Real Gaijin

About Real Gaijin

A podcast that explains Japan’s business, culture, economy, and foreign-resident experience through real stories and in-depth conversations. Real Gaijin explores the real Japan — the people, places, and ideas shaping the future of the country. From Kyushu to Tokyo, we dive deep into Japan’s economy, work culture, entrepreneurship, immigration, tourism, and the lived experience of foreign residents who call Japan home. Hosted by Mark Kennedy, Real Gaijin blends reporting, storytelling, and candid conversations with founders, innovators, creators, and community leaders who see Japan with clear eyes. No clichés. No anime filter. Just honest stories and informed perspectives on how Japan is changing — and what comes next. What we cover: Life and work as a foreign resident in Japan Japan’s business culture and entrepreneurial ecosystem Regional revitalization, demographic change, and local communities Inbound tourism, immigration, and policy shifts Economic and cultural trends reshaping modern Japan Deep dives into Kyushu, Fukuoka, Tokyo, and other regions Whether you live in Japan, dream of moving here, invest in Japanese markets, or are fascinated by the country’s complexities, Real Gaijin offers insights you won’t find anywhere else. Keywords (English): Japan, Japanese culture, Japanese business, Japan economy, Japan work culture, entrepreneurship Japan, foreigners in Japan, expat Japan, living in Japan, immigration Japan, regional revitalization, Kyushu, Fukuoka, Tokyo, Osaka, Japan startups, Japan travel, Japanese society. 日本語キーワード（検索向け）: 日本、日本文化、日本社会、日本経済、日本の働き方、外人、外国人、在日外国人、移住、地方創生、地方移住、九州、福岡、東京、大阪、観光、起業、スタートアップ、地域活性化。 realgaijin.substack.com (https://realgaijin.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Mark Kennedy — Real Gaijin / Japan Business & Culture Commentary

Category

society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Feb 2021

Latest episode

16 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

81 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Oct 2026

   ▶︎ AMA Podcast (S-02, E-27) with Alex Dwyer, Writer, Tea Enthusiast, and Creator of the Tea w/ Dweez Substack

   What can a cup of tea teach us about Japan—and about ourselves? This week, the Real Gaijin AMA podcast welcomed a fellow Japan-based writer and student of all things tea—one of Japan’s most popular beverages for centuries. Meet Alex Dwyer (https://substack.com/@teawithdweez). Who is he? Alex Dwyer is an American writer and tea enthusiast. He is the creator of Tea w/ Dweez, a Substack publication dedicated to exploring the fascinating world of tea, including the people, places, and traditions surrounding it. Alex’s passion for tea has taken him around the globe, from the Darjeeling region in India and China to Japan’s renowned tea-producing areas, including Yame in Fukuoka Prefecture. He has developed an international perspective on how different societies cultivate, prepare, and appreciate tea along the way. Before settling in Japan, he explored the tea scene in Los Angeles and contributed an extensive guide to the city’s best tea destinations to L.A. TACO (https://lataco.com/la-best-tea). Since moving to Kamakura in January 2023, Alex has continued to document his discoveries and reflections on Japanese tea culture, everyday life, and the value of slowing down. Through his writing, Alex approaches tea as more than a beverage. To him, tea is a gateway to cultural understanding, meaningful human connections, and a more deliberate way of experiencing the world. On the agenda In this conversation, we discussed what makes Japanese tea culture unique and how it compares to other traditions. We also talked about why Alex believes that tea should be accessible to everyone, not just connoisseurs. We talked about his journey to Japan, his time living in Kamakura, and how tea can help us navigate a world obsessed with productivity and constant self-improvement. Of course, we also touched upon the important question: Is Japan’s matcha craze bringing people closer to authentic tea culture—or turning a centuries-old tradition into just another fashionable commodity? Key takeaways * Tea is an invitation to slow down, not another productivity hack: In a world obsessed with efficiency, Alex argues that drinking tea should be an intentionally unproductive experience. Instead of rushing through another task, tea encourages us to disconnect, appreciate the present moment, and rediscover the simple pleasures of everyday life. Sometimes, doing nothing is the most valuable thing we can do. * Japanese tea culture is deeply rooted in Zen Buddhism: It arrived in Japan from China during the Kamakura period and became closely associated with Buddhist monks. Initially valued as an aid to meditation, tea evolved into a cultural practice emphasizing mindfulness, hospitality, and contemplation. As Alex explains, the traditional Japanese expression cha-zen ichimi (茶禅一味)—tea and Zen are one flavor—captures this enduring relationship. * Matcha, sencha, hojicha, and other teas share a surprising connection: Despite their dramatically different flavors, appearances, and aromas, these teas all originate from the same plant species: Camellia sinensis. The primary distinction lies in how the leaves are cultivated and processed, through methods such as shading, steaming, roasting, or grinding. Understanding these differences reveals the remarkable diversity of Japan’s tea traditions. * The global matcha craze risks obscuring what makes tea special: Matcha‘s explosive popularity has transformed a centuries-old Japanese tradition into a fashionable global commodity. While Alex welcomes the growing interest, he questions the emphasis on convenience, commercialization, and productivity. He is concerned that consumers may embrace matcha‘s perceived health benefits while overlooking its deeper cultural significance and contemplative qualities. * A simple bowl of tea can change the direction of your life: Alex’s journey from music journalism in Los Angeles to China’s tea culture ultimately brought him to Kamakura, Japan. A memorable experience drinking matcha at Hokokuji Temple inspired his decision to relocate there with his wife. His story illustrates how curiosity, travel, and seemingly ordinary encounters can lead to unexpected personal transformations. Timeline Substack does not yet have the functionality to allow you to use a link to jump to a specific section like YouTube’s “chapters.” Please refer to the times listed below to navigate through our hour-long conversation. Thank you for your understanding. Pro tip Although it’s generally considered best to brew matcha and sencha at around 60°C, you can’t really go wrong when boiling hojicha. Remember, you heard it here first! Just kidding. Suggested references Green with Milk and Sugar: When Japan Filled America’s Tea Cups (https://cup.columbia.edu/book/green-with-milk-and-sugar/9780231216678/)by Robert Hellyer (Columbia University Press) #TeaWithDweez #TeaCulture #matcha #RealGaijin #リアル外人 ICYMI Please check this out! If you’ll be in Tokyo on Thursday evening, November 5, join Alex, Mark, and a small group of Japan-based Substack writers and readers for a meetup. Get your tickets before they sell out! If you found this post valuable, please click the ❤️ button and restack it. Restacking helps more than you’d think! Thanks! Thanks for reading Real Gaijin! This post is public so feel free to share it. Please note that you can subscribe to Real Gaijin for free. If you are so inclined, you can also purchase an annual subscription for a relatively small fee. However, I understand that even the lowest level of annual subscription allowed by Substack may seem too high for many. If you just want to buy a coffee for Real Gaijin (or maybe a green tea), you can also make a small donation here: https://buymeacoffee.com/realgaijin (https://buymeacoffee.com/realgaijin) All levels of support - including just liking a particular article and/or leaving a comment - are very welcome. Thanks again for reading. While Real Gaijin (https://realgaijin.substack.com/) lives in Substack (https://realgaijin.substack.com/), you can also find Real Gaijin on a few other platforms (listed in alphabetical order). https://www.instagram.com/real_gaijin_on_substack/ (https://www.instagram.com/real_gaijin_on_substack/) https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_on_substack (https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_on_substack) https://www.tiktok.com/@real.gaijin (https://www.tiktok.com/@real.gaijin) https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_ (https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_) https://www.youtube.com/@RealGaijin (https://www.youtube.com/@RealGaijin) https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wilt-kennedy/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wilt-kennedy/) Get full access to Real Gaijin at realgaijin.substack.com/subscribe (https://realgaijin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   28 Sept 2026

   🍻 Cheers to Everyone Who Joined the Second “Beers with Real Gaijin” -- Let’s Talk Japan (S-01, E-02)

   🍻 Thank you to everyone who joined the second “Beers with Real Gaijin” live stream on Sunday evening! Like last month, what started as an experiment—an informal conversation without an agenda about recent Real Gaijin articles, Japan-related news, and whatever else was on your mind—turned into the kind of lively exchange I had hoped for. Key Takeaways While we enjoyed a wide-ranging discussion that included a review of several recently published Real Gaijin articles, the five main points to take away were probably the following (see below for links to related articles): * Japan’s foreign-resident population is growing larger, becoming more diverse, and growing in economic importance: Japan’s foreign population has grown to roughly 4.2 million, with the largest groups coming from China, Vietnam, South Korea, and the Philippines. Meanwhile, newer communities, such as those from Sri Lanka, are becoming increasingly visible. At the same time, foreign workers are moving beyond the traditional image of temporary, low-wage labor into higher-skilled, better-paid, and longer-term roles. * Doing business in Japan still depends heavily on relationships, localization, and patience: The discussion of LinkedIn, Eight, and Tomomi Iwasaki’s experience highlights a persistent difference between Japan and Western markets: Cold outreach is relatively ineffective, while personal introductions and established relationships carry considerable weight. Foreign companies also need to temper their expectations of immediate results and be prepared to localize their products and approach. * Japan’s economic recovery remains uneven despite stronger wage growth: Large Japanese companies are delivering wage increases that have finally begun to exceed inflation, producing modest real-wage gains. However, these benefits are not evenly distributed across the economy, which helps explain why households remain cautious and why consumer spending has not accelerated correspondingly. * Japan’s demographic challenge begins well before childbirth—with marriage, relationships, and a shrinking pool of young adults: Falling marriage rates are particularly important in Japan because births are still largely associated with marriage. Combined with the already small population of young children, this suggests that Japan’s demographic contraction is becoming structurally embedded and cannot be addressed solely through policies aimed at supporting parents after children are born. * Japan’s aging population is redefining what “retirement” looks like: The rapid growth of older workers taking seasonal resort baito (part-time work) illustrates both opportunity and economic necessity. Seniors can earn income while traveling and gaining new experiences, and employers can hire experienced, flexible workers. However, this phenomenon also exposes a deeper problem: many Japanese people may need to continue working well into their traditional retirement years because their pensions and savings are insufficient for a potentially decades-long retirement. Q & A Q1: Do the Japanese have a purity law for beer? A1: Japan does not have a German-style beer “purity law,” but its Liquor Tax Act strictly defines what can be legally labeled as “beer.” Beer must contain at least 50% malt by weight (not including hops or water), but, unlike the traditional German Reinheitsgebot, Japan allows ingredients such as rice, corn, starch, sugars, fruit, and certain spices and herbs. In 2018, the rules were significantly liberalized, lowering the malt threshold and allowing more flavoring ingredients. This gave craft brewers greater flexibility. Beverages that do not meet these requirements are generally classified as happōshu (発泡酒), or another category, rather than as beer. 🍺 I’m already looking forward to the next “Beers with Real Gaijin“ in October—our own little “October Fest!” The invitation will be sent out soon… 🎉 P.S. I look forward to meeting you in person at the upcoming “Japan Substackers IRL Meetup in Tokyo” on November 5, 2026, if you’re able to make it. Related articles #BeersWithRealGaijin #リアル外人と飲む #ResidentForeigners #RealGaijin #リアル外人 If you found this post valuable, please click the ❤️ button and restack it. Restacking helps more than you’d think! Thanks! Thanks for reading Real Gaijin! This post is public so feel free to share it. Please note that you can subscribe to Real Gaijin for free. If you are so inclined, you can also purchase an annual subscription for a relatively small fee. However, I understand that even the lowest level of annual subscription allowed by Substack may seem too high for many. If you just want to buy a coffee for Real Gaijin (or maybe a green tea), you can also make a small donation here: https://buymeacoffee.com/realgaijin (https://buymeacoffee.com/realgaijin) All levels of support - including just liking a particular article and/or leaving a comment - are very welcome. Thanks again for reading. While Real Gaijin (https://realgaijin.substack.com/) lives in Substack (https://realgaijin.substack.com/), you can also find Real Gaijin on a few other platforms (listed in alphabetical order). https://www.instagram.com/real_gaijin_on_substack/ (https://www.instagram.com/real_gaijin_on_substack/) https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_on_substack (https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_on_substack) https://www.tiktok.com/@real.gaijin (https://www.tiktok.com/@real.gaijin) https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_ (https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_) https://www.youtube.com/@RealGaijin (https://www.youtube.com/@RealGaijin) https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wilt-kennedy/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wilt-kennedy/) Get full access to Real Gaijin at realgaijin.substack.com/subscribe (https://realgaijin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   26 Sept 2026

   ▶︎ AMA Podcast (S-02, E-26) with Lloyd Allen, Master's of Economics candidate at Kobe University from Australia and student of Japanese since the age of 16

   So, what does it actually take to become proficient in Japanese—not just conversationally competent, but proficient enough to study economics at a Japanese university, conduct academic research, explore the history of kanji, and consider taking the Kanji Kentei (日本漢字能力検定) Level 1 exam? Real Gaijin recently interviewed the perfect guest—particularly for the Gen Z audience. He is destined to have an important career connecting Japan with the rest of the world. Who is he? Lloyd Allen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyd-d-allen/) been studying Japanese since his teenage years, and his experience provides a valuable perspective on the ongoing debate about shortcuts, apps, immersion techniques, and “fluency.” Lloyd first came to Japan as a 16-year-old high school exchange student and has been moving between Australia and Japan ever since. He studied economics and Japanese as an undergraduate and spent time at Aoyama Gakuin University and Kobe University. He is now back at Kobe University as a full-time master’s student in economics. Japanese has been a constant thread throughout his journey. Today, Lloyd’s interest extends well beyond communicating. He writes about the Japanese language, society, and history on Substack and has delved into subjects such as the historical evolution of kanji readings. He is preparing to take the Kanji Kentei Level 2 exam, with the Level 1 exam potentially on the horizon. Check out “Roido Does Japan” on Substack: On the agenda The intention of this conversation was to move beyond typical advice about learning Japanese. We discussed Lloyd’s learning approach, effective versus ineffective methods, the differences between formal study and immersion, and how living in Japan improved his Japanese. We also explored the role of “easy Japanese” (やさしい日本語)—what it is, who it’s intended for, and how it fits into communication and language learning. Then, we took a deep dive into kanji: why Lloyd finds them fascinating, how he studies them, what the Kanji Kentei demands, and whether pursuing extremely advanced literacy has practical value. Finally, we considered the bigger question: What does serious Japanese proficiency allow you to understand about Japan that remains largely inaccessible in English? Key takeaways * Make Japanese part of your life, not just a subject you study: Lloyd’s central advice is immersion. Find something about Japan or the Japanese language that you genuinely enjoy. Then, incorporate as much Japanese into your everyday life as possible: books, news, YouTube, podcasts, television, friendships, and classes, if available. His own progression accelerated when Japanese stopped feeling like “study” and became the language through which he did things he already wanted to do. * Combine immersion with systematic repetition: Exposure alone is not enough. Lloyd maintains a vocabulary deck of roughly 15,000 flashcards and uses spaced repetition (SRS) to reinforce words before they disappear from memory. His approach is twofold: first, encounter vocabulary naturally through reading and listening; then, deliberately reinforce it through flashcards. Neither approach works nearly as well by itself. * Tests are milestones, not the definition of proficiency: The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT・日本語能力試験) provides useful structure, motivation, and credentials, but Lloyd stresses its limitations—most notably, it does not test speaking or writing. Passing N1 does not mean that someone has “finished” learning Japanese. Learners who want to advance further face challenges such as the Kanji Kentei (日本漢字能力検定), which opens an entirely different level of mastery involving readings, writing, synonyms, antonyms, four-character compounds, and thousands of kanji. * At advanced levels, progress inevitably slows, so consistency matters more than dramatic gains: Beginners can see rapid improvement because almost everything they learn is new. Advanced learners encounter diminishing returns and periods when progress feels almost invisible. Lloyd’s useful rule is that “one is greater than zero”: reading one page, learning one word, or doing a small amount of Japanese is infinitely more productive than doing nothing. The objective is to maintain exposure rather than waiting for the motivation to undertake a major study session. * The real payoff from learning Japanese is access to people, relationships, and experiences that would otherwise be unavailable: Lloyd ultimately describes language as a tool rather than an academic achievement. When motivation wanes, he reconnects with the conversations and friendships that would not exist without Japanese. Greater proficiency progressively “unlocks” people, ideas, culture, history, and experiences that remain partly inaccessible through English alone. For Lloyd, this provides a more enduring reason to continue studying Japanese than passing another exam. Timeline Substack does not yet have the functionality to allow you to use a link to jump to a specific section like YouTube’s “chapters.” Please refer to the times listed below to navigate through our hour-long conversation. Thank you for your understanding. Links * Substack: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyd-d-allen/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloyd-d-allen/) * Kobe University Interdisciplinary Master Program (KIMAP): https://www.group.kobe-u.ac.jp/kimap/ (https://www.group.kobe-u.ac.jp/kimap/) * AJATT | All Japanese All The Time: https://alljapanesealltheti.me/blog/index.html (https://alljapanesealltheti.me/blog/index.html) * Spaced Repetition System: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/exams-and-revision/best-ways-to-revise/spaced-repetition (https://www.bcu.ac.uk/exams-and-revision/best-ways-to-revise/spaced-repetition) * Japanese.io (more about Spaced Repetition, etc.): https://www.japanese.io/ (https://www.japanese.io/) * INPEX Scholarship Foundation Scholar: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/search-for-scholarships/detail.php?lang=en&mid=5-00034519 (https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/search-for-scholarships/detail.php?lang=en&mid=5-00034519) * The New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship Program: https://www.dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/new-colombo-plan/new-colombo-plan-scholarship-program (https://www.dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/new-colombo-plan/new-colombo-plan-scholarship-program) * Background about the Kanji Kentei Exam (日本漢字能力検定): * Advice from Uskov Evgeny, a Russian native speaker who was able to pass the Kanji Kentei level 1: https://roshiajin.jp/ (https://roshiajin.jp/) * Nihongo Kentei (日本語検定): https://www.nihongokentei.jp/ (https://www.nihongokentei.jp/) #LloydAllen #JapaneseLanguage #LanguageLearning #RealGaijin #リアル外人 ICYMI Please check this out! If you’ll be in Tokyo on Thursday evening, November 5, join Tim, Mark, and a small group of Japan-based Substack writers and readers for a meetup. Get your tickets before they sell out! If you found this post valuable, please click the ❤️ button and restack it. Restacking helps more than you’d think! Thanks! Thanks for reading Real Gaijin! This post is public so feel free to share it. Please note that you can subscribe to Real Gaijin for free. If you are so inclined, you can also purchase an annual subscription for a relatively small fee. However, I understand that even the lowest level of annual subscription allowed by Substack may seem too high for many. If you just want to buy a coffee for Real Gaijin (or maybe a green tea), you can also make a small donation here: https://buymeacoffee.com/realgaijin (https://buymeacoffee.com/realgaijin) All levels of support - including just liking a particular article and/or leaving a comment - are very welcome. Thanks again for reading. While Real Gaijin (https://realgaijin.substack.com/) lives in Substack (https://realgaijin.substack.com/), you can also find Real Gaijin on a few other platforms (listed in alphabetical order). https://www.instagram.com/real_gaijin_on_substack/ (https://www.instagram.com/real_gaijin_on_substack/) https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_on_substack (https://www.threads.net/@real_gaijin_on_substack) https://www.tiktok.com/@real.gaijin (https://www.tiktok.com/@real.gaijin) https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_ (https://x.com/Real_Gaijin_) https://www.youtube.com/@RealGaijin (https://www.youtube.com/@RealGaijin) https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wilt-kennedy/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wilt-kennedy/) Get full access to Real Gaijin at realgaijin.substack.com/subscribe (https://realgaijin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Who has been a guest on Real Gaijin

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Derek Cirillo
• Nick McLoota
• James Douglas
• Cory McGowan
• Kristi Volchek

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

5,121

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

4.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

38

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

0

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