Most of the longer running, older shows are reviewed and listed below already. I am presently organizing another 50, already reviewed Japan podcasts that are less significant, but still of possible interest to many people. The Out of Production directory page is likely to see the most frequent changes at JapanPodcasters.com, as I attempt to find the best means of presenting the huge quantity of discontinued, briefly produced podcasts that are still floating around out there on the Internet. -Dan
A-Bomb City
2008 Award Winner Japan Podcasters' Most Desired Resurrection Award
I regret that I had to move the A-Bomb City Podcast into the Out of Production category during the planning stages of the Japan Podcasters website. A-Bomb City is of one of the more interesting Japan podcasts in the directory.
The hosts Andy and Dave are two Brits that covered an extraordinary variety of topics with competence and intellectually irreverent humor during the life span of A-Bomb City. The show was based in Hiroshima and the hosts touch on issues unique to that historically significant city in addition to general Japan topics, along with a cornucopia of other subjects.
I came across this show on the web and listened to a couple of episodes early in its existence, apparently before A-Bomb City was listed in iTunes. Much later when I discovered the show’s appearance on iTunes, I was pleased to find that these interesting fellows had kept at it and now have a large inventory of episodes. I have enjoyed playing catch up with this podcast. The show is no longer in production, but a very respectable 50 shows were produced and the hosts were nice enough to post an official notice on their site informing the world of the out of production status. Many shows, most even, just enter a state of limbo when the producers lose their motivation. It is very cool that a completion statement was made in this case.
For those who want to check out the show, the episodes were still available for download as of my last check.
One caveat to A-Bomb City, in a world filled with more and more podcasts that we want to listen to, would be the length of the A-Bomb City Podcast’s average episode. This program cannot be described as concise. That is not really a comparative criticism; Long shows are quite common within the podcasting world.
This show has been flagged as explicit and it deserves that indicator. However, it does not come across as gratuitously vulgar as some other adult oriented podcasts. You are likely to find yourself laughing more than wincing at A-Bomb City’s vulgarity.
You may need to listen to more than one episode to give these guys a fair shake. Some episodes shine a little brighter, and some of their episodes definitely have more Japan content than others.
Often bawdy, but not mean spirited, A-Bomb City is worth a listen if you appreciate quick witted hosts who obviously have a strong and enduring friendship. Both Andy and Dave brought distinctive comic sensibilities to the show. Andy’s frequent sharing of his own music compositions is another interesting element of A-Bomb City. Andy is a very capable musician and composer, as is further evidenced by the infectious theme song heard in later A-Bomb City episodes. Download these shows while you can, before they are lost forever
A-Bomb City Website
Josh in Japan
Josh in Japan is an important program within the world of Japan podcasting. Through its success and early notable positioning in iTunes, Josh probably drew more attention to Japan podcasting than any other show out there in the early days. I suspect most podcasters would be delighted to have only half the listeners Josh had during his peak.
Josh left the military, Japan, and even his Japanese family behind for a while, to return to the US to continue his education. He has apparently permanently ceased production of Josh in Japan and though Josh has not completely acknowledged it (as of this writing), I think he is likely aware that he exhausted his format (in a good way) leaving behind a collection of topic-oriented shows for people to pull from over time.
[A recent posting on the Josh in Japan website indicates Josh has an interest in possibly continuing to do something in podcasting one day, but probably not a Japan themed show.]
Josh occasionally couldn't resist referencing his detractors who seemed to get under his skin from time to time, and I think he deservedly took a bit of heat when he tried to teach Japanese on the program (Josh doesn't speak Japanese). I have to admit that even I as a beginner, cringed a little when I heard his pronunciations.
Josh promoted his show as an “opinion show,” not a “factual show,” I assume to cover himself when he wasn't in the mood to do a lot of research. And even though it was a topic driven podcast, for those who may have felt they knew more than Josh about some subjects and were upset when some of his information was a little off the mark, I think they were not really listening in the right spirit. Josh seemed to intend his podcast to be a series of fun conversations on misc. topics in Japan as seen by a typical gaijin, not as seen by a Japan scholar.
I am sure Josh in Japan will long be remembered as a strong early foundation program in the Japan podcasting world, and this out of production podcast is likely still being listened to and enjoyed by many Japan enthusiasts around the world at this very moment.
For any future Japan podcasters out there who wonder how Josh achieved his success, it is really very simple - He was personable, easy to listen to, maintained good audio quality in his recordings, and at a time when some Japan podcasts out there were probably fairly perceived by many as boring, rambling, exercises in tedium, Josh made shows which attempted to stay focused on specific topics of interest to the general Japan enthusiast.
Though he may not have always researched his topics thoroughly and he may have occasionally spoken on topics outside of his knowledge base, Josh obviously did spend time preparing for shows. He put serious and thoughtful effort into his program. He developed a good concept and worked hard at it. I think that is probably a good recipe for success in all categories of life. Best wishes to you Josh, whatever pursuits occupy your time now.
Josh in Japan Website
The Kyoto Podcast
2008 Award Winner Japan Podcasters' Most Desired Resurrection Award
The Kyoto Podcast by Australian Tim Burgess was the first podcast of any sort I ever listened to. In his first few episodes, the host gives you a real sense of the environment in Japan’s most historically important city.
All the Japanese people (or at least all of my Japanese friends) seem to have a special fondness for the beauty of Kyoto, no matter what part of Japan they come from. This podcast is a good introduction for those who are considering visiting what many proclaim to be Japan’s most fascinating city, and a good listen for those like myself, who are looking forward to returning one day soon.
The Kyoto Podcast is the show I mentioned on the introduction page to JapanPodcasters.com with the host that had trouble with immigration during a reentry attempt to Japan. Tim didn't go into a great amount of detail about it, but there apparently was some issue with his attempt to reenter on a tourist visa, after having recently been turned down for a student visa, all somehow negatively connected to the very lengthy amount of time he had already spent in Japan.
Tim tried to keep the Kyoto Podcast going after being forced to abandon his life in Japan, and he did manage to put together quite a few good Kyoto Podcast episodes from Cairns, Australia. But the magic was hard to hold onto and when listening to The Kyoto Podcast, you can't help but wonder what the show could have become if Tim had not been forced to make the break from Japan.
Tim was a ground breaking podcaster in many ways and one of the first to experiment with new features made practical by iTunes, including the use of companion photo slide shows in enhanced audio episodes, and 4 of his last shows were released in both audio and video versions. All 20 Kyoto Podcast episodes are still available. The 20th and final episode was a video only edition that culminated with Tim honoring his promise to create a "face cast" featuring previously requested photos sent in by listeners.
That last episode, which begins with an all too ordinary segment featuring Tim eating at a Japanese restaurant in Australia, probably reveals the tragedy of the show's forced departure from Japan better than anything I could write here.
Tim has created a very nice collection of unusually high quality shows that should be of interest to many Japan enthusiasts, even those who are not as intrigued by Kyoto as I am. Tim's first few episodes of The Kyoto Podcast set a high bar early on for Japan Podcasters that very few have ever been able to come close to.
I hope the host of the Kyoto Podcast can find a legal way back into Japan for the long term, if that is the place he wishes to be. Tim Burgess certainly was and is a great ambassador for Kyoto via his original podcasting efforts.
The Kyoto Podcast Website
Of Rice and Zen
I wrote the Of Rice and Zen review below before "A" revealed his plans to ride out the Nova language school fiasco. Nova was a giant English chain school that many foreigners worked for in Japan. Nova recently went out of business in a spectacular fashion. "A" seemed moderately unconcerned about things as they were spiraling down, and elected not to pursue other employment, even though he seemed to understand early on that the prospects for Nova's survival were not good. He made some statements about wanting to witness the implosion in person. Nova did eventually collapse completely, and "A" dropped off the podcasting map.
On with the review, written before the host vanished.
[Actually, I guess "A" has not vanished. I checked his website briefly and it seems that though he has indeed left Japan, surrendering his alien ID card at the airport as he departed, he also indicates a desire to return on a tourist visa soon. "A" doesn't elaborate on what his plans are beyond that, and his writing doesn't really seem to indicate that he has a high level of confidance about his ability to return to Japan in the near future.
If he ever starts outputting regular or semi-regular podcast episodes again, I will move the Of Rice and Zen listing to the main directory.]
This guy might throw you off at first. The host, who prefers to conceal his identity, goes by the abbreviation “A” and he has a dark and bitter, sarcastic slant to his humor. "A" works pretty hard to maintain and promote a rather dour world view on his podcast, sometimes to the point of me thinking it is all a charade. But to credit his performance (if it is one), I have observed that he has in the past remained in this odd character even in some of his blog posts. Whether he is really this pessimistic in life or not (I imagine not. I think this is just the host’s personal preference in humor.), there is some interesting content here on occasion.
Of Rice and Zen is very much a personal reflection of the host’s feelings and experiences as an English teacher in Japan. “A” is a Brit living in the Kyoto area, one of the most interesting cities in the world, so I always feel like he is missing an opportunity by not integrating the grandeur of Kyoto into his podcast somehow. But that is just me and my personal preferences in podcasting surfacing. I seem to recall a reference in the show indicating that the host may not actually be in Kyoto proper, but I am not clear on that issue. Living on the outskirts might make it more difficult to reference the city in greater detail. At any rate, sharing information about experiences connected to specific attributes of Kyoto would not seem to be the host’s goal. Podcasting for many podcasters is simply about personal expression more than anything else.
“A” promotes himself as a “clueless” and “dumb gaijin” (his words) introducing people to what it is like to come to Japan to teach English at a chain school. If you like a darker and pessimistic approach to your humor, podcasts, and life in general, you might feel right at home here. Others may find it worthwhile digging through as well, especially those who are planning to come to Japan to teach English. The host has labeled this podcast “explicit” on iTunes, and he does roam freely with his vocabulary and subject matter.
Recently, catching up on some older Of Rice and Zen episodes before finishing this review, I heard things on the show that seemed too aggressively cruel and childishly harsh for me to have much interest in continuing to listen to this podcast. The host is undeniably intelligent, but be warned his perspective is not often imbued with much kindness or compassion. A little pessimism can be cute, but cruelty is not. It's definitely about time for me to move on from this one.
Of Rice and Zen Website
Podgy's Tokyo Talk
Podgy has the most mellow and soothing podcast persona of any podcaster I've listened to, regardless of topic.
Though he is based in Tokyo, Podgy did seem to cover Japan as a country and not focus only on Tokyo. Many of his shows (maybe too many) were music only, and often Podgy’s narration was very brief and typically seemed to be read from English language news publications in Japan.
When in production, Podgy was far from consistent in his production schedule, but he always seemed to resurface, even after long breaks. This time however, Podgy has been quiet long enough that I think Podgy's Tokyo Talk definitely must take a position on the Out of Production page.
Most significantly for me, this podcast was the first one that convinced me that there are more than a few good “podsafe” songs worth listening to online. Podgy took the time to find very well-produced legal music for his program.
Despite being a musician myself, I don't generally subscribe to podcast music shows, and I have to admit I scanned quickly through some of the tunes Podgy put in his program. I mostly listened for his narration when he had time to add it, but I do give songs a few more seconds to catch my ear these days on the podcasts I listen to that have music. I do this because of the uber-cool Podgy helping me to realize that quality independent music can indeed be found in some podcasts.
You may have to listen to more than a few shows to catch Podgy at his best, but you might find it worth the effort. His shows have a late night vibe to me and were well suited to some of my late nights when I was winding down at home.
Podgy's Tokyo Talk is really much more of a music show than it is a Japan show, but knowing Podgy is in Tokyo and his occasional discussion of Japan topics added a nice Japanese flavor to this podcast.
I was considering awarding Podgy something like an "Energy" or "Best Vibe" award in the first annual Japan Podcaster Awards, but with no new shows on the horizon from Podgy's Tokyo Talk, and a "little too little" spoken content mixed in with the songs on a typical Podgy episode, I had to pass on the idea of an Energy/Vibe award this year. But if there was such a Japan Podcaster Award, Podgy's Tokyo Talk would be the only podcast in the running for it.
Podgy's Tokyo Talk Website
So Lost in Tokyo
So Lost in Tokyo is another Japan podcast that bit the dust during the planning and development of JapanPodcasters.com.
Right out of the gate I have to say the material in this show was a little too crude for my taste. I like that the host started adding some semi-regular segments on adult or erotic topics in Japan. He called those segments “So Blue Tokyo.” I can be rather creatively deviant myself in many ways, and who doesn't enjoy a fun sexy topic?
This podcast is not all adult, but overall the show’s content and humor simply falls into a category of presentation that is unpleasantly vulgar and a little too rough around the edges for me.
By revealing my unfiltered feelings about the content of the So Lost in Tokyo Podcast, it will probably only cause more people to want to sample it out of curiosity, so I hope the host Herb is not too disturbed by my candid reaction to his program.
I should admit I have only been able to make it all the way through a few of these episodes, and I just scanned the others.
Equally as problematic for me and another reason I was unable to listen to all the episodes was the audio quality. I am not sure what the host recorded with, but there are serious sound input issues with this podcast that result in clipped audio and popping that is literally painful to listen to in some segments, even on open air speakers. The audio levels also sometimes fluctuate so much within a single sentence that it can be very fatiguing, even if you could ignore the other audio problems.
Audio issues have been plaguing So Lost in Tokyo from its inception and into the most recent episodes I have listened to. I am very forgiving of audio weaknesses in amateur podcasts, but shows that physically hurt my ears are asking a bit too much.
I assume some persons may be less bothered by the audio issues than I am, and this show’s content may be just what some people are looking for. Personally, I like a little more refinement and sophistication with my perversion, so I will leave this one for others to enjoy.
I was unable to find a website for So Lost in Tokyo, and iTunes no longer seems to be carrying the feed. However, if you are interested in hearing this podcast, as of this writing the following Podcast Directory link still has individual So Lost in Tokyo shows available for download.
So Lost in Tokyo Individual Shows
Since the So Lost in Tokyo podcast is no longer accessible via iTunes and would seem to be a podcast that is unlikely to resurface, I will likely categorize it with other obscure podcast titles that are being organized for addition to the JapanPodcasters.com directory early in 2008.
There are quite a few Japan Podcasts that come and go in a hurry, that many Japan enthusiasts may still enjoy sorting through. I will highlight the more listenable and worthwhile shows, and provide short content descriptions for all of them here in the Out of Production category. Look for the first batch of "extremely obscure" Japan podcasts to be added soon.
