Jonathon Adams drops by The Japanofiles Podcast to share the story of how he became interested in Japan and why he moved to Matsumoto.  He then discusses some of the challenges of being a vegetarian in Japan.

For today's Japanofiles Podcast, I visit SWEET Corporation to talk with the company president, Kyota Charles Watanabe. Watanabe-san, who has family ties to both the US and Japan, shares some of his family history. He then talks about his work at SWEET, and about some of the various community activities he sponsors, including the annual Shotengai Eigasai Film Festival.

When you hear the words 'Japanese food', what comes to mind? For today's Japanofiles Podcast, I talk with seven friends, and together we explore the wonders of natto -- a popular Japanese food that is little known outside Japan. 

Today's guest, David Ruzicka, was recently asked to participate in a series of university lectures that explored cultural differences, specifically the way that people from various countries view Japan.  The conversation focuses on a wide variety of topics, including food, education, child rearing, technology, and more.

What do you do when the company you work for goes belly up?  Today's guest, Thomas Leitke, talks about his experience of working for GEOS, a major operator of eikaiwa (English conversation) schools in Japan. The company filed for bankruptcy in April, leaving Thomas and many other language teachers without work. Thomas also talks about some of the activities he pursues in his free time.

In addition, an uguisu (Japanese bush warbler) sings a lovely rendition of "ho-hokekyo".

Mervin Salazar became inspired to learn Japanese after winning a trip to Japan in the 1990s. He then went on to work for several Japanese computer companies, and later to serve in Japanese municipal and prefectural government as a Kokusaikoryuin, or "Coordinator for International Relations" (CIR). As a CIR, Mervin has worn many hats and dealt with many cultural and social issues, including racial discrimination. For Episode 25 of The Japanofiles Podcast, Mervin talks about some of his experiences living and working in Nagano Prefecture.

Tyler Lynch runs a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) in the hot-spring resort area known as Togura Kamiyamada Onsen.  For Episode 24 of The Japanofiles Podcast, Tyler explains how he got into the ryokan business, and he talks about the various tourism-related activities he is involved with.

Mary Aruga first came to Japan, to an all-girls high school in Kagoshima, as part of a one-year Rotary Club exchange program. She later returned to Japan to study as a university student. For this episode of The Japanofiles Podcast, Mary discusses her school experiences, and then talks about how she met her husband and settled down in his family home in Nagano Prefecture. She also discusses the challenges of learning to become "a good Japanese daughter-in-law", and she shares her thoughts on raising bilingual/bicultural children.

In Episode 22 of The Japanofiles Podcast, David Varnes talks about how his interest in Japan grew slowly over many years, and why he became interested in martial arts.  He then explains his decision to move to Japan and talks about his involvement with several Japanese judo dojos, and he also explains what it is like to train and compete in Japan.

Whitney Conti, Editor-in-Chief of YoMoYaMa Magazine, visits The Japanofiles Podcast to discuss her interest in local media and publishing, as well as her experiences living and working in Omi Mura,  a small Japanese village in Nagano Prefecture.