It all revolves around...

...coffee?

They have so much stuff

that you just don't see on TV at home!

Idols don't provide anything to TV.

What are they really doing?

Reacting to "things?"

Join our boys as they tackle everyday life

as an expat in Japan

in the quintessential

coffee houses of Tokyo.

Hi! I'm Stan Jedermann.

Living in Japan

offers a different media perspective

than what we're used to in our home countries.

While the U.S. is concerned with

crime, courtroom drama and

reality television,

Japan focuses mainly on

travel, food and variety programs.

But like any country,

Japan has its clichés.

What kind of issues do the expats,

who've gotten used to the Japanese programming

have with the media?

Listen and learn

as the Yaro discuss

their perspectives on how they see TV.

Welcome to Ikejiri Ohashi!

Until the Bakumatsu Era

in Japanese history,

this area was called

either

Hebeike, or,

Tatsuike,

depending on who was doing the talking.

Just north,

this area is called

"Ikenoue"

which means "above the pond"

for that very reason.

These days,

the area is mostly residential

but hints of the watery past remain

diverted into the local streams.

A part of the neighborhood

is called "Mishuku"

which, you will note,

contains the character "three."

It is a quirk of Japanese culture

to group things into threes.

You will often hear of the

"three big festivals,"

or, "three best foods,"

and many other examples.

They are listed together

for very little good reason.

In this case,

the reasoning for calling the area "three,"

was because,

until they renamed it,

there had been a Main Inn,

Northern Inn,

and Southern Inn,

in the area.

Hence, three inns.

But an inn is not where we are headed today.

Good People & Good Coffee

is a tiny little coffee house

nestled into a

garage-turned art-studio.

Despite its unassuming appearance,

the baristas are serious about their job

and provide a cozy drip.

Health and exercise have always

been fads in Japan,

and here's one of the newest.

Taishu engeki chambara,

paired with aerobics.

It's called "Katana Exercise."

"Taishu engeki" refers to

cheap review shows

that mimic popular kabuki

and musicals

and are shown in very small theatres.

Their costumes and props

are very exaggerated,

but feature scenes

of well-choreographed chambara sword-fighting.

This aerobics class

features chambara moves

taught by a real-deal taishu engeki actor.

A brand-new exercise

for a culture that revels in the new.

Wait a minute, guys!

This looks like it's just for women!

And this is why you

don't let girls into

the pillow fort-

-I mean, coffee thi-

I mean-...!

Coffee fort!!

Dammit!

This family has issues.

To recap,

Good People & Good Coffee

in Ikejiri Ohashi

is the coffee house

we went to today.

Our boys talked about television there,

and then followed Stan's cousin, Rosa

into a Katana Exercise class.

It is, in fact,

only for women.

So don't try this at home,

unless you are of the

"lady persuasion!"

Like me!

I hope you learned something today!

However,

everyone's experience in Japan

is a little different.

Which one of the Yaro are most like you?

All of our information can be found on the webpage

and be sure to join us next time

as we discuss travelling in Japan.