Deep Dive from The Japan Times

This week, Oscar Boyd takes Shaun McKenna to the top of Japan to see what it's like to climb the fabled Mount Fuji.

On July 1, Japan announced it would leave the International Whaling Commission to resume commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone. Hours after ships left ports across Japan, two minke whales were caught by whalers and brought ashore.

Whalers are delighted by the policy shift, but many around the world have been left outraged and confused as to why Japan is so keen to continue its hunts. Staff writer Sakura Murakami joins Oscar Boyd to discuss...

The last confirmed sighting of the Japanese wolf was in 1905, but is it really extinct? The Japan Times' Alex Martin has been chasing the story and joins Oscar Boyd to discuss the topic on this week's episode of Deep Dive.

More on this: 

• Read Alex's full article here
• Deep Dive on Twitter
• Alex Martin on Twitter
• Oscar Boyd on Twitter

Over 1 million people are thought to be hikikomori in Japan, meaning they've remained isolated at home for at least six consecutive months without going to school or work, and rarely interact with people from outside their own immediate family.

Earlier this year, Andrew McKirdy interviewed several recovering hikikomori, and now joins Oscar Boyd to discuss the issue...

On April 20, 2019, Hiro Iwamoto became the first blind man to sail the Pacific nonstop, completing a 55-day journey across the world’s largest ocean. In this episode, Hiro and his crew mate, Doug Smith, join Oscar Boyd to talk about their voyage.

See more:

• Hiro and Doug's Voyage of Inspiration website
• Ariadne GPS — the app Hiro used to navigate across the Pacific

With the G20 summit being hosted in Osaka at the end of June, and Prime Minister Abe pledging at Davos to put climate change at the top of the agenda, Deep Dive host Oscar Boyd is joined by Pelin Zorlu of climate change think tank E3G to discuss opportunities for Japan to lead on the issue, where it is lagging behind its counterparts, and to look at the country's continued relationship with coal...

Ahead of the new season of Terrace House — "Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020," released on Netflix on May 14 — Tom Hanaway and Patrick St. Michel join Oscar Boyd to discuss why the show has proved such a hit both here in Japan and internationally, and what we might be able to expect from the upcoming season. 

• Read more by Tom Hanaway

• Read more by Patrick St...

It's Golden Week and we have no new episode, so instead here's a rebroadcast of one of our favorites so far: 50 years on from the riots at the University of Tokyo, where does activism in Japan stand now? Oscar Boyd ([@omhboyd](https://twitter.com/omhb...

This week we unpack one of the biggest stories of the past few months: the arrest and detainment of Carlos Ghosn, former CEO of car manufacturers Nissan and Renault. Joining Deep Dive this week to discuss the case is staff writer Satoshi Sugiyama (@SatoshiJournal). Hosted by Oscar Boyd (@omhboyd) for The Japan Times.

Links: 

• Follow Deep Dive on Twitter.
• Read Satoshi Sugiyama's reporting.

In 2016, Emperor Akihito announced he intended to step down from the throne because of his age and declining health. 

Now, with just two weeks until Akihito’s son Naruhito becomes the country’s 126th emperor and with the name of the new Reiwa Era announced, Deep Dive asks: What does it mean to be Emperor of Japan, and what can we expect from the next person to sit atop the Chrysanthemum Throne? 

Sakura Murakami joins Oscar Boyd to discuss...