Whew. Finally got episode 8 of the podcast out of the door.
This one went a bit crazy. Well, George and I went a bit crazy. Too much coffee, and neither of us were hung over. It was a lot of fun to record though (if a hell of a lot of work to edit!!).
It’s interesting for us to observe how the show is changing through the series. As a ‘beta’ project this is OK. This episode is a fair bit longer than any of the others have been, but I hope it’s entertaining enough to retain people’s interest. Of course you can’t please everyone.
When I say it’s interesting to see how it’s changing, I don’t mean that we’re planless – we’re flexible. Each show teaches us a bit and helps us get a clearer idea of what we’d like to do in the future.
It’s just a shame that it takes so much time to produce them, as we have a bunch of material waiting in the wings!
Hope you enjoy the show.
The long-awaited episode 8 is now out …and jam-packed with Japan Podshow goodness.
Listen to the show here 49mb, 52 mins, MP3
Download it direct here, Subscribe and listen in iTunes or Listen via our RSS feed. If you have a slow internet connection we have a lower-quality version (also MP3) which you can download here.
Back from their solar eclipse travels, George and Joseph have a lot of treat in store – kicking off with an interview with Hiko Saemon (aka Simon) of YouTube fame.
Learning Japanese Part 1: Interview with Hiko Saemon
Hiko Saemon is the creator of original, inspiring bilingual videos on YouTube, designed for learners of Japanese who would like to see a bit more of the ‘normal’ Japan (and less of the singing on trains), and Japanese YouTubers who like to watch quality content from non-Japanese producers. In this interview he tells us how he got into YouTubing, why he has a healthy right-wing fan base, and how it was that he came to be so good at Japanese.
Simon is also working hard to promote the use of Creative Commons in Japan – check out the Creative Commons YouTube channel here.
Here’s one of his videos by way of introduction.
You can find Simon online in the following places
Hiko Saemon You Tube channel (Japanese with English subtitles)
Hiko Talk YouTube channel (English with some Japanese subtitles)
Hiko Saemon on Blog TV
In the interview Simon also mentioned Ken Tanaka’s You Tube Channel, and Kevin Cooney’s BlogTV channel.
Here’s Simon’s guide to Learning Japanese fast!
George and the JET Programme
Next up, George reveals all as he tells us about the JET programme – a Japanese Government ‘scheme’ that places English-speaking university graduates in schools as teachers all across the country every year. It’s the doorway to Japan that many non-Japanese enter through. But what’s it like? Listen to George tell us how he found it to be a little tough at times.
Learning Japanese Part 2: A multi-pronged approach
Learning Japanese is back!! After a three year break (it first featured on A Year in Japan) this section is back to help you get on with mastering the language.
Each week we’ll be giving you a couple of tips, or ‘Prongs’ as we prefer to refer to them. This week we start with some BIG ideas to consider. Keep listening for more detailed advice in future episodes.
The book Joseph talked about was Remembering the Kanji: Complete Course on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters v. 1 
Photography Top Ten!
and The View From Japan
Shane Sakata of the Nihon Sun then joins us to bring us news of a new collaborative photo site called A View From Japan. Every day one of their talented contributors posts a new image from Japan, to give you a pictorial insight into the country they call home.
Shane also provides us with the Photographer’s Top Ten for when coming to Japan – what you can’t afford to miss with your lens!
Joseph also mentions Alfie Goodrich’s site, and his only photo-documentary of Tsukiji Fish Market.
Listener’s Feedback
Wow! We had some great feedback this time. Thank you!!
You can provide feedback via email hello (at mark) japanpodshow .com, facebook, skype, twitter …and you could even write a review for us on iTunes!
Live-cast! – iPhone 3G Giveaway!
Yes, it’s finally the time for us to give away the Japan Podshow-branded iPhone 3G. For this we are using the latest technology for choosing competition winners – The Food Processor of Doom combines with the Thermos of Terror. Not only that, this was live-cast over the internet to ensure no cheating was involved.
The audio version of the podcast contains an extract from the audio of the following video
Win Japanese chocolates and and an amazing water pistol!
Listen to the show or watch the video above to find out how you can enter. The email address you need is hello (at mark) japanpodshow .com.
Music
Music used in the background of this episode was:
After All by Alexander Blu (used in the first half)
Tryad – Waltz into Moonlight (used in the second half)