Let's Talk Japan Podcast

Nick Harling

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Top 10 Let's Talk Japan Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Let's Talk Japan Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Let's Talk Japan Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Let's Talk Japan Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

016 Sake´ Nomi

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

09/14/13 • 48 min

In this episode, Nick speaks with Johnnie Stroud, the owner of Sake ́ Nomi, a premium sake ́ shop and tasting bar in Seattle, Washington. Together they discuss how Johnnie discovered sake ́, what motivated him to open a business specializing in sake ́ , and why you should be drinking more sake ́, preferably bought from Sake ́ Nomi!

Johnnie and Sake ́Nomi were featured in a Japanese manga comic titled “Kurodo” by Akira Oze. In my opinion, they definitely nailed Johnnie’s likeness!

The Price for a tasting flight of all three – a “kikizake sampler” – was $20 (2 oz. pour of each)

Here are the official tasting notes and prices of the sake ́ I sampled during my visit. (Pictured above, right to left)

#1 Yaegaki Mu “Nothingness” – Junmai Daiginjo from Hyogo Prefecture

Light amber tint, with crisp apple aroma. Wonderfully settled and calm, melting and smooth. Layered, complex, well-rounded, and balanced, Brewed with the “king” of sake ́rice, Yamada Nishiki.

$12 for 4 oz. in house pour; $40/720 ml bottle; $22/300 ml bottle.

#2 Narutotai “Ginjo Shiboritate” Nama Genshu from Tokushima Prefecture

Yeasty, sweet grain aromas. Soft, full, gentle mouthful, with ripened fruit sweetness and slight minerality. Lingering finish shows a touch of mint. The “oil can” would be ideal at a barbecue or with fatty sashimi. The brewery was established in 1804.

$15 for 4 oz. in house pour; $ 50/720 ml can

#3 Tedorikawa Kinka “Gold Blossom” Daiginjo from Ishikawa Prefecture

Floral nose, with notes reminiscent of dates and raisins, Mild spice, minerality, and cinnamon notes on the palate. Subtly layered, soft and settled. Deep, rich, mature, and mellow, especially for a namezake (unpasteurized sake ́).

$15 for 4 oz. in house pour; $ 48/720 ml bottle

Be sure to check out Sake ́ Nomi’s great website, “like” their Facebook page, and follow them on Twitter.

027 Yurei: The Japanese Ghost

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

03/22/15 • 59 min

In this episode, author, translator and folklorist Zack Davisson shares his vast knowledge of the Japanese supernatural . Zack has written extensively about this topic on his website hyaku-monogatari and is the author of the upcoming and much anticipated book, Yurei: The Japanese Ghost.

026 DISCO International Bilingual Recruiting

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

11/11/14 • 44 min

In this episode, Nick speaks with Catherine Rackley of DISCO International, a human resources firm specializing in Japanese-English bilingual recruitment. Whether you’re currently job searching or just curious about bilingual employment possibilities, this episode is full of useful information.

009 Podcasting About Japan

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

05/02/13 • 14 min

In this episode, Nick provides an overview of other great Japan-related podcasts available to listeners on the Internet. This list is by no means meant to be exhaustive. If one of your favorite podcasts did not make the list, feel free to email [email protected] and Nick will add it to the “listener recommended” category below.

LIFE IN JAPAN

The Japanofiles Podcast

Tokyo Podcast – @tokyopodcast

JAPANESE LANGUAGE STUDY

Japanese Pod 101 – @japanesepod101

HISTORY

A Short History of Japan – @frugcam

Samurai Archives – @samuraiarchives

SPORTS

Japan Baseball Weekly – @jballallen

The J Talk Podcast – @jtalkpod

FOOD

Japan Eats Podcast – @japaneats

Japan Booze Blind

CURRENT EVENTS

The Japan Show – @thejapanshow

LISTENER RECOMMENDED

Anime World Order Podcast – @AnimeWorldOrder

Otalkku Podcast-

Notebook on Cities and Culture – Though not strictly a Japan-focused podcast, there are some great Japan interviews. I especially recommend the interview with Pico Iyer.

Studio 360 in Japan Episode –

002 The JET Program Application Process

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

01/15/13 • 53 min

In this episode, Nick Harling talks with Sara Tilliotson, program director of the JET office at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., about the JET Program application process.

Together, they discuss the JET Program’s:

purpose & history
types of positions & responsibilities
eligibility criteria
salary & benefits
common application mistakes
application deadline & hiring process timeline

Other Recommended JET Program Resources:

The JET Program’s Official Website
The JET Program’s USA Website
Great JET Program youtube video created by an alum
JET Program FAQs
The JET Program Alumni Association Website
The CIR Homepage

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please go to the Let’s Talk Japan page in itunes, click on the “ratings and reviews” button and leave us some feedback. Doing so, will ensure that other listeners looking for Japan-related content can more easily find us.

As always, feel free to email questions or comments to: [email protected] and follow the podcast on Twitter @LetsTalkJapan

007 The Most Famous Cherry Blossoms Outside Of Japan

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

04/02/13 • 51 min

It’s officially hanami season and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom here in Washington, D.C. Each spring, over a million and a half people come to see the most famous cherry blossoms outside of Japan. In this episode, Nick speaks with Ambassador John Malott, president of the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C., about this living symbol of U.S.-Japan friendship and its 101-year history.

To learn more about the history of Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms, check out this books:

The Cherry Blossom Festival: Sakura Celebration, by Ann McClellan

Eliza’s Cherry Trees: Japan’s Gift To America, by Andrea Griffing Zimmerman

Cherry Blossom Friends, by Corky Hay DeSimone

For more information about the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the Sakura Matsuri, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org and sakuramatsuri.org. The U.S. National Park Service website also has some great information about the cherry blossoms and their history.

Thanks to everyone following the podcast on Twitter @letstalkjapan and be sure to “like” the podcast on the recently created facebook page.

Happy hanami!

020 Occupied Kyoto

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

02/09/14 • 54 min

In this episode, Nick sits down with Washington, D.C. native Jan Evans Hauser to discuss her experience living in Kyoto, Japan during the American occupation following WWII.

At the time, Jan’s step-father was Brigadier General Eugene Harrison, who was the Chief of Staff to Major General Joseph Swing, the commander of the U.S. Army’s 1st Corps. During the occupation, 1st Corps was headquartered in Kyoto and responsible for administering the Southern half of occupied Japan.

Together Nick and Jan discuss what life was like in Japan immediately after the war and how Kyoto captivated her imagination, just as it has so many others.

To learn more about the Daimau Villa and its architect, click HERE. If you’re a fan of victorian architecture and find yourself in Washington, DC, I highly recommend a tour of the Heurich House Museum, built by Jan’s grandfather.

For great reads about Kyoto, generally, and the American occupation of Japan, specifically, check out the following titles:

The Heike ́ Story, by Eiji Yoshikawa

The Lady and The Monk, by Pico Iyer

Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden

Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide, by Judith Clancy

Embracing Defeat, by John W. Dower

Kyoto Journal

If you enjoyed this interview, you should also listen to Episode 4, in which I interviewed a close family friend about surviving the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast and life in Japan during and after the war.

As always, you can rate the podcast in iTunes, check it out on Facebook, or following along with Twitter.

012 Japan Summer Reading Recommendations

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

06/15/13 • 54 min

In this episode, Nick speaks with members of the Washington, DC-based J Book Club about their summer reading recommendations.

If you would like to support the podcast, please consider purchasing some of the books discussed in this episode using the print and Kindle links below. By doing so, the podcast will receive a small commission to help offset production costs. The books are listed in the order in which they were discussed, regardless of whether they truly match the category under which they are listed.

Introduction to Japan (suggestions for: departing JETs, summer students, first-time visitors, etc.)

Kafka On The Shore – Haruki Murakami – (Kindle Edition)
The House Keeper And The Professor – Yoko Ogawa – (Kindle Edition)
Popular Hits of The Showa Period – Ryu Murakami
The Briefcase – Hiromi Kawakami – (Kindle Edition)
Fear And Trembling – Amelie Nothomb –
Learning to Bow – Bruce Feiler – (Kindle Edition)
For Fukui’s Sake – Sam Baldwin- (Kindle Edition)
Confucius Lives Next Door – T.R. Reid – (Kindle Edition)
Getting Naked With The Father-in-Law – Shaune Sakamoto – (Kindle Edition)

New Books (published in the last year)

The Lake (Kindle Edition) & Kitchen (Kitchen)- Banana Yoshimoto
Manazuru (Kindle Edition) – Hiroko Kawasaki
A Tale For The Time Being (

014 A Conversation with Yokohama Yankee Author Leslie Helm

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

07/28/13 • 46 min

In this episode, Nick speaks with Leslie Helm, author of Yokohama Yankee: My Family’s Five Generations As Outsiders In Japan.

The Helm family’s connection with Japan begins with Mr. Helm’s German great grandfather, Julius, who traveled to Japan as a young man in 1869, looking to make his way in the world. Julius would go on to found Helm Brothers, a company with diverse interests related to what would become Yokohama’s booming port economy. From there, the book’s narrative winds its way through four further generations of the Helm family. Mr. Helm recounts not only the family’s participation in major historical events, but also offers a frank assessment of the personal and intra-family struggles each generation faced while living in Japan. Together, these two aspects make for a compelling read.

Mr. Helm was born and raised in Yokohama and left Japan in the early 1970s to attend university before returning as a journalist to cover Japan for Business Week and the Los Angeles Times. He currently lives in Seattle, where he is the editor of Seattle Business magazine.

To learn more about Leslie Helm, including a list of upcoming talks and book signings, please visit www.lesliehelm.com. Also, check out this great article about Josh Powell, the book’s designer.

If you are interested in purchasing Yokohama Yankee, and supporting the podcast, click HERE. I also recommend these other great books from Chin Music Press:

Shiro: Wit, Wisdom, and Recipes from a Sushi Pioneer, by Shiro Kashiba and Ann Norton

Otaku Spaces, by Patrick W. Galbraith

025 Making The Most Of Your JET Program Experience

Let's Talk Japan Podcast

08/24/14 • 16 min

It’s late summer, and that means hundreds of new JET Program participants have recently started their new life in Japan. In this episode, I share my thoughts on what steps they can take to have an enjoyable and memorable Japan experience.

The Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching

Smile Kids Japan

Temple University Japan Testing Center

Monbukagakusho Scholarship Information

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