Nihon Wire

πŸŽ™οΈ Nihon Wire Daily

Your daily 10-15 minute briefing on Japanese culture.

πŸ“… This Week's Episodes
May 29
15:08

Price drops, apologies, and anime scrambles

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 22
15:22

Weaponizing fan memes and gaming nostalgia

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 15
15:14

How Japan's gaming giants pivot to stay on top

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 8
14:33

Global markets shatter Japan's gaming traditions

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
May 1
14:02

Godzilla chips and three-hundred-dollar rings

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ ζ˜ η”»γƒŠγ‚ΏγƒͺγƒΌ - ζœ€ζ–°γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚ΉπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
Apr 24
13:26

Turning Japanese icons into lifestyle brands

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ ζ˜ η”»γƒŠγ‚ΏγƒͺγƒΌ - ζœ€ζ–°γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚Ή
Apr 17
13:14

How Japanese gaming giants master retail logistics

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 28
πŸ”’ Insider15:13

YOASOBI, Donkey Kong, and AI hallucinations

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATON
May 27
πŸ”’ Insider14:57

Dragon Quest slimes and Resident Evil sales

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 26
πŸ”’ Insider15:10

Japan sells your childhood back

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
May 25
πŸ”’ Insider14:19

The secret mechanics of Tokyo launches

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GIGAZINEπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 24
πŸ”’ Insider14:53

Nintendo price hikes and Japan nostalgia

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
May 23
πŸ”’ Insider14:56

The nightmare of localizing Japan's weirdest games

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
May 21
πŸ”’ Insider14:11

National IDs for Pokemon and indie bounties

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 20
πŸ”’ Insider14:34

Dragon Quest sneakers and the Pokemon lawsuit

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATON
May 19
πŸ”’ Insider14:06

How Japan bypasses your cognitive load

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 18
πŸ”’ Insider14:31

Godzilla chips and the Pokemon leek jacket

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ ζ˜ η”»γƒŠγ‚ΏγƒͺγƒΌ - ζœ€ζ–°γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚ΉπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 17
πŸ”’ Insider15:05

Physical anchors for Japan's digital subcultures

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ γ‚³γƒŸγƒƒγ‚―γƒŠγ‚ΏγƒͺγƒΌ - ζœ€ζ–°γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚Ή
May 16
πŸ”’ Insider13:45

Selling out arenas with digital monsters

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ ζ˜ η”»γƒŠγ‚ΏγƒͺγƒΌ - ζœ€ζ–°γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚Ή
May 14
πŸ”’ Insider15:26

Japan weaponizes pop culture for economic recovery

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 13
πŸ”’ Insider14:55

Why Japanese fans crave manufactured urgency

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ γ‚³γƒŸγƒƒγ‚―γƒŠγ‚ΏγƒͺγƒΌ - ζœ€ζ–°γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚Ή
May 12
πŸ”’ Insider15:11

How characters dominate Japan's physical economy

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 11
πŸ”’ Insider14:50

Japanese pop culture hacks real life

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 10
πŸ”’ Insider14:37

Nintendo loopholes, manga idols, and Ghibli's end

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ γ‚³γƒŸγƒƒγ‚―γƒŠγ‚ΏγƒͺγƒΌ - ζœ€ζ–°γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚ΉπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―
May 9
πŸ”’ Insider14:52

Resident Evil cheats and anime glamping

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATON
May 7
πŸ”’ Insider14:43

Holiday hangovers and the Tokyo apartment

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 6
πŸ”’ Insider15:13

VR Myst, Janken, and ONE PIECE lotteries

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ γ‚³γƒŸγƒƒγ‚―γƒŠγ‚ΏγƒͺγƒΌ - ζœ€ζ–°γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚Ή
May 5
πŸ”’ Insider15:22

Dragon Quest Slimes in Japanese boardrooms

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
May 4
πŸ”’ Insider14:30

Honoring the DNA of iconic franchises

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ SoraNews24 β€”Japan Newsβ€”πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ News - MyAnimeListπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―
May 3
πŸ”’ Insider14:53

Why success becomes a creative cage

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
May 2
πŸ”’ Insider15:05

Soy sauce slimes and barking battles

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
Apr 30
πŸ”’ Insider14:01

Nintendo's takedown, konbini nostalgia, and Night Mac

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
Apr 29
πŸ”’ Insider13:01

Gaming takes over Japanese sports and fashion

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ ι›»γƒ•γ‚‘γƒŸγƒ‹γ‚³γ‚²γƒΌγƒžγƒΌπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
Apr 28
πŸ”’ Insider13:51

Open access: from FF7 demos to Xenosaga revival

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATON
Apr 27
πŸ”’ Insider12:32

Video games now organize the physical world

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
Apr 26
πŸ”’ Insider13:02

How Japanese developers hijack player attention

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
Apr 25
πŸ”’ Insider13:58

Final Fantasy XIV ends the daily grind

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
Apr 23
πŸ”’ Insider13:25

Nintendo tariffs, ink sword, and Ingrid

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATON
Apr 22
πŸ”’ Insider14:04

Japan's physical anchors for digital entertainment

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
Apr 21
πŸ”’ Insider14:47

From viral manga to Sanrio's first games

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ はてγͺγƒ–γƒƒγ‚―γƒžγƒΌγ‚―πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ AUTOMATONπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
Apr 20
πŸ”’ Insider13:17

Japanese entertainment franchises enter the real world

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ γ‚³γƒŸγƒƒγ‚―γƒŠγ‚ΏγƒͺγƒΌ - ζœ€ζ–°γƒ‹γƒ₯γƒΌγ‚ΉπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
Apr 19
πŸ”’ Insider13:56

NIKKE Retail Takeovers and Metal Slug Anniversary

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
Apr 18
πŸ”’ Insider13:49

Japanese gaming giants smash brand borders

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
Apr 16
πŸ”’ Insider14:13

Nintendo Switch 2 and the Tomodachi return

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹
Apr 15
πŸ”’ Insider13:42

How Modern Games Engineer Your Habits

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME Watch
Apr 14
πŸ”’ Insider15:02

Japan blends digital games and physical spaces

πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ GAME WatchπŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅ 4Gamer.net βˆ’ ζœ€ζ–°θ¨˜δΊ‹

Unlock Mon–Thu episodes

$5/mo on Patreon gets you a private RSS feed. Works with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and any podcast app.

Join Patreon β†’