![Cyberpunk Girl: Using Tech to Inspire]()
June 16, 2020
Episode 83: Steffie Harner is a Software Engineer at Code Chrysalis; Co-Founder of Startup Lady Japan; and Cyberpunk content creator/influencer. Steffie came to Japan simply to fulfill her childhood dreams, but a series of events led her to co-founding a nonprofit organization for female entrepreneurs and a new career in software engineering. In this episode, we chat with Steffie about the following:
- Co-founding Startup Lady Japan
- Becoming a software engineer
- Her life and career in Silicon Valley
- Her love for Cyberpunk and digital content creation
[Follow Steffie Harner]
steffieharner.com
[Guest host: Yan Fan]
@yanarchy (Twitter) @yanarchy (Instagram)
[Code Chrysalis]
https://www.codechrysalis.io/
Want to learn how to code? Sign up for Code Chrysalis' Foundations course by August 31 and mention "Tokyo Speaks" for a 15% discount!
[Social Links & RSS]
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Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[Support via Ko-fi]
https://ko-fi.com/tokyospeaks
![COVID-19 Tokyo: Community Check-In]()
April 18, 2020
Episode 82: Returning guests, Robin Lewis, Kayoko Hirano, and Yan Fan, join Tokyo Speaks remotely to talk about how they're adjusting to this new reality caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Although we all are dealing with a global pandemic that has impacted every aspect of our lives, Robin, Kayako, and Yan share some ways that we can still be productive, healthy, and helpful to others in their time of need.
Read these helpful blog posts by Robin, Kayoko, and Yan on Medium:
10 Ways to Support Coronavirus Relief in Japan
by Robin Lewis (Co-Founder of Social Innovation Japan & mymizu)
5 Ways to Support Your Immune System During the Pandemic
by Kayoko Hirano (Certified Obesity Prevention Health Coach)
Job Hunting in a Global Pandemic and Recession
by Yan Fan (Co-Founder and CTO of Code Chrysalis)
[Special Shout Outs]
Thanks to Guidable for featuring Tokyo Speaks! Check out Guidable Jobs and Guidable Media.
Episode 82 background music by Rhyming Gaijin
[Social Links & RSS]
RSS Feed: https://www.tokyospeaks.com/feed.xml
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Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[Support via Ko-fi]
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![Forging Your Own Path]()
April 7, 2020
Episode 81: Amber Chook is Co-founder of Zebra Global and Founder of TEDxRoppongi (an independently-organized TEDx event in Tokyo). Amber moved to Mie, Japan from Harbin, China at the age of 15, and she was placed in a high school that had low expectations for its graduates.
Instead of following the standard path for women in the area, getting married and becoming a housewife, Amber pushed aside her high school responsibilities and religiously studied English on her own; then eventually pursued her college education at Hosei University in Tokyo.
In this episode, we discuss topics such as:
- Growing up in China and Japan
- Her interest and career in Blockchain technology
- Women empowerment in the tech/fin-tech sector
- Her passion for social impact
[Follow Amber Chook]
Facebook | LinkedIn
[Amber Chook's Book Recommendations]
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The Alchemist
[Co-host]
Jasmine Griner a.k.a Enlightize - @enlightize
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Instagram: @tokyospeaks_
Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[Support via Ko-fi]
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![Machine Learning Tokyo]()
March 24, 2020
Episode 80: The featured guests are Machine Learning Tokyo (MLT) members Suzana Ilić (co-founder), Dimitris Katsios, and Asir Saeed. MLT is a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization dedicated to democratizing Machine Learning (ML). They are a team of engineers and researchers--now with a community of 5,000 people--and the winner of the Rakuten Technology & Innovation Silver Award 2019.
In this episode, we discuss the following topics:
- What is Machine Learning
- What kind of knowledge base is needed to excel in Machine Learning
- How to participate in MLT study sessions and events
- Diversity, inclusion and ethics in Machine Learning
- Future career opportunities
[Guests' Social Links]
Machine Learning Tokyo - MLT Website | Facebook | Meetup.com | Twitter
[Social Links & RSS]
RSS Feed: https://www.tokyospeaks.com/feed.xml
Instagram: @tokyospeaks_
Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[News]
Tokyo Speaks was recently featured on the Guidable Japan website! Also check out Guidable Jobs for jobs in Japan.
[Support via Ko-fi]
https://ko-fi.com/tokyospeaks
March 10, 2020
Episode 79: Ebony Norwood-Brown and Barbara Kobayashi are teachers and moms residing in Tokyo. This episode is all about their experiences of motherhood - more specifically, motherhood from the perspective of two foreign (American) women. We discuss topics such as:
- Prenatal care in Japan
- Family/spousal relationships
- Work-life balance
- Japanese traditions related to pregnancy and birth
- Raising biracial and multiracial kids in a homogenous society
[Resource]
Tokyo Mothers Group
[Special thanks]
Monica, Nydia, and Tara
[Social Links & RSS]
RSS Feed: https://www.tokyospeaks.com/feed.xml
Instagram: @tokyospeaks_
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[Support via Ko-fi]
https://ko-fi.com/tokyospeaks
March 7, 2020
Episode 78: This is more of an announcement than the usual guest-featured chat about life in Japan. Raw Urban Mobile Podcast has been rebranded to the name Tokyo Speaks. In this short episode, Cliff explains how this podcast got started and why the name changed. This podcast will resume its regular episode schedule--every other Tuesday--on Tuesday, March 10th. Episode length: 7 minutes.
[Special thanks]
Graphic Designer Jenn Piatkowski. Jennifer is the designer of the Tokyo Speaks logo.
[Music Credit]
Background music for this episode by Rapper/Producer, Rhyming Gaijin.
[Social Links & RSS]
RSS Feed: https://www.tokyospeaks.com/feed.xml
Instagram: @tokyospeaks_
Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[Support via Ko-fi]
https://ko-fi.com/tokyospeaks
February 22, 2020
Episode 77: Madeleine Abdel-Jalil Umewaka is author of the book and autobiography The Noh Master’s Wife: A Journey From Lebanon to Japan. In this episode, Madeleine shares her experience of leaving her home country during the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), and integrating into Japanese culture, as well as the close-knit society of Noh theatre.
Madeleine details what it was like being married to Japanese Noh actor, Naohiko Umewaka, who comes from a prestigious six hundred year-old Noh lineage. Noh is the oldest surviving form of Japanese theater.
Buy The Noh Master's Wife: A Journey From Lebanon to Japan (レバノンから来た能楽師の妻) by Madeleine Abdel-Jalil Umewaka here! (Japanese version)
[Raw Urban Mobile Podcast rebranded to Tokyo Speaks Podcast on Mar 7, 2020]
[Social Links & RSS]
RSS Feed: https://www.tokyospeaks.com/feed.xml
Instagram: @tokyospeaks_
Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[Support via Ko-fi]
https://ko-fi.com/tokyospeaks
![Yakuzen: Food is Medicine]()
January 21, 2020
Episode 75: Kayoko Hirano is a certified obesity prevention health coach and founder of YakuZen Therapy. After returning to Japan from New York, where she held a corporate job for 6 years, Kayoko experienced weight fluctuation for years; that led her to develop her own weight loss protocol. She then deepened her knowledge at the Japan Obesity Prevention Society Institute.
In this episode, we chat with Kayoko about the concept of yakuzen (food therapy), misconceptions about Japanese food, and her childhood interest in the English language, which inspired her to experience life outside of Japan. [Episode length: 56 minutes]
**Farewell Shockolate Buddha**
This is the last episode recorded with Raw Urban Mobile Podcast original co-host Shockolate Buddha. The podcast will also have a location change after two years of recording inside the mobile man cave. Stay locked in for more informative and entertaining conversations with locals in Japan, including occasional guest co-hosts.
[Raw Urban Mobile Podcast rebranded to Tokyo Speaks Podcast on Mar 7, 2020]
[Featured guest]
Kayoko Hirano - LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
[Social Links & RSS]
RSS Feed: https://www.tokyospeaks.com/feed.xml
Instagram: @tokyospeaks_
Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[Support via Ko-fi]
https://ko-fi.com/tokyospeaks
![Super Smash Hoes Podcast]()
January 7, 2020
Episode 74: Erika Bulach and Fahreen Budhwani met in 2018 while attending Sophia University in Tokyo. After realizing they shared similar interests, Erika and Fahreen teamed up and created the Super Smash Hoes Podcast. On the podcast they discuss societal issues concerning gender inequality, women's rights, feminism, the LGBTQ+ community and more; in the context of Japanese society.
In this episode, Erika, who was raised in Japan, shares her experiences with sexual harassment and assault. We also discuss the safety and overall well-being of women in Japan. Fahreen could not physically join us; however, this episode includes an audio summation of her dissertation "Why Womenomics Isn't Working in Japan", which adds another layer of depth to this informative chat.
[Raw Urban Mobile Podcast rebranded to Tokyo Speaks Podcast on Mar 7, 2020]
[Featured guest]
Super Smash Hoes (Erika & Fahreen) - Anchor | Instagram: @supersmashhoespodcast
[Resource]
"Why Womenomics Isn't Working in Japan" by Fahreen Budhwani
[Social Links & RSS]
RSS Feed: https://www.tokyospeaks.com/feed.xml
Instagram: @tokyospeaks_
Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[Support via Ko-fi]
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December 25, 2019
Episode 73: We celebrate our podcast anniversaries with our pod brothers Mega and Late of the Mega Late Show. At the heart of both podcasts is a focus on the international community in the Greater Tokyo Area. In the last episode of 2019, we recap this year's highlights and recognize many of the awesome guests we featured on our respective podcasts. Learn about some of the talented folks in entertainment and music production, plus leaders in technology, marketing/advertising, and environmental activism.
[Raw Urban Mobile Podcast rebranded to Tokyo Speaks Podcast on Mar 7, 2020]
[Social Links & RSS]
RSS Feed: https://www.tokyospeaks.com/feed.xml
Instagram: @tokyospeaks_
Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[Support via Ko-fi]
https://ko-fi.com/tokyospeaks
![Context, Passion, and Opportunity]()
December 18, 2019
Episode 72: Ed Thompson is a marketing consultant active in Japan and Asia-Pacific, who started his own Tokyo-based company in 2000 called Concept Design. Ed is frequently called upon by global executives to assist them with coaching and training programs to build stronger teams that can compete in global markets. He's also a lead lecturer in continuing education programs at Temple University and New York University (Japan campuses) targeting working professionals in Tokyo.
In this episode, Ed shares some of the key things he's learned throughout his professional career in Japan, including one of the simplest and most powerful ways to leverage your passion to achieve opportunities that may be waiting just around the corner.
[Raw Urban Mobile Podcast rebranded to Tokyo Speaks Podcast on Mar 7, 2020]
[Guest's Social Links]
Ed Thompson - LinkedIn | About Me
Concept Design - Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
[Social Links & RSS]
RSS Feed: https://www.tokyospeaks.com/feed.xml
Instagram: @tokyospeaks_
Twitter: @tokyospeaks_
[Support via Ko-fi]
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