Let's Talk Japan Podcast

In this episode, Nick and Maurice Maloney (JET Alum, Fukui 2004-06) review the 2015 Cinematsuri Japanese Film Festival and share their opinions on which of these films you should see for yourself.

In this episode, author, translator and folklorist Zack Davisson shares his vast knowledge of the Japanese supernatural.  Zack has written extensively about this topic  on his website hyaku-monogatari and is the author of the upcoming and much anticipated book, Yurei: The Japanese Ghost.

In this episode, Nick speaks with Catherine Rackley of DISCO International, a human resources firm specializing in Japanese-English bilingual recruitment.  Whether you’re currently job searching or just curious about bilingual employment possibilities, this episode is full of useful information.  

It’s late summer, and that means hundreds of new JET Program participants have recently started their new life in Japan. In this episode, I share my thoughts on what steps they can take to have an enjoyable and memorable Japan experience. The Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching  Smile Kids Japan Temple University Japan Testing […]

Welcome to a special JET Talks Edition of the Let’s Talk Japan Podcast.  This episode features a panel discussion with the producers of “Kokoyakyu,” a documentary about high school baseball in Japan and the quest to qualify for the national summer baseball tournament at historic Koshien Stadium.  High school baseball in Japan is a national […]

A few weeks ago, I was invited to a pre-departure orientation for new JET Program participants, organized by the JET Program Office at the Embassy of Japan.   The orientation covered a wide range of topics, and I am very grateful to the Japanese Embassy for allowing me to record the event and use the […]

In this episode, Nick speaks with Dave Carlson, a longtime resident of Japan and host of the popular Japanofiles Podcast.  Originally from Michigan, Dave first came to Japan in 1983.  Since then, he has resided in Japan on and off for 21 of the last 30 years.  Together, Nick and Dave discuss a wide range of […]

In this episode, Nick speaks with Ambassador John Malott, President emeritus of the Japan American Society of Washington, DC about the inaugural Cinematsuri Japanese Film Festival.   In addition to discussing what it takes to organize such an event, they cover recent trends in Japanese cinematography and introduce some of the best new films from Japan. As always, you […]

In this episode, Nick sits down with Washington, D.C. native Jan Evans Hauser to discuss her experience living in Kyoto, Japan during the American occupation following WWII.   At the time, Jan’s step-father was Brigadier General Eugene Harrison, who was the Chief of Staff to Major General Joseph Swing, the commander of the U.S. Army’s 1st Corps.  […]

In this episode, Nick speaks with Stacy Smith about the joys and challenges of working as a professional Japanese translator and interpreter.  Stacy worked as a Coordinator of International Relations (CIR) for the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Program in Kumamoto prefecture before eventually returning to the United States and turning her love of Japanese into a […]