Listen Now

Japan is often portrayed as a quirky, weird and even oddly exotic country in foreign media even though, it is not! But why is that? What does that actually imply for and of the Japanese society? That is what we are discussing with Christopher Hayes in this episode of our new season 5 that focuses on identity. Christopher Hayes received his Ph.D. from Cardiff University (2019). His research interests include contemporary British media representation of Japan, the persistence of Orientalist discourses, and foreign tourist perceptions of Japan. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow at the Kyoto Institute, Library and Archives in Japan, and has also conducted research at Liverpool John Moores University. He is currently a Research Associate at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, where he is leading the development of the Institute’s Online Summer Programme for summer 2021. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, with a forthcoming article in Japanese, and two forthcoming chapters on news discourses during Covid.   Check out Christopher's online Summer Programme in Japanese Cultural Studies 2021 – Science, Sport and Sustainability: Towards an Interdisciplinary Future in Japanese Studies - FREE to enroll for anyone: https://www.sainsbury-institute.org/online-summer-programme-2021 ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau  

How has Japan's Startup ecosystem evolved over the years? We go live in conversation with the Founder of the Disrupting Japan Podcast, Tim Romero to dive deeper. Amid the ecosystem's increasing opportunities and growing unicorn population, we want to take a look back at what's changed, what's the same, and what the future holds. Who better to discuss this with than someone who has closely observed the space for decades, both as a Founder and as Japan's first professional podcaster. Learn more about Tim and the Disrupting Japan Podcast: https://www.disruptingjapan.com/tim/ ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau  

"I wanted to revolutionize education and make it better from the ground up". Co-Founder & Representative Director of Youth Who Code, Tsuyoshi "Yoshi" Domoto joins us to discuss how Japan can better harness education and technology to benefit the future generation. Youth Who Code is a social enterprise with a mission of making tech education fun and accessible to all. Yoshi is a Third Culture Kid who grew up in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong (SAR) and South Korea until the age of high school and received his higher education in the United States. He worked in Honduras as a green coffee buyer for two years and went on to receive his Master's degree in Education Technology afterwards. He returned to Japan in 2017 and since then, he has been trying to find his place in Japanese society as well as the best way in which he can make a difference. Check out Youth Who Code: https://www.youthwhocode.org/ ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau  

Katheryn Gronauer is an executive trainer and coach for cross-cultural education and orientation programs for professionals in Japan. We sat down with Katheryn in this episode to discuss how she's helping expats in Japan learn to live, work, and thrive better in Japan. It's something we've all struggled with in our first years living abroad and perhaps you can relate to this as well.  She has a degree in International Business & Culture from Sophia University, a certification in training and change-management from ATD, and a coaching certification from IIN. Most importantly, she was raised between Japan and America with firsthand sensitivity to the cultural differences and challenges that new expats encounter every day. Katheryn’s company Thrive Tokyo has been named “One of Tokyo’s hotspots to satisfy anyone” by Eurobiz Magazine. Her work and accomplishments have been featured in Women’s Health, HuffPost, Mobility Magazine, Mindbodygreen, JapanToday, Savvy Tokyo, Thrive Global, Elephant Journal, The Everygirl, Thought Catalog, and Elite Daily. Katheryn has worked with a wide variety of clients across a range of industries from multinational corporations such as Toyota to start-up companies to spouses and more. She has been a guest public speaker on wellness and lifestyle transition at the US Embassy, Toyo University, FEW Japan, and Roppongi Cooperative. Check out Thrive Tokyo: thrivetokyo.com Connect with Katheryn: linkedin.com/in/katheryngronauer Follow Katheryn: instagram.com/katheryngronauer Check out Katheryn's book on Yo-Yo Dieting: www.amazon.com/Confessions-Yo-Yo-Dieter-Katheryn-Gronauer-ebook/dp/B07CVRDQ6C ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau  

Miho Tanaka is the founder of Startup Work Inc. - a one-stop-shop for foreign entrepreneurs starting a business in Japan. With her extensive experience in the start-up world, she helps start-ups to successfully scale-up while providing guidance when it comes to company establishment, loan and grant applications, as well as contract drafting. Using her vast knowledge of Japan's governing laws, she aims to educate residents and foreign entrepreneurs alike on what they need to know about Japan's immigration laws. Tune in to this episode to learn more about some of the challenges entrepreneurs face when starting a business in Japan, and what foreigners need to know about their rights. Check out Miho's blog where she writes a lot about these topics: https://medium.com/@mihotanaka​ Check out Startup Work Inc: https://startupjapan.work/ ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau

Hot off the heels of our discussion on female entrepreneurship in Japan, we're continuing our discussion on the Japanese tech industry and the role of women. Asumi Saito is the co-founder of Waffle.org, a non-profit​ that empowers and educates girls to close the gender gap​ in tech​. She studied Econometrics and Data Analysis at the University of Arizona, where she also learned about human rights​ through the community of Tucson, and started her first career as a data scientist​. Her interest also lies in athletics​, gov tech​, and poverty reduction​. Asumi is an incredibly interesting and awesome human being - be sure to join us for what promises to be a very insightful conversation. Check out Waffle: https://waffle-waffle.org ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau

Finding your place in Japan, particularly as a foreigner, may seem like a daunting task for some of us. Eri Ochiai and Heather Dobbin of Tokyo-based coding camp, Code Chrysalis share their stories on what it took to get where they are in Japan today. Eri Ochiai grew up in the US and Canada before she came back to her home country, Japan, to attend university. In Japanese, there is a specific term used to describe a person like Eri: 'Kikokushijou'. Similar to many foreigners who pursue work in Japan, Eri decided not to go through the Japanes job-hunting process and instead opted to go abroad again. Fast-forward to the present and she's now back in Japan working in the tech scene and helps graduates who are intimated by the job hunting process in Japan.  Heather Dobbin left Atlanta Georgia for a life in South Korea in 2010. There, she managed an English teaching program for 3 years and while she loved the experience of being abroad and teaching, she opted to move to Japan to pursue other opportunities beyond English teaching. She found her true calling in Japan - helping people realize and achieve their true potential. She is now working as a certified life coach in Japan and went on to found her own startup: Ikigaime.  To our audience, we know a lot of you have tried to pursue a career in Japan and after spending a couple of years there, instead opted not to. We hope this discussion can give you some guidance and insight into what you need to do to find your place in Japan. Check out Code Chrysalis: codechysalis.io Check out IkigaiMe: ikigai.me ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau

Joining us are founders of the project​ "Female entrepreneurship for women empowerment in Japan" supported by the Scandinavia - Japan Sasakawa Foundation. Meet Mia Anfinsen and Alma Karabeg, two of the minds behind this new initiative that will see the launch of a national survey in 2021. Mia has an International Baccalaureate Diploma, a BA in marketing and management communication, and an MBA in Applied #finance​. She has been scaling startups from early to late-stage and is currently a Head of Performance Marketing for a Fintech startup in berlin​. She is a strong advocate for female representation and encourages women in tech​, finance, and leadership roles, both in her workplace and through women’s networks in Berlin. Alma holds an International Baccalaureate Diploma, a BA in Political Science including studies on Japan's Culture and Political-Economical System, a MA in Sociology, and an MPA. She has professional experience from the government and aid sectors working on governmentally funded international projects in designing concepts for economic development and building institutional capacity in several countries in Europe. She held a voluntary role in an international NGO supporting the SDG 5. ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau

Kasumi Refugee Support Youth is an organization made up of a diverse group of international students in Japan. Their main goal is to break through the language barrier and raise awareness on the dire circumstances of refugees in Japan through activities such as translating research and articles, engaging with local stakeholders, and teaching migrant children Japanese. Members of KRSY Minh Anh, Naoki Moriyama, and Reina Hayashi join us to share their story on how the group came to be and why it is important to raise awareness on this issue. Check out KSRY's website: https://kasumi4refugees.org ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau  

JET stands for "Japan Exchange and Teaching" - it was founded with the aim of promoting grass-roots international exchange between Japan and other nations. Language Specialist and ALT serving under the JET Programme, Julia Isoyama joins us to discuss all about what it takes to join and teach in one of the most competitive English teaching programs in the world. ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau

Oyunkhuu Otgonbaatar and Undariya Rinchin join us to share some of their insights about the Mongolian community in Japan, working in the Mongolian press, and supporting foreigners living in Japan through services like GTN (definitely had their fair share helping us back in the day).  ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ  Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau

Brittany Arthur is the Founder & CEO at Design Thinking Japan. She speaks Japanese, English, and German and has a long portfolio of building long-term trusted business relationships with clients. Her background is in international business and began her career at Fortune companies working across Japan and Germany. Brittany has trained over 2,500 business people in Design Thinking in Japan which has translated to new businesses and opportunities for many. She is also the producer and host of the Business Karaoke podcast. Check out Design Thinking Japan: designthinkingjapan.com​ Subscribe to Business Karaoke podcast: buzzsprout.com/1009438​   Follow Brittany: twitter.com/_brittanyarthur ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau

Hiroshi Taniguchi is a hairstylist and entrepreneur who has established hair salon businesses around the world. What's the hairstyling business like in Japan? Based on general standards of hair, we'd say they have it on point. Listen in to hear Hiroshi's story of how he dropped everything he had to pursue the industry in New York, only to come back years later to use his skills to open up a second branch of Mey Salon. Check out Mey Salon in New York: https://meynewyork.com Or if you're in Tokyo: https://meytokyo.com ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau

Shira Putrinda moved to Japan when she was 18 and has lived there for 10 years where she received her bachelor of social science in international governance at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. Needless to say, she's been quite active in Japan, outside of her studies she's practiced Arauma, a traditional dance from Aomori, facilitating a lot of intercultural activities, worked as a teacher, and she has had 6 years of professional experience working at Mitsubishi Motors. Check out Shira's organization and support refugee projects around the world: rij-npo.org/en/ ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau

Thomas Blackwood is a Professor of Sociology and Social Psychology at Tokyo International University. His Ph.D. dissertation (2005) was a study of Japanese high school extracurricular activities. Focusing on baseball, he analyzed the subjective meanings that participation on a team holds for Japanese high school students (and graduates) in forming their identities and worldviews, in addition to helping them develop interpersonal skills and certain qualities of character. His current research is focusing on the lives of foreigners in Japan with complicated residential status: asylum-seekers, visa-overstayers, and foreigners convicted of crimes. In addition to interviewing men in long-term detention facilities, Professor Blackwood is working with child asylum-seekers in Japan to understand the long-term social and psychological impacts of living in Japan with uncertain residential status. In this episode, we discuss his research on high school baseball clubs, team sports, and Japanese immigration detention centers. Learn more about Professor Blackwood and his research here: https://www.tiu.ac.jp/iis/members/bla... Check out the initiative supporting refugees in Japan: https://kasumi4refugees.org ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau  

This episode was aired live on 11 June 2020. Continuing our discussion on adapting to the new normal, we're joined by someone who teaches English and another that deals with B2B to learn more about how Japan's youth are continuing to shift the nature of work during unprecedented circumstances.  Vanda Taron is a lifestyle YouTuber, where she shares her experiences and suggestions on living as a foreigner in Japan. She is also an account executive at B2B agency, Impact M - BBN's Japan office. Takahiro Nakanishi is an English teacher that spent the majority of his life abroad, growing up in Tanzania and Indonesia before coming back Japan. He is also a good friend of the show.  Check out Vanda's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcggFhk_akHN_o08VvxlIA ---------- If you enjoy the show, would you please consider leaving us a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and would really help us out - we love hearing your thoughts and feedback too! YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCo1bniTMxs_QTR_1uDGc0PQ Facebook: facebook.com/bentobureau Instagram: instagram.com/bentobureaupodcast LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/bento-bureau-podcast Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/bentobureau  

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, how did Japan's foreign population react to the so-called new normal? Foreign residents of Japan, Stevi Hidajat and Dalima Tamang to share their experiences dealing with this unprecedented situation.  Stevi is a recruiter while Dalima was in the middle of a transition from her last job. Listen in to our conversation to hear more about how they have adapted to the challenges of Japan's by-the-book's approach to the culture of work, the job-hunting process, and even an interactive game at the end. ---------- Like This Episode? Follow & Support Bento Bureau! YouTube Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Ko-Fi  

Welcome to Bento Bureau, the show where we talk about Japan from an international perspective. This is primarily to serve as our channel trailer on various podcast platforms. ---------- Check us out on the following platforms: YouTube Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Ko-Fi

Welcome back to Bento Bureau! This is the show where we talk about Japan from an international perspective... or at least we used to until we went on a pretty long hiatus. Not anymore! In this episode, the OG members of the show come together for a reunion, to catch up on what we've all been doing around the world, and to kick off the start of a new journey for the show.  ---------- Like This Episode? Follow & Support Bento Bureau! YouTube Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Ko-Fi    

Our good friend Taka introduces us to the world of Japanese music by giving us a taste of a few select, diverse tracks. Here are the songs we listened to if you would like to check them out: - Selfish Love by Miyavi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQwpdY3Fz9c - Omega by Crystal Lake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvJQ1pFBi8A - Luv(sic) Part 6 (feat. Shing02) Remix by Nujabes/Uyama Hiroto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH9qXqsfPrY - Loop Loop by Asian Kung Fu Generation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUtnzOPkC4A - Nichijou anime OP1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B65efQ-6Wrg (Outro music - Luv(sic) part 2 by Nujabes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2DrarHpLrE) Please subscribe to us for more content on any of the following! Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-276785283 iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/jp/podcast/bento-bureau-podcast/id1129669574?l=en&mt=2 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/bento-bureau-podcast https://www.japanpodcastnetwork.com Follow us on social media! - Facebook: www.facebook.com/bentobureau - Twitter: www.twitter.com/bentobureau - Instagram: @bentobureau