On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about the rise of Japan's $3.5 billion breakfast industry and why Japan is currently in the midst of it's 4th "breakfast boom."

👉Topics Discussed

• What a typical Japanese breakfast consists of
• The history of breakfast in Japan
• Breakfast in the Edo Period
• Breakfast in Edo vs Kansai during the Edo Period
• Japan's four "Morning Booms"
• What 'morning" (モーニング, mōningu) is
• The origin of "morning" in Aichi Prefecture
• The rise of kissaten (cafes) in 1950s Japan
• About Rūe Burajiru (ルーエぶらじる), a restaurant in Hiroshima thought to have been the first to offer "morning service" (モーニングサービス, mōningu sābisu)
• The rise of McDonald's breakfast in Japan
• The rise of hotel breakfasts in Japan
• Whether you should get breakfast in hotels
• About Toyoko Inn's "free" breakfast
• About the 2010 breakfast boom
• About Japan's pancake boom
• About the fourth morning boom going on now
• Why more restaurants in Japan have started offering very cheap breakfast options
• How restaurants in japan are trying to offer breakfast for 300 yen or less
• About Saizeriya's breakfast service "Asasaize"
• About KFC's breakfast options
• Why breakfast options are so cheap in Japan
• About service at gyudon places like Yoshinoya and Sukiya
• About breakfast at Sakaba Fukuro in Ikebukuro
• And much more!

👉Subscribe to the Podcast!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

👉Affiliate Links

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan
• Support by Buying a T-Shirt!

Support the show by getting a t-shirt!

• MechaNekoSushi.com

👉Links, Videos, Etc.

None

👉Follow on Social Media

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Japan Station, we're joined by Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith to talk about the current status of Akihabara and the rise of Ikebukuro as Japan's newest capital of all things anime, manga and otaku culture.

👉Topics Discussed

• Whether Akihabara is dying
• The history of Akihabara
• How Akihabara has evolved in recent years
• What locals think of Akihabara today
• How Mercari has impacted Akihabara
• The price of anime figures/merch in Akihabara
• The decline of AKB48
• Why Akihabara has changed in recent years
• The rise of Ikebukuro as Japan's new otaku capital
• How the Toshima ward government is focusing on developing Ikebukuro as Japan's new anime/otaku capital
• Neagtive attitudes towards otaku culture in Akihabara
• How Akihabara paved the way for Ikebukuro's rise as an otaku center of Japan
• The future of Akihabara
• And much more!

👉Subscribe to the Podcast!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

👉Affiliate Links

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan
• Support by Buying a T-Shirt!

Support the show by getting a t-shirt!

• MechaNekoSushi.com

👉Links, Videos, Etc.

Check out Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith's books about Akihabara and otaku culture.

• The Ethics of Affect: Lines and Life in a Tokyo Neighborhood: https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/50996/1/9789176351567.pdf
• Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan: https://www.amazon.com/Otaku-Struggle-Imagination-Patrick-Galbraith/dp/1478006293

Check out Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith's other appearances on Japan Station.

• Japan Station 30: Understanding "Otaku" and Akihabara w. Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith: https://japankyo.com/2020/01/japan-station-podcast-about-akihabara-history-otaku/
• AKB48 (Dr. Patrick W. Galbraith) | Japan Station 38: https://japankyo.com/2020/05/japan-station-podcast-history-japanese-aidoru-akb48/
• Obscenity, Censorship & Erotic Comics in Japan (Patrick W. Galbraith) | Japan Station 59: https://japankyo.com/2021/02/eromanga-erotic-comics-japan/

👉Follow on Social Media

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

This is a re-broadcast of an episode originally released on 8/21/21.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Is Yamaguchi cursed to have "ugly" girls? We also discuss other places in Japan known for having many beautiful/ugly women.

Topics Discussed

• The three most scenic views in Japan
• What the Sandaibijin (三大美人) is
• What places in Japan are most known for having beautiful women
• Fukuoka (Hakata), Akita, and Kyoto's status as places in Japan known for having many beautiful women
• How Kanazawa/Ishikawa/Kaga is known for having beautiful women
• Some theories about why Hakata, Akita and Kyoto (supposedly) have so many beautiful women
• The theory that short days and humid climate contributes to the white and moist skin of Akita's women
• How white/fair skin is considered beautiful by many in Japan
• The theory that the women of Kyoto are cultured and refined so that results in there being so many beautiful women in Kyoto
• The theory that collagen consumption via motsunabe and chicken helps produce the beautiful women of Hakata
• How pleasure districts might be connected to the impression that Akita, Fukuoka, and Kyoto have many beautiful women
• The idea that the Sea of Japan side of Japan is home to many beautiful women
• The theory that genetic mixing may be a reason for why the Sea of Japan side of Japan supposedly has so many beautiful women
• What the Sandaibusu (三大ブス) is
• The three places in Japan known for having "ugly women"
• Sendai, Nagoya, and Mito's status as the three places in Japan known for having many ugly women
• The theory that claims Tokugawa Yoshifusa sent groups of "ugly" women to Sendai, Nagoya, and Wakayama
• Nagoya's reputation as a boring place
• The so-called urban legend that women from Yamaguchi are all ugly
• The story of Oman's curse as a possible explanation for why women from Yamaguchi are supposedly ugly
• Throwing snakes at women
• And much more!

Listen to Ichimon Japan on

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Support on Patreon

If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month and that comes with perks like early access to episodes, a shout-out at the beginning of a future episode, bonus content, and discounts to Kimito Designs. For $3 a month you get all that plus access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and its many quirks. Whether you are studying Japanese or just enjoy learning about language and linguistics, you'll enjoy Japanese Plus Alpha.

And it goes without saying that if you sign up, you'll also get my undying gratitude. Thanks in advance!

• Support on Patreon

Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.

Get 10% off a voice & data SIM card plan by using my mobal affiliate link.

• https://mobal.com/tonyjapan

Support the show by getting a t-shirt!

• https://mechanekosushi.com/

Here are some of the Japanese language articles found when researching the topic of this episode.

• もっともブスな女性が多そうな街は…「日本三大ブス」説が崩壊？
• 茨城ブスについて。 都市伝説をさらっと考えてみる。
• 石川県金沢市は美女が多いのでしょうか？
• 日本三大美人の根拠＆美人が多いと思われている都道府県は？
• 日本三大美人！なぜ、この三県が？その理由やいかに！
• 秋田・京都・福岡が「日本三大美人」に選ばれた理由とは？ 様々な三大○○に面白おかしく迫る！
• 山口ブス伝説
• 【山口ブス伝説】女子にとっては超迷惑な「姫山伝説」知ってる？
• 姫山のお万
• 月曜から夜更かし「山口呪われたブス伝説」 （山口姫山伝説）のルーツ？
• 【ネタ】山口の女性はブスばかり？「呪われた山口県ブス伝説」に迫る

Don't forget to check out the latest episodes of the Japan Station podcast via the links below.

• Black Box: Discussing the Shiori Ito Story (Allison Markin Powell Part 1) | Japan Station 72
• You Know What I Mean? On Translating Japanese Fiction (Allison Markin Powell Part 2) | Japan Station 73

Support the show by picking up a t-shirt at KimitoDesigns.com.

• Check out Kimito Designs

Japanese Vocabulary List

Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here's some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen's WWWJDIC.

• Bijin
• Busu

We Want Your Questions

Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We're always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to [email protected].

Special Thanks

Opening/Closing Theme: Produced by Apol (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Fiverr)

Ichimon Japan cover art: Produced by Erik R.

Follow Japankyo on Social Media

• Facebook (@JapanKyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapanKyoNews)

Full Show Notes

• https:///japankyo.com/ichimonjapan

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about interesting words related to aging and shoulders and a weird ECC commercial.

👉Topics Discussed

• 四十肩ō
• And much more!
• 👉Subscribe to the Podcast!
• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB
• 👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi
• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
• Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
• Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
• Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
• Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega
• 👉Affiliate Links
• Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.
• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan
• Support by Buying a T-Shirt!
• Support the show by getting a t-shirt!
• MechaNekoSushi.com
• 👉Links, Videos, Etc.
• Here is the Kinman commercial featuring the foreign guy saying he ate 28 Kinman.
• 
• 👉Follow on Social Media
• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony
• What shijūkata (ū四十肩) is
• What gjūkata (五十肩) is
• What arasā (アラサー) is
• What arafō (アラフォー) is
• What arafifu (アラフィフ) is
• And much more!

👉Subscribe to the Podcast!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

👉Affiliate Links

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan
• Support by Buying a T-Shirt!

Support the show by getting a t-shirt!

• MechaNekoSushi.com

👉Links, Videos, Etc.

None

👉Follow on Social Media

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Japan Station, we're talking about what life in Akita Prefecture is like AND why women from Akita are (supposedly) so beautiful!

👉Topics Discussed

• Where Akita Prefecture is in relation to other prefectures in the Tohoku region
• About Akita's famous Kinman
• Why people in Akita like to say they've eaten 28 Kinman
• About how rural Akita is
• About the high number of bear attacks and fatalities in Akita Prefecture
• About Akita's status as one of Japan's highest rice producers
• About the Akita Komachi rice brand
• About Akita bijin
• About Akita's "beautiful women"
• Theories explaining why Akita is known for having beautiful women
• Whether the story saying that Satake clan took all of Ibaraki's beautiful women to Akita is plasuible
• The less sunlight and good water theories explaining Akita women's beautiful skin
• Kawahata geisha
• What the heck toppinpararinopū
• And much more!

👉Subscribe to the Podcast!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

👉Affiliate Links

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan
• Support by Buying a T-Shirt!

Support the show by getting a t-shirt!

• MechaNekoSushi.com

👉Links, Videos, Etc.

Here is the Kinman commercial featuring the foreign guy saying he ate 28 Kinman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8nf5qjaeGQ

👉Follow on Social Media

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Japan Station, Alex Litz of Expedition Japan joins us to talk about tourism in Japan, Yamagata Prefecture and places/events to check out during a visit to Yamagata.

👉Topics Discussed

• How Alex ended up in Yamagata Prefecture
• About studying abroad in Yamagata Prefecture
• About tourism in Japan
• What's so great about Yamagata? Places to visit in Yamagata
• Yamagata food
• Events and festivals in Yamagata
• The dialects of Yamagata
• Getting around in Yamagata
• And much more!

👉Subscribe to the Podcast!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

👉Affiliate Links

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan
• Support by Buying a T-Shirt!

Support the show by getting a t-shirt!

• MechaNekoSushi.com

👉Links, Videos, Etc.

Here are the links to Expedition Japan and Alex Litz's Instagram.

• Expedition Japan Website: https://expedition-japan.com/
• Alex Litz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldfisho/

👉Follow on Social Media

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

This is a re-release of Ichimon Japan episode 28.

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: How do Japanese names work?

Topics Discussed

• How people in Japan normally state their family name before their given name
• The complicated history of naming practices in Japan
• Commoners being prohibited from using family names during the Edo Period
• The Meiji era laws that mandated every Japanese person take a family name
• The reluctance of some people to take a family name during the Meiji Period
• The fact that many (most?) people with the surname Satō (佐藤) are probably not descended from samurai
• The fact that many commoners were given last names based on the geographical features of the area in which they lived
• The story of how the Furo (風呂) family supposedly got their family name from Minamoto no Yoshitsune
• The most common family names in Japan in 2019
• How many Japanese family names there are
• The prevalence of rare Japanese last names
• The regional nature of some Japanese family names
• The convention of naming boys based on their birth order
• How it's easy to forget people's first names in Japan
• Some of the factors people in Japan consider when naming a baby
• Asking people in Japan about the kanji they use for their given name as a way to spark conversation
• The phenomenon of siblings having related names
• Interesting names in anime
• The practice of picking a baby name based on the way a name is written
• How much it usually costs to have a shrine pick a baby name for you
• What a seimeihandanshi is
• What it might cost you to have a seimeihandanshi pick a baby name for you
• A list outlining the most popular baby names in Japan of 2019
• The Japanese naming convention of tōriji
• How shorter names have become common in Japan in recent years
• How female names that end in -ko used to be more common
• And much more!

Note: Just for the sake of clarity, I'd like to point out that the story of the Furo family name did not occur during the Meiji Period (actually it probably never even occurred in the way it is normally told). However, because the story was introduced alongside the changes of the Meiji Period it's possible to be left with the impression that there was a connection there. There is no direct connection. The story was simply brought up as an example of the many interesting ways in which people in Japan acquired last names.

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Support on Patreon

If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month and that comes with perks like early access to episodes, a shout-out at the beginning of a future episode, bonus content, and discounts to Kimito Designs. For $3 a month you get all that plus access to Japanese Plus Alpha, a podcast produced by me (Tony Vega) that focuses on the Japanese language and its many quirks. Whether you are studying Japanese or just enjoy learning about language and linguistics, you'll enjoy Japanese Plus Alpha.

And it goes without saying that if you sign up, you'll also get my undying gratitude. Thanks in advance!

• Support on Patreon
• Mobal Link

  Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

  • Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

Get a T-Shirt!

Support the show by getting a t-shirt!

• MechaNekoSushi.com

Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.

Here are some of the main Japanese-language sources that were used when doing the research for this episode.

• 全国名字ランキング
• 【名字】風呂
• 実在する珍しい名字 (5)
• 通字と偏諱
• 日本人の苗字はこうしてつけられた 【CGS 日本の歴史 5-9】
• NHKネーミングバラエティー日本人のおなまえっ 日本一短い名字「井」
• 名付けを神社にお願いするには？方法や金額相場や初穂料について解説
• 名付けはどうやって決めた？先輩ママに聞いてみよう
• 赤ちゃんの名付け！気をつけるポイントと名付け方法
• 神社での命名にかかる料金はどれぐらい？手順や注意点を解説します！

Here are some of the main English-language sources used when doing the research for this episode.

• A Long History of Japanese Names
  • This is the Tofugu article mentioned during this episode.
• The Japanese Naming System - Morphology and Semantics of Individual Names by Anja Collazo
  • This is the thesis mentioned during this episode.
• Japan's Name Culture: The Significance of Names in a Religious, Political, and Social Context by Herbert Plutschow

Here are the Ichimon Japan episodes mentioned during this episode.

• Why are school rules in Japan so strict? (All About Kōsoku) | Ichimon Japan 23
• What is seppuku? (The Basics of Samurai "Suicide") | Ichimon Japan18

Here is the latest episode of Japan Station.

• Yūrei, Ghosts & Yōkai, A Chat w. Zack Davisson | Japan Station 50

If you would like to check out the Kimito Designs shop, then use the link below. Remember to use the coupon code OPENING10 when you check out to get 10% off (valid until the end of 2020).

• Visit KimitoDesigns.com

Japanese Vocabulary List

Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here's some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen's WWWJDIC.

• Myōji
  • 苗字 : 苗字(P); 名字(P) 【みょうじ】 (n) (See 名前・2) surname; family name
• Namae
  • 名前 : 名前(P); 名まえ 【なまえ】 (n) (1) name; (n) (2) (See 名字) given name; first name;
• Furo
  • 風呂 【ふろ】 (n) (1) (See お風呂) bath; bathing; bathtub; bathroom; (n) (2) bathhouse; public bath
• Kenkō
  • 健康 【けんこう】 (n) (1) health; (adj-na) (2) healthy; sound; fit; wholesome
• Futoi
  • 太い 【ふとい】 (adj-i) (1) fat; thick; (adj-i) (2) deep (of a voice); thick; sonorous; (adj-i) (3) daring; shameless; brazen; audacious
• Seimeihandan
  • 姓名判断 【せいめいはんだん】 (n) (yoji) fortunetelling based on writing or pronunciation of one's name
• Iemoto
  • 家元 【いえもと】 (n) head of a school (of music, dance); head family of a school
• Himawari
  • ひまわり (n) sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
• Tsumugi
  • 紬 : 紬; 紡ぎ 【つむぎ】 (n) pongee; soft thin cloth woven from raw silk
• Tsumugu
  • 紡ぐ 【つむぐ】 ; (v5g,vt) (1) to spin; to make yarn; (v5g,vt) (2) to spin (a tale); to assemble (e.g. words); to put together
• Kotoba o tsumugu
  • 言葉を紡ぐ : 言葉を紡ぐ; 言葉をつむぐ 【ことばをつむぐ】 (exp,v5g) (poet) to express in a refined fashion; to weave a web of words
• Wa
  • 和 : 和(P); 倭 【わ】 (n) (1) (和 only) {math} sum; (n) (2) (和 only) harmony; peace; (n,n-pref,adj-no) (3) Japan; Japanese-style

We Want Your Questions

Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We're always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to [email protected].

Special Thanks

Opening/Closing Theme: Produced by Apol (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Fiverr)

Ichimon Japan cover art: Produced by Erik R.

Follow Japankyo on Social Media

• Facebook (@JapanKyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapanKyoNews)

Full Show Notes

• https:///japankyo.com/ichimonjapan

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about two peculiar words depakosu and puchipura. Also i talk a bit about the origin of the name of the anime Odd Taxi.

👉Topics Discussed

• What depakosu (デパコス) means
• What puchipura (プチプラ) means
• The origin of the name of the anime Odd Taxi (オッドタクシー)
• And much more!

👉Subscribe to the Podcast!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

👉Affiliate Links

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

👉Links, Videos, Etc.

None

👉Follow on Social Media

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about some of the unique aspects of living in Aomori Prefecture.

👉Topics Discussed

• What it's like living in Aomori Prefecture
• About the Shimokita Peninsula
• Why life in Aomori can be so inconvenient
• What "English Toast" is (igirisu tōsuto, イギリストースト)
• What igirisu tōsuto is
• About the history of igirisu tōsuto
• Why people in Aomori throw peanuts at oni on Setsubun instead of soybeans
• The dialects of Aomori
• How Aomori became one of Japan's biggest centers for apple production
• About senbeijiru (rice cracker soup)
• And much more!

👉Subscribe to the Podcast!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

👉Affiliate Links

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

👉Links, Videos, Etc.

None

👉Follow on Social Media

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Japan Station, we go through a list of some of the most unique and interesting slang of Japan's Taishō period (1912-1926).

👉Topics Discussed

• Popular Taishō era slang
• How polie during the Taishō era used to say moshi moshi
• Why it was an insult to call someone Mitsukoshi during the Taishō era
• What it was like during the Taishō era
• Taishō era youth culture
• What a gomu geta was
• What musen meant during the Taishō era
• Taishō era opera otaku
• What SS meant during the Taishō period
• The sexy meaning of tōchaku (到着)
• And much more!

👉Subscribe to the Podcast!

• Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/japan-station-a-podcast-by-japankyo-com/id1440454968
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6lDoFFt4M0HyyKaVeDyKkB

👉Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

• Support for as little as $1 a month to get early access to episodes, ad free versions and occassional bonus content
  • Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support via a one time donation!
  • Ko-fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo
  • Venmo: https://venmo.com/tonyrvega
  • Paypal.me: https://paypal.me/tonyrvega

👉Affiliate Links

Use my Mobal affiliate link to get a 10% discount on their voice & data plan. Their voice & data plan is perfect for those who want a Japanese phone number while in Japan. Using this link gets you a discount and it provides me with a small commission which I use to fund JapanKyo.

• Get 10% off of Mobal's Voice & Data plan: https://www.mobal.com/tonyjapan

👉Links, Videos, Etc.

If you want to learn about Edo/Meiji period street merchant slang, check out the link below!

• Japanese Street Merchant Slang: 10 Words from Japan's Edo Merchants | Japan Station 158

👉Follow on Social Media

• X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/japankyonews
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyrvega.bsky.social
• Tony R. Vega Personal Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonyrvega
• The Anime Linguist YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theanimelinguist
• Japan Station YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@japankyonews
• Website: https://japankyo.com/
• Tony R. Vega Personal X/Twitter: https://x.com/thevegatony

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: 10 Reasons You'll Hate Living in Japan. Really?

Topics Discussed

• Reasons why you may hate living in Japan
• No trash cans
• Why there are few public trash cans in Japan
• Where to find trash cans in Japan
• Whether it's rude to walk while eating or drinking in public in Japan
• Lack of soap in public restrooms
• Individually wrapped items
• About not being able to have tattoos in Japan
• Working conditions in Japan
• About salaries in Japan
• About the weird way Japan slices loaves of bread (shokupan)
• About the annoying nature of streets in Japan
• The size of streets in Japan
• Street signs in Japan
• Cheese in Japan
• How difficult it can be to find authentic food and cuisine from other countries
• You you will stand out if you don't look Asian in Japan
• How it will be annoying to live in Japan if you look Asian but don't speak Japanese
• And much more!

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Support on Patreon & Ko-fi

If you enjoy Ichimon Japan and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. You can join for just $1 a month. Patrons get first access to podcast episodes, as well as updates on what I'm working on for JapanKyo.com. If you join the $3 a month tier you get access to the back catalog of the Japanese Plus Alpha podcast (a short series on interesting Japanese words and features of the Japanese language). If you would like to do a one time donation, that is also possible. Just use the Ko-fi link below. All donations are greatly appreciated! And if you can't support financially, that's ok. Consider telling a friend about the show!

• Support on Patreon https://patreon.com/japankyo
• Support on Ko-fi https://www.ko-fi.com/japankyo

Links, Videos, Etc.

To learn more about how the Tokyo sarin gas attack is not the direct cause for there being so few public trash cans in Japan, check out the episode of Japan Station linked below.

• The REAL Reason Japan doesn't have public TRASH CANS! They're LYING TO YOU! | Japan Station 163

To learn more about the MAJISON Tokaido Challenge, check out the latest episode of Japan Station. See the link below

https://japankyo.com/2023/08/im-walking-from-kyoto-to-tokyo-and-im-legally-blind-japan-station-majison-tokaido-challenge/

We Want Your Questions

Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We're always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to [email protected].

Special Thanks

Opening/Closing Theme: Produced by Apol (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Fiverr)

Ichimon Japan cover art: Produced by Erik R.

Follow Japankyo on Social Media

• Facebook (@JapanKyoNews)
• Twitter (@JapanKyoNews)
• Instagram (@JapanKyoNews)

Full Show Notes

• https:///japankyo.com/ichimonjapan