Quick update - we're coming back!

Little message from Ollie to say that he's heading to Japan as part of his stand-up comedy tour. Tickets are available with a big JBRC discount if you use the promo code JBRC. https://tickets.olliehorn.com/tokyo - Friday May 5th @ Good Heavenshttps://tickets.olliehorn.com/fukuoka - Saturday May 6th @ Shimokitazawa- Tickets now on sale for Brighton Fringe previews and Edinburgh Fringe 2023 too!https://tickets.olliehorn.com/brighton - End of Mayhttps://tickets.olliehorn.com/edinburgh - All of AugustCheck Ollie's instagram for more information about his London dates and other touring.  ★ Support this podcast ★

Links to tickets! Get your tickets ASAP for guaranteed entry!https://peatix.com/group/12083451/events ★ Support this podcast ★

We did it! The second half of all of the news that came out of Japan in 2022. All of it. And we don't get side tracked or distracted by other chats.  ★ Support this podcast ★

Part one of a (potential?) two-part run down of every single news story that came out of Japan in 2022. ★ Support this podcast ★

Shinzo Abe was assassinated. But did he deserve it? Jake Adelstein gets remarkably close to making the case that he did.

Joe McReynolds is co-author of a new book about how flexible micro-spaces create the spontaneity and vitality of Tokyo, and how so much the city is built on the often very niche dreams and passions of its citizens, and also slash-fan-fiction. Cruises to deal with inflation and heat stroke.Topics discussed on this episode include:What to remember about your successes or failures on the JLPTBobby's continuing BBQ tribulations and the experience of working together as husband and wifeThe challenges of mass producing sauceOllie's latest stand-up adventures and how things are finally looking up for him a bitOllie's thoughts on therapy and clarityGratitude for your continued patience and supportJoe's book Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous CityHow different zoning restrictions create kind of spaces/businesses that we're used to seeing in Japanese citiesJapan's narrow, dingy, alleyways and how they became a vibrant part of city lifeThe sheer massive NUMBER of drinking/dining establishments and how they're sustainableBarriers for opening restaurants in the states and UK, as opposed to JapanThe difference between what people WANT to do, and what laws make it possible for people to doWeird business operations hours with Shimokitazawa as a test caseRunning a business versus doing something you enjoy with your life/timeWhich district of Tokyo does Joe find fascinating and what does the district teach us about the creation of real physical pockets of subcultureHow countries choose to restrict or not restrict people's creative endeavoursWhy Joe's background in National Security Analysis helped him tackle this topicHow the cityscape of Tokyo is built out of people's dreams and allows for self-explorationThe control that landlords/land-owners wield over the tone/vibe of the city and local economyHow concern with property value affects possibilityBobby's experience with selling products out of his home kitchen and getting the permissions to do that/open a restaurantHow much do we trust strangers with our (food) safety?Japanese reactions to food poisoning outbreaks when they happen and Japanese reactive policy in generalCultural essentialism?? Shokunin, Otaku, and BukatsuGet access to the extras by supporting the podcast. Become a member at http://buymeacoffee.com.Extras this time include conversations about:The Robot RestaurantChinese Militarism and Security PolicyAND SO MUCH MOREHave something you'd like to say? Send us a fax at japanbyrivercruise.comor Tweet to us at @jbrcpodGet a free therapy sessionTake the first step to a happier you by trying Better Help. Free first session if you use our link: https://jbrc.link/better-help. Social Media Links:Joe McReynold's Twitter | Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous CityOllie Horn: Twitter | InstagramBobby Judo: Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeOther things to click onSome are affiliate links because we're sell-outsWe record remotely using Squadcast and the podcast is hosted on Transistor. Bobby uses the Samson Go Mic and Ollie uses the AT2005USB mic ★ Support this podcast ★

Joe Biden's Straight Talk Express comes to Asia! WaPo Bureau Chief Michelle Ye Hee Lee joins us to talk about what Biden took away from his time in Japan. If he's anything like most Americans, we're betting that list includes a Hello Kitty T-shirt and a fake sword.Ferris Wheel and Kintsugi River boats!Topics discussed on this episode include:How much we POTENTIALLY appreciate Elon MuskBobby's BBQ shop gets even closer to completionOllie rails against the propertied classBobby's kids make relationship milestonesOllie at the Brighton FringeThe highs and lows of performing live comedyWhy did that couple excuse themselves from Ollie's show mid-performance?Therapy and catharsis and the overlap between joke writing and self-analysisMetaphors about the wrong kinds of transportationGratitude for our wonderful listenersMichelle's experience covering Biden's Asian TourMichelle being super professional in the face of very silly questionsIPEF: DON'T CALL IT A COME BACKHow does Japan feel about the US walking out of TPPAll things politics around Biden's Asia TripNorth Korean Covid: What do we know?Japan opened for limited group tours, limited group tours open for Corona-infectionGet access to the extras by supporting the podcast. Become a member at http://buymeacoffee.com. Extras this time include conversations about:How the pandemic turned Michelle's long-distance relationship into a long-distance marriageBobby and Ollie's advice for surviving long-distanceWhat it's like when you, as a journalist, become the focus of a piece of journalismHow does Guam see its relationship with the mainland US/feel about mainland current events?US current events 😭Ukranian "evacuees" and the unprecedented nature of Japan's willingness to let them inAnd LOT's more great content!Have something you'd like to say? Send us a fax at japanbyrivercruise.comor Tweet to us at @jbrcpodContent Links:Michelle Ye Hee Lee at the Washington PostSocial Media Links:Michelle Ye He Lee: Twitter | Asian American Journalist Association | InstagramOllie Horn: Twitter | InstagramBobby Judo: Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeOther things to click onSome are affiliate links because we're sell-outsWe record remotely using Squadcast and the podcast is hosted on Transistor. Bobby uses the Samson Go Mic and Ollie uses the AT2005USB mic ★ Support this podcast ★

Japan Scholar Oleg Benesch joins us to to talk about the past, present, and future of Japanese castles,and break down the debates around them, proving that when it comes to historical Japanese strongholds, things aren't always black and shiro.Bobby and Ollie mourn the loss of some of their river cruise sponsors, and play catch up.Topics discussed on this episode include:Our new, hopefully temporary show formatUkraine, Covid, North Korea, #japantravelban and other topics we're really trying to avoidBobby's move to Karatsu, his girls' preschool graduation, and how being rich requires HAVING moneyOllie's comedy career, his time in Barcelona, and the value of performing comedy (and podcasting) in a world that's falling apartISSUING REFUNDSALL THINGS CASTLES w/Oleg Benesch. Where did they come from? Why? What happened to them? Why? What's going to happen to them? WHY?Get access to the extras by supporting the podcast for less than $1 an episode. Become a member at http://buymeacoffee.com. Have something you'd like to say? Send us a fax at japanbyrivercruise.comor Tweet to us at @jbrcpodContent Links:Oleg's books:Japan's Castles: Citadels of Modernity in War and PeaceInventing the Way of the Samurai: Nationalism, Internationalism, and Bushido in Modern Japan (The Past and Present Book Series)Social Media Links:Oleg Benesch: Twitter | Homepage Ollie Horn: Twitter | InstagramBobby Judo: Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeOther things to click onSome are affiliate links because we're sell-outsWe record remotely using Squadcast and the podcast is hosted on Transistor. Bobby uses the Samson Go Mic and Ollie uses the AT2005USB mic ★ Support this podcast ★

Author of Japan's Aging Peace, Tom Le, stops in to talk about Japan's security concerns and help us think about an important hypothetical question. Ok, Japan, you CAN have a military. NOW WHAT?Ollie's river cruise recommendation is actually in Ukraine this week, but don't worry, if you wait long enough, it'll come to you.Bobby learned a little bit about haiku so he thinks he's better than you.Topics discussed on this episode range from:What you can expect from Disney's Japan exclusive content programmingA brief look at the crypto crash: is it a big deal?Bobby's home renovations gone wrongWhy DO people buy crypto?Tom's thoughts on whether or not the aging population is going to lead to the end of JapanLots of thanks for new members and coffee buyers!An explanation of how we've improved access to the extras, which makes it an EVEN BETTER TIME FOR YOU TO JOIN AS A MONTHLY MEMBER AND GET ACCESS TO LITERALLY DAYS OF AMAZING BONUS CONTENT from our wonderful guestsWhy is North Korea being so active in the opening days of 2022?What does North Korea want?How seriously we take Mobile, AlabamaIs what North Korea doing... normal?Why it might be even scarier BECAUSE we all know North Korea couldn't win in a warMight makes right in the Nuclear Club and why they didn't really have to go to all that trouble to get a meeting with TrumpJapan's right wing wants to amend the constitution to allow for a military. We talk about why that doesn't matter.What the public thinks about remilitarizingA comparison of the robustness of the democracies of the US and JapanOk, Japan, you can have a military. NOW WHAT?How the current social, political, and economic situation in Japan constrains attempts to remilitarizeCan Japan make up for a lack of boots on the ground with technology?The importance of the presence of AmericaNuclear weapons, pacing ourselves as we end civilizationIs war good for the economy? If it was in America, why wouldn't it be good for Japan?Financial priorities. War or social security?Who does the JSDF try to recruit and how?What is modern Japanese security policy most concerned with?What will life in Japan look like in 30 years and how can we heed the warnings evidenced in Tom's book.How Japan might be ahead of the curveWhy Tom thinks characterizing Japan as unwelcoming to foreigners is unfair to large swaths of Japan, and who in Japan isn't being represented by the government's choicesAs always, we highly recommend this week's extras, in which you can find:EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT YASUKUNI JINJA: WHAT'S UP WITH THAT PLACEWhat the Japanese government SHOULD be paying attention to in terms of keeping its population secureThe role of religion in Japan's past militarism, and what it means that politics is currently divorced from religionHow the fallout from Japan's imperialism and World War II taught Japan and its neighbors in East Asia very different lessons about the effects of militarismGet access to the extras by supporting the podcast for less than $1 an episode. Become a member at http://buymeacoffee.com. Have something you'd like to say? Send us a fax at japanbyrivercruise.comor Tweet to us at @jbrcpodSocial Media Links:Tom Le: Twitter | Tom's Research | Japan's Aging PeaceOllie Horn: Twitter | InstagramBobby Judo: Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeOther things to click onSome are affiliate links because we're sell-outsWe record remotely using Squadcast and the podcast is hosted on Transistor. Bobby uses the Samson Go Mic and Ollie uses the AT2005USB mic ★ Support this podcast ★