
Host Peter Barakan delves into various aspects of Japanese culture; exploring practices, history, and modern innovations in such areas as ramen, rice, sushi, geisha, bonsai, and so much more. Local experts discuss their passions at fascinating length, and American Japanophile Matt Alt experiences the food, practices, and cultures in each episode in depth. Viewers will finish each half hour episode with a new understanding of an area of Japanese life through demonstrative videos and explanations, all delivered respectfully and true to the Japanese way of life.
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Air Date: 2014-04-03
Japanese public bathhouses, also called sento. From the outside, some of them look like Shinto shrines or Buddhist te...
Air Date: 2014-04-10
Ramen is one of Japan's favorite foods. Broth, noodles and toppings are the 3 elements, but within that basic framewo...
Air Date: 2014-04-17
Mt. Fuji is Japan's tallest peak. Its beauty changes from season to season, from day to day. Frequently featured in u...
Air Date: 2014-04-24
Maneuver your pieces to capture the opponent's king - that's the essence of shogi, Japan's most popular board game. D...
Air Date: 2014-05-01
Springtime in Japan means cherry trees in bloom. Cherry blossoms flower gloriously, but briefly, then their petals fa...
Air Date: 2014-05-08
Akihabara, with its mix of gadgets and geekdom, is a one-of-a-kind experience. Shops selling everything electronic fr...
Air Date: 2014-05-15
Wagashi, Japan's traditional sweets. Each colorful, exquisite morsel contains a clear sense of the season - wagashi a...
Air Date: 2014-05-22
Under cover of darkness, moving by stealth, ninja used superb physical skill and special equipment to infiltrate and ...
Air Date: 2014-05-29
From sushi to sake, rice is an absolutely essential part of Japanese cuisine. Appliance makers offer state-of-the-art...
Air Date: 2014-06-05
Japan's castles are masterworks of wood and stone. They bristled with defences and functioned as symbols of authority...
Air Date: 2014-07-03
This time, we present an installment of our special talk-show series Japanophiles, which features lively interviews w...
Air Date: 2014-07-10
This time, we present another of our special talk-show series Japanophiles, which features lively interviews with for...
Air Date: 2014-07-17
This time, we present an installment of our special talk-show series Japanophiles, which features lively interviews w...
Air Date: 2014-08-07
Microphone in hand, tens of millions of people in Japan belt out songs in private party rooms known as karaoke boxes....
Air Date: 2014-08-14
Bento are portable boxes of food, typically composed of rice, protein-rich main dishes, and vegetables on the side. T...
Air Date: 2014-08-21
Through the ages, bamboo has been profoundly important to Japan's industry, culture and everyday life. But why does b...
Air Date: 2014-09-04
Japan's taiko drums—made in many shapes and sizes, played at various occasions—are an ancient heritage. Originally ta...
Air Date: 2014-09-11
Tokyo's Tsukiji Market is the world's largest fish market - hundreds of kinds of seafood from around the world are so...
Air Date: 2014-09-18
Festivals are held in every region of Japan throughout the year. The oldest date back well over a millennium, and typ...
Air Date: 2014-09-25
This time on Japanology Plus, our theme is Japanese gardens, compact evocations of nature's majesty. Japan has many g...
Air Date: 2014-10-02
Origami, the traditional Japanese art of creating objects by folding paper. It's a classic pastime that everyone in J...
Air Date: 2014-10-09
Japanese Buddhist statues come in countless shapes and forms, and they are not just objects of prayer but also meticu...
Air Date: 2014-10-16
Yokai: the collective name for all sorts of bizarre creatures and supernatural phenomena in Japanese folklore. They h...
Air Date: 2014-10-23
The Shinkansen is Japan's bullet train system. Since it debuted 50 years ago as the world's fastest train service, it...
Air Date: 2014-11-06
Whether it's learning about a traditional custom, or a newly popular sport, people in Japan love to take lessons and ...
Air Date: 2014-11-13
Japan is a robotics superpower. There are approximately 300,000 industrial robots at work in Japan—that's more than a...
Air Date: 2014-11-20
Sports days are all-day athletic meets held annually at schools in Japan—pretty much every Japanese person has taken ...
Air Date: 2014-12-04
With just one plant in one pot, you can create your own personal vision of nature. This is bonsai. Although in Japan ...
Air Date: 2014-12-11
Sushi is basically vinegared rice topped with something else—usually seafood. Simple ingredients, but proper preparat...
Air Date: 2014-12-18
A private banquet in the company of geisha is considered the ultimate in elegant hospitality. A common misconception ...