Fun, Whimsical. These guys hang loose and have fun. Thank you.

As a former Kagoshima JET from the early 2000’s I was so excited to find this podcast. But host Mitch has made that an impossibility. Mitch is a Las Vegas bro dropped in southern Kyushu who seems to loathe everything about the country he now calls home. From mocking Japanese people, including his co-hosts, to lamenting the customs of his adopted home, I can’t help but wonder why he chooses to continue to live in Japan—a place he so obviously disdains. The only thing that seems to bring him joy is his clearly problematic drinking habit, details of which he proudly boasts in soliloquy form each episode. He’s the white, misogynist American template, looking to be a big fish in a rural, homogeneous pond. Desiring only to drink to excess, bed Japanese women, and exploit the culture, this man-child has sullied the reputation of the once prestigious JET program. Stay away and check out Abroad in Japan with Chris Broad instead.

Please fire him.

This podcast had all the makings of greatness but the main guy is so horrible that I had to say goodbye. I was four episodes in and tried to keep listening as an exercise in building capacity for people like him (think: “crippling insecurity, overcompensation, mansplaining, misogynistic, self-hating l, loneliest parts of Reddit type of guy”) but the last episode with the Japanese woman co-host turned me away for good. I literally puked in my mouth a little when he gave his unsolicited opinion on “pretty girls who try to bring men down with sexual assault charges” or something to that effect regarding Heard v. Depp and YouTube influencer in similar legal trouble. His insane level of tone-deafness regarding sexual assault and highlighting one highly-publicized case as evidence of “not all men” was sad but unsurprising. But that condescending tone with which he “explained things” to his Japanese woman cohost, assuming she didn’t get his inane commentary, was the final nail in the coffin for me.

EDIT: thank you for addressing this. I can be as rude, and as sarcastic as they come, but when you do it to a Japanese woman, it comes off awkward, and it makes me uncomfortable, because of just how respectful their culture is. thanks for addressing this. Just more mindfulness because it could turn off some new listeners. ========================= You would think the main guy learned a little bit of respect from living in Japan, he’s consistently, rude and disgusting to that Japanese girl and in general. And it’s a shame because it’s good content but I just can’t do it. Have more respect bro.

Please let Natsuki speak. She’s the best part of the show. Stop disrespecting her

I only listen to the episodes with Natsuki she is funny.

I listened to the Pokémon episode as my first episode. I gave it a full listen and even through my mild disgruntled attitude I finished it. While one guy just wouldn’t stop talking for longer than 10sec intervals the other was albeit nice but a bit too soft spoken. Honestly if the louder of the pair wasn’t so pessimistic/judgy on every single topic it would’ve been a fine listen. He (louder guy) made good points but was just DOGGING on everything this episode, and it got tiring to listen to. I liked the news perspectives and such but could’ve done without the presence of Mr. Can’t Ever Not Interrupt.

I recently happened to find your awesome show from Washington, DC, and have listened to/watched more than 100 episodes within a month. All five of you (Mitch, Natsuki, Alex, Josh, and Hayato) have unique, attractive personalities, and I love their balance and synergy. My impressions of you guys: Mitch: 話術がすごい Natsuki: とにかくおもしろい Alex: 博識で皮肉が効いている Josh: 人柄の良さがにじみ出ている Hayato: 独特の間と低い声が落ち着く Looking forward to future episodes and visiting Tenmonkan, Senganen, and other places you have introduced in Kagoshima someday!

I’ve listened to all of the more recent episodes and can say this is THE best podcast for learning about Japan current events. The hosts cover recent news items but they always flesh it out with personal experience that is often more entertaining than the news itself. The hosts are super charming and make me laugh each episode. I listen to a lot of podcasts about Japan and this one is my favorite for its perfect mix of humor and education by people with great chemistry.

I love listening to this podcast from U.S. Reminds me of Japan and love listening to the comparisons. You are all funny and love you guys being honest about Japan! Please continue this podcast and would love to here more about how we can improve some of the backward things about Japan! Give listeners how we can change together. Keep leading the way!