“I feel awkward hugging my mom. Something I tried, but my mom found it awkward… So I just kind of stopped.” - Natsumi (a Japanese woman living in Tokyo)
"A lot of westerners have ideas of individuality and freedom at all costs.. Able to do what I want whenever I want. That clashes a lot with Japanese work culture and mentality." -Cuau (a Mexican man who lived in Tokyo)
“Over the past years, I went from being very interested in Japan, to really liking Japan, to absolutely loathing Japan. So I can’t wait to leave.” - Erik (a Dutch man who lived in Tokyo)
Everyone has their own opinions about Japan. Some opinions can be quite controversial.
Japan is a prime example of collectivist culture while western countries put emphasis on the individual - such polar opposite mindsets. Misunderstandings and confusions are bound to happen when these two perspectives collide. Every episode we unpack one controversial opinion about the Japanese mindset, culture, and custom through stories and interviews. Join host Kaho Koda as she dives into her own culture and attempts to make sense of the disconnect between the Japanese and Western point of view.
Listen to the Podcast:
Meet the Creative Team
Produced by Human Burrito Productions
Written and hosted by Kaho Koda
Cover art by Macie Matthews
Sound design by Junan
Theme song by Mikara
Special thanks to: Sophia Gupta, Eelke Verboom, Rutger Wink, Merel van ‘t Hooft, Van Anh Nguyen
Kaho Koda
Macie Matthews 
Junan 
Mikara
Transcripts
Rather read?
We encourage you to listen to the podcast rather than read the transcript if you can. Controversial Japan is written and produced for the ear. You can’t hear the music or pick up on the emotion it conveys in a written format. But of course we also want to be as accessible as possible.