January 4, 2024 • 28m
While Japan's population ages, many "active seniors" energetically participate in work and hobbies. An 88-year-old programmer and ...Read more
January 25, 2024 • 28m
Two-thirds of Japan is covered in forest, and wood has long been the building material of choice. But today, forests are in poor c...Read more
March 7, 2024 • 28m
Matthew Headland, a Canadian, works in marketing at a hand-hammered copperware workshop. In a Japanophiles interview, he shares hi...Read more
March 21, 2024 • 28m
It's a 20th anniversary special! Presenters and viewers join Peter Barakan to look at some highlights. Part one features musician ...Read more
March 28, 2024 • 28m
It's a 20th anniversary special! Presenters and viewers join Peter Barakan to look back at some highlights. Part two features fans...Read more
April 11, 2024 • 28m
After a slow start, Japanese washing machines have become some of the most advanced in the world. We look at their development and...Read more
April 25, 2024 • 28m
Japan's many vacant homes are being used as investments, hotel rooms and opportunities for creative renovation. We discover ways t...Read more
May 9, 2024 • 28m
Nicoleta Oprisan from Romania is highly skilled at ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. In a Japanophiles interview, she...Read more
May 23, 2024 • 28m
Wakocha, black tea grown and processed in Japan, is winning major international awards. To discover why, Peter Barakan speaks to t...Read more
June 6, 2024 • 28m
Roughly 90% of Japan's plastic models are made in Shizuoka, a city whose manufacturing roots date back to shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. ...Read more
June 20, 2024 • 20m
Japanese food tech products such as soybean-based meat substitutes are made using new technology. Land-based aquaculture and 3D fo...Read more
July 11, 2024 • 28m
Shugendo is a uniquely Japanese spiritual tradition known for its grueling ascetic practices. We explore its origins in the heavil...Read more
July 18, 2024 • 28m
Scholar Minakata Kumagusu made contributions to biology, folklore and other fields. He laid the foundation for environmental conse...Read more
August 1, 2024 • 28m
Lekh Raj Juneja, from India, leads Japan's largest manufacturer of rice snacks. In a Japanophiles interview, he talks about the in...Read more
August 15, 2024 • 28m
One of the world's top three production centers for eyeglasses is Sabae, in Fukui Prefecture. We trace the history of Japanese gla...Read more
August 29, 2024 • 28m
About 900 service areas provide amenities to drivers on Japan's expressway toll roads, generating 530 billion yen in annual sales....Read more
September 12, 2024 • 28m
Japanese raccoon dogs, or tanuki, are globally rare but have increasingly been seen in Japan's cities since the COVID-19 pandemic....Read more
September 26, 2024 • 28m
French journalist and "sento ambassador" Stephanie Crohin promotes sento, or public bathhouses, on social media. She tells Peter B...Read more
October 10, 2024 • 28m
The world loves Japan's heavy machinery. We explore the secrets of its popularity and learn about items ranging from small excavat...Read more
October 24, 2024 • 28m
End-of-life planning is spreading in Japan, with many people now thinking hard about what to do with their cremated remains. We le...Read more
November 7, 2024 • 28m
The spaces under Japan's elevated train tracks are now being used not just for pubs and restaurants but in many new ways, in vario...Read more
November 21, 2024 • 28m
Adam Smith is a potter from England who follows a self-sufficient lifestyle in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. He creates rich...Read more
December 12, 2024 • 28m
Admired by John F. Kennedy, Uesugi Yozan was a feudal lord who took over the Yonezawa Domain at the age of 15. He enacted financia...Read more
December 19, 2024 • 28m
A feudal lord admired by John F. Kennedy, Uesugi Yozan prioritized the well-being of his people. This time, in part two, we look a...Read more