We live in a world of constant news cycle, from stations and social media alike. So how does the traditional news bureau survive in this world of constant (mis)information? Our guest Ryan Keeble (news producer and cameraman) is on the ground reporting from London.Footnotes:Check out Ryan’s work on Youtube on the channel Inside Kitchen London (@insi…

In this episode, I get to nerd out about science, dinosaurs and gross nature facts with my guest Cecily Arkell. We talk about the challenges and rewards of being a life-long science educator and communicator at one of the top art and cultural institutions in Australia - the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip.A fact check correction: Cecily mean…

This episode features a special guest: not only is Doug Tassin my sempai from JET, he also heads the Krewe of Japan podcast. In a rather meta episode, we talk about our love of the cast podding genre. And we of course start with Doug's day job as a consultant building IT systems for hospitals, which led to a discussion about the challenges of the U…

Believe it or not, there are people trying to make HR a better human experience, through the use of technology and HCD principles. My guest Megan DeVille has a job she describes as "obscure", but one that can provide immense benefits to organisations, employers and employees. We also get to geek out about anime and pop culture, and why good anime m…

Send us a text Georgia sludgemasters Black Tusk just released their new album The Way Forward so today we have drummer James May of the band as our interviewed guest. https://www.facebook.com/G5djjet https://www.instagram.com/_dj_jet_/ https://www.youtube.com/@DJJetMetalMusicInterviewsVon JET

Living to another country can be a source of inspiration. And you could meet kindred spirits that make you feel like you belong. My guest, Luke Cuerden, talks about finding a welcoming creative community and how much that has inspired him creatively and professionally. We also talk about the music scene in Tokyo, and what jazz and metal have in com…

Send us a text Oakland California based Necrot continues to carry on their journey in the production of their pulverising third LP "Lifeless Birth" out now on Tankcrimes Records. Founded by bassist/vocalist Luca Indrio and drummer Chad Gailey in 2011 with guitarist Sonny Reinhardt joining the following year, the Oakland, California trio continue to…

Oh the places you’ll go. Dr Seuss's poem nicely describes the post-JET life of my guest, Sam Baldwin - journalist, start-up techie and author. A desire to live the outdoor mountain life led him to living and working in Slovenia in a 300-yo cabin. He chronicles his journey and love for his adopted country in his upcoming book, Dormice and Moonshine:…

Send us a text "After 20 years of relatively peaceful silence, Brodequin have returned to reclaim their crown as the most brutal band in all of death metal. Their long-awaited fourth album, Harbinger of Woe, comes out on March 22, 2024" Today Jamie Bailey of the band talks with us about band history, torture, and of course their new album. https://…

Send us a text Morta Skuld was formed in Milwaukee in 1990 and quickly became a revered and influential band in the death scene. The veteran band’s new record is a ten track opus of pure death metal in their unrelenting and unwavering pursuit of heaviness, still going strong after three decades, as the band unleashes their successor to 2020’s ‘Suff…

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Many of us go through several restarts and pivots. For Natalie Hamilton, it's been a full circle going back to teaching and finding her passion and purpose (including time to publish a textbook on kanji). Join us for a discussion on what that's like, and why finding purpose is an ever-changing destination.Footnotes:Natalie's book on kanji can be fo…

Along with anime and J-pop, the Japanese game industry is another influential export of the country. My guest, Catherine (Cat) Dinh now works at Ubisoft Osaka, and we talk about the industry, work practices and a valuable trait that a non-Japanese worker can bring to a Japanese workplace.Von After JET

In Japan, given how available alcoholic beverages are, everyone on JET has at least one grog-related tale. My guest Colin Johnston has turned his practical experiences into a career in the distilling and brewing sector. Join us for a fascinating and educational look into the movement that is the craft beer industry, and what makes its beer, well, s…

Send us a text Mariela and David ,founders of the blackened heavy metal band Faethom ,once again take us on a journey with their new self released concept album Chaosmorphogoria but this time it is out of this world! This concept album features a celestial warrior battling the evils of the universe that many people can relate to in battling their o…

Send us a text "In "The Lady in the Bay Window", William shares his experiences in gripping detail, recounting each spine-chilling encounter as it happened. He also includes a visit from a famous paranormal investigation crew and local spiritualist medium who came highly recommended. Together, they attempt to unravel the mystery of William's haunte…

Send us a text "Renowned actor and celebrated horror icon Courtney Gains, known for his unforgettable roles in classic films such as "Children of the Corn" and "The 'Burbs," returns to the world of music with his new album, Safe Haven." Courtney sat down with us to talk about his career and his new album. Here's what he had to say... https://www.fa…

It may come as a surprise to some of you that Osaka is actively promoting itself as a queer-friendly holiday destination. But that is the line of work that Jonathan Lucas is in - helping to create an inclusive place that welcomes all visitors, not just on gender or sexuality. In this discussion, we talk about his work, and expand it to discuss in g…

Send us a text Guitarist Josh Middleton left the band Architects to refocus on his own band Sylosis. The move enabled him and his band to focus on a new era of Sylosis and releasing one of their most powerful albums to date. https://www.facebook.com/G5djjet https://www.instagram.com/_dj_jet_/ https://www.youtube.com/@DJJetMetalMusicInterviews…

J-Pop for some of us forms the sonic background to our lives in Japan - AKB48, Arashi, SMAP, Greeen (and just like that, you can already guess my vintage). My guest Juvia Chua went further than belting out her favourite J-Pop tunes in karaoke - she worked as a coordinator in the Japanese music industry, travelling with anisong talent overseas. She …

Send us a text "Death metal icons INCANTATION will unleash their new album, Unholy Deification, via Relapse Records on August 25th." Members John McEntee and Chuck Sherwood rejoined After Five to have a little fun and talk about the band, tours, the new album, and even their thoughts on AI and how is could affect the metal industry. https://www.fac…

My guest this episode is a maelstrom of talent, ideas and energy - one episode on this teeny tiny podcast is not enough to cover all the stories from one life well led. And storytelling is the work of Eirene Tran Donohue. As a screenwriter, she has worked in Hollywood for over a decade, with her most successful movie to date being Netflix's A Touri…

Send us a text "Having become one of the most relevant German bands in metal, FEUERSCHWANZ’s unique style of medieval folk metal is filled with heavy riffage and viking inspired lyrical themes." The band is about to release their new album "Fegefeuer" Off of Napalm Records. Their guitarist Hans der Aufrechte joins us for an interview to talk about …

In this episode, I speak to Alex Barnett. We get into the world of video (and film) editing - what the life of a freelance video editor looks like. Making art or making bank - how does one make a living, following your dream in an industry that's competitive and moves between boom and bust?Fun fact: Alex won the first JET Programme Video Competitio…

Send us a text "Since their first album dropped in 2000, YAKUZA’s sound has consistently been anything but consistent. Their music has been described as avant-garde, experimental, prog and post-rock but don’t mistake those varied descriptions as meaning they don’t know what their sound is. They most definitely do and they pride themselves in their …

Send us a text "There are times in the life of every temporal traveler when thunderous electric boogie rock is the only thing that makes any sense at all. Formed in Dallas, Texas, amid the dying embers of 2015, Smokey Mirror have dedicated themselves to spreading a gospel of scorched-earth riff worship and wild, psychedelic abandon. Led by vocalist…

Cara Lam is probably one of my more popular guests I've had on this podcast. As a content creator, she vlogged about her JET experience and life and continued with writing blogs about her life after. So it's not surprising that she went into content design and strategy as a career. This being an After JET podcast, we talk not just careers, but also…

Send us a text "While Cloak might rage against societal conventions, the Atlanta quartet embraces the rebellious and time-tested traditions of heavy metal. Whether it be the conjuring the chaotic spirit of Swedish black metal purveyors Watain and Dissection, summoning the deep, dark and sensual groove of Danzig, or evoking the raw speed and raucous…

Send us a text "The self-titled EP from heavy rockers Beast Eagle is set to be released via Iron Head Records April 21, as the sophomore release from the band. With a thunderous rhythm section and soaring vocals, this riff-heavy 5 song EP is sure to take you on a ride. Lyrically inspired by the obstacles moving through a lifetime, it's bound to str…

Send us a text "Seven years have passed since Blood Ceremony last released a full-length album, but that all changes in 2023. Pieced together during lockdown months, and brought to fruition with a host of esteemed special guests, the Canadians’ fifth album, The Old Ways Remain, is set to emerge in the spring. Diverse, hypnotic and eminently groovy,…

Send us a text "It took eight long years, but the wait has been worth it: the South Tyrolean extreme metal institution GRAVEWORM is finally returning with a new album! And "Killing Innocence" compensates for everything. Their very own blend of thrash, gothic and death metal is as powerful as ever, showing that Graveworm has not lost any of their ha…

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Send us a text "These Beasts are a three piece known for their pummeling sludge and frantic noise rock. Their ferocity on stage garnered them a quick following in their hometown of Chicago and their initial Eps helped spread that reputation in underground circles worldwide" https://www.facebook.com/G5djjet https://www.instagram.com/_dj_jet_/ https:…

In 2011, I was a JET living in Fukushima. From that opening sentence, you can probably guess what this episode will be about. A decade on, my friends and I will be recounting our experiences during that time and after, in this special 2-parter that's meant to mark the 10th anniversary of the Tohoku disaster (yes I know I'm a couple of years late).M…

Continuing on from Part 1, this time we talk about coming back to Iwaki. In Part 2, we describe how our local communities were impacted, what we saw and what we did. And how it continues to leave its mark on our memories and lives, 10 years on.My thanks to John Auyeung, Cathy Hawker and Caitlin Lee for taking this trip down memory lane with me.You …

After JET, many would continue on in careers in education, community building or public service. For my guest, he has managed to combine all of these into an international career that has covered areas such as health, disaster relief, gender inequality and the empowerment of minorities in the community. Mark Flanigan's career has always been about …

Does the marketing and PR industry have, well, bad PR? My guest, Alex Varney, and I discuss this in a deep-dive into the industry. It may be a question of semantics, and a fine line between positive promotion and outright propaganda, but it does make for a fascinating discussion as Alex discusses the nuances of what he does for a living. Also, we'l…

If you've ever laughed at a Youtube clip, or played a video game, then chances are you've come across the work of my guest for this episode - Michael T Coleman. He's helped write and/or performed on some of the funniest online content, such as School of Thrones, and is the voice actor for Cody, a character from Capcom's Street Fighter. This is a pr…

We head to the arts for our next theme, with our guest, filmmaker Gavin Hugh. In addition, we'll be getting into some political discussions, as Gavin also works for a member of the Scottish parliament, making this episode feel totally like, real grown-up and stuff. Film, politics, Nazi zombies, and Scottish independence - what more could you want?F…

Continuing with the theme about the meandering path of life, our guest has certainly done her fair share of travelling and career paths (diving instructor, tour manager and marketing director, recruitment) and now currently runs a non-profit greenhouse program in a converted ice hockey stadium in Canada, in a town located in the Arctic Circle - mak…

If there's a theme for the next couple of episodes, it will be about the meandering journey of life, ending up in unexpected but wonderful places. Our guest went back on JET the second time, and with her husband and children, stayed on to build a life in Japan, start up a non-profit... and find a home living in the grounds of an ancient temple righ…

Our guest Amanda Chau works as a recruiter and HR consultant in Japan, and recently was a speaker/mentor at the After JET Conference for JET leavers in 2020. So she is in a unique position of knowing what it's like on both sides of the job seeking process. While this episode is about her work, in another way, what we're really talking about is choi…

When one finishes JET, sometimes the next step is... more JET. In concluding the theme of past JETs working in public service, we fudge the definition a bit and feature a JET unicorn: our guest Matt French has applied for the programme three times (successfully), and is currently going into his 5th year, the first ALT to do so in his town in Hirosh…

Tourism is one of those careers that is a good fit for JETs - after all, we are passionate advocates for our second homes in Japan, and have explored every nook and cranny, probably more so than locals who have lived there all their lives. Continuing with the theme of ex-JETs who now work in the Japanese public sector, we'll be speaking to our gues…

What's it like working in the Japanese public sector? We'll spend several episodes talking to guests who work in different government and non-profit organisations. Our guest Rafael Villadiego worked for several years at the Consulate of Japan in Sydney, and gives us a look at working at a diplomatic office, learning on the job, how to "read the air…

Hello everyone! It's been a while. A short update about our podcast.Von After JET

The closest description that one can use for what our guest does for a living, would be "life coach", though Andy Chaleff would agree that it's usually hard to quantify. In this episode, we talk about his philosophy, his very eventful life, from JET, to high flying corporate executive, to penniless boarder in a leaky attic, to where he is now. Andy…

Our second of our 2 part episode and this time around we get down to talking about life after JET. It can feel like a step "backwards" in some sense, going from having your own apartment and independence, to going home and starting over again. But it's not all bad, really we promise.FOOTNOTES: - Rebecca Chen on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in…

What started out as a conversation about documentary film making quickly moved into discussion on refugee and asylum seeker issues in America, particularly with the current administration. While job searching after coming home from JET (and therefore having plenty of free time), our guest, Rebecca Chen, decided to embark on a documentary film makin…

Despite the economy, state of the world, etc, it's never been easier to pursue your dream job, even if it means creating your own unique job title and career. Being an entrepreneur however can be a challenge. I talk to our guest, Raelene Morey about this, the importance of standing up for yourself and how every situation is different when figuring …