interview

What’s it like living with an unusual name in Japan? We talk with a super-rare Mr. Heianzan

This Okinawan singer has a last name so rare, only 1 every 90,000 people in Japan have it! 

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We talk about everything except music with visual kei rock legends Fantastic Circus【Interview】

We stay firmly in our lane and talk about budgies instead.

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Japanese matchmaking party insider fill us in on the actual chances of finding a spouse

You might have more luck finding love at a tonkotsu party than a konkatsu party.

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Sweet Japanese couple serve jumbo parfaits at hidden underground joint in Osaka

Desserts as sweet as the couple who makes them.

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Boy band Ae! group brings their A-game to music, acting, science, welding, and more【Interview】

We sit down and talk pop with Kansai’s rising boy band stars.

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Studio Ghibli says no to trailers and commercials for Hayao Miyazaki’s new anime movie

One poster and the title is all you’re getting before How Do You Live? hits theaters, and producer Toshio Suzuki explains why.

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Meet the Japanese salarymen who defy gravity in a Tokyo park during lunchtime

Salarymen with superhero strength band together to form a horizontal bar club.

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An interview with two Japanese dating service scam sakura【Interview】

Sakura aren’t always such a pure and pretty part of life in Japan.

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We caught up with three big names at Niantic at the latest Pokémon GO live event in Las Vegas

We talk the future of Pokémon GO–including everything from opportunities for making friends to the GO Battle League. 

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Garbage-collecting samurai keep Japanese streets clean, but what’s their real story?

We sit down with the environmentally conscious Gomihiroi Samurai to find out what they’re really about. 

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Why are people moving in droves to Fukuoka Prefecture? We asked someone who did for some insight

What’s the appeal of the more rural southwestern prefecture over a centralized urban lifestyle?

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How Japan helped Ben Verlander meet his favorite player Shohei Ohtani [Interview]

Ohtani’s pull is so huge that even his most outspoken fan in the U.S. finds fame in Japan.

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The Japanese convenience store with a secret DJ booth in the basement

“Record Conveni” is the coolest combini in town!

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Why are there so many reincarnation and villainess anime and manga? Manga editor explains

We sit down for an interview with an industry pro and learn about “zamaa-style” manga too.

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Learn how to crush walnuts with your butt from Japan’s Guinness World Record holder【Video】

Will our butts survive the crushing blows of victory?

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We caught up with Travis Japan to chat dancing, anime dreams, and back scratchers

We interview the all-male J-Pop group Travis Japan in the midst of their trailblazing efforts in the U.S.

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Why are almost all women you see riding rickshaws in Japan cute? We ask a pro, learn two reasons

Our Japanese reporter has his impression confirmed.

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How do Japan’s host club hosts get their professional names? We talk with five Kabukicho pros

Interviews reveal backstories behind the genjina.

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Japanese drummer makes rubber chicken cover of Attack on Titan Theme 【Interview】

No live chickens were harmed in the making of this masterpiece.

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What’s the true reason for Japanese train delays classed as “customer support”?

When you hear this term being used on trains, it’s often a euphemism for something more serious.

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