Eat Your Kimchi

Latest Episodes:

Secrets to a successful marriage; why Simon and Martina haven't fought in 10 years Jun 18, 2017

Show notes

This week Simon and Martina talk about the secret to a successful marriage. They're celebrating their anniversary, and they haven't fought in 10 years...want to know how? A guy in Japan drew a comic about his marriage, which explained how he and his wife hadn't fought in 7 years - it went viral. Also, there's a train in Japan that costs between $2,000 and $10,000 for a ticket. Why is it so expensive?

Best Of - What really happens in Japanese High School's, Japan's crazy work culture and foreigner butler cafe's Jun 11, 2017

Show notes

Get some of the best bits from Simon and Martina this year! You'll hear stories about new technology in Japan that will help dementia patients, butler cafe's that only employ foreigners, Japan's crazy work culture and more!

Reverse culture shock, going back to Canada Jun 04, 2017

Show notes

This week Simon and Martina are back in Canada and they've had culture shock. They've forgotten to tip in restaurants, and forgotten that it's impolite to lift your bowl to your mouth and shovel food in when outside of Japan. They don't like certain Canadian food that they used to love, mainly because it's too salty. Typical Tokyo outfits stand-out in Toronto, there's a lot of exposed boobs and Simon feels small compared to all the buff men.

The 7 most undesirable traits for women, that make them undateable in Japan May 28, 2017

Show notes

Simon and Martina have found out about the seven most undesirable traits for a woman, that make them undateable in Japan. These include speech and body language being too masculine, talking about being unhappy, only being considerate of the person they have a crush on, selfish princess-like mentality, looking like they have fun when talking badly about others, poor money management, and poor hygiene.

Why you're never too old to learn from travel; what to do with your parents in Japan May 21, 2017

Show notes

Simon's parents visited Simon and Martina in Japan; the duo have some advice about what to do when your parents visit Japan to ensure they enjoy it. Simon's parents don't usually like trying new things and it was his mum's frst time visiting Japan, so Simon and Martina made sure his parents felt comfortable in a new country. They booked them into an airbnb so they could take their time getting to know the Japanese cuisine and culture. They eased them into the local food, which they ended up loving. Simon's dad loved a beer vending machine at the local sushi place too. His parent's noticed a lot of different things about Japan like how smooth the trains were, how everyone abides by the 'no noise' rule on public transport and how late everyone worked. By the end of the trip the Eat You Kimchi duo noticed that Simon's parents had changed a lot - in just 2 weeks - their views on life had broadened and they'd opened up to a whole new world.

Why are Japanese and South Korean teens so sad May 14, 2017

Show notes

This week Simon and Martina ask why Japanese teens are so sad. A recent report shows that young people in Japan have the lowest mental wellbeing out of 20 major countries, with South Korea and Turkey the only countries rating lower. There are shifts in Japanese culture, where the youth don't want to be 'salary people,' they don't want to follow in their parent's (especially their father's) footsteps. Some kids, now, barely see their family because of the hours they spend on schoolwork, and the hours their parents spend working, and they want to change that. People with higher connections to family had a much higher happiness rating. The report shows that a lack of family connection in Japan and South Korea is affecting teens' happiness. Families prioritise financial wellbeing over emotional wellbeing. On the report, Japanese kids said their most important value in life was, "working hard and helping myself get on in life." More Japanese kids chose this answer than any other country, except for South Korea. The Eat Your Kimchi duo think we need to start a discussion about this, because the countries are so great, it' sad that many young people aren't happy.

Why you need to experience a private onsen (without getting your butt stung) May 07, 2017

Show notes

Simon and Martina go to a hotel where each room has a private onsen. It's a great way to experience the Japanese hot tub culture, and there's no rules (like not allowing people with tattoos in). At the hotel there's a hidden staircase in each room that takes you to a big private hot tub where no one can see you. There's a hair dryer and fridge down there too; the room's completely decked out. Simon got stung on his butt by a bug (so avoid that). The duo think private onsens are a great was to enjoy the 'healing stinky waters.' Would you try them?

Adult Karaoke, Anime high schools and work culture in Japan: the best bits of Eat Your Kimchi Apr 30, 2017

Show notes

This week Simon and Martina are a bit sick, so we've rounded up the best bits from Eat Your Kimchi so you can indulge. They're talking about Anime high schools; the difference between what people see in Anime compared to what actually happens in Japanese high schools. Adult karaoke; singing just got a whole lot sexier. Work culture in Japan and the crazy hours people work. Japan making their bidets for the 2020 Olympics, and the Yakuza; how they've evolved their crime work. Time for binge listening!

Japans potato chip crisis; they're running out of chips Apr 23, 2017

Show notes

Simon is sick today, so Martina is talking about her struggle to learn the Japanese language and about Japans potato chip crisis. Most of the chips in Japan are made from potatoes grown locally. Last year the region that grows potatoes was hit by a record number of typhoons, which affected a lot of the potato crop. Potato chip producers had to apologise because they don't want to use imported potatoes. Before getting potatoes from overseas, the companies are asking Southern farmers to harvest their crops earlier than scheduled so they can continue using local ingredients. There's major gaps in the chip section of supermarkets in Japan, but no one is upping the price. The crisis is real, but it's good to know they're using local ingredients to make chips.

Why the new Chinese boy band (who's members are girls) is so fascinating Apr 16, 2017

Show notes

Simon and Martina talk about the new band to come out of China recently: FFC-Acrush. It's a boy band made up of members who are girls, and they launched at a husband expedition. They're not allowed to disclose their sexual preferences, so they maintain ambiguity. They can be whatever you're attracted to; male or female. They haven't released a debut music video yet but they've done some covers and have gained international interest already. The duo also talk about why the Yakuza are going underground. Do you know much about the organised crime syndicates?

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