Japan Podshow Episode 2: The Jenga Maid
Episode Two is out in the feed! [iTunes] [non-iTunes]
After a whole week without sleep we’ve finally got episode two out to you – trying to squeeze those maids into an 8 minute slot was pretty tricky.
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In this episode:
Interview: Nick Ramsey of JapanSoc
We start off with an interview with Nick Ramsey – founder of www.Japansoc.org and www.japansoc.com – the full interview will be made available within a few days on this site – if you’d like to know when it’s out make sure you subscribe to our twitter feed.
The Japan Tourist Top Ten
We then have Shane Sakata of The Nihon Sun presenting the Japan Tourist Top Ten – What Not To Do – check out the accompanying post on The Nihon Sun.
Made in Akihabara – the Maid Cafe Experience
Next up, Joseph tells the story of his trip to MaiDreamin, a maid cafe in Akihabara. Listen in as Joseph and his friends are made to say cutey things to make their food taste better, and then an audio insight into a dramatic game of Jenga …and the batsu game that followed, in which Joseph and his friends are made to look like complete fools… All in the name of experience.
Background music in the maid cafe section was Eezeebro01 by Alex Brooke, talented producer of the Learn Japanese Pod.
Competition Time
Who has won the Poken?
Congrats to:
- @Szotasensei for their Poken amazing entry
- @TokyoDan for his pokogrified tweet;
- @AnoBaka for her threatening threat
…and on to this week’s episode – win tickets to the Tokyo Comedy Store Crocodile Show
More about the Tokyo Comedy Store
This is TCS’s 14th year of making Tokyo laugh. It was started by comedy-starved expats, and the motto of the show is “Funnier Than You Think We’ll Be!”
The location is The Crocodile in Shibuya, on Meiji Dori. Doors open at 7:15, and the show starts at 8:00pm
Show line-up: stand-up comedy in the first half, improv comedy in the 2nd half, and special guest performers on occasion
Reservations: Write to: reservations@tokyocomedy.com
Website: tokyocomedy.com
To enter, send us your tweet with the magic word in!
Listeners’ Feedback
We’ve got listeners feedback – who is that crazy girl on Skype?
Music
Background music in the maid cafe section was Eezeebro01 by Alex Brooke, talented producer of the Learn Japanese Pod. Thank you Alex.
Captain Yamaguchi is our band of the episode, playing Serotonin – check them out on MySpace.
Contact / Feedback
As usual, we welcome feedback – help us shape this podcast by contacting us via any of the 3 billion channels we have open.
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Another great podcast. Love the posh Englishness. Great stuff.
Japan Podshow, it’s like the tissue in your pocket.
No wait… Japan Podshow, it’s conditioner for your ears. Nah… go with the last one.
I really enjoyed the bits from Nick and Shane, but ESPECIALLY loved the incoherent crazy lady’s call. That was marvelous. Ha ha.
great episode! Especially enjoyed hearing about your Maid Cafe experience.
Thanks Alex, I figure I should do my best to promote the stereotype. …and thanks once again for the use of your music.
We’d love to have a promo for your podcast on ours – shall keep on badgering you
I should put you on our writing team… !
So it wasn’t you then?! Hmm… she was nuts!
Thanks Jamaipanese! Really appreciate the feedback!
I had read that a lot of the women who work at the maid cafes have disdain and no respect for their customers, and now that I’ve heard what happens, I understand why. Having to act in such an infantile fashion in order to cater to the needs of men to be served by cutesy, childish women in fetishistic clothing has got to have an impact on how they regard themselves and the people who are delighting in such behavior. I’m as much for good service and “fun” as anyone else, but dealing with grown men in the same fashion as one might elementary school students is a bit out there. I had no idea that the service included such things.
I’m curious if the thought ever crossed your mind while you were there about how you’d feel if your wife or your future daughter were to behave in such a fashion and do such work. Would you be comfortable watching them do such work in such attire?
I must admit I’d be a bit uncomfortable with it, as I would if they were working at hostesses.
The thing that surprised me though was that I wasn’t all that surprised by it all – as if this kind of behaviour was normal. That worries me! (Joseph)