Japan and the United States have very different ideas about pain management, health care, and how people ought to feel. Both of us having medical issues means we’ve had a lot of experience with both systems, and we compare the two from our perspectives.

Japanese and United States cultures differ greatly in the amount of touch considered acceptable between strangers, among family, and in general. We talk about our experiences as Americans being touched a lot less in Japan. Content Note: Discussion of non

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but that eye is shaped to find particular things beautiful. We talk about attraction, how it’s shaped, how it differs by place, upbringing, and how it’s tied into sex. Content note: Medical procedures and sex are

Talk about security and insecurity, both valid and not. How it plays out for different people, different issues, and different times. Transcript K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about feeling secure versus feeling insecure. C: Like turning on two-factor

We talk about money, cash, credit, employment (and what’s considered a “real” job), and other money-related topics as they happen in Japan and the US. Transcript K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about money. C: Yeah? K: Yeah. C: Like money? K: (laughs) I

Japanese furniture, flooring, and other things starting with F. Big question of the episode: Can you replace pleather with transparent tape? Transcript K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about furniture in Japan. C: That is not what tabling the discussion

More about PhD stress for Kisstopher, Chad starting a new job, academic publishing, and some details about Chad’s academic work. Transcript K: So, lately I’ve been thinking about dealing with the stress of my PhD and PhD feedback. C: I have not been thin

Stress management, especially around academic work, differences between expectations of PhD students in Japan and the US, and the culture of academia and stress. Transcript K: So lately I’ve been thinking about stress management and my PhD and how bad I

All about our Christmas-in-Japan experience, with talk of our Christmas-in-the-US past. Transcript K: So, lately I’ve been thinking a lot about Christmas and, specifically, our family’s relationship with Christmas. And also my evolution into how American

Both of us have been self-employed at various points, and Kisstopher is now permanently self-employed. It brings both benefits and drawbacks. Note: Because of the lag time in recording (for transcription, art, etc.), Chad talks about being a freelance wo