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This time, we unpack why life in Japan feels harder right now for both citizens and foreign residents alike. The episode connects Japan's weak currency, a record-breaking tourism boom, and a sweeping tightening of visa and permanent residency rules under the Takaichi government. All framed against a backdrop of rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
Key Discussion Points
COVID-era border closures (2020–2022): Japan barred even permanent residents from reentry for roughly a year while citizens moved freely; tourists weren't allowed back until October 2022.
Shrinking outbound curiosity: Japanese passport ownership has dropped from ~24% pre-pandemic to 17.8% currently; students show declining interest in studying or traveling abroad.
Tourism boom: Foreign tourism hit record highs, 42+ million visitors in 2025 and 21+ million already in 2026, but Japan still lags far behind top destinations like France (102 million visitors in 2025) and lacks infrastructure to match the volume.
Why the yen is weak: Three decades of economic stagnation, government bond-buying to keep interest rates near zero, delayed Bank of Japan rate hikes compared to the US and Europe, and the resulting sell-off of yen by currency investors.
The yen carry trade: Investors and institutions borrowed cheap yen to invest in higher-return assets abroad, making Japan the largest holder of US debt; in 2026 the BOJ began selling US bonds to defend the yen, prompting US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to intervene by buying yen.
Wage-price spiral: Rising cost of living has forced employers to raise wages, which in turn pushes prices higher. With wages currently outpacing inflation, though unevenly across industries.
Immigration by the numbers: Foreign residents now exceed 4 million (an almost 50% year-over-year increase) but still represent only about 3% of Japan's population.
New visa and PR costs: Visa fee caps rose from 10,000 yen to as much as 200,000–300,000 yen; standard visas now cost roughly 33,000–75,000 yen, and permanent residency around 200,000 yen.
New PR eligibility rules: Applicants must now earn above the average household income (5.75 million yen) rather than average individual income, and must show 30 years of pension contributions or equivalent savings, a requirement I flag as vague and difficult to calculate.
Political context: The ruling LDP under PM Sanae Takaichi is tightening immigration amid pressure from the far-right Sanseito party.
What didn't make the cut: Protests against mosque construction, a proposed African labor program, rising "yamibaito" (criminal side-job) activity, and reseller-driven fruit theft.
Main Takeaways
Japan's cost-of-living crisis and immigration crackdown are two symptoms of the same underlying economic story: a structurally weak yen and decades of economic stagnation.
The yen carry trade links Japan's monetary policy directly to US bond markets — making this a global economic story, not just a domestic one.
New visa and PR requirements make permanent residency in Japan significantly harder to obtain, especially for single foreign workers.
Rising anti-immigrant sentiment in Japan is being used, in part, as a political scapegoat for economic problems the government hasn't solved.
Who This Episode Is For
Anyone studying Japanese or considering a move to Japan
Current expats and foreign residents navigating Japan's visa system
Anime and Japanese culture fans who want context on current events
Listeners interested in currency markets, monetary policy, or immigration policy
Fans of Like My Anime looking for the show's take on life in Japan beyond media commentary
Notable People, Media & Concepts Mentioned
Anime referenced: Ghost in the Shell, Chainsaw Man (referred to informally), Rent-A-Girlfriend, and a summer anime referenced as "Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You"
Political figures: Sanae Takaichi (Japanese PM), Shinzo Abe (former PM), Kimi Onoda (Minister of Harmonious Coexistence with Foreigners)
Political parties: LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), Sanseito
Economic figures/institutions: Bank of Japan (BOJ), US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
Recommended external resource: The YouTube channel Japanalysis has a great video series on far right YouTubers that you should definitely watch:
Japan's Loudest Man Tries to Kick Out All Chinese Tourists https://youtu.be/uQ5u16NUKMU?si=StCc4wCj4S1Q_f5A
"Japanese Trump" Fails Miserably and Goes to Prison https://youtu.be/j8pxuIQVH7o?si=OUao3G61dRlXPT2E
Japan’s Right Wing Is Imploding Because of a Literal Clown https://youtu.be/WCk2hYLOdnI?si=Am64_BUIFwuBVvxn
Referenced past episode: Summer is Scary in Japan https://youtu.be/amFhVr-Njso https://www.buzzsprout.com/2439138/episodes/1964994
Resources Mentioned
Will Japan bring down the world economy? | The Economist https://youtu.be/QBorPsQpEzU?si=_T600jxEfrhO4uZ-
Nobody Wants to Admit Why America Just Bailed Out Japan https://youtu.be/OC1yu0L7jT4?si=d02yZ51cUK6kEdem
Are more migrants in North East Asia inevitable? - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service https://youtu.be/xiejP28Smug?si=A5N1dfbm8ZFE_cuh
Crimes by loosely organized crime groups are on the rise across Japan https://youtu.be/KR8KmMUnm_0?si=01LAvzlMcl9MRZGt
Japan's new criminal underworld https://youtu.be/xykfQawB6T8?si=WYNVQNSaDVaRrgkJ
Additional Reading:
Why did JICA withdraw from its Japan-Africa 'hometown' exchange initiative https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/4273/
What Drives Xenophobia? Political Discourse and Policies on Foreign Residents - Nippon.com https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/d01220/?cx_recs_click=true
The impact of politicians’ behaviors on hate speech spread: hate speech adoption threshold on Twitter in Japan - Journal of Computational Social Science https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42001-024-00268-5
Reported crimes rise for third consecutive year, government data reveals - The Japan Times https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/19/japan/crime-legal/japan-crime-white-paper-2025/
Trends and Realities of Foreign Crime in Japan (2025): An Analysis Based on Official Statistics - EN-ICHI https://ippjapan.org/en_ichi/en/archives/1983
This last one is a little bit of a stretch but the great Dr. Wes Robertson and his channel Scripting Japan just posted this video (There's a bit about Sanseito half way through): https://youtu.be/j3Qk8S5_GSI?si=CcK-bUENo77FHWF-
Calls to Action
Follow Like My Anime so you don't miss future episodes
Rate and review the podcast to help other listeners find the show
Share this episode with anyone considering a move to Japan
Let me know if you want a follow-up episode on Japan's population decline
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
Episode Overview We explore Japan's summer horror tradition — rooted in the Obon festival and kaidan ghost stories — through five recommendations spanning film, Netflix TV, legal drama, and anime.
Key Discussion Points
Obon and the belief that ancestral spirits return each summer, and how that gave rise to the kaidan storytelling tradition
Dollhouse (2025): a haunted-doll J-horror film from comedy director Shinobu Yaguchi, driven by parental grief rather than jump scares
Human Vapor: a 2026 Netflix Japanese-Korean co-production rebooting a 1960s Toho tokusatsu film, blending body horror with an investigative crime drama
Sins of Kujo: a non-supernatural legal drama about a lawyer defending morally repugnant clients, included as a different flavor of darkness
Mushishi: an anime following wandering healer Ginko and the Mushi, ancient beings treated as an ordinary part of the world rather than monsters
Yami Shibai: an anime that recreates kamishibai, a traditional street-performance storytelling format, through ultra-short horror episodes
Main Takeaways
Japanese horror media leans on grief, moral ambiguity, and atmosphere as much as jump scares
Obon and kaidan give Japanese horror a distinct summer-season identity separate from Western Halloween horror
Kamishibai is a direct cultural ancestor of the ghost-story format still used in anime today
Who This Episode Is For
Anime and J-horror fans looking for a varied watchlist
Listeners interested in Japanese folklore, Obon, and the kaidan tradition
Fans of Japanese-language content who want cultural context alongside media recommendations
Anyone who wants horror recommendations outside the typical October season
Resources & Media Mentioned
Dollhouse (2025), dir. Shinobu Yaguchi
Human Vapor (2026, Netflix) — reboot of a 1960s Toho tokusatsu film
Rate and review on your listening platform (it really helps!)
Share with a friend who loves anime or horror
Share your own non-October horror picks
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
Episode Overview A personal, spoiler-light review of the manga Spacewalking with You by Inuhiko Doronoda — a slice-of-life story about a "lazy" high schooler, Kobayashi, whose friendship with an unusual transfer student, Uno, slowly reveals just how much of his struggle was never really laziness at all.
Key Discussion Points
Overview of the manga's premise, setting, and central friendship
How the story portrays neurodivergence without ever naming a diagnosis
The host's personal ADHD diagnosis and how it shaped their reaction to the story
Specific scenes discussed (spoiler-light): the notebook incident, the part-time job training manual, the glasses subplot, a sensory-overload moment between Uno and Kobayashi
What makes the manga's approach to representation feel different from typical media portrayals
A brief, honest critique (some side characters are hard to distinguish)
Publication details: English release status and Japanese reading difficulty
Major Takeaways
Representation doesn't require clinical labels to feel authentic — sometimes showing the experience is more powerful than naming the condition
Curiosity and empathy, rather than assumptions, are the engine of the story's emotional arc
Struggles that look like "laziness" or "weirdness" often have deeper, unspoken explanations
Small, unglamorous acts of kindness carry as much narrative weight as any dramatic plot turn
Who This Episode Is For
Manga readers looking for a thoughtful, low-stakes slice-of-life recommendation
Neurodivergent listeners (diagnosed or self-identifying) interested in representation done with care
Parents and teachers who want media that might help them understand a child or student
Japanese-language learners looking for an intermediate (N3-level) manga to read in the original
Notable Resources, Books, People, or Media Mentioned
Spacewalking with You — manga by Inuhiko Doronoda (English release: 3 volumes as of July; 6 volumes currently out in Japan)
Author Inuhiko Doronoda's stated intent behind the story's mid-2000s setting
Calls to Action
Share what manga has made you feel personally understood
Follow the podcast for future manga/media recommendations
Rate and review the show
Share this episode with someone who might connect with the story
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
This month's episode is a sort of announcement, I'm gonna be taking a break from the podcast for a bit to focus on YouTube. If all the same content as video essays and booktube videos sounds interesting to you then I'd love for you to subscribe to the Like My Anime YouTube channel
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
We try to explain why The Solitary Gourmet, a plotless Japanese food drama about a man eating alone, became a massive hit across East Asia. We also dig into why it’s one of the best resources for real Japanese listening practice and what “healing” media reveals about modern comfort viewing.
• the show’s simple formula and why “nothing happens” works • how real restaurants turn episodes into a food culture guide • why the inner monologue is gold for Japanese language learning • three reasons the drama clicks, from Matsushige’s performance to solo dining • iyashi-kei and the demand for comfort media after stress • our small gripes, from dreamlike pacing to non-bingeability
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
We dig into why My Dress-Up Darling is more than a spicy high school rom-com and why dropping it after the first three episodes misses the real point. We talk craft, cosplay culture, gender expression, and why the series works surprisingly well for Japanese language learners.
• why the show gets mislabeled early and what changes after episode four • Wakana Gojo’s Hina doll craftsmanship, childhood trauma, and loneliness • Marin Kitagawa as the driver of the story and the cosplay partnership that builds real trust • how the romance develops mostly through Marin’s point of view • gender role reversals, gender-swapped cosplay, and naming and speech choices • what “fan service” means, where the series justifies it, and where it feels exploitative • how cosplay is viewed in Japan versus the US and why “time and place” matters • CloverWorks’ animation choices and why the show feels so cozy • manga and adaptation notes, including the final volumes and season three uncertainty • Japanese learning value: everyday language, plus a heavy dose of modern slang • extra recommendations: The Full-Time Wife Escapist, K-On, Who Does Housework Anymore
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
We unpack why L1 and L2 learning differ, where adult learners can excel, and how to use child‑like methods without buying the myth of effortlessness. Along the way we revisit the critical period, language intuition, and practical tools like nursery rhymes for better input.
• L1 dominance, age of acquisition, and processing speed • Near‑native performance vs intuition in lab tests • Why the critical period applies to L1, not adult L2 • Transfer from L1 shaping L2 learning paths • Kids’ advantages: fearlessness, repetition, support • Adult strengths: strategy, focus, deliberate practice • Using nursery rhymes and skits for prosody and chunks • Cultural cues missing from beginner textbooks • Building your own support system and routines
The best way to support the show is to recommend it to friends, rate us on whatever podcast listening app you are using, subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our Patreon for more.
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
We connect New Year momentum, Ekiden grit, and Murakami’s running log to practical Japanese study that survives real life. Flexible systems, tiny daily wins, and the power of noticing replace vague goals and pressure to “master” everything.
• defining minimum viable study to protect consistency • replacing output goals with input systems • using interests and authentic media to sustain motivation • embracing ambiguity and iterative understanding • making phones boring to reduce distraction • self-compassion, “don’t miss twice,” and growth mindset • safe uses and limits of AI for learners • input, output, interaction, and the noticing hypothesis • note refactoring to test and deepen understanding • recommendations: Look Back, Hundred Meters, inakyu’s Hope Core video, Murakami’s running book
We’ll post an episode in February, so see you then
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
In this off-the-cuff episode, Tom explores why language learners often overlook the power of “lowbrow” media like anime, kids’ shows, and mass-produced manga—and why that’s a mistake. From the academic polish of the Read Japanese Literature podcast to the underrated artistry of Anpanman and My Hero Academia, we unpack the tension between high art and pop culture in your study routine.
Plus:
Why you might need to grind Mickey Mouse before you can tackle Gundam
5 spring 2025 anime picks ranked by difficulty (including Apocalypse Hotel, Witch Watch, and Kowloon Generic Romance)
And an interesting yet useful Japanese phrase: 「騙されたと思ってやってみて」(“Just trust me, give it a try!”)
Whether you're a new learner or a long-time fan refining your study strategy, this episode is your reminder that meaningful input doesn’t have to be impossible—or even “high art.”
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
Dragon Ball Daima – Beginner-friendly with classic shonen repetition
100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Love You – Speech pattern variety pack
🏆 My Personal MVPs:
Medalist – For its emotional clarity & usable Japanese
Sorairo Utility – For chill, low-pressure passive learning
💬 Listener Challenge:
What anime helped your Japanese this season? Drop a comment, DM me, or share your favorites in the Like My Anime community on Patreon! I’d love to feature your picks in a future episode.
Rate & review to help fellow learners find the show!
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
Today’s topic? One of the most hotly debated issues in Japanese learning communities: pitch accent.
Spoiler: Pitch accent is way overhyped.
In this episode, I’ll break down:
What pitch accent is (and isn’t)
Why it’s so hard to hear and learn
What actually matters more for sounding natural
How to improve your pronunciation without stressing over perfection
Plus, I’ll recommend four Japanese dramas that are great for shadowing and improving your accent naturally.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:32 – Intro: Why pitch accent stresses people out 02:30 – What is pitch accent, actually? 03:45 – Pitch vs. tone vs. stress: clearing up confusion 07:31 – Why pitch accent is hard (even for native speakers) 10:37 – “But won’t I be misunderstood?” (Short answer: nope) 12:23 – What to focus on instead: phonetics, vowel length, and shadowing 17:22 – Beginner-friendly and Intermediate+ Japanese dramas with great dialogue and pacing for shadowing 19:22 – Final thoughts: You don’t need perfect pitch—you need a voice
🎬 Media Recommendations for Shadowing Practice
Beginner-Friendly:
サ道 (Sa-dou) A relaxing slice-of-life series about Japanese sauna culture. 👉 Casual, everyday language. Super chill pacing—great for beginners.
半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki) Intense business drama with crystal-clear enunciation. 👉 Perfect for formal/business Japanese. Be prepared for dramatic yelling.
Intermediate and Up:
ブラッシュアップライフ (Rebooting) A dry, clever comedy with relaxed pacing and realistic conversation. 👉 Excellent for internalizing casual speech rhythms.
逃げるは恥だが役に立つ (We Married as a Job) A rom-com with natural enunciation and day-to-day speech. 👉 Great for polite speech, workplace vocabulary, and soft romantic tone.
💬 Your Turn Have you ever gotten pitch accent comically wrong? Until next time… おつかれさま！
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
You probably spent years in school memorizing vocabulary, conjugating verbs, and passing grammar tests. So why can't you actually speak the language?
In this episode, I break down why traditional language education fails so many of us—and what to do instead. From memory science to language acquisition theories, I’ll walk you through what actually works (and what doesn’t), with actionable advice for every kind of learner.
⏱️ Timestamps & Topics Covered
00:00:00 - Intro & Language Learning Frustrations
00:02:18 - Why we forget everything after tests: The Forgetting Curve
00:03:03 - How human memory works vs. how language is learned
00:04:01 - Why school fails at teaching languages
00:05:23 - What actually works
00:07:22 - Noam Chomsky and Universal Grammar (UG)
00:11:57 - The four big theories of language learning (Input, Output, Interaction, Noticing)
00:21:04 - Why there’s no one-size-fits-all method
00:23:12 - Listener Q&A: “Can I learn just by watching Netflix?”
00:25:57 - Manga recs that make language learning fun and practical
Ruri Dragon (ルリドラゴン) → 🐉 Wholesome slice-of-life about a girl who suddenly sprouts dragon horns. Perfect for beginners to intermediates (N4-N3) wanting to study casual teen speech.
Dinosaur Sanctuary (ディノサン) → 🦖 A world where dinosaurs are real and kept in struggling zoos. Great for intermediate learners (N3), especially those interested in animal care and workplace lingo.
A Galaxy Next Door (おとなりに銀河) → 👑 A manga artist accidentally gets engaged to a polite alien princess. Sweet, cozy rom-com with accessible dialogue and some keigo practice. (N3-N2)
💬 Your Turn! What part of language learning did school totally mess up for you? Send me a message or comment on the show notes—I’d love to hear your story.
Until next time… おつかれさま！
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel
You start learning Japanese, you’re pumped up, you make a study schedule… and two months later, your textbook is collecting dust, Anki notifications are haunting your dreams, and you’re wondering why you’re still stuck at “This is a pen.”
Sound familiar? In this very first episode of Like My Anime, we’re diving into why motivation fades—and what actually keeps you moving forward when the novelty wears off. Spoiler: Motivation isn’t the problem. It’s how you build habits, deal with de-motivation, and make language learning sustainable (and fun) that matters.
I’ll also introduce myself, share how my own struggles with Japanese (and my wife’s experience learning English) shaped how I think about language learning, and give you practical tips to help you break through slumps and plateaus.
🎙️ What’s inside:
Why motivation doesn’t last—and why that’s normal
The hidden ways de-motivation sneaks in and stops your progress
Real, actionable strategies to help you enjoy the learning process
How cultural expectations, ADHD, and perfectionism mess with our learning
What to expect from this podcast going forward
Plus, at the end of the episode, I’ll share three anime and manga picks that are great for language learners:
Hot Spot (ホットスポット) – A quirky workplace comedy about an alien at a small-town hotel.
Look Back (ルックバック) – A heartfelt one-shot manga and anime film about ambition and loss.
00:10:50 - Real-World Strategies to Reignite Your Motivation
00:17:11 - Japanese Media Recommendations
00:24:24 - Wrap-Up & How to Support the Show
If you’ve ever felt frustrated, burned out, or like you’ll never reach fluency—this episode is for you.
Hit subscribe, leave a rating or review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and check out the show notes on Like My Anime for more tips, linguistics insights, and Japanese media recommendations made for learners.
Language learning doesn’t have to suck—you just need the right mindset and the right media.
おつかれさま！
Thanks for listening to Like My Anime! If you enjoyed the show, don't forget to subscribe, share it, or leave a review — it helps more people find the podcast!
Watch episodes & extra content (eventually) on YouTube: 🔗 Like My Anime YouTube Channel