Read Roméo's latest article on Japanese opposition parties in Tokyo Review at: https://www.tokyoreview.net/2021/10/japans-opposition-is-this-the-year/

Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan on the Record with Dr. Andrew Gordon (Harvard) and Dr. Michael Reich (Harvard)

Aug 31st, 2021 25m 49s

View Dr. Gordon and Dr. Reich's co-authored article, "The Puzzle of Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan" in the Journal of Japanese Studies here: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/799776.

Nagasaki Anti-Nuclear Movements and the TPNW on the Record with Dr. Gwyn McClelland (UNE)

Aug 24th, 2021 19m 40s

In this episode, Dr. Gwyn McClelland (UNE) discusses Japan's refusal to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons despite outspoken criticism from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, before introducing the complex history of anti-nuclear moveme

Foreign Media and Japan's Postwar Pacifism on the Record with Dr. Tom Le (Pomona)

Aug 10th, 2021 18m 40s

In this episode, Dr. Tom Le (Pomona) responds to recent news coverage of Japan's security position towards Taiwan, counters media narratives about resurgent Japanese militarism by emphasizing demographic barriers and the postwar peace culture t

Foreign Students and Japan's Border Closures on the Record with Dr. Chelsea Szendi Schieder (Aoyama Gakuin)

Aug 4th, 2021 15m 14s

In this episode, Dr. Schieder discusses the impacts of Japan's COVID-related border closures on foreign students, scholars, and researchers waiting to enter Japan, introduces actions taken by community members in the form of an open letter, onl

Demon Slayer and the Future of Anime on the Record with Dr. Patrick Galbraith (Senshu)

Jul 27th, 2021 18m 46s

In this episode, Dr. Patrick Galbraith (Senshu) reacts to the global popularity of Demon Slayer before explaining why it has become so popular so quickly, how Demon Slayer marks a major shift in anime production away from directors like Miyazak

Tokyo 2020 and the Future of the Olympic Games with Dr. Jules Boykoff (Pacific)

Jul 20th, 2021 16m 4s

In this episode, Dr. Jules Boykoff (Pacific) outlines the many scandals and health concerns plaguing the Tokyo 2020 Olympics before explaining why organizers went ahead with the Games and gauging how Tokyo 2020 might impact the future of the Ol

Japanese Military Policy on the Record with Dr. Sheila A. Smith (CFR)

Jan 23rd, 2021 18m 51s

In this episode, Dr. Sheila A. Smith (CFR) places recent Japanese arms export deals with East-Asian neighbors into the context of changing security concerns and Japan's larger Indo-Pacific strategies, before discussing how new administrations i

The Development and Future of the US-JPN Military Alliance on the Record with Dr. Ellis Krauss (UCSD)

Dec 18th, 2020 18m 14s

In this episode, Dr. Krauss (UCSD) traces the development of the US-Japanese military alliance and Japanese re-militarization under former Prime Ministers Nakasone, Koizumi, and Abe, contrasts Japanese and German pacifism, and discusses how a n

Japan's COVID Economy on the Record with Dr. Gene Park (LMU)

Dec 11th, 2020 23m 25s

In this episode, Dr. Gene Park (LMU) outlines the state of the Japanese economy prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing how former Prime Minister Abe Shinzō was able to reinflate the economy and achieve one of Japan's longest periods of postw

JAXA and Japanese Space Policy on the Record with Dr. Saadia Pekkanen (UW)

Dec 4th, 2020 15m 42s

In this episode, Dr. Saadia Pekkanen (UW) places the recent launch of JAXA astronaut Noguchi Sōichi aboard the SpaceX Resilience into the longer history of Japanese space exploration and collaborations with NASA and other organizations, and hig

Naomi Osaka and Women's Sport in Japan on the Record with Dr. Helen Macnaughtan (SOAS)

Nov 13th, 2020 29m 40s

In this episode, Dr. Helen Macnaughtan (SOAS) places Naomi Osaka's recent accomplishments into the longer historical context of Japanese women's sports champions, including the gold-medal volleyball team at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics and the 2011

Political Comedy in Japan on the Record with Shawn De Haven (IUHW)

Oct 29th, 2020 21m 10s

In this episode, Shawn De Haven (IUHW) explains why the passing of famous comedian Shimura Ken in late March had such a profound impact on Japan, along with discussing the importance of television comedy in Japan and highlighting the recent eme

The Rebirth of Japanese Studies on the Record with Dr. Paula R. Curtis (Yale)

Oct 20th, 2020 16m 5s

In this episode, Dr. Curtis (Yale) discusses the "rebirth" of Japanese Studies in light of recent challenges confronting academia around the world and offers thoughts on how scholars can work together to rebuild a more inclusive academic enviro

COVID-19 and Japanese "Mindo" in Colonial Korea on the Record with Dr. Michael Kim (Yonsei)

Oct 6th, 2020 17m 23s

In this episode, Dr. Michael Kim (Yonsei) responds to controversial claims that Japan's higher "mindo" (level of culture) explains its successful response to the coronavirus pandemic, providing historical context about how rhetoric of "mindo" f

Japan's Asia-Pacific Trade after Abe on the Record with Dr. Saori Katada (USC)

Sep 28th, 2020 18m 40s

In this episode, Dr. Katada (USC) discusses how the recent change in Japanese administrations might impact foreign trade in the Asia-Pacific, outlining how Japan has taken advantage of competition between China and the USA to reposition itself

Constitutional Revision in Post-Abe Japan on the Record with Dr. Helen Hardacre (Harvard)

Sep 18th, 2020 25m 19s

In this episode, Dr. Helen Hardacre (Harvard) discusses the impacts of Prime Minister Abe's resignation on the future of the constitutional revision debate in Japan, explaining why constitutional revision was such an important policy goal for A

Dismantling the Ivory Tower in Asian Studies on the Record with Dr. Christine Yano (Hawaii)

Sep 11th, 2020 19m 46s

In this episode, AAS President Dr. Christine Yano (Hawaii) talks about how recent developments including COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have presented an opportunity for scholars to tear down the traditional hierarchies and rigid

September School Enrollment in Japan on the Record with Dr. Masako Egawa (Hitotsubashi)

Aug 28th, 2020 16m 13s

In this episode, Dr. Masako Egawa (Hitotsubashi) discusses her involvement in debates at the University of Tokyo about changing the start of the Japanese school year to September, laying out arguments both for and against adopting the September

COVID-19, 3/11, and Media Credibility in Japan on the Record with Dr. Sonja Petrovic (Melbourne)

Aug 21st, 2020 20m 29s

In this episode, Dr. Sonja Petrovic (Melbourne) details how the 3/11 Tōhoku Triple Disaster in 2011 caused a decline in public trust in media and government information, changed media consumption habits in Japan, and shaped popular reception of

#CovidDivorce and Changing Intimacies in Japan on the Record with Dr. Allison Alexy (Michigan)

Aug 14th, 2020 15m 37s

In this episode, Dr. Allison Alexy (Michigan) reacts to news coverage of #CovidDivorce in Japan as the latest example of sensationalist media treatments of Japanese intimacies before outlining how intimate relationship in Japan have changed ove

The Politics of Public Statues and Monuments in Japan on the Record with Dr. Sven Saaler (Sophia)

Aug 7th, 2020 19m 36s

In this episode, Dr. Sven Saaler (Sophia) responds to recent controversies over public statues by describing the active role statues and monuments play in shaping popular understandings of history, communicating ideas about society to future ge

Anpo, Street Protests, and Civil Disobedience in Japan on the Record with Dr. Nick Kapur (Rutgers-Camden)

Jul 31st, 2020 17m 2s

In this episode, Dr. Nick Kapur (Rutgers-Camden) places recent BLM marches into the context of Japan’s longer history of street protests and civil disobedience, highlighting the violent protests opposing the resigning of the controversial US-Ja

Blackface, Whitewashing, and Anti-Black Racism in Japan on the Record with Dr. John G. Russell (Gifu University)

Jul 24th, 2020 28m 59s

In this episode, Dr. John G. Russell (Gifu) explains the endurance of Blackface performance in Japan, along with discussing how the Whitewashing of prominent Black Japanese and depictions of Black masculinity in Japanese pop culture reveal raci