In this episode Mat and Devin continue on their whistle-stop tour of the regional specialities to be found in Japan. This time we veer off the comforting main island of Honshu and plunge into the icy waters of Hokkaido for King crab, take a peek at the prefecture with a frankly ludicrous love of Udon noodles, and head south, where you'll learn about the incongruous love of tiny shortbread cookies in Okinawa.

As always, if you want to get in touch or find ways to support the show, please check out our Patreon or instagram pages and feel free to email us as well.

Instagram: instagram.com/unfoldingjapan_podcast/

Patreon: patreon.com/UnfoldingJapan

Email: unfoldingjapan2025@gmail.com

In this episode Mat and Devin, dip a toe into the world of Meibutsu, the regional specialities which define the identity of all the different regions and towns of Japan, creating a must eat, or must buy, product in basically every town or city in Japan!

Listen on to hear about the prefecture that's gone all in on peanuts, or the practically violent rivalry for Japan's best Okonomiyaki - Japan's answer to the pizza, pancake, and lasagne rolled in to one.

As always, if you want to get in touch or find ways to support the show, please check out our patreon or instagram pages and feel free to email us as well.

Instagram: instagram.com/unfoldingjapan_podcast/

Patreon: patreon.com/UnfoldingJapan

Email: unfoldingjapan2025@gmail.com

In this episode Mat and Devin dive right in to the swirling mire of Japanese post war politics. Intended as an overview, we chart the early experimentation with democracy following the war,through decades of LDP dominance and how it came about, and check in on the state of play with Japan's very own Iron Lady. While Japanese politics can feel deliberately opaque, we hope the light of unfolding Japan is able to pierce the shroud and leave you with at least a glimmer of an insight!

As always, if you want to get intouch or find ways to support the show, please check out our Patreon orinstagram pages and feel free to email us as well.

Instagram: instagram.com/unfoldingjapan_podcast/

Patreon: patreon.com/UnfoldingJapan

Email: unfoldingjapan2025@gmail.com

In this episode Mat and Devin lift the lid on the state of Edo to peer into the lives of the ordinary city dwellers. We explore the flourishing of the printing industry, Tea Houses, Kabuki, Firemen and much more, discovering a slew of customs and traditions that remain vibrant to this day, and some very surprising modern cultural elements that started way back in Feudal Japan, including the first fan mail and shady backroom 'art' for sale!

As always, if you want to get in touch or find ways to support the show, please check out our Patreon or instagram pages and feel free to email us as well.

Instagram:instagram.com/unfoldingjapan_podcast/

Patreon:patreon.com/UnfoldingJapan

Email:unfoldingjapan2025@gmail.com

In this episode Mat and Devin delve further into the governance of the Edo period, exploring how the families of the daimyos were kept as respected guests (ie hostages!) of the Shogun to keep them in line, the long biannual progressions to Edo draining time and resources to keep everyone compliant, and how 1,000 'policemen' managed to keep a city of 1 million under control.

As always, if you want to get in touch or find ways to support the show, please check out our Patreon or instagram pages and feel free to email us as well.

Instagram:instagram.com/unfoldingjapan_podcast/

Patreon:patreon.com/UnfoldingJapan

Email:unfoldingjapan2025@gmail.com

In this episode Mat and Devin embark on another multi-part epic about everything Edo, the long period of peace and isolation that still in many ways defines Japan to this day. In part one we look at the bones of the system introduced by the shoguns to run society, from poor but proud samurai, the emperor shut up away in luxury, and power through land, and rice of course!

As always, if you want to get in touch or find ways to support the show, please check out our patreonor instagram pages and feel free to email us as well.

Instagram:instagram.com/unfoldingjapan_podcast/

Patreon:patreon.com/UnfoldingJapan

Email:unfoldingjapan2025@gmail.com

This week Mat and Devin have a miniature time traveling mission all the way to three weeks ago, as we delve into the traditions and history of New Year in Japan.

We explain the entrenched TV traditions, the symbolic, traditional foods that suspiciously resemble dad jokes, and the most expensive fish in the world.

As always, if you want to get in touch or find ways to support the show, please check out our patreonor instagram pages and feel free to email us as well.

Instagram:instagram.com/unfoldingjapan_podcast/

Patreon:patreon.com/UnfoldingJapan

Email:unfoldingjapan2025@gmail.com

First of all apologies for the long delay! We had a busy run in to the Christmas/New year holidays with work and then family commitments, but we're back and we've got a special episode on castles to get right back into it!

We take you through the history and design of these magnificent structures, from early simple hill forts to the majestic, later warring states beauties. Learn all about how and why they were constructed, and maybe gain a few tips on the best one's to go and visit if you come to Japan, including Devin's very own Matsumoto, barely a mediaeval cannon shot's distance from his house!

As always, if you want to get in touch or find ways to support the show, please check out our Patreon or instagram pages and feel free to email us as well.

Instagram:instagram.com/unfoldingjapan_podcast/

Patreon:patreon.com/UnfoldingJapan

Email:unfoldingjapan2025@gmail.com