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A special show focusing on Japan

Full Episode
48:59

An aerial view of the skyscrapers and the densely packed buildings are seen from an observation deck in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 29, 2021.

Kiichiro Sato/AP/File photo

In today’s special looking at all things Japan, we bring updates on two key trade deals with China and the United States. Also, a look at how Tokyo’s massive public transit system bucks the trends of traffic and air pollution. And, experiencing the country’s “listening lounges” that offer pure music, with a side of drinks. Plus, a peek into Hello Kitty’s world.

Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

In This Episode

Two trade deals key for Japan
1:54
Mandatory retirement complicates Japan’s effort to keep people working longer
5:44
How Japan created a culture of transit in a world of cars
5:30
Lacquer craft artist still displaced by earthquake in Japan
7:45
It’s Hello Kitty’s world, we’re just living in it
4:13
Japan’s ‘listening lounges’ offer pure music, with a side of drinks
4:20
Women in the sumo ring
9:04
The forgotten story of Japan’s first English teacher in the 1950s
7:24