https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/thetokyobill-weekly--7194339
Topics cover Japanese culture, society, news, and expat life. Companion to theTokyoBill Japan news brief. 

If you enjoy the show, you can visit my site: theTokyoBill.com, or buy me a coffee at BuyMeACoffee.com/TokyoBill.  :)]]>enNewsCopyright Billhttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/5a763677f49abbdea99eda003fe10421.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/thetokyobill-weekly--7194339Sat, 12 Sep 2026 16:24:27 +0000TokyoBillTokyoBillfeeds@spreaker.comA weekly English-language podcast exploring life in Japan, one story at a time. Topics cover Japanese culture, society, news, and expat life. Companion to theTokyoBill Japan news brief. If you enjoy the show, you can visit my site: theTokyoBill.com,...
Topics cover Japanese culture, society, news, and expat life. Companion to theTokyoBill Japan news brief. 

If you enjoy the show, you can visit my site: theTokyoBill.com, or buy me a coffee at BuyMeACoffee.com/TokyoBill.  :)]]>falsecac90b7c-826e-5e36-b430-61e4b5d176feepisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/accommodating-needs-a-story-about-why-people-now-tap-their-phones-at-the-convenience-store--75090132BuyMeACoffee, or visit theTokyoBill.jp.  :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/5b25597e-e484-3a0c-b320-da69c838cd51Sat, 12 Sep 2026 16:13:54 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: how Japan went from one of the world's most cash-dependent societies to one of its most complex payment ecosystems.   Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit https://thetokyobill.jp.  :)BuyMeACoffee, or visit theTokyoBill.jp.  :)]]>786false117fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/please-have-exact-change-why-japan-is-both-the-most-and-least-digital-country-on-earth--74926467BuyMeACoffee, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/4a477ec9-7b30-3f25-87ad-142c7916f67aSat, 05 Sep 2026 15:57:36 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: a story about analog and digital Japan, and what happens when a society that perfected the old has to decide whether to embrace the new. Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit...BuyMeACoffee, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>644false116fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/keeping-the-sword-sharp-how-japan-became-a-weapons-exporter-despite-its-peace-constitution-august-29-2026--74747014BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/31c7c453-bee2-3c95-8d9b-ff0ec9ad04efSat, 29 Aug 2026 13:22:15 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan.   This week: how a country whose constitution renounces war became one of the Indo-Pacific's most sought-after weapons suppliers — and why it had no choice.     Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or...BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>573false115fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/cool-japan-warm-losses-how-japan-spent-340m-promoting-culture-that-didn-t-need-help--74585875BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/58c2436c-9454-3be6-ade1-654a51eee33eSun, 23 Aug 2026 15:01:06 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: Japan spent thirteen years and billions of yen trying to make itself cool — and this week the government finally admitted it didn't work. Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit...BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>596false114fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-by-one-august-15-2026--74045999BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/d4eb84cb-1be7-3c87-9ff5-15afb49ed777Sat, 15 Aug 2026 08:55:18 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: why August is the season of ghosts in Japan — and why Japanese ghosts are nothing like the ones you grew up with. Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit https://theTokyoBill.jp. :)BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>572false113fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/come-home-august-8-2026--73660850BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/440b6bfa-f954-3c5a-8be2-06422ad77e49Sat, 08 Aug 2026 09:30:03 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: the week when Japan stops, the spirits of the dead come home, and millions of people get on the road to meet them.   Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit https://thetokyobill.jp. :)BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>812false112fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/when-the-ground-moves-august-1-2026--73310242BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/6a8ed7db-37b9-3b58-9892-72f950ada61dSat, 01 Aug 2026 09:52:26 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: what the Kumamoto earthquake tells us about how Japan has learned to live with the ground moving beneath it.   Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit https://thetokyobill.jp. :)BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>614false111fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-degree-at-a-time-july-25-2026--73163918BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/afca29ca-58b7-33d6-a763-fc6e8091765fSat, 25 Jul 2026 06:19:02 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. Tokyo is telling its office workers to wear shorts — and understanding why that is genuinely news requires understanding how Japan thinks about clothes…and conformity. Support:...BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>693false110fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-chrysanthemum-question-july-18-2026--73078522BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/38f0c47d-1985-3a8b-bf29-dddea1038f2dSat, 18 Jul 2026 09:30:56 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: Japan just passed a law to save its imperial family — and in doing so, may have signed its death warrant. Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit https://thetokyobill.jp. :)BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>673false109fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-more-round-july-11-2026--73078527BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/69442cc9-2cd7-344c-9f28-5c8285a54390Sat, 11 Jul 2026 15:14:51 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. Japan is drinking less — and the country that invented the after-work drinking party is quietly trying to figure out what comes next.   Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit...BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.jp. :)]]>637false108fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-last-bookstore-july-4-2026--73078532BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/2f5f0693-f9e5-3ddd-9d69-7e26db812ed4Sat, 04 Jul 2026 19:01:35 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: why people are lining up at midnight for a new novel in a country that is running out of bookstores.    Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit https://theTokyoBill.com. :)BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>658false107fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-ball-is-my-friend-june-27-2026--73078530thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/05a5c8ad-c75c-3dd8-ac05-412088d7bef9Sat, 27 Jun 2026 13:03:22 +0000TokyoBillEach week, a single topic explored in a little more depth than my companion podcast, theTokyoBill news brief. This week:  how Japan went from having no professional football league to facing Brazil in the World Cup knockout stage — and the manga that...628false106fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/equal-under-the-law-just-not-married-june-20-2026--73078526BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. And, now on Patreon! :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/fd603078-913f-30a7-9eb6-b5fa3d4b1b5eSat, 20 Jun 2026 12:58:42 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: a country where two-thirds of the public support same- marriage, hundreds of thousands turn out for Pride, and the law still says no.    Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit...BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. And, now on Patreon! :)]]>516false105fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/waiting-for-the-lights-to-change-june-13-2026--73078525BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)  ]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/bd72c2b3-abdd-3480-a205-09f7e50d1ec4Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:56:11 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: why Japan is fining people for littering in a city that removed all the bins — and who is actually to blame.    Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit https://theTokyoBill.com. :)  BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)  ]]>701false104fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/anonymous-and-fluid-june-6-2026--73078541BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/6939bd34-b772-3bf4-a4f8-e50b303eacefSat, 06 Jun 2026 13:49:34 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: the crime wave that has no leaders, no members, and no address — and why that makes it so hard to stop.  Support: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit https://theTokyoBill.com. :)BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>651false103fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/not-an-immigration-country-may-30-2026--73078523theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/8989c7ae-73be-388a-934c-95747ddf68c9Sat, 30 May 2026 15:25:04 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: Japan wants your students, your researchers, and your workers — just not, if it can possibly help it, your permanent presence. Support: BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit https://theTokyoBill.com. :)theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>679false102fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/stripping-the-sacred-may-23-2026--73078533BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/62cf6b5d-4931-3e77-95f7-2719ef0da8f6Sat, 23 May 2026 16:02:51 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: the people stealing the roofs off Japan's shrines, and why the rest of the world is partly to blame. Support: https://BuyMeACoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>578false101fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bears-are-coming-down-may-16-2026--73078528BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/9a21d3eb-e3f0-3c15-b7a6-cc171c3ef3e0Sat, 16 May 2026 06:53:33 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: why bears are coming down from the mountains, and what it tells us about where Japan is heading. Support: https://BuyMeACoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>561false100fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/two-prices-for-japan-may-9-2026--73078539BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>thetokyobillweekly.podbean.com/1617bc5a-9366-360c-af3f-2afc9032c274Mon, 11 May 2026 04:06:38 +0000TokyoBillStories from Japan, told from Japan. This week: How the country is dealing with the pressure of high tourist numbers, including implementing two-tiered pricing. Support: https://BuyMeACoffee.com/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)BuyMeACoffee/TokyoBill, or visit theTokyoBill.com. :)]]>643false99full