Name: #18: Cafe, community, and conbini - Casual talk about life in Japan with Buzz, Long, and Ly. by Bento Bureau Podcast
Duration: 21 min 59 s
Description: This is the newest Bento Bureau Podcast format! Last week, we sat down on a rainy day and had a small discussion about life in Japan. Some topics we talked about were: (1) what have we been doing? (2) Buzz's trip to a cafe in Tokyo; (3) Our small community in Saitama; (4) Buzz's experience disposing a "fridge"; and (5) how he often use the nearby convenience store's bathroom.

We’re back! This week we made up for lost time over our month-long break with an episode featuring two longer, in-depth conversations. Unlike in previous shows, this episode features just one staff discussion: a deep dive into contemporary Vietnamese literature, including poetry, fiction and graphic non-fiction, by both native and overseas writers. 

Our extended interview segment features a fun, wide-ranging talk on LGBTQ issues in Vietnam with Anh-Thu Nguyen, a lead organizer for Les Come Out, Saigon’s first queer women and trans-inclusive party series; as well as Ricardo Glencasa, Trinh Bang Ky Nu and Eddie Culbeaux from Full Disclosure, a group which hosts some of the largest LGBTQ-friendly events and parties in town. 

Our final segment, Banh Mi Banter, closes out the show as always.

Contemporary Vietnamese Literature and the LGBTQ Community in Vietnam

This week we covered Spotify's long-awaited launch in Vietnam and how this will change local listening habits, as well as the impact it could have on the Vietnamese music industry.

Then we dive into Vietnam's close cultural and economic ties with Japan. From Doraemon to manga and Saigon's first metro line, Japan's presence is impossible to miss here. But there are flaws in this relationship, as evidenced by recent news regarding Vietnamese workers in the Northeast Asian country.

Our interview is with Long Nguyen, an International Relations major at Tokyo International University and co-host of the Bento Bureau Podcast, which covers Japanese culture, history, and current events. We chatted over Skype about what draws so many Vietnamese students to Japan, as well as his experience living there. Find Long's show at bentobureau.com.

Finally, we end with Banh Mi Banter.

Spotify Arrives and the Ties that Bind Vietnam & Japan

This is the newest Bento Bureau Podcast format! Last week, we sat down on a rainy day and had a small discussion about life in Japan. Some topics we talked about were: (1) what have we been doing? (2) Buzz's trip to a cafe in Tokyo; (3) Our small community in Saitama; (4) Buzz's experience disposing a "fridge"; and (5) how he often use the nearby convenience store's bathroom.

#18: Cafe, community, and conbini - Casual talk about life in Japan with Buzz, Long, and Ly.

Bento Bureau is a podcast about Japanese society from an international perspective. Each episode is a different discussion on a different topic related to Japanese society, politics, or culture, with participation from experts, authors, activists, or just normal individuals who have something interesting to share about Japan.

#18: Cafe, community, and conbini - Casual talk about life in Japan with Buzz, Long, and Ly.

Bento Bureau Podcast

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