Japanology Plus: Season 9
Season 9 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Japanology Plus Season 8.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 9 Progress Shield
Japanophiles: Tom Hovasse
Jan 6, 2022 · 28 min
In a Japanophiles interview, Peter Barakan meets Tom Hovasse, a basketball coach from the USA. After spending much of his playing career in Japan, Hovasse began coaching Japanese t
Kotatsu: Heated Tables
Jan 13, 2022 · 28 min
Kotatsu are low tables with a heat source underneath, and a blanket draped over the top. For hundreds of years, Japanese have gathered around them in the cold winter months. They'r
VTubers
Jan 20, 2022 · 28 min
VTubers create online content using a computer-generated avatar. Motion capture technology enables them to record their gestures and expressions, and then apply those movements to
Traditional Homes
Feb 17, 2022 · 28 min
Traditional Japanese homes, featuring earthen walls, wooden beams and thatched roofs, have been used for centuries. Built using local materials, they incorporated clever techniques
Jomon Period: The Sannai Maruyama Site
Mar 10, 2022 · 28 min
The Jomon period lasted from around 13,000 BC to 300 BC. This society of hunter-gatherers cherished peace, cooperation and a deep connection to the natural world. In the first of 2
Jomon Period: Dogu
Mar 17, 2022 · 28 min
The Jomon period lasted from around 13,000 BC to 300 BC. This society of hunter-gatherers cherished peace, cooperation and a deep connection to the natural world. In the second of
Japanophiles: Steve Tallon
Mar 24, 2022 · 28 min
Steve Tallon is a cycling enthusiast from the UK. In 2005, he spent 8 months cycling from the UK to Japan. It was a 16,000-kilometer journey through Europe, the Middle East, centra
Face Masks
Apr 14, 2022 · 28 min
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, people all over the world have become accustomed to wearing masks. But in Japan, a custom of mask-wearing dates back hundreds of years. Today, innov
Washi: Japanese Paper
Apr 28, 2022 · 28 min
Japanese paper, known as washi, is attractively textured and extremely durable. For centuries, it has been used in many aspects of Japanese life and culture. Our guest, Akutsu Tomo
Name Stamps and Seals
May 12, 2022 · 28 min
For hundreds of years, Japanese have used name stamps, known as Hanko, to prove their identity. People use stamps in everyday situations, such as receiving a parcel, and in formal
Showa Nostalgia
May 19, 2022 · 28 min
The "Showa era" was the period of Japanese history between 1926 and 1989. The 60s, 70s and 80s are fondly remembered in Japan as a time when many were feeling the positive effects
Japanophiles: Claudio Feliciani
Jun 2, 2022 · 28 min
Claudio Feliciani is a Swiss-Italian scientist whose main interest is the movement of crowds. He worked alongside 3 Japanese scientists on a study that examined why people bump int
Keitora: Tiny Trucks
Jun 16, 2022 · 28 min
40% of the motor vehicles in Japan are ultra-compact "kei" cars. These light vehicles are maneuverable, practical and cost-efficient. Tiny "kei" pickup trucks, known as "keitora,"
Vinyl Records
Jun 30, 2022 · 28 min
In Japan, vinyl records have made a comeback. Sales in 2021 were 10 times higher than they were in 2010. Japan's second-hand records are well-regarded all over the world because th
Okinawa: The Ryukyu Kingdom
Jul 14, 2022 · 28 min
Okinawa Prefecture is a group of subtropical islands in the far south of Japan. It was previously a prosperous maritime trading state called the Ryukyu Kingdom. In the first of 2 e
Okinawa: The Reconstruction of Shuri Castle
Jul 21, 2022 · 28 min
Okinawa Prefecture is a group of subtropical islands in the far south of Japan. It was previously a prosperous maritime trading state called the Ryukyu Kingdom. In the second of 2
Frozen Food
Jul 28, 2022 · 28 min
In Japan, frozen food is an essential part of many people's lives. Companies are constantly developing new techniques that make products tastier, longer lasting and more convenient
Japanophiles: Gregory Khezrnejat
Aug 11, 2022 · 28 min
Gregory Khezrnejat is an author and university associate professor from the United States. In 2021, his Japanese-language novel Kamogawa Runner won the second annual Kyoto Literatu
Goldfish
Aug 25, 2022 · 28 min
Goldfish were introduced to Japan in the 16th century, and since then, they have become widely admired. Many people keep them as pets, and they are a common motif on everyday objec
Welfare Goods
Sep 8, 2022 · 28 min
The average age of the Japanese population is rising quickly. To offer care that matches the diverse needs of Japan's many elderly people, Japan produces a wide range of welfare go
Water-related Disasters
Sep 29, 2022 · 28 min
Japan suffers from frequent water-related natural disasters, such as flooding, landslides and storm surges. Throughout history, methods to mitigate their effects have been devised.
Japanophiles: Andrew Dewar
Oct 13, 2022 · 28 min
Andrew Dewar, originally from Toronto, Canada, is a designer of paper airplanes. His interest was sparked at the age of ten, when he encountered a sleek, unfamiliar paper-airplane
The Moon
Oct 20, 2022 · 28 min
The moon has been cherished and admired throughout Japanese history. People have long held moon-viewing events, and expressed gratitude for the moon's role in successful harvests.
Cardboard
Nov 24, 2022 · 28 min
Japan is one of the world's top consumers of cardboard. The cardboard beds used during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games captured global attention. That was just one exam
The Samurai of the Sea: Pirates or Protectors?
Dec 8, 2022 · 28 min
Around 500 years ago, sea traffic in the Seto Inland Sea was monitored and controlled by a group called the "Murakami Kaizoku." The word "kaizoku" translates to "pirates," but thes
The Samurai of the Sea: The Murakami Legacy
Dec 15, 2022 · 28 min
Around 500 years ago, sea traffic in the Seto Inland Sea was monitored and controlled by a group called the "Murakami Kaizoku." The word "kaizoku" translates to "pirates," but thes
Japanophiles: Colleen Schmuckal
Dec 22, 2022 · 28 min
Hanawa-bayashi is the name both of a parade of floats in Kazuno, Akita Prefecture, and of the traditional music that is performed all night at the festival. These days, the perform