Shows
CrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 18: "Be an Actor, Not a Bridge" - with Japanese American leader & philanthropist Glen S. FukushimaIn Episode 18, we welcome Glen S. Fukushima, a bilingual and bicultural Sansei (third-generation American of Japanese ancestry) raised in the United States and Japan. He is a Visiting Fellow at Stanford University, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Vice Chair of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. His previous roles include serving as Director for Japanese Affairs and Deputy Assistant USTR for Japan and China at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, a senior business executive for five multinational corporations, and President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. Long active in the Japanese A...
2026-03-011h 04CrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 17: "Being Present in the Moment" - with ikigai expert Sam UshioIn Episode 17, we welcome Sam Ushio, Founder of Ikigai Lab, where he leads the social enterprise’s commitment to human sustainability and societal impact. Sam designs purpose-driven ecosystems for individuals and organizations around the world. Prior to founding Ikigai Lab, Sam was Director, Practice Management at Russell Investments, where he led the team that coached approximately 1,000 financial advisors per year. He has an MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, and holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Nebraska in marketing and finance with an emphasis in psychology. We discuss Sam's...
2026-01-301h 03CrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 16: "Owning Your Superpower" - with linguist & connector Niharika Chibber JoeIn Episode 16, we welcome Niharika Chibber Joe, a public diplomat with experience across government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. She currently serves as Deputy Agency Head of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance through educational and cultural exchange. Previously, she was General Manager at Tata Sons, where she managed corporate sustainability, monitored U.S.-India trade policy, oversaw partnerships, and coordinated public-private initiatives. Earlier, she held leadership roles at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. A published poet and writer, she communicates in seven languages and multiple dialects.We...
2025-12-301h 17CrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 15: "A New Journey in Times of Change" - with scholar & journalist Mizumi DutcherIn Episode 15, we welcome Mizumi Dutcher, a policy researcher and former journalist specializing in Chinese politics, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian strategic affairs. She most recently served as a Foreign Policy Fellow at the U.S. House of Representatives. Her journalism career spanned more than two decades at Fuji Television, including service as the Washington Bureau Chief and an earlier posting in Beijing. Mizumi is currently a Doctor of International Affairs (DIA) candidate at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Her dissertation examines China-North Korea relations under Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un.We discuss Mizumi's upbringing in Japan an...
2025-10-2759 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 14: "Laugh Together, Be Together" - with Native attorney & comedian Gigi ModrichIn Episode 14, we welcome Gigi Modrich, an Indian law practitioner, roller derby skater, and stand-up comedian. She was brought up in a multiethnic household: her mother is Jicarilla Apache and her father is Croatian American. While she is multiracial, her upbringing focused on her Native American culture. After attending Dartmouth College, she earned her Juris Doctorate from Cornell Law School and then joined a law firm to serve Tribal clients. She now lives in Los Angeles, where she teaches beading at a Native non-profit.We discuss Gigi's upbringing and her Jicarilla Apache identity; the historic and ongoing...
2025-10-1157 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 13: "Connecting Cultures Through Words" - with interpreter & podcaster Shiori Okazaki (& Insights from Ep. 1-12)Episode 13 is a special edition, commemorating one year since the start of the podcast in two ways. First, the host and producer of CrossWorld Puzzles, Shiori Okazaki, discusses her own journey, attempting to address questions she has been asking her guests about identity and various life choices she's made so far. She also discusses why she started this podcast. Second, she discusses what she learned from the past 12 episodes, providing some recommendations on which episodes specific listeners might find especially helpful. Shiori Okazaki grew up in Honolulu and Tokyo, and is currently based...
2025-09-011h 03CrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 12: "Cultivating Our Humanity" - with communications leader John OnodaIn Episode 12, we welcome John Onoda, a principal at iQ 360, a strategic consulting firm with current clients in the United States and Japan. He has led communications at companies including General Motors, Levi Strauss, Visa USA and Charles Schwab. He also has decades of experience providing counsel to major global corporations, universities, NGOs and government agencies. He is a member of the U.S.-Japan Council, and currently serves on the board of the Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication.We discuss how John's upbringing in Gary, IN (where the only other Asians were his family me...
2025-07-2955 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 11: "Leading Step by Step" - with nonprofit leader Kazuyo KatoIn Episode 11, we welcome Kazuyo Kato, the Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) USA. The daughter of a diplomat, Kazuyo was born in Australia, spent her early years in Egypt, and grew up going back and forth between the U.S. and Japan. Kazuyo has nearly two decades of experience at nonprofit organizations dedicated to U.S.-Japan relations and international affairs, including the Japan Society in New York, Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA in Washington DC, Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She has also worked in consulting...
2025-07-0146 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 10: "Towards Perfect Effort" - with interpreter & analyst Lefteris KafatosIn Episode 10, we welcome Lefteris Kafatos, an interpreter and analyst specializing in U.S.-Japan relations. Lefteris went on the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) Program in Okinawa and served as a diplomatic interpreter at the U.S. Department of State, interpreting for Presidents Obama and Trump on several occasions. He now writes (in both English and Japanese!) for The Japan Lens, where his focus is the U.S.-Japan alliance, Japanese politics and foreign policy, and regional dynamics in the Asia-Pacific. Lefteris has master's degrees in Japanese-English Conference Interpreting from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS), as well as...
2025-05-2655 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 9: "Beauty Not Loudly Told" - with artist & poet Mari YobpIn our ninth episode, we welcome Mari Yobp, an artist and poet raised in Japan. After graduating from Musashino Art University, she worked as an art teacher at a school in Osaka (where she met her future husband) and immigrated to the U.S. She is currently based in Pittsburgh, PA, and has also lived in Idaho. Mari draws and paints mostly flowers in watercolor. She also writes Tanka poetry and publishes her work in a poetry magazine. We discuss her philosophy in creating art; how she met her husband and built her own community in the U...
2025-05-0146 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 8: "Building Empathy Through Nuance" - with storyteller Natalia Quintana-FelicianoIn our eighth episode, we welcome Natalia Quintana-Feliciano, a Puerto-Rican & Colombian storyteller, poet, artist, and student reporter based in Washington, DC. She currently works as a communications and event coordinator at a health policy think tank. She has also worked at PBS KIDS, and has written for several award-winning publications. We discuss the complicated relationship between Puerto Rico and the Continental United States, as well as the many layers of what it means to be American; her creative writing process and her muses, including the "vengeful woman"; how local journalism can build empathy; and the importance of...
2025-04-0151 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 7: "The Bottom Line is Respect" - with multimedia journalist David CapraraIn our seventh episode, we welcome David Caprara, an award-winning multimedia journalist based in Japan. His documentary work has ranged from covering Nepali honey hunters in Himalayan foothills, to reconstruction efforts after the 2011 Tohoku disaster, to uncovering the mysteries of a WWII B-29 crash on a Buddhist holy mountain. He lives in a kominka (traditional Japanese house) that he bought in the Yoshino region of Nara.We discuss how he jumped into international journalism by reporting recovery efforts after a major earthquake in Nepal; how he builds rapport with people around the world, especially during interviews; how he’...
2025-02-2849 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 6: "Hometowns Everywhere" - with women's advocate Yuri AkahiraIn our sixth episode, we welcome Yuri Akahira, who's worked in multiple locations around the world, and is now a Tokyo-based director at a global IT company. A strong advocate for women, she has a background in social work and leads the women's employee resource group in her company. She's even taken part in the Mrs. Universe Japan competition and won in the 40s category! We discuss how she became interested in different cultures, how she built her confidence after overcoming challenges like bullying, and how she befriends people from all different backgrounds.For more...
2025-01-3134 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 5: "Finding Joy in the Struggle" - with strategy & operations consultant Yuko WatanabeIn our fifth episode, we welcome Yuko Watanabe, a strategy & operations consultant based in Seattle. She's worked all over the world supporting everything from big companies to nonprofits, and has also built various online communities that allows participants to connect in unique ways. We discuss how she first came to the United States, what led her to create those communities, and how it's best to stop planning and instead find joy in whatever comes our way. For more information on Yuko, please see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode5-yuko/.
2024-12-3141 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 4: "Culture as a Foothold" - with interpreter & community builder Robert HollowayIn our fourth episode, we welcome Robert Holloway. His mother was adopted from South Korea. He did not grow up speaking Korean, but not only has he become fluent enough to serve as a simultaneous interpreter, he also supports other Korean adoptees by building a community and teaching them the Korean language. We discuss his family history and the challenges many Korean adoptees face, as well as how identity is deeply intertwined with our own culture.For more information on Robert, please see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode4-robert/
2024-11-3047 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 3: "A Privilege and a Power" - with social entrepreneur Mari KuraishiIn our third episode, we welcome Mari Kuraishi, who grew up in Japan, Italy, and West Germany. She is now based in the U.S. as the President of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, and is also the Co-Founder (and former President) of GlobalGiving.We discuss her upbringing, what led to her work in international development and social entrepreneurship, as well as how she found her own style of leadership.For more information on Mari, please see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode3-mari/
2024-10-2743 minCrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 2: "Embracing Our Own Differences" - with event planner Grace KimIn our second episode, we welcome Grace Kim, who grew up in Korea, Japan, and the U.S. She now runs an event planning company in the Washington, DC area using her multilingual skills. She is also pursuing several artistic side projects!For more information on Grace, see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode2-grace/
2024-09-2838 min
CrossWorld PuzzlesEp. 1: "Always Adaptable" - with international relations expert Sayuri RomeiCrossWorld Puzzles is a podcast that explores how multicultural individuals consider life’s big questions, such as where to be based, how to build their career, who to spend their life with, etc. In this first episode, we welcome Sayuri Romei, who grew up in Italy speaking Italian, French, and Japanese--but is now based in the U.S. (she also happens to be an expert on nuclear deterrence!). We discuss how she’s adapted to multiple cultures as she grew up, how she expresses herself in different languages, and how her interests have evolved over time.For more...
2024-09-0136 min
TIU Student Podcast ChannelHikaru, Taisei, Shiori (Podcast #2: J-Pop Mailbag) J-POP
Hello everyone. We are going to talk about J-POP. First, we have a question from Kevin. He wants to know
Who is most successful J-Pop artist of all time? Why do you think they are so successful?
S: I think SMAP. They made their CD debut in 1991 and dissolved in 2016. They have received support from young and old men and women, who have created various booms and social phenomena, by sending out entertainment from many different worlds including variety, music, drama, movies and sports. People called them “national idols”.
T: I think Taka of ONE OK ROCK is the most...
2019-10-1007 min