Happy Halloween everyone! We started this October with kitsune, and I thought it would be great to finish it with tanuki. So let's see how tanuki and kitsune influenced each other, what tanuki has to do with the 150th anniversary of Japan Railways and how this powerful yokai ended up as a chubby sake-loving goody of today. Support the show: https://japanexplained.com/#support More info on https://japanexplained.com/tanuki/ Cover art: @justlavi ..read more

This time let's have a look at the Japanese art of flower arrangement also known as Ikebana. When did the first flower compositions appear in Japan? How did it evolve into complex art with sets of rules and artistic competitions? And which styles of ikebana are there to try your hands on? Let's figure it out.   More info on https://japanexplained.com/ikebana/ Support the show: https://japanexplained.com/#support Cover art: @justlavi ..read more

To help me break down the many myths about sake, this time I am joined by Dick Stegewerns, the founder of Yoigokochi Sake Importers. We talked about how sake came to Europe and America, how to choose and drink sake, what are the similarities between sake and other alcoholic beverages, how come sake is still mostly produced in tiny breweries, and which sake can be rightfully called the most unusual. More info on https://japanexplained.com/sake/ Yoigokochi Sake Importers: https://yoigokochi.eu/ Bonus episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/66208266 Support the show: https://japanexplained.com/#su ..read more

Just a quick update: I'm taking a break from releasing new episodes. I hate that I can't stick to the uploading schedule, so during the summer, I plan to make a backlog of episodes to release. I'll be back in August and after that, a new episode will be waiting for you every other Monday. Thank you for your patience and support. Talk to you soon, and have a good summer ..read more

Continuing to uncover the truth about sake, let's see how this beverage is made, which types of sake you can find in the shop and how to drink it properly. Or maybe there are no rules at all? More info on https://japanexplained.com/sake/ Bonus episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/66208266 Support the show: https://japanexplained.com/#support Instagram: @japanexplained Cover design: @justlavi ..read more

Few things in Japanese culture are covered by so many myths as sake. For example, sake is not rice vodka and not even rice wine, but in essence it is rice beer. And it is far from being the most popular alcoholic drink in Japan. Starting the 3 part series on sake, let's look into the past, present and future of this traditional Japanese beverage. More info on https://japanexplained.com/sake/ Support the show: https://japanexplained.com/#support Instagram: @japanexplained Cover design: @justlavi ..read more

Hello and welcome to Japan Explained! In this short Intro let me introduce myself and this podcast. Support the show: https://japanexplained.com/#support Instagram: @japanexplained Cover design: @elizabethproink ..read more

This time let's take a look at different types of travellers using the road in the 17th-19th centuries. From foreigners who loved Tokaido to an elephant who absolutely hated the journey, there is a full range of opinions about travelling in Japan and the Tokaido road in particular. And that's exactly what we need to understand the life of this famous road. More info on https://japanexplained.com/tokaido/ Support the show: https://japanexplained.com/hi/ Bonus Episodes on Patreon: Shukuba Post Stations (https://www.patreon.com/posts/tokaido-bonus-63490475) & River crossings and Sekisho check ..read more

Have you ever heard about Tokaido? If you live in Japan, I bet yes. If you’ve ever visited, I’m positive you took Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. And if you love art, you’ve probably seen some of the prints from the Tokaido series by Hiroshige. Tokaido road has a history of more than 1000 years, and this time I suggest diving into it together. More info on https://japanexplained.com/tokaido/ Support the show: https://japanexplained.com/hi/ Bonus Episodes on Patreon: Shukuba Post Stations (https://www.patreon.com/posts/tokaido-bonus-63490475) & River crossings and Sekisho ..read more

You asked for it, so this time let's look deep into the bowl of ramen and try to figure out why Japan (and now the whole world) is absolutely obsessed with this seemingly simple dish. Read more: japanexplained.com/ramen Listen to the bonus episode on Patreon Support the show Instagram: @japan_explained ..read more