What do street-kid influencers, fantasy boyfriends and around 280 bars crammed into six allies have in common? They are all a part of Kabukicho, an area of Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward that is either a tourist trap or sleazy red-light district depending on who you ask. This week, join us to hear stories from one of Japan's most infamous neighborhoods.
Hosted by Shaun McKenna (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/shaun-mckenna/) and produced by Dave Cortez (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/david-cortez/).
On this episode:
Shaun McKenna: Articles (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/shaun-mckenna/) | X (https://twitter.com/jt_sloosh) | Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/slooshiness/)
Alex K.T. Martin: Articles (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/219/alex-kt-martin/) | X (https://twitter.com/alexktmartin)
Moeka Iida: X (https://x.com/moekaimnida)
Yukana Inoue: Articles (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/4619/yukana-inoue/)
Read more:
Christmastime in Shinjuku Golden Gai (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/12/22/travel/christmas-golden-gai-tokyo-yokocho/) (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times)
How Japan’s host clubs trap young women under mountains of debt (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/12/26/japan/society/host-club-pay-later-system-prostitution/) (Karin Kaneko, The Japan Times)
The controversial cult of the host club in Japan (https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/05/21/the-controversial-cult-of-the-host-club-in-japan?utm_medium=cpc.adword.pd&utm_source=google&ppccampaignID=21228634515&ppcadID=&utm_campaign=a.22brand_pmax&utm_content=conversion.direct-response.anonymous&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAqI2df-_eXZYYNmzYkc6d7Pr1jZqI&gclid=CjwKCAjw4_K0BhBsEiwAfVVZ_y5Uxq7eQ1Nze1AQqPXOOPr7hGakqaZN77Xyt95wv044ot_yF9XeKBoCpOUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) (Moeka Iida, The Economist)
Toyoko Kids: The lonely street children of Tokyo (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/02/05/japan/society/toyoko-kids-tokyo-subculture/) (Yukana Inoue, The Japan Times)
Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/), and don’t forget to follow us on X (https://twitter.com/JapanDeepDive)!
Photo: One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward. | GETTY IMAGES
4 Jul 2024TRANSCRIPT
194: Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one
Japan’s summer music festivals survived the pandemic but they now face new threats: extreme heat, a weak yen and aging audiences. Music writer Patrick St. Michel joins us to talk about the “Big Four” festivals and how these challenges are changing the way we have fun during summer.
Hosted by Shaun McKenna (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/shaun-mckenna/) and produced by Dave Cortez (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/david-cortez/).
On this episode:
Shaun McKenna: Articles (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/shaun-mckenna/) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/jt_sloosh) | Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/slooshiness/)
Patrick St. Michel: Articles (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/226/patrick-st-michel/) | Twitter (https://x.com/mbmelodies)
Read/watch more:
Can Japan’s summer music festivals adapt to a post-pandemic reality? (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2024/06/09/music/summer-concert-festival-japan-music/) (Patrick St. Michel, The Japan Times)
Is Creepy Nuts’ catchy, rapid-fire ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Bong’ the song of the year? (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2024/07/03/music/creepy-nuts-bbbb-japan-rap/) (Patrick St. Michel, The Japan Times)
Japan’s summer offerings include jazz and classical music festivals (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2024/06/09/music/jazz-classical-festivals-summer-japan/) (Alyssa I. Smith, The Japan Times)
“Scream inside your heart” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMm5QVZ6QeY) (YouTube)
Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/), and don’t forget to follow us on X (https://twitter.com/JapanDeepDive)!
Photo: You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival. | JAMES HADFIELD
20 Jun 2024TRANSCRIPT
193: Tokyo underground: The city beneath our feet
On this week’s Deep Dive, we speak to Alex K.T. Martin who has done a series of pieces exploring what lies beneath the surface of Tokyo. Hidden rivers, ancient artifacts and crumbling infrastructure are just a few of the discoveries he made during his reporting. And while it’s important to know how we’re going to manage these things as climate change — or more importantly, the possible flooding that comes with it — worsens, sometimes it’s just fascinating to learn about the city beneath our feet.
Hosted by Shaun McKenna (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/shaun-mckenna/) and produced by Dave Cortez (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/david-cortez/).
On this episode:
Shaun McKenna: Articles (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/shaun-mckenna/) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/jt_sloosh) | Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/slooshiness/)
Alex K.T. Martin: Articles (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/219/alex-kt-martin/) | Twitter (https://x.com/AlexktMartin)
Read/watch more:
Tracing Tokyo’s hidden rivers (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/03/09/lifestyle/lost-rivers-tokyo-underground-culvert/) (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times)
Tokyo’s hidden rivers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDFRAqB4ZMc) (The Japan Times YouTube channel)
The complications in digging up Tokyo’s ancient past (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/01/japan/history/yayoi-village-preservation-archaeology-japan-tokyo/) (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times)
Tokyo underground: Exploring what lies beneath the world largest city (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/06/03/japan/society/tokyo-underground-flooding-tunnel/) (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times)
Why half of Japan’s cities are at risk of disappearing in 100 year (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/05/20/japan/society/japan-2120-future-cities-depopulation/) (Alex K.T. Martin, The Japan Times)
Get in touch: Send us feedback at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp. Support the show by rating, reviewing and sharing the episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. For a transcript of the show, visit japantimes.co.jp (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/), and don’t forget to follow us on X (https://twitter.com/JapanDeepDive)!
Photo: A person walks among thegiant columns supporting the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Saitama Prefecture. | JOHAN BROOKS
Inside a recent episode
195: Kabukicho: Tokyo's 'stadium of desire'
Published 22 Jul 2024 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And yeah, come to know the person by the Mashi. What kind of things did these guys talk to you about? They just make small talk. I mean, honestly, they ask really benign questions like, Oh, what do you like to drink? How often do you come to Kabuki -cho? And something interesting about host clubs is they don't ask questions like, how old are you? Or what do you do for a living? Because the idea is to create this fantasy world. A lot of the hosts I spoke to said, basically, a host club is supposed to be like Disneyland. You know, Disneyland's very popular among Japanese women. It's about creating this fantasy world and an escape from your boring everyday life. […]
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