Oct. 31, 2025 | Japan’s foreigner problem: Kimi Onoda and the politics of coexistence
When Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister on Oct. 21, one of her new cabinet pick's stood out. Kimi Onoda was appointed...
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Japan Today
The Kong Show, hosted by Kamasami Kong, brings listeners news and comments from the Japan Today website as well as interviews with special guests, up-to-date concert and event information fo...
Episodes
20 of 105 episodes
Oct. 24, 2025 | Trial of Shinzo Abe's assassin
The trial of Tetsuya Yamagami — the man who assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — has begun in Japan. But this case is about more...
Oct. 3, 2025 | Why stalking cases in Japan keep ending in tragedy
Stalking cases in Japan are becoming harder to ignore. Women are being targeted, threatened and, in too many cases, killed — even after goin...
Sept. 26, 2025 | Why nuisance YouTubers are causing outrage in Japan
A rise in obnoxious and aggressive content creators is sparking outrage across Japan — from graveyard stunts and sushi sabotage to harassmen...
Sept. 19, 2025 | Why Japan's 'lost generation' is still losing
Japan’s “lost generation” came of age during the employment ice age of the 1990s and early 2000s. Promised stable jobs after graduation, the...
Sept. 12, 2025 | Why bear attacks are surging in Japan
Bears are showing up in Japanese towns, supermarkets, even airport runways — and the number of bear attacks is now higher than anywhere else...
Sept. 5, 2025 | Why So Many People Go Missing in Japan
Japan’s missing persons: Who disappears and why Every year, around 90,000 people are reported missing in Japan. Most are found quickly, but...
Aug. 28, 2025 | Japan’s hostage justice: Guilty until proven innocent
Japan’s justice system has a conviction rate of 99.9%. Critics say that figure isn’t proof of prosecutorial skill but the result of a system...
Aug. 21, 2025 | Scrolling for truth: News for the swipe generation
Younger people in Japan aren’t avoiding the news — they’re consuming it differently. In this episode, we look at how platforms like TikTok,...
Aug. 8, 2025 | 80 years after the Pacific War Japan’s reckoning with history
August 2025 marks 80 years since Japan surrendered in World War II, ending the Pacific War. In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we loo...
Aug. 1, 2025 | Why these Japanese homes are so cheap (and so creepy)
Would you live in a house where someone died? In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we explore the world of jiko bukken — Japan’s so-cal...
July 18, 2025 | Japan’s far-right surge: Sanseito and ‘Japan First’ politics in 2025
In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we examine the rise of Sanseito, a new political party gaining traction with Japan’s disillusioned...
July 11, 2025 | Is Trump blowing up Japan-US relations?
In this episode, we look at rising tensions between President Trump and Japan. From the on again-off again-on again 25% auto tariffs and pre...
July 4, 2025 | Japan's newspaper crisis: Losing readers, relevance and the next generation
Japan’s newspaper crisis: Losing readers, relevance and the next generation. Circulation is down, trust is fading and younger readers have m...
June 27, 2025 | Japan's big heat: June's deadly start to summer
Japan’s Big Heat: June’s Deadly Start to Summer It’s only June, but heatstroke deaths are already being reported across Japan. In this episo...
June 20, 2025 | Why Japan’s 2,000-year imperial family may not survive this century
Japan’s imperial family: Too old to modernize? Japan’s imperial family is the world’s oldest monarchy — but is it still relevant in 2025? Wi...
June 13, 2025 | Why Japan’s J-pop idol industry bans sex, dating and romance
What really goes on inside Japan’s idol industry? In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we explore the strict no-dating and no-sex rules...
June 6, 2025 | Japan’s rice crisis: Why prices are soaring and what’s behind it
Japan’s rice crisis isn’t just about food — it’s about identity, politics and a decades-old system that’s now under pressure. In this extend...
May 29, 2025 | Why is Nissan failing and what speed bumps lie ahead?
Nissan is planning to cut 20,000 jobs and may shut down factories in Japan. What’s behind the crisis at Japan’s No. 3 automaker — and can a...
May 23, 2025 | Japan’s sex industry boom: How tourism and the yen are changing everything
Japan’s tourism boom is fueling more than just hotels and souvenir shops. In this episode of Japan Today Spotlight, we explore the rise in s...