Tokyo Calling - Original Feed
Japan's First Podcast



TC 117 Solid Golden Week (May 7)

(click the magic button to hear or download the 33 minute episode)

It looks like Japan's First Podcast will be coming through TalkShoe for the foreseeable future. Free hosting that actually returns a small sum compared to paid hosting leaves no choice. This is especially the case considering some decisions I've made about future directions for this podcast. All the details are laid out in a semi-coherent form in the later half of the episode.

In the first half is the Kodomonohi fukubiki story I promised on twitter earlier today. Spoiler: the image for this blog post is the one mentioned in the story.

For those interested in participating in the live post-show chat on TalkShoe next week, please note the new time that has been scheduled (Wednesday morning in Japan and Tuesday evening in USA).

TC 116 - By the way . . . (Apr 26)

(click the magic button to hear or download the 19 minute episode)

I decided to wrap up the week with one more bit of audio. This didn't work so well over the TalkShoe because of the low quality of the recording. I was surrounded by noise and wind as I made the walk from Iidabashi to Suidobashi. Hopefully, there's enough here to warrant putting it out as an episode.

TC 115 - Waxen Grimaces in the Morning (Apr 21)

(click the magic button to hear or download the 33 minute episode)

Decided to enjoy a leisurely walk to campus this Monday morning rather than transfer to another hot and crowded subway car. On the way there, I recorded some random thoughts about frowning salarymen, girl scouts, teaching matters, and this Wednesday's Calling Tokyo Calling.

Relevant Links:

Graham Stanley
Voice Thread
Calling Tokyo Calling on TalkShoe
WIkipedia entry on Steampunk

Image courtesy of LouiseDK via a Creative Commmons license from Flickr

Listen



TC 114 - Back to School Special (Apr 12)

(click the magic button to hear or download the 30 minute episode)

Follow Japan's First Podcaster as he returns to teaching duties for another school year. From Office 2007 to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the way to the Meat Grinder, from a muscle-bound Lothario and his wingman to a university administrator with a stack of student complaints - the only sane way to cope is to Do Easy (DE).

Relevant Links:

The Discipline of DE (Do Easy)
My TalkShoe "Shows"
Wikipedia entry on "Wingman"
Who Am I? podcast from WNYC's Radio Lab

Music Courtesy of CC Mixter
Title: Down the Lighted Path
Artist: Darkroom
Creative Commons License: Attribution 3.0 Unported

Listen



Grateful, Guilty & Gobsmacked (Apr 9)

(click the magic button to hear or download the 20 minute glimpse behind the curtain)

The best part of this TalkShoe cast took place after the recording ended. Thanks to Aaron, Randulo, Mafuchan, Zaren and others for a fun and lively conversation.

In the recording, I apologized for and tried to explain the recent lack of podcast episodes. Next a big thank you was sent out to some generous listeners. There's also an awkward moment where I mentioned some recent examples of how my own prejudices and misconceptions have been made clear. And somehow there's a connection to the TED Talks.

And finally, I give the highest possible recommendation for anyone with half-a-mind and a pair-of-ears to listen to The Black Tie Martini Club Oddcast.

Also mentioned, and very much worth checking out is the SLPN.

TC 113 - Hat in Hand (Mar 19)

(click the magic button to hear or download the 30 minute episode)

time segment links 00:00-09:03 CTC Returns Calling Tokyo Calling on TalkShoe 09:07-12:08 Stroke of Luck Jerome Stewart Gets Lucky, too 12:12-15:20 Trotsky on an elevator Trotsky on stage
Patchouli on Wikipedia
Umbrella Self-Defence
15:25-18:03 The Final Obento Happy Lunchbox 17:40-22:10 Donation Drive Wojtek
Andy
Dr. Gene Scott 22:05-29:40 Epilogue Kevin's Short Cummings Audio podcast
Music:
Fixing my Brain by Gillies
offered through a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License
via ccMixter Listen



Calling Tokyo Calling Redux (Mar 13)

For some reason, I've decided to resume live programming on TalkShoe with Calling Tokyo Calling. Episodes have been done on each of the past three evenings - with varying degrees of success. I intend to continue this effort for the foreseeable future.

The point is that I've found an idea and avenue of expression that I'd like to further explore. This experiment offers a chance to try out some new techniques and develop some new skills. Also, it provides an opportunity for interested Tokyo Calling listeners to talk to me. It even might be a way to attract new listeners. But to quote the old SNL, it's "not ready for prime time."

CTC is still a work in progress. I don't intend to add TalkShoe recordings to the current Tokyo Calling feeds, though I might add a CTC feed to the blog in the future - if there is any interest. There might very well be occasions when excerpts from a live recording find there way into a Tokyo Calling podcast.

The reason for this post is to let you know ...

360 Cities Virtual Reality Project (Mar 11)

I walk under this section of the Sobu and Chuo lines at least twice a week . The name of the station and surrounding area is Suidobashi. Located in the Kanda district of Chiyoda Ward, it is a lively and boisterous neighborhood. Beyond the tracks, standing at full attention, slightly left of center is the 43 story Tokyo Dome Hotel. I was surprised and delighted to find this photo of an area I know so well in the Tokyo section of the 360 Cities Virtual Reality Project.

The 360 Cities project makes use of Apple’s Quicktime VR and claims to be “the worlds fastest growing Virtual Reality network.” The site name would seem to suggest that panorama views of 360 cities around the world are on offer. But on closer examination, that claim becomes dubious. The photos are arranged sensibly by continent. North America and Asia feature seven and eight cities, respectively; Africa and South America each get one slot; Marshall Islands is the only “city” listed for Australia; while the remai...

LiveJournal Lolitas Take Tokyo (Mar 7)

I recently learned about a mysterious journey to Tokyo taken by a small group of American women in mid-January 2008. In Deedlelu’s LiveJournal travelog one can see four gals dining, shopping and sight-seeing around town. What makes this photo-scrapbook more than just another LiveJournal photo-scrapbook is the elaborate Lolita fashion-wear worn by her and her companions: Swdpunk, pawteegal, and maetel9.

For some reason, I find their trip to be most intriguing. Why would four young women go to such effort and expense to travel so far to go sight seeing in such conspicuous garb? Judging from their expressions in the photos, they certainly seemed to be having a grand time. Maybe that’s all it’s about.

Maybe it was all just about a group of gals wanting to have some hard earned fun while realizing a dream in true Lolita spirit. That spirit perhaps finds best expression in the Brand Concept Statement of Lolita Fashion marketer Angelic Pretty:

Angelic Pretty provides adorable cloth...


TC 112 - I'm So Thick (Mar 5)

(click the magic button to hear or download the 48 minute episode)

time segment links 00:00-27:57 Wandering to a barbershop Chinese Yellow Sands hit Japan and Korea: Mis-speaking yet again, I called it yellow dust
No One Goes to Japan: blog by an American student staying in Tokyo
Blue and Brown Books: blog by a Canadian philosopher teaching English in Shizuoka
Letters to Nana: podcast of audio letters with photos from the Canadian philosopher to his Nana 27:08-29:09 Musical interlude courtesy of ccMixter When I Close My Eyes (Demo) by DJ Rkod
Available through CC Noncommercial Sampling Plus 1.0 license 28:44-48:46 Wondering beside a pond Jesse James
William James

Thanks to Ernesto JT for sharing the above photograph, entitled "the demon barber of hokkaido" through a Creative Commons license. Check out more photos from Ernesto JT at flickr.

Listen