Arama! Japan Podcast: Recent Episodes
Arama! Japan
A podcast covering Japanese pop culture, including music, celebrities, video games, dramas, anime, and everything else in between.
A special episode dedicated to the second edition of "MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN." Everyone in this episode attended this year's show and gives their personal insights into the show. The nominees, the winners, the show itself, and its future are discussed from our multiple viewpoints.
Nante Japan's review of April and May 2026, featuring segments on Arashi's final concert, MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026 nominees, the accessibility of Japanese music, Kauan Okamoto's new career as a host, more STARTO music being made available digitally, and more.
Nante Japan's review of February and March 2026, featuring segments on international fans being turned away at Arashi's farewell tour, Koda Kumi being dragged after announcing she's pregnant at 43, RADWIMPS' Noda Yojiro's work on Kanye West's new album, “The Japan Gold Disc Award 2026”, and more.
and more.
Nante Japan's review of Winter 2025 / 2026, featuring segments on the Keita Richard Kusuma's departure from Ae! group, the STARTO New Year's Eve concert, the collapse of ME:I, SKY-HI's underage girl scandal, and more.
Nante Japan's review of 2025, featuring segments on the trends of the year, year end charts, our top songs and albums of the year, what to look forward to in 2026, and more.
Nante Japan's review of September and October 2025, featuring segments on the Snow Man pop up in Seoul, Awich's Central Park concert, Expo 2025 Osaka, f5ve's Taco Bell collaboration, and more.
A special episode dedicated to Perfume, on the threshold of their impending "cold sleep." This episode looks at what draws fans to Perfume, favorites from the group, Perfume's career, their recent Tokyo Dome concerts, their impending hiatus, and what could come after it.
Nante Japan's review of July and August 2025, featuring segments on Yuto Nakajima's departure from Hey! Say! JUMP, Travis Japan & Crystal Kay's New York concerts, Snow Man's Korean activities, and more.
Nante Japan's review of May and June 2025, featuring segments on Arashi's disbandment announcement, TOKIO's disbandment, the Ayumi Hamasaki & Elon Musk child rumor, the mid-year music charts, and more.
A special episode dedicated to the first edition of "MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN." The origins of the show, the nominees, the winners, the show itself, and its future are discussed from multiple viewpoints, including that of one who worked with / attended the show.
Nante Japan's review of March and April 2025, featuring segments on Nagano Mei & Tanaka Kei's alleged affair, Hirosue Ryoko's car accident & health issues, Snow Man & KinKi Kids' digital debuts, and more.
Nante Japan's review of Winter 2024 / 2025, featuring segments on the Masahiro Nakai / Fuji TV scandal, his retirement, KAT-TUN's disbandment, Snow Man's best album, Nakayama Miho's death, and more.
Nante Japan's review of 2024, featuring segments on the trends of the year, the new era of ambition in Japanese music, year end charts, our general dislike of Mrs. GREEN APPLE, our top songs and albums of the year, and more.
Nante Japan's review of November 2024, featuring segments on the "75th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen" performers, the "66th Japan Record Award" nominees and winners, ELLY of Sandaime J Soul Brothers' praise of Donald Trump, Snow Man's best album announcement, and more.
Nante Japan's review of September and October 2024, featuring segments on Travis Japan's New York concert, New York Comic Con, the denial of an international fan to a NEWS concert and more.
A special episode where the Japanese Netflix gay dating show "The Boyfriend" is discussed. Not only is the show itself discussed, but also how it relates to the gay ecosystem of Japan. Other related topics include xenophobia on the show and how the show's true purpose isn't finding love, but to propel the careers of its stars, including some into BL spaces.
Nante Japan's review of Summer 2024, featuring segments on the midyear charts, this year's anan Sex issue, MUSIC MAGAZINE's best of 2000s & 2010s JPop lists, our favorites of the first half of 2024, and more.
Nante Japan's review of May 2024, featuring segments on Hoshino Gen's cheating rumor, the departure of Jun Matsumoto from STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, Shiina Ringo's new album, and more.
Nante Japan's review of April 2024, featuring segments on the state of HYBE's Japanese operations, Billboard's article on Western songwriters in Asia, Utada Hikaru's 25th anniversary best album "SCIENCE FICTION", and more.
A special episode where Coachella 2024 is discussed. Reactions to the individual performers, what they mean to the notion and expansion of Japanese music overseas, and who we would like to see perform at the festival in the future are discussed,
Nante Japan's review of March 2024, featuring segments on the end of Sexy Zone, the birth of timelesz, the BBC Johnny Kitagawa documentary sequel, numerous film and music award shows, and more.
Nante Japan's review of February 2024, featuring segments on Ado's New York concert, Ae! group's impending debut, LDH's rules for fan behavior, Japanese hip hop's big month, and more.
Nante Japan's review of Janaury 2024, featuring segments on the marriage of KinKi Kids' Tsuyoshi Domoto & Momoiro Clover Z's Kanako Momota, Sexy Zone's impending name change & Kento Nakajima's impending graduation, Number_i's debut, the "47th Japan Academy Awards" nominations, utaite drama, and more.
Nante Japan's review of December 2023, featuring segments on the “74th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen”, the renaming of the company formerly known as Johnny & Associates, Snow Man's record breaking New Year's Eve livestream, Jin Akanshi and Meisa Kuroki's divorce, and more.
Nante Japan's review of 2023, featuring segments on the trends of the year, whether the concept of an album is dead or alive in Japan, the STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (fka Johnny & Associates) scandal, our top songs and albums of the year, and more.
A special episode where the fans of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, formerly Johnny & Associates, speak out on the monumentous year that was 2023. Fans from around the world discuss the Johnny Kitagawa abuse scandal, the changes the company has made in its wake, what they see in the company's future, their favorite company moments of the year, and more.
Nante Japan's review of November 2023, featuring segments on the “74th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen” lineup, Yuzuru Hanyu's divorce, the concert film "OPUS | Ryuichi Sakamoto", the year end streaming charts, Anime NYC 2023, and more.
Nante Japan's review of October 2023, featuring segments on the second Johnny & Associates press conference, the fallout from the press conference, the formation of Number_i, a new book on why women aren't topping the Japanese charts, and more.
Nante Japan's review of September 2023, featuring segments on the Johnny & Associates third party investigation press conference, the fallout from the press conference, the interviews with the heads of Avex and Universal Music Japan, and more.
Nante Japan's review of August 2023, featuring segments on the United Nations press conference about Johnny & Associates, the Johnny & Associates third party investigation report, Bishonen's scandals, and more.
Nante Japan's review of July 2023, featuring segments on Yamashita Tatsuro's defense of Johnny Kitagawa, Shinjiro Atae's coming out, The New York Asian Film Festival, our midyear favorites, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of June 2023, featuring segments on Ronald's trip to Japan to see Snow Man at Tokyo Dome, the half-year charts, this year's "Talent Power Ranking", criticism of our site's handling of the Johnny Kitagawa abuse scandal, and more.
Nante Japan's review of May 2023, featuring segments on Julie Fujishima's apology over the Johnny Kitagawa abuse scandal, the demise of King & Prince 2.0 / birth of King & Prince 3.0, JPop's rise in South Korea, and more.
Nante Japan's review of April 2023, featuring segments on the life and legacyof Ryuichi Sakamoto, Johnny's music show clips on YouTube, the RIAJ report for 2022, and more.
Nante Japan's review of March 2023, featuring segments on the BBC documentary on the Johnny Kitagawa abuse allegations, our trip to Washington to see and interview Travis Japan, Hideaki Takizawa's new company, Sho Hirano's comments while in South Korea, and more.
Nante Japan's review of February 2023, featuring segments on the the return of cheering at concerts, Koki Tanaka's drug sentence, Snow Man's ticket scalping, King & Prince's fans attempts to save the group, and more.
Nante Japan's review of January 2023, featuring segments on Yoshihiko Inohara's interview about Johnny & Associates, Ken Miyake leaving Johnny & Associates, Snow Man's Raul at Paris Fashion Week, the death of Yukihiro Takahashi, our thoughts on XG, and more.
Nante Japan's review of December 2022, featuring segments on the “73rd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen”, the creator of "silent" coming out against the show's international distribution, the Sho Hirano / HYBE rumor, season 2 of "Alice in Borderland", and more.
Nante Japan's review of 2022, featuring segments on the year end charts; the trends of TikTok, VTubers, and boybands; our top songs and albums of the year; and more.
The first episode of the rebranded Nante Japan Podcast! This is our review of November 2022, featuring segments on the “73rd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen” lineup, the 2022 Gen Z trends list, the failure of Cool Japan, the proposed usage of national IDs to go to concerts and how this affects international fans, Anime NYC 2022, and more.
A special episode focusing on the drama surrounding Johnny & Associates in late October / early November 2022. Topics covered include the departure of Hideaki Takizawa, the impending departure of three of the five members of King & Prince, Johnny & Associates threatening Shukan Bunshun with legal action, and the company's future.
Arama! Japan's review of October 2022, featuring segments on Travis Japan's global debut, Fujii Kaze's cultural appropriation & "N word" scandal, the "JPop influenced KPop, but was inspired by black music" Twitter discourse, and “73rd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen” predictions.
Arama! Japan's review of September 2022, featuring segments on our trip to South Korea, the lack of energy in Japan's current female acts, Travis Japan's semi-final appearance on "America's Got Talent", and the success of Snow Man's second album.
Arama! Japan's review of August 2022, featuring segments on Otakuthon 2022, our interview with Genki Iwahashi, and Seiho's sexual assault case.
Arama! Japan's review of July 2022, featuring segments on the assassination of Shinzo Abe, Max Matsuura's bashing to KPop in favor of XG, Travis Japan's appearance on "America's Got Talent", and news from Anime Expo 2022.
Arama! Japan's review of June 2022, featuring segments on the half-year charts, this year's "Talent Power Ranking", our interview with Keito Okamoto, and Harry Styles' appearance on "THE FIRST TAKE."
A special Pride episode featuring discussion of Dr. Thomas Baudinette's book "Regimes of Desire: Young Gay Men, Media, and Masculinity in Tokyo" with the author. In this episode we discussed several key points in the book including Yukio Mishima's lasting impact on Japanese gay men, the Japanese gay porn industry, Japanese gay men's thoughts on Johnny & Associates, and how things are changing for LGBT people in Japan.
Arama! Japan's review of May 2022, featuring segments on “KanJam Kanzennen SHOW”'s Reiwa Artists Pick the Top 30 Heisei Songs list, how JPop and KPop treat choreography differently, and the stalking of 7 MEN Samurai’s Taiko Sasaki.
Arama! Japan's review of April 2022, featuring segments on Arata Mackenyu's multiple scandals, Sono Sion's sexual harassment scandal, and Utada Hikaru at Coachella.
The second part of Arama! Japan's review of March 2022, featuring segments on the US theater screening of Arashi's 20th anniversary concert film, last year's growth of the Japanese music industry, Fujii Kaze's rise to fame, and more.
The first part of Arama! Japan's review of March 2022, focusing on the Academy Award-winning film "Drive My Car." In this part, we discuss the film, its international promotion, and the response to it within Japan.
The second part of Arama! Japan's review of February 2022, focusing on the Netflix orginal series "Fishbowl Wives." In this part, we break down each episode of the drama.
The first part of Arama! Japan's review of February 2022, featuring segments on Mafumafu & Rushia's scandal, Kizuna Ai's retirement, King & Prince's dome tour, and more.
The second part of Arama! Japan's review of January 2022, focusing on Utada Hikaru's new album, "BAD Mode." In this part, we break down each song on the album, talk about the sudden interest of the Western press in regards to Utada, and the split release of the album.
The first part of Arama! Japan's review of January 2022, featuring segments on SixTONES' The Japan Times interview, the Omicron wave at Johnny & Associates, and the conjuction of VTubers and BL.
Arama! Japan's review of December 2021, featuring segments on the "72nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen", BiSH's disbandment announcement, the “63rd Japan Record Awards”, and the Johnny & Associates year end shows.
Arama! Japan's review of 2021, featuring segments on our thoughts of this year, this year's trends of downer & escapist music, trends for 2022, our top songs and albums of the year, what we didn't like this year, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of November 2021, featuring segments on Sayaka Kanda's death, the new generation boyband battle between Naniwa Danshi, INI, and BE:FIRST, Ayumi Hamasaki's health scare, and why Tomohisa Yamashita can't seem to be canceled.
Arama! Japan's review of October 2021, featuring segments on this year's Kohaku rumors, the lack of new female acts in JPop, this year's MTV VMAJ, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of September 2021, featuring segments on King & Prince's The Japan Times interview, the success of Snow Man's debut album, Japan's and international fans of Japanese media's reaction to "Squid Game", and more.
Arama! Japan's review of August 2021, featuring segments on Seiko Oomori's abuse scandal, "Talent Power Ranking 2021", Japanese hip hop's horrible summer, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of July 2021, featuring segments on the drama of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (on the ground and in fandom), Suzuki Tatsuhisa cheating on LiSA, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of June 2021, featuring segments on Utada Hikaru coming out as non-binary, the half year charts, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of May 2021, featuring segments on Hoshino Gen & Aragaki Yui's marriage, the Japanese music industry's 2020 decline, King & Prince's "Magic Touch", the anti-blackness of idol fans, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of April 2021, featuring segments on Kondo Masahiko leaving Johnny & Associates, Arata Mackenyu getting COVID-19 on a date, Kiko Mizuhara coming out, the problem with Mukai Taichi, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of March 2021, featuring segments on the "30 Best JPop Songs of the Past 20 Years" list, Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony drama, V6's breakup, AKB's hell week, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of February 2021, featuring segments on Yuuri using Juice=Juice's Sayuki Takagi for food and shelter, Tomohisa Yamashita & Jin Akanishi's rocky relationship, Avex acts in "CHUANG 2021", Fujii Kaze being compared to Utada Hikaru, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of January 2021, featuring segments on Atsuko Maeda & Ryo Katsuji's divorce, Mahoto Watanabe & Yui Imaizumi's marriage and pregnancy, Johnny's Jr. new age limit, fashion / anime collaborations, and more.
WARNING: This episode includes talk of abuse.
A special Black History Month episode featuring segments on what draws Black people to Japanese music, Black / mixed race Japanese acts, cultural appropriation, Japan's reaction to Black Lives Matter, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of December 2020, featuring segments on the year end music shows, our Koki Maeda interview, Ren Ozawa's abuse scandal, the disbanding of the Tokyo 2020 ceremonies committees, and more.
WARNING: This episode includes talk of abuse and suicide.
Arama! Japan's review of 2020, featuring segments on the year end charts, this year's trends, future trends, the impact of COVID-19, our top songs and albums of the year, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of November 2020, featuring segments on Avex's financial troubles, drama at Johnny & Associates, Koki's underage semi-nude photoshoot, the year end music shows, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of October 2020, featuring segments on the success of "Demon Slayer", LiSA's related success, VTuber drama, the MTV VMAJ 2020, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of September 2020, featuring segments on the suicides of Takeuchi Yuko and Tsuno Maisa, Arashi's overseas activities, Yumi Matsutoya's praise of Shinzo Abe, and more.
The second episode in our female soloists special series, this episode is dedicated to older female soloists! Fave divas such as Ayumi Hamasaki, Utada Hikaru, Seiko Matsuda, and Kudo Shizuka are dicussed in depth, touching on why these women still appeal to fans several decades into their careers. There are also segments on moving on from old faves, the dislike of Aimyon by some JPop fans, and doxxing Kalen Anzai.
The first episode in our female soloists special series, this episode is dedicated to newer female soloists! Aimyon is featured prominently, but there is also talk of her predecessors, aiko and YUI. All three of these women have a great emphasis on lyrics, which is discussed. Speaking of lyrics, the impact of karaoke is also discussed. The panel also talks about their favorite newer female soloists.
Arama! Japan's review of August 2020, featuring segments on the success of Yonezu Kenshi's new album, departure rumors at Johnny & Associates, the sexualization of junior idols, international promotion of Japanese acts, why August was the best month for music this year, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of July 2020, featuring segments on the comeback of Tetsuya Komuro via Nogizaka46 & Ayumi Hamasaki, Kalen Anzai, "Japan Sinks: 2020", the growing number of celebrities with coronavirus, Noda Yojiro's support of eugenics, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of June 2020, featuring segments on the death of Miura Haruma, NiziU's pre-debut, Tegoshi Yuya leaving NEWS / Johnny & Associates, and Watabe Ken cheating on Sasaki Nozomi, and more.
A special Pride episode featuring segments on what draws the LGBT community to Japanese music, the role of the LGBT community in international Japanese music fandom, the role of women in the fandom, and acts with LGBT themes in their work.
Arama! Japan's review of May 2020, featuring segments on the 2019 year end music industry reports, Black Lives Matter and other protests movements in Japan, the death of Hana Kimura, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of April 2020, featuring segments on the impact of coronavirus on the Japanese music industry, the Ayumi Hamasaki drama “M Ai Subeki Hito ga Ite”, Jaejoong's coronavirus prank, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of March 2020, featuring segments on the impact of coronavirus on the Japanese music industry, Arashi v. BTS, Yukio Mishima, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of February 2020, featuring segments on coronavirus cancellations, Johnny Kitagawa's ashes, Kalen Anzai being real & playing Ayumi Hamasaki, new female soloists, and more.
Arama! Japan's review of January 2020, featuring segments on Kohaku Uta Gassen, Arashi's new Netflix series, Tokyo Jihen's reunion, the JPop baby boom, the new Johnny's groups, and more.
The fourth and final part of Arama! Japan's review of the music of the 2010s, with a continued focus on the overall music industry, including anisong, Japanese hip hop, and the future of Japanese music.
The second part of Arama! Japan's review of the music of the 2010s, with a focus on idols (male and female, physical and virtual).
The first part of Arama! Japan's review of the music of the 2010s, with a focus on artists (female soloists, male soloists, and bands).
The third part of Arama! Japan's review of the music of the 2010s, with a focus on the overall music industry, including Japan’s chart systems, JPop v. KPop, international expansion, and Cool Japan.