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Unpacking Japan

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by Produced by ZenStudio

4.6(57 reviews)
304 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇯🇵
80

Podcast Authority

Beta
GoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Pod Engine
Quality90
Social0
YouTube93
Engagement81
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Podcast Overview

Unpacking Japan explores Japanese arts, culture, and business through the lives of foreigners who have made this amazing country their home. While we’ve all seen vlogs and movies showing Japan from a pop culture perspective, Unpacking Japan tells the stories that get left by the wayside—the immigrants, the entrepreneurs, and the artists. Tune in every week for an authentic, inspiring conversation with someone who’s carved out their own, unique place in this beautiful country. Host: Tobias Bieker Production: A. Magdych Editing: L. Nicholas, J. Sketchley Social: J. Sketchley Design: M. Koga

Language

🇺🇲

Publishing Since

3/23/2023

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80

Podcast Authority

Beta
GoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Pod Engine
Quality90
Social0
YouTube93
Engagement81
Learn more
8
Excellent Areas
1
Good Performance
10
Growth Opportunities
excellent
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Every 4 days
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good
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3.0/5

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Recent Episodes

Episode thumbnail for What it's like playing in a Japanese orchestra

June 16, 2026

What it's like playing in a Japanese orchestra

<p>Meet Harald Naess, a trumpeter for the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. He sits down to talk to us about moving to Japan, learning Japanese while finding a common language in German, and the differences in work ethic and performance in Japan.</p><p><br></p><p>--</p><p>0:00 Intro</p><p>0:45 Meet Harald</p><p>4:14 First music study</p><p>6:35 Arriving in Japan</p><p>10:00 Differences playing in Japan</p><p>14:05 Japanese approach to music</p><p>18:39 First performance in Japan</p><p>24:00 Why Harald was selected</p><p>28:12 Music is like noodles</p><p>33:04 Impactful performances</p><p>39:59 Orchestra group dynamics</p><p>44:10 Bringing a younger audience</p><p>45:17 Teaching Japanese students</p><p>57:47 Looking back</p><p>59:29 Sailing in Japan</p><p>1:04:05 Getting a license</p><p>1:08:56 Sailing experiences</p><p>1:11:30 Why moving here was easy</p><p><br></p><p>--</p><p>Follow Harald:</p><p>https://www.facebook.com/kyototrumpet/</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/kyotoviking/</p><p>https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xLfjz5BJ3y6LzJZP0YFIO?si=QMojHzocS52j8axopG12vg</p><p><br></p><p>Follow us:</p><p>https://unpacking.jp/</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan</p><p>https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan</p><p>https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts</p><p>https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan</p><p>https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan</p><p><br></p><p>Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! </p><p><br></p><p>Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/</p>

Episode thumbnail for From salaryman to drag bar: a conversation with Japan's biggest diva

June 12, 2026

From salaryman to drag bar: a conversation with Japan's biggest diva

<p>Meet Sylvia Manchester, a self-titled Natural Born Diva working as an entertainer and drag bar host in Tokyo. She sits down to talk to us about her studies abroad, interest in queer literature, coming out, and the birth of the Sylvia Manchester character.A big thank you to our colleagues from ZenMarket for sponsoring this episode. Interesting in buying anything from Japan? Find out more here:<a href="https://go.zenmarket.jp/unpackingjapan" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://go.zenmarket.jp/unpackingjapan</a></p><p>--</p><p>0:00 Intro</p><p>1:07 Meet Sylvia Manchester</p><p>6:35 First interest in drag</p><p>7:54 Being gay in Tokyo vs. Britain</p><p>12:10 Starting drag in Japan</p><p>14:02 Queer literature and gay identity</p><p>22:08 Start in drag bar</p><p>24:54 Being closeted in a Japanese office</p><p>27:37 Becoming a professional drag queen</p><p>32:16 Golden Gai </p><p>35:45 Interest in Chanson</p><p>41:30 Birth of Sylvia Manchester</p><p>43:29 Busking in Tokyo</p><p>47:15 Finding a place in the Tokyo drag community</p><p>50:00 Translating Chanson to Japanese</p><p>51:43 What Golden Gai is like</p><p>58:32 Balancing drag and normal personas</p><p>1:00:36 The Sylvia Manchester queendom</p><p>1:03:40 Sylvia's literature reviews</p><p><br /></p><p>--</p><p>Follow us:</p><p>https://unpacking.jp/</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan</p><p>https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan</p><p>https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts</p><p>https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan</p><p>https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan</p><p><br /></p><p>Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! </p><p><br /></p><p>Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/</p>

Episode thumbnail for The reality of being gay in Japan ft. Will from Japan Gay Guide

June 9, 2026

The reality of being gay in Japan ft. Will from Japan Gay Guide

<p>Meet Will, a host and content creator for Japan Gay Guide in Tokyo. He tells us about how his love for the band Perfume brought him to Japan, what being gay in Japan is like, and his work in LGBT tourism with Japan Gay Guide.</p><p><br></p><p>--</p><p>0:00 Intro</p><p>0:46 Meet Will</p><p>5:30 Arriving in Kagoshima</p><p>10:35 Coming back to Japan</p><p>17:49 Being gay in Japan vs. Sydney</p><p>25:45 What is Japan Gay Guide?</p><p>28:40 Japan as a safe haven</p><p>32:58 Planning what to publish</p><p>38:01 How views on LGBT have changed</p><p>41:52 Where to go in Japan</p><p>46:55 What&#39;s next</p><p><br></p><p>--</p><p>Follow Will:</p><p> @willbennett2000 </p><p>https://www.instagram.com/willbennett2000/</p><p>https://www.tiktok.com/@willbennett2000</p><p><br></p><p>Follow us:</p><p>https://unpacking.jp/</p><p>https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan</p><p>https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan</p><p>https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts</p><p>https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan</p><p>https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan</p><p><br></p><p>Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! </p><p><br></p><p>Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/</p>

304 total episodes available

Recent guests on Unpacking Japan

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Justin Randall

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Sanyutei Kouseinen

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Carl

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David Hewett

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Douglas Brooks

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Peter Barakan

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Endigo

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Alex Bennett

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Mar Exposito

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Joshua

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Shawn Head

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Katsura Sunshine

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Frequently asked questions

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What is Unpacking Japan?

Unpacking Japan explores Japanese arts, culture, and business through the lives of foreigners who have made this amazing country their home. While we’ve all seen vlogs and movies showing Japan from a pop culture perspective, Unpacking Japan tells the stories that get left by the wayside—the immigrants, the entrepreneurs, and the artists.

Tune in every week for an authentic, inspiring conversation with someone who’s carved out their own, unique place in this beautiful country.

Host: Tobias Bieker Production: A. Magdych Editing: L. Nicholas, J. Sketchley Social: J. Sketchley Design: M. Koga

How often does this podcast release new episodes?

This podcast updates daily.

Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 10 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Information about guest appearances is not available.

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