Just Another Jerk: Dispatches from Japan: Recent Episodes
Jonathan Isaacson
Welcome to the podcast about...well, I'm not sure yet. We'll see where it goes. Got questions about Japan? Teaching English? Life in general? Send them my way! Twitter: @JustAnotherCast Homepage: https://sites.google.com/view/justanotherjerk
In Fukushima, northern Japan, there's an anomalous section of the border - a long thin strip of land. What's that all about? #Japan #Geography #History
What's it like having surgery in Japan? And what is otosclerosis? Find out all about my first surgery and hospital stay experience in this episode. #Otosclerosis #Japan
Who was Ito Noe and what did she do in her short 28 years? Quite a lot, in fact. Find out about this anarcha-feminist in this episode. There's arranged marriage! A love tri..quadrilateral! Bertrand Russell! Throat stabbing! Government censorship! And more! #Japan #History #WomensHistory #Feminism
I read an article claiming Japan is a great place to ride your bike. But is it really? A lot of it depends on where you are and what kind of riding you want to do. Let's break it down and see where Japan is good for cyclists, and where it ain't. #Cycling #Japan
In March of 1657, a fire destroyed most of Edo (Modern day Tokyo). What started the fire? Why is it sometimes called the furisode fire?
One of the recent trends in Japanese fashion is US university sweatshirts. And sometimes they are not the obvious schools.
It's a rite of passage for Japanese kids entering elementary school. But not having grown up here, it's slightly baffling to me, even though I "get it." What is a randoseru? And what up with that?
In August of 1981, three suspicious men were spotted in a small rubber boat in Oga, Akita, northern Japan. Who were they? And why were people on the Japan Sea coast on edge at the time?
Down in Hiroshima, there is a short and, dare I say it, unique public transit line. It's not particularly flashy or fast. But it does stand out in its own ways.
In 1976, Hakodate airport had a very unexpected landing, one that would destroy the mystique of a new, still little known about plane. Listen to find out what happened on a cloudy day in September, 1976.
What does it mean to "graduate" or "卒業"? Let's talk about differences in how the words are used.
Do you know about Shirase Nobu? Yes? Well, you're either a liar or a total Japanese history otaku. Don't know who that is? Well, listen and find out about Japan's entry into the race for the South Pole. (Spoiler - they didn't win the race, but it was still a success.)
In 1998, an electricity transmission tower in Kagawa prefecture collapsed. What caused it? And what's up with the copycat crime? Listen to this shorty and find out.
What is university life like in Japan? Well, I'm not a university student, but as an instructor, I have at least a reasonable idea. Listen and find out some of the ways university life differs here in Japan.
Japan has two separate power grids, operating at two different frequencies. 50hz in the east, and 60hz in the west. How did that happen? And why won't anyone fix it?
Let's talk about the wide diversity of animals in Japan. Well, at least land and air based animals. No aquatic wildlife in this one. But Monkeys! And Bears! And wild boars! And others. Get outside of the big cities and find the wildlife. And maybe get chased by it.
On September 26, 1954, the train ferry Toya Maru capsized less than a kilometer off the coast near Hakodate, killing more than 1000 people. Listen to hear about what happened and the legacy of the disaster.
The report I quoted from a couple of times: http://www.shippai.org/fkd/en/cfen/CA1000609.html
You might have seen something about Princess Mako's wedding in the news. I share some thoughts about the Japanese royal family and the whole situation. #Content
Find out some about the town of Kisakata. Why did Matsuo Basho go and visit? Check it out!
According to a few people, Jesus Christ didn't die on the cross in the middle east. Nope. He died an old man in a rural area of northern Japan. Listen and find out the full story.
And check out the really good article from the Smithsonian cited in the episode: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-little-known-legend-of-jesus-in-japan-165354242/?utm_source=pocket_mylist
In September of 1942, the mountains of south western Oregon were bombed by a Japanese pilot. What the!? Not much came of the two bombing runs, but they are an interesting footnote in history. Listen and find out more!
Following the Great Kantō Earthquake in 1923, vigilantes, fueled by false rumors, massacred thousands of foreign residents in the Yokohama and Tokyo. How did it happen?
1923 September 1: A massive earthquake rocked the Tokyo area just before lunchtime. Here a little about what happened in this short episode.
In June of 1995, a plane was hijacked on its way to Hakodate. What happened? And why did it happen? Listen and find out.
What happened in the summer of 1946 in Shibuya, Tokyo? And why did it happen? Listen and find out.
Having never experienced what I consider true "culture shock," I take a look at some listicles of common Japanese culture shock and offer my thoughts. #Content. But also, I hope this might be useful to someone coming to Japan for the first time.
Tokyo 2020 is done and dusted. (Still have the Paralympics coming, so don't forget those!). Just some thoughts on the Olympics and why they were/are a problem. #content
Listen and learn about Hitomi Kinue, the first Japanese woman to medal in the Olympics, an all around powerhouse in track and field.
To celebrate(?) landing in Japan 17 years ago and forgetting to leave, let's take a look at some of the things that have changed.
In February of 1972, 5 members of a radical leftist group took a woman hostage and began a 10 day standoff with the police. In this episode, the conclusion to this podcast mini-series, find out about how the standoff ended.
YouTube video with news footage of the event: https://youtu.be/cVLo1zAe5oU
Yoshikuni Igarashi's article "Dead Bodies and Living Guns: The United Red Army and Its Deadly Pursuit of Revolution, 1971–1972" https://doi.org/10.1080/10371390701494135 (Taylor and Francis publication - subscription service)
(Just a quick note: This episode has some descriptions violent acts and death. Nothing too graphic. But if you're sensitive to that sort of thing, well, just be warned. If you want to skip to episode 3, I'll make sure you understand the gist of the story in that one.)
In February of 1972, 5 members of a radical leftist group took a woman hostage and began a 10 day standoff with the police. In the months leading up to the standoff, the 5 had been part of what has been described as a bloody, internal purge of their radical leftist group. Learn about what happened in those deadly months in the woods of Gunma prefecture.
Yoshikuni Igarashi's article "Dead Bodies and Living Guns: The United Red Army and Its Deadly Pursuit of Revolution, 1971–1972" https://doi.org/10.1080/10371390701494135 (Taylor and Francis publication - subscription service)
In February of 1972, 5 members of a radical leftist group took a woman hostage and began a 10 day standoff with the police. Learn about what led up to those events in episode 1 of this 3 part mini-series. Find out about some of the many factions within Japan's New Left movement.
Yoshikuni Igarashi's article "Dead Bodies and Living Guns: The United Red Army and Its Deadly Pursuit of Revolution, 1971–1972" https://doi.org/10.1080/10371390701494135 (Taylor and Francis publication - subscription service)
80% of the Japanese public doesn't want the Olympic Games to go ahead as scheduled in less than 2 months. Why not? And why can't Tokyo unilaterally cancel the games? Listen to this slightly rambling episode as I discuss those questions.
The Yahoo Article I mentioned: Who has the power to cancel the Tokyo Olympics?
The video about the St. Louis Olympic Marathon: Rat Poison and Brandy: The 1904 St. Louis Olympic Marathon
Learn about another badass woman in Japanese history as we talk about a female samurai of the 19th century.
On March 30, 1949, a drum like object washed up in a rural fishing village on the Sea of Japan coast. Listen to hear the tragic tale.
History playlist (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6iyBD0NzkV0gXUqpN11FhW?si=8ec91f80e8d040c9
New podcast homepage: tinyurl.com/jerkpod
2011 March 11: The fourth strongest earthquake recorded hit. Shortly there after, a tsunami and then the nuclear meltdown. Some thoughts on the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan.
Links to the videos mentioned in the podcast:
Sendai airport video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk68bZ701s0
Ofunato tsunami video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbvBsgoEAe0&t=756s
Near Okawa Elementary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW0dqWR4S7M
In December of 1968, the biggest heist in Japan was pulled off. The case of who pulled it off was never solved. Listen and find out about who the prime suspects were and the (often tragic) impact it had on their lives. (Listen to part 1 here)
In December of 1968, the biggest heist in Japan was pulled off. The case of who pulled it off was never solved. Listen and find out how it happened and what clues were left behind.
Let's talk about sex...ism. In anime and manga. Sure, it's not exclusive to Japanese animation, but it is very common. So let's talk about that.
Some thoughts on the odd, and sometimes humorous English used on T-shirts and signs in Japan (and other places).
On the surface, Japanese Christmas looks a lot like Christmas in the US. But it's not. Learn a little about how KFC and sponge cake are connected.
Atlas Obscura article on KFC and Japanese Christmas chicken: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-japanese-christmas
Atlas Obscura article on Japanese Christmas Cake: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/japanese-christmas-cake
Between the 8th and 14th of December, 1915, the small farming village of Sankebetsu, Hokkaido, was terrorized by an extremely aggressive bear. In the end, 7 villagers and 1 bear would be dead. Find out the details in this episode.
Let's talk insurance! Talking about the Japanese health care system and insurance. Not the most exciting sounding topic, maybe, but I'd say the Japanese system beats the US system, hands down.
The one where I talk about my take on racism in Japan, including personal experiences and those of friends.
A fairly quick one. Rina Sawayama is ineligible to win the Mercury Prize in the UK, despite having what a lot of people, including Elton John, call one of the best albums of 2020 so far. And the commentariat are quick to pull some what-about-ism. Because she was born in Japan and retains her Japanese nationality.
Talking warring states. How the Ashikaga Shogunate fell, and the rise of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Let's talk about Shoguns. Kamakura and Muromachi. Plus a few odds and ends I missed 1st period.
Welcome to the first period class on the basics of Japanese history. I realized that a lot of people don't really know what I'm talking about sometimes. So here's a crash course in Japanese history. Heavy emphasis on the crash.
I know I missed father's day. But I wanted to share about my daddy, Carl Isaacson. I miss you, daddy.
Japan is somewhat notorious for its expensive fruit. Why is it so expensive? And what does it have to do with food waste?
What makes Japanese convenience stores so great? Find out this, as well as a little history of Japanese convenience stores on this episode.
Not the podcast. Just a few thoughts on what's going on right now. White people - we need to listen.
How do you feel when you hear a wind chime? Your answer might very well depend on where you grew up. (A shorty, due to my work schedule.)
It's been a while. Japan's doing pretty well, in spite of fairly minimal measures taken. Also, why is that dumb junior high school English textbook sentence in the news? #Thisisapen.
Himiko is perhaps the first historical Japanese person whose name is recorded, thanks to the Chinese histories. Check out her story, as Jonathan is joined by Tracy Wiedman.
Check out Chelsea Bernard's article over on Tofugu.
Learn all about the deadliest mountain climbing accident in modern history. It's probably a lot different than what you are imagining. Tune in to learn a little bit more of "Everything you never wanted to know about Japanese history!"
It's time for another update. The good news is there isn't much news. Someone did a dumb thing and got doxed, which is also dumb. And Japan might change the school year(!?) I mean, I doubt it, but we live in strange times.
I promise - it's not as boring as it sounds. Sapporo actually benefited greatly from the 1972 Winter Olympics. Listen to find out about a small part of the Olympic story.
Here's the latest from Sendai, Japan with regards to the CoronaVirus. And here what some dumdums had to say with regard to women. Sigh. It wasn't good.
Who the heck is Oyama Toshijo of the Oyama-Ryu Tsugaru-jamisen? And why does Japan like certification so much?
Been a fairly quiet week, but I've seen one issue get brought up more and more in the last week or so; the hanko problem. What is it? Listen to find out.
More history of Japan you never wanted to know. But once you listen to this, you will know! Find out about the Eniwa and Koryu Gold Mines in Eniwa, Hokkaido (just south of Sapporo).
The one where we talk about a problem with Japanese reporting of the Coronvirus. Probably not the one you're thinking about.
Let's talk about Japan's image. How high tech is it really? And, yes, I talk about techno toilets. How can you not!?
The one where I talk to my friend, the awesome Rachel Ewing, about how the Coronavirus has affected her life in S. Korea. Episode also includes some updates about the last week in Japan, including the declaration of a state of emergency for 7 prefectures.
Have you ever wondered where the character in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Gogo Yubari's name came from? Probably not. But now you can find out! Welcome to the first installment of "Everything you never wanted to know about Japanese history." Still workshopping that name. Learn about the city of Yubari.
It's another update about Japan in the Coronavirus times. I also talked with Ian Randall about how things are nearer to Tokyo and how my old school is dealing with the pandemic.
What does it take to learn a language like Japanese? Why do so many English speakers have a hard time with Japanese?
The one where I talk about some new developments in Japan. Tokyo sees an increase in cases, the Olympics postponed. What comes next?
The one where I talk about how the pandemic has hit Japan. Or not hit. Will it spread more here? What about the Olympics? Who knows?
Why would someone who had never traveled outside the US until after his 3rd year of uni move to Japan to teach English? Well, here's one jerk with a podcast who can tell you why he did just that. If you have questions about life in Japan or teaching English or...well, anything, send them to justanotherjerkpodcast@gmail.com
Mr. I shares his thoughts on (or rambles on about) the 3.11 Tohoku Earthquake of 9 years ago. Apologies for the somber episode, but it's a somber time in Japan. Questions/Comments? justanotherjerkpodcast@gmail.com
Why move to Japan? And why stay for 16 years? If you have questions about life in Japan or teaching English or...well, anything, send them to justanotherjerkpodcast@gmail.com
Welcome to Just Another Jerk (Taking Pride in His Podcast Work). I'm still not entirely sure what this is, but here's a podcast where I talk about Japan, teaching English, and other thoughts. Feel free to send questions to justanotherjerkpodcast@gmail.com