Meet Zhafira, an Indonesian content creator who spent several years in Japan growing up, returning to Indonesia and coming back to Japan as an adult. She sits down to talk to us about her life between countries and the challenges faced by Japanese Muslims and Muslim immigrants here.

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0:00 Intro

0:44 Meet Zhafira

4:24 Growing up Muslim in Japan

8:31 Going to school as a Muslim in Japan

11:10 Culture shock returning to Indonesia

15:20 Coming back to Japan

19:04 Interest in academia

26:49 University in Japan as Muslim

29:39 Managing prayer schedules here as Muslim

32:00 Halal food in Japan

34:30 Growing islamophobia in Japan

40:58 Misconceptions about Muslims in Japan

45:24 Is there a Muslim voice on social media?

51:08 Zhafira's work and research in sex education

58:28 Sex education taboo in Islam

1:03:48 Moving to Tokyo

1:08:06 Muslim community in Japan

1:12:05 Challenges with employment as Muslim in Japan

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Follow Zhafira:

https://zhafiraiha.com/

⁨@Zhafiraiha⁩

https://www.instagram.com/zhafiraiha

https://www.tiktok.com/@zhafiraiha

https://medium.com/@zhafira.aqyla

https://x.com/zhafiraqyla

Follow us:

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Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan!

Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Dani, a content creator from Venezuela also known as the guy in the fox mask. Dani sits down to talk to us about his journey to Japan, what it was like for him to work here, the reality of being a Japan content creator, and where the heck the mask came from.

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0:00 Intro

0:44 Meet Dani

6:37 Start in content creation

9:24 Content creation process

13:06 Becoming a full-time creator

16:52 How to stay unique in a sea of content

19:15 Story behind the mask

22:06 Taking off the mask

24:46 Thoughts on overtourism and content creation

30:11 Favourite areas of Japan

34:34 Is it possible to stay authentic?

37:41 Misconceptions about Japan creators

39:57 Moving forward

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Follow Dani:

⁨@foxmaskdaze⁩

https://www.instagram.com/foxmaskdaze/

https://www.tiktok.com/@foxmaskdaze

https://www.facebook.com/foxmaskjapanon/

Follow us:

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https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan

Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan!

Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Evie, a fashion model and content creator living in Tokyo. Evie sits down to talk to us about her interest in Japanese fashion, how Japanese styles are being taken overseas, and her own fashion and feminism content.--0:00 Intro0:44 Meet Evie5:44 Coming to Japan for fashion8:57 Where subcultures come from11:19 Foreign view on subcultures12:12 Moving to Japan16:35 Job hunting in Japan21:11 Start in content creation24:23 Is Japan safe for women?28:10 What does feminism mean to you?31:47 Feminism in content creation34:03 What's changed in Japan?39:04 Is it difficult to talk about Japan's problems?42:19 Evie's life in Japan now44:06 Do you feel responsibility as a creator?46:31 Working with Japanese brands as a creator51:57 Using her philosophy degree52:55 Mixing business and content creation54:24 Misconceptions about feminism in Japan--Follow Evie: @eviebunnie https://www.instagram.com/eviebunniex/https://www.tiktok.com/@eviebunnieFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Tove Bjoerk, a professor of Japanese culture and kabuki researcher at Saitama University, who sits down to talk to us about the history of kabuki. She tells us about the origins of kabuki performances, how it's evolved throughout the years, and the secret to why it remains so successful to this day.--0:00 Intro0:44 Meet Tove8:48 Interest in theatre9:56 Interest in Ichikawa Danjuro14:24 What makes kabuki special16:36 A stage art for the poor19:27 Kabuki was banned23:11 How popular was kabuki?27:15 Was kabuki style consistent across Japan?28:43 Diaries of Ichikawa Danjuro34:40 What do you need to know before seeing kabuki?37:33 Kabuki gets banned again44:52 Bjoerk's least favorite play47:09 Kabuki acting56:25 Ongoing research1:00:31 Founder of kabuki1:03:58 Kabuki today--Follow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Chai Kanda, CEO of Shiki Properties in Kyoto, who sits down to talk about Japan's short-term rental market. He talks about his work restoring machiya for vacation rentals, Japan's tourism boom, and how regulations affect Japan's tourism industry.--0:00 Intro0:45 Meet Chai1:07 What brought Chai to Japan2:07 Chai’s childhood in Japan2:27 Leaving Sydney for Japan2:51 Chai’s original vision for Japan3:52 Chai’s first job in Japan4:11 Staying in Kansai long term4:36 Discovering real estate6:43 From rentals to acquisitions for Chai9:30 The pros and cons of machiya investment for Chai11:38 The charm of machiya12:15 Chai on Airbnb in Japan13:58 Chai on renovation budgets16:27 Chai navigating funding and partnerships17:35 Chai on customer demand for machiya18:55 Adapting to rapid growth20:17 How booming tourism affects regulations24:32 Kyoto-specific rules25:29 Expanding beyond Kyoto29:02 Expanding into Japan's "Little Venice"32:37 Chai comparing markets34:20 The usual process of starting in a new area36:56 Tourism and neighborhood change39:55 Evaluating sustainable tourism markets43:09 Chai on overtourism in Japan45:13 Crowded buses and local frustration47:27 Transit expansion challenges48:10 Untangling the tourism challenge50:27 Chai’s long-term vision52:36 From real estate to hot sauce54:12 The reality of launching food products in Japan56:04 Chai’s Scoville rating56:55 Key lessons from two decades in business58:25 The fear of failure in Japan1:00:39 Being prepared for business in Japan1:03:26 Wrapping up1:04:01 OutroFollow us:https://unpacking.jp/https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapanhttps://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapanhttps://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshortshttps://www.x.com/unpacking_japanhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapanSubscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Ken Shibusawa, an economist and great-grandson of Eiichi Shibusawa, the father of Japanese capitalism. He sits down to talk to us about moving to Japan to rediscover his roots, discovering his great-grandfather's writings, and his own finance career in social entrepreneurship and connecting Japan to Africa.

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0:00 Intro

0:46 Meet Ken

3:30 Moving to Japan

9:06 Starting a finance career in the bubble era

14:35 Finance philosophy in Japan vs. the US

19:17 Discovering Eiichi Shibusawa's writings

25:36 Starting an investment advisory firm

35:51 Focus on social entrepreneurship

38:56 Funding African startups

45:08 Connecting Japan and Africa

51:41 Challenges seeking investment for Africa

55:18 Change in industry over time

58:52 Hope for the younger generation

1:03:30 What Ken wants to leave behind

1:04:51 Japan is in a new era

1:07:24 Japan needs another Meiji Restoration

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Follow Ken:

https://www.shibusawa-co.jp/

https://x.com/shib30

https://www.instagram.com/kenshibusawa/

Follow us:

https://unpacking.jp/

https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan

https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan

https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan

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https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan

Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan!

Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Sora, a voice actor from Japan*, who sits down to talk to us about his life and career. He tells us about his struggles with his identity and how weebs helped him learn to be proud of his country, his journey from English teacher to voice actor and creator, and the absolute state of Japan content.

*yes really

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0:00 Intro

0:46 Is Sora actually Japanese?

4:21 How weebs changed his perception of Japan

10:28 Becoming an English teacher

15:20 Start as a voice actor

19:15 Sora's most viral roles

23:33 Becoming a meme

27:57 Mindset as an actor

29:22 Being cringe on YouTube

34:04 Making skits about Japanglish

37:59 Is his channel still for weebs?

41:31 Sora's opinion on VTubers

45:20 Sora's opinion on "Japan" content

48:50 Does Sora feel any pressure as a Japanese?

53:44 Sora's obsession with Chris Broad

1:00:57 What fame means living in Japan

1:03:29 Living in Tokyo vs. Osaka vs. Chiba

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Follow Sora:

@sorathetroll

Follow us:

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https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan

https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan

https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan

https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts

https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan

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Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan!

Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Meet Chloé Viatte, a French professor and bunya ningyo joruri puppeteer, who sits down to talk to us about this rare Japanese theatre. She tells us about her journey to Japan and interest in puppeteering, how these puppets are operated, and why they might disappear forever.

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0:00 Intro

0:44 Meet Chloe

5:35 Planning to move to Japan

7:35 First time in Japan

10:03 Life in Niigata

12:06 Interest in Kunio Yanagita

12:52 Interest in bunya joruri

18:56 What is Japanese puppet theatre?

21:06 When did it start?

22:36 Who was Chikamatsu Monzaemon?

24:14 Studying puppet theatre as a foreigner

26:40 Puppet troupes

28:14 Japanese vs. French plays

33:26 How puppeteers perform

36:20 Understanding the characters

38:45 How the puppets are operated

43:52 How the stories are performed

47:49 Why bunya joruri might disappear

50:26 How bunya joruri changed Chloe's life

54:10 Chloe's NHK French program

57:35 Is it important to keep traditional arts alive?

59:29 Where to watch bunya joruri

1:00:29 Tobi tries puppeteering

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Follow Chloé:

https://x.com/Yasathem

Follow us:

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https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan

https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan

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https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/unpackingjapan

Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan!

Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/