assault the Russians in the Changkufeng area. Support was to be provided by Kobayashi's engineers, by Iwano's transportation men, and by Suzuki's heavy guns. Of particular interest had been Suetaka's acceptance of Sato's recommendation that elements be sent to occupy Hill 52, a measure linked with a possible Japanese attack against Changkufeng.   Sato had decided by evening that the new situation required rapid deployment of his forces across the river. At Shikai, he conducted a briefing of his officers. Suetaka's orders conveyed orally by staff officers had stipulated: "The division will take steps to secure the border line immediately, even if the situation undergoes change. The Sato unit will advance immediately to the left shore, reinforce Senda's unit, and maintain a strict watch on the enemy in the Changkufeng area." Around 23:20, the last elements ordered forward arrived at Shikai station. Sato instructed only his headquarters and the Ito company to get off. The rest of the troop train primarily the 1st [Nakano's] Battalion was to move on to Hongui. From there, the soldiers proceeded to the Tumen near Sozan. With his staff and Ito's company, Sato trudged in silence through the mud from Shikai to the shore at Matsu'otsuho, starting at 00:30 and reaching the crossing site at 03:00. Reconnaissance had proved satisfactory, Sato remembered.  At the crossings, the hardworking engineers rowed his 1st and 3rd battalions across, company by company. Near dawn, around 04:30, he traversed the river. The movement had been completed in about an hour. When Sato's infantry finally got across, they proceeded to the skirt of Fangchuanting and assembled in secrecy. Not until about 08:00 did the regimental headquarters, Ito's company, and Hirahara's battalion reach Hill 147, already held by Noguchi's company west of Changkufeng. By then, plans had fallen behind schedule by at least several hours because of difficulties in train movement forward. Sato also remembered torrential rains; other officers mentioned darkness. Members of Nakano's battalion pinpointed a shortage of engineer boats from Kucheng. Engineers rowed some boats downstream during the night, but six of them were kept at Matsu'otsuho. This left only three boats for moving the 400 men of the 1st Battalion, the unit slated to storm Changkufeng, across the river at Sozan. Sato had wanted all of his troops across well before dawn on the 30th. A division staff officer rightly thought that Suetaka had already advised Sato, in secret, to "attack at an opportune time," and that the night of 29–30 July had been intended for the surprise assault. "Perhaps there was not enough time for all the attack preparations." Kobayashi's engineers admitted problems in moving boats to Sozan: "Although the water level had gone up because of daily rains recently, there were still many shallows and the current was irregular. Not only was it hard to move downstream, but dense fog also complicated the work. Nevertheless, the units at both sites were able to accomplish the river-crossing operation approximately as scheduled".  Meanwhile, after reconnoitering Soviet defenses along the Manchurian bank, Suzuki, commander of the 15th Heavy Field Artillery Regiment, crossed the Kyonghun Bridge on 30 July with his 1st Battery and established positions on the edge of Shuiliufeng Hill. Once Captain Narukawa was attached to the 75th Infantry on 29 July, he dispatched his 2nd Battery by train to Shikai that night. Although firing sites had been surveyed northwest of Sho-Sozan, the battery had to traverse two weak, narrow bridges in the darkness. With two 15-centimeter howitzers to haul, plus five caissons and wagons, the unit faced tense moments. The gun sites themselves were worrisome: they were scarcely masked from observation from Changkufeng, and the single road to them from the unloading station ran through a paddy area and was similarly exposed. By 1200 hours on 30 July, Sato exerted operational control over the following units: his own forces, Nakano's battalion east of Fangchuanting; Hirahara's reinforced battalion west of Chiangchunfeng; a platoon from Nakajima's infantry company on Hill 52; and Noguchi's company on Hill 147; and from other forces, Senda's 2nd (Kanda) BGU Company; two reinforced companies from Takenouchi's battalion of Okido's 76th Regiment near Shachaofeng; and a 75-mm half-battery from the 25th Mountain Artillery on the Manchurian side with Sato. On the Korean shore, another half-battery comprising two 15-centimeter howitzers from Narukawa's unit of the 15th Heavy Field Artillery was in place. The 19th Engineers operated near the crossing sites, though one platoon remained at Fangchuanting. Sato said, "We were now deployed at last, to cope with any situation." His command post was set in foxholes on open ground at Chiangchunfeng, a central hill that offered excellent observation and control over actions around Changkufeng to the east and Shachaofeng to the north. Not content with suspending the pullout of units and deploying additional combat troops across the Tumen, Suetaka decided to recall division headquarters, mountain artillery, cavalry, signal, medical, and veterinary personnel from Nanam. At dawn on 30 July, Nanam issued orders for Colonel Tanaka to move 500 men and 300 horses to Agochi by rail; most of the increment came from Tanaka's horse-drawn 25th Mountain Artillery. The colonel reached the Korean side of the Tumen at 05:00 on 31 July. The preceding emergency measures were being implemented by Suetaka, even as he received Nakamura's calming telegram of 30 July enjoining nonexpansion. Changkufeng Hill was not even mentioned. Nakamura's concern was typified by Kitano flying to the front. At 10:00 on 30 July, Kitano sent the division chief of staff a cautious follow-up cable: "Based on the consistent policy for handling the Changkufeng Incident and on the army commander's earlier telegram, kindly take steps to ensure careful action in connection with the affair in the Shachaofeng vicinity lest there be enlargement." At 13:45, Nakamura transmitted another restraining message to Suetaka: "The division is to secure … Chiangchunfeng and … the heights southwest of Shachaofeng, using present front-line units. Unless there is an enemy attack, however, resort to force will depend on separate orders." Several hours later, at 16:50, Nakamura received instructions from Tada: the Shachaofeng case was being left to the local forces, who were pursuing the desired policy of nonenlargement, but prompt reporting was desired. At 19:30, the retransmitted message was received by Kitano, already at the front with Suetaka at Kyonghun. After his units had crossed the Tumen on 30 July, Sato Kotoku ordered a strict watch and directed preparations for an assault based on the plans. He conferred with Senda at Chiangchunfeng and observed the enemy. Even after dawn, the frontline commanders who had crossed the river remained uncertain about when the attack would be staged. While Sato's force conducted reconnaissance to prepare for a daytime offensive, orders arrived around 08:00 indicating, "We intend a night attack, so conceal your activities." Daytime movements were prohibited. Sato then explained the impression he had derived from Senda and the intelligence on which he based his estimates: " Exploiting the impasse in diplomatic negotiation, the enemy side had steadily reinforced front-line offensive strength and trespassed anew near Shachaofeng. They now had a battalion and a half of infantry plus 20 artillery pieces in the area, some south of Shachaofeng and the others at four positions immediately east of Lake Khasan. At least a dozen (maybe 20) tanks were deployed in the sector opposite us. About 300 well-armed, active Russian troops were at Changkufeng. I decided that an attack ought to be staged that night. First of all, we were going to chill the insolent enemy by a courageous night assault—a method characteristic of the Imperial Army. Then all kinds of fire power were to be combined in a surprise attack against the positions. Our intention was to jo lt the Russians, demonstrate the true strength of our combat fire, and, by a combination of night and dawn attacks, cut down losses which our left-flank units would have incurred if a night assault alone were staged. We had considered two plans—a night attack against Changkufeng by the 3rd Battalion from the north, or by the 1st Battalion from the south. On 30 July, I decided to execute the second plan, using my 1st (Nakano's) Battalion, to avoid simultaneous involvement around Shachaofeng where the foe was by now alerted."  The Japanese Army ordinarily favored surprise assaults without supporting guns, since firepower was regarded as secondary in close combat and artillery was in short supply. According to the regimental journal, telephone contacts from the morning of the 30th indicated that the division commander shared the same line of thinking as Sato. By noon, Suetaka made his stance explicit. A phone call from Kucheng conveyed to Sato the gist of a critical division order: first, a detailed briefing on Soviet troop concentrations and dispositions, firing positions, troops, and armor south of Shachaofeng; entanglements and forces at Changkufeng; large concentrations behind west of Khasan; tanks and ground formations moving north of the lake; a heavy concentration near the lake to the northwest; one confirmed and two suspected positions along the eastern shore and another with artillery far to the south. Then the order stated that K. Sato's forces, including the Takenouchi battalion from the 76th Infantry, one mountain artillery platoon, and one engineer platoon were to strengthen their positions and, at the same time, promptly evict from Manchurian territory the intruding and advancing enemy. However, pursuit must not be pushed too far lest the border be crossed. Shortly after noon, Suetaka issued another order to form a new force under Senda, who was to strengthen border security along the Shuiliufeng–Hunchun line. As with Sato, Senda was to eject the intruding and advancing enemy from Manchurian soil but not pursue them across the border. By midafternoon, Sato knew not only what he wanted to do but also Suetaka's intentions. At 15:30, he assembled all subordinate officers at Chiangchunfeng and dictated minute attack instructions. Intelligence indicated that the enemy continued to fortify points of importance along the Changkufeng–Shachaofeng line. Sato's plan was to annihilate hostile elements that had crossed the border north and south of Changkufeng. His concept went beyond a frontal assault. While Nakano's battalion would jump off south of Changkufeng, one reinforced company, Takeshita's 10th was to attack north. Since the sun rose at about 05:00, Sato intended to wipe out the enemy during three hours of darkness. Another battalion, Hirahara's 3rd would be held in reserve, with Ito's 6th Company ready to launch a night attack against Changkufeng from the northwest if necessary. Small forces deployed southeast at Hill 52 were to block the arrival of Soviet reinforcements around the southern shores of Khasan. Only after Changkufeng was secured and fire swept the high ground south of Shachaofeng would a reinforced battalion, Takenouchi's 1st from the 76th Regiment undertake a dawn assault to clear the Russians from that sector. An engineer platoon would assist both the night and dawn assault battalions with obstacle clearing. There would be no artillery support until dawn, when the available guns were to provide maximum coverage. Notably, even the movement of a single antitank gun warranted mention. Sato concluded the attack order by directing that each unit mask its intentions after sunset. Takenouchi was to act to check the enemy as soon as the sun went down. In connection with the dawn barrage against the enemy southwest of Shachaofeng, key personnel were to study the best way to exploit sudden fire described as gale and lightning. They were also to be ready to destroy enemy tanks. A green star shell would be fired to signal the success of the night attack. The code words were shojiki "honesty" and ydmo "bravery". At midnight, the regiment commander would be at the northwest foot of Chiangchunfeng. The order stressed typical night-attack precautions: secrecy and concealment, avoidance of confusion, antitank defense, and flare signaling of success. Sato added his own flair with his daily motto as code words and the reference to "whirlwind" fire. Impending action times were explicitly set when the order was issued at 15:30 on the 30th, more than ten hours before the 1st Battalion was to jump off. The key to success in a night assault lay in an absolute prohibition on firing by their side, and bold, courageous charging. Sato reminded his men that life is granted again after death. Nakano then assembled his company commanders east of Fangchuanting and issued his battalion order at 18:30. A few hours after Sato's briefing of the assault commanders, Suetaka arrived at the 75th Regiment command post. This visit late on 30 July is central to allegations that Sato, not Suetaka, conceived and executed the night attack on his own initiative. Divisional orders giving Sato his core mission had already been conveyed by telephone. After 16:00, Suetaka boarded a motorboat at Kucheng and went to the Manchurian side to verify front-line conditions. Soviet snipers south of Yangkuanping fired several shots, but his craft reached the Matsu'otsuho landing and proceeded to Chiangchunfeng to meet Sato. Sato described the situation: "frontline enemy forces had been reinforced steadily and had begun a vigorous offensive. The foe was provoking us, and the matter had grown very serious. I had already issued orders at 15:30 to take the initiative and deal the enemy a smashing blow." I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. On a frost-bitten dawn by the Chaun and Tumen, Russia and Japan lock eyes over Changkufeng. Diplomats urge restraint, yet Tokyo's generals push a bold gamble: seize a hill with a surprise strike and bargain later. Japanese divisions, engineers, and artillery edge toward the border, while Soviet sentries brace for a confrontation that could widen the war. 

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving, and despite fighting off illness, jet lag, and some major technical difficulties with Riverside, we are here to recount Mike's trip to Japan and Dan's marathon finish. First we insert a special pre-recorded segment breaking down Dan's experience running the Philadelphia Marathon. We discuss the VIP bib upgrade that got him into a heated tent. Dan details his unconventional "Dan Method" of training (which we do not recommend), the horrors of the porta potty lines, and the physical toll of the final miles. Dan's experience getting hyped up from friends and strangers. Erin also shares her own embarrassing spectator moment involving a group of girls she thought wanted a selfie with her. Mike kicks things off with a full recap of his travels, including the surprisingly difficult experience of "renting an old man" named Kenji to help navigate the train system (who ended up getting more lost than they did). He also shares stories about stumbling upon a bar in Tokyo packed with Eagles fans, the life changing magic of Japanese high tech toilets with "privacy sounds," and his visit to a TikTok famous 80 year old knife maker. We also discuss the chaos of Nara Park, where the bowing deer can get a little too aggressive, and the surreal experience of Super Nintendo World.Finally, we wrap up with a strong recommendation for Vince Gilligan's new show Pluribus on Apple TV and explain why we're skipping the "No Bad News" segment just this once.

In this episode of the Healthy Sleep Revolution Podcast, Dr. Meghna Dassani breaks down one of the biggest, and most overlooked, disruptors of modern sleep: screens. We all know we should put our phones away before bed, but few people understand why it matters so much. Dr. Dassani explains how blue light, digital overstimulation, notifications, and nighttime scrolling impact melatonin, cortisol, airway stability, and your nervous system's ability to shift into deep, restorative sleep. You'll learn: How blue light signals your brain that it's daytime Why melatonin drops and cortisol rises with screen use What "social jet lag" is and why your nervous system thinks you flew from Houston to Tokyo How late-night scrolling worsens snoring and sleep apnea The link between digital dopamine hits and a hyperactive nervous system The real science on EMFs and sleep Simple, practical device rules for families The 90-minute "digital sunset" Dr. Dassani teaches in her practice Plus, Dr. Dassani shares her favourite screen-time hacks: warm lighting, bedroom boundaries, charging baskets, and behavioural shifts that turn chaotic evenings into calmer nights for the whole family. If your nights feel restless, your mornings feel punishing, or you suspect technology is taking a toll on your sleep, this episode will give you the tools you need to take back your evenings — one habit at a time. About Dr. Meghna Dassani Dr. Meghna Dassani is passionate about promoting healthy sleep through dental practices. In following the ADA's 2017 guideline on sleep apnea screening and treatment, she has helped many children and adults improve their sleep, their breathing, and their lives. Her books and seminars help parents and practitioners understand the essential roles of the tongue, palate, and jaw in promoting healthy sleep. Connect with Dr. Meghna Dassani Website: https://www.meghnadassani.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthysleeprevolution Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghna_dassani/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@meghna-dassani

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 30, 2025 is: iconoclast • eye-KAH-nuh-klast • noun Iconoclast originally referred to someone who destroys religious images or who opposes their veneration. It is now used to refer broadly to anyone who criticizes or opposes beliefs and practices that are widely accepted. // The comedian had developed a reputation as a contrarian and an iconoclast for whom no topic was off-limits. See the entry > Examples: “Chicago will be the only U.S. city to see the 92-year-old iconoclast Yoko Ono's new show. ... ‘Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind' goes back to the start of the artist's career in the mid-'50s, and the role she played in the creative worlds of New York, Tokyo and London.” — Carrie Shepherd, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025 Did you know? Iconoclast comes from the Middle Greek word eikonoklástēs, which translates literally as “image destroyer.” While the destruction wrought by today's iconoclasts is figurative—in modern use, an iconoclast is someone who criticizes or opposes beliefs and practices that are widely accepted—the first iconoclasts directed their ire at religious icons, those representations of sacred individuals used as objects of veneration. The Byzantine Empire's Iconoclastic Controversy occurred in the 8th and 9th centuries, but the word iconoclast didn't find its way to English until the 17th century. Figurative use came later still.