Topics of this episode: Violence and humanity in Miyazaki Hayao's works The contractual relationship between the individual and the state and "essentialization" Changes in the mindset of "intellectuals" when facing the high pressure of national war War predictions and the outbreak of war between the US and Japan Four different types of writers when facing war
Recently, the spy drama The Silent Glory has been a hit, bringing the Wu Shi case and the heavy shadow of espionage in the Taiwan Strait during the 1950s to the forefront, reigniting public interest in the historical truth behind it. How did a Deputy Chief of Staff at the Kuomintang's "Ministry of National Defense" become the highest-ranking sleeper agent of the New China in Taiwan? What are the differences between the film/TV adaptation and the actual history? How did the internal party dynamics influence Chiang Kai-shek's arrangements for intelligence work? From the "Guangming Bao Incident" to Cai Xiaoqian's defection, how did a series of chain reactions lead to the exposure of Wu Shi, Zhu Feng, and others? Listen to this episode for an exciting sharing session by our guests Sha Qingqing and Zheng Shiliang!
Topics for this episode: Rare guest Sha Qingqing has a hardcore discussion on video podcasts Bilibili strongly promotes video podcasts: Spending money and underlying logic Video podcasts = Round Table with a new skin? Bilibili’s ability to make money for itself and for UP-hosts is worrying Why has YouTube become the global top stream for podcasts?
Topics for this episode: Divorce of a mature couple?! The 26-year ruling coalition ends due to a personnel appointment? "Ugly appetite"? The "Aso faction" and "Abe faction" regain control of the LDP leadership Polls show Japanese voters recognize the "slush fund issue" as the most important reason for the split Komeito and Soka Gakkai: From a new religion to the "well-diggers" of the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations Predictions for the three scenarios of the Prime Minister designation election next Tuesday (October 21)
In this episode, hosts Sha Qingqing and Zheng Shiliang will start by discussing Unbreakable (アンブレイカブル), the new work by Yana Hiroshi, author of the historical spy novel Code Name D. Following the internal perspective of a Tokko police bureaucrat, they will uncover the omnipresent terror of the Showa militarism era and explore the fates of Japanese intellectuals living in its shadows, as well as their respective choices. Additionally, the hosts will discuss Saito Takao’s so-called “Anti-Military Speech” of 1940 and its historical background. Shigeru Ishiba, who is about to step down as Prime Minister of Japan, also mentioned this important speech by Saito Takao in his recently released “Statement on the 80th Anniversary of the End of the War,” which provides relevant context for your reference.
Introduction to the The Nature of Failure interpretation series. Sha Qingqing and Fan Yiru discuss the problems of Japanese organizational decision-making, from defeat to industry.
Sha Qingqing and Fan Yiru continue to interpret "The Essence of Failure," discussing the rise and fall of postwar Japanese industries from the perspective of semiconductors and new energy.
Sha Qingqing and Fan Yiru continue to interpret The Essence of Failure, using Nomonhan and Imphal as examples to discuss organizational leadership and decision-making.
Sha Qingqing and Fan Yiru interpret The Essence of Failure, discussing communication and decisiveness in organizational decision-making through the lens of the Battle of Midway.
Topics for this episode: Sanae Takaichi elected as president, did Eye on East Asia's predictions fail? Where did Shinjiro Koizumi lose this time? The impact of Takaichi's election: Was Taro Aso the biggest winner? The chaotic situation of the prime ministerial designation election is foreseeable Prime Minister Takaichi will face scrutiny from over 60% of economic voters
Since the translation of Buddhist scriptures began in the Eastern Han Dynasty, translation has existed in China for nearly two thousand years. From the Chang'an translation centers at the Xingshan Temple in the Tang Dynasty, to the translation-driven national salvation efforts of Yan Fu and Li Shanlan in the late Qing Dynasty, to the translation and publishing endeavors of the Republic of China aimed at comprehensively understanding the West, and finally to the wave of translation after the 1980s that introduced Western learning and made up for lost time, we have now arrived at an AI translation era that is right before our eyes. How do we distinguish between good and bad translations? How should translators position themselves in the new era? How do they handle the ideological debate between literal and free translation? How do they face the high wall of untranslatability? And when the AI era arrives, how will they coexist with AI? What efficient working methods do those translators who have translated countless books have? Is human translation a profession with little time left? Why do some translators advise everyone: read fewer translations! Don't translate! Don't work for love alone!
Topics in this episode: Schedule for updates during the National Day holiday + promotion of the paid mini-album Is Koizumi a sure thing? Hold on! Characteristics and voting procedures of the LDP presidential election How did Sanae Takaichi "lose momentum"? Hayashi Yoshimasa steadily aiming for "second place, pushing for first"
In this episode, host Sha Qingqing invites guest Xiao Hou, who has lived and worked in Japan for many years, to share her observations, insights, and the bitterness and hardships from over a decade of struggling in the Japanese workplace. By comparing her different experiences in traditional large Japanese companies and foreign-invested enterprises, we gain a glimpse into the profound differences in Japanese workplace culture and the situation of women in the Japanese workplace.
With the anniversary of the “September 18 Incident” approaching, this week’s episode of Leftover Talk was released one day early. In this episode, Bo Qiao will engage in a dialogue with Sha Qingqing, who has conducted in-depth research on issues related to the “September 18 Incident” and published numerous academic papers. They will discuss the historical background of the “September 18 Incident,” the progression of events, the decision-making motives of the parties involved, and the consequences, attempting to reveal the complex facets behind this historical event that changed the East Asian landscape and how it influenced the trajectory of the entire War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Starting May 30, 2024, Leftover Talk officially launched its “Annual Membership Program.”
Stanley Kubrick was a director, but more often than not, he seemed like a prophet. He was a photographer, hated airplanes, lived a reclusive life, and though American, preferred Britain. He was an omnivorous reader, full of dissenting views about the world, hostile and skeptical toward rationality, fond of deception and mischief, childlike yet possessing the meticulous budgeting skills of a project manager. Film was not merely a tool he excelled at for making a living, but the perfect medium for expressing his views on the world. From the commanding, renowned director to the "Uncle Kubrick" in the eyes of ordinary film fans, he was half-god, half-man. His genius, shyness, obsessive research, controlling nature, and frugal management of compressed budgets have even spawned numerous "urban legends." In this episode, we discuss Kubrick's merits and faults, starting from the broader context of the era and cinema.
Topics of this episode: After holding on for over a month, why did Ishiba Shigeru still resign? How do South Korean media view Ishiba Shigeru's departure? Where will South Korea-Japan relations go? Analysis of the impact of Ishiba Shigeru's departure on China-Japan relations The lingering echoes of LDP factional politics are sounded by Aso Taro Have Ishiba Shigeru, Suga Yoshihide, and Koizumi Shinjiro formed an alliance?
On August 10, 2025, in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, hosts of multiple Chinese-language podcasts, including Eye on East Asia, gathered together to present a rare "Chinese Podcast Carnival" for the Chinese community in Japan. The event consisted of three dialogues and one Q&A interactive session. Both the guests and the live audience expressed their welcome for domestic podcast hosts to hold more events in Japan and to engage more with the Chinese community in Japan. This episode presents the complete content of the dialogue between host Sha Qingqing and Wang Guangtao, Associate Professor at the Center for Japanese Studies at Fudan University, for the enjoyment of our listeners. We also look forward to Chinese-language podcasts continuing to hold offline exchange events in overseas locations with significant Chinese communities, including Japan.
Past the age of thirty and fifty, blood pressure rises, blood lipids become abnormal, uric acid spikes, and knees and lower backs creak and groan. The health of parents and elders also begins to show various issues. Therefore... this episode has no commercial sponsorship and no intention to sell products. However, the aforementioned issues indeed force couch potatoes, like the hosts of this program, to start researching health and wellness. In this episode, the coder and Teacher Sha will freely discuss their accumulated insights and lessons learned regarding health preservation, hoping to offer some inspiration and wish everyone good health. Friendly reminder: Neither host has a medical background, and the insights shared are merely personal opinions, suitable only for casual chat and not even worth considering as reference. If you feel unwell, you should still listen to the professional advice of doctors.
Topics for this episode: The annual (summer) Koshien topic is back! Feature 1 of this summer's Koshien: Night games Feature 2 of this summer's Koshien: The shadow of bullying What does the "Japan High School Baseball Federation" do? The classic growth path from amateur sports to professional sports
In 2024, Itoie Jun published his latest work, Our Hakone Ekiden. When this bestselling author shifts his perspective from the scheming in office buildings to the sweat on the running track, and when the creator of “Half-san Naohiro” turns his gaze toward the relay course in the Hakone mountains, how does a story about youth, perseverance, and legacy quietly unfold? In this episode, we are fortunate to invite Li Siyuan, the Chinese translator of Our Hakone Ekiden, to join the conversation. From the perspective of a translator and a seasoned long-distance running enthusiast, she provides an in-depth interpretation of the cultural implications behind this novel and the “Hakone Ekiden” event. We will also discuss why this national-level sporting event, with a history of over a century, can make all of Japan boil over every New Year’s Day. Furthermore, the “Kanto Academic League Team” focused on in the story of Our Hakone Ekiden is actually a “League of Losers” composed of rejected candidates from various schools. Their results are not recorded in the official records of the “Hakone Ekiden.” So, does giving one’s all on the track still have meaning and value? If the outcome is no longer important, does the process itself still hold meaning?
Topics for this episode: My midwife in the Northeast was actually Japanese The process of searching for the midwife also made up for a piece of Northeastern nostalgia In the late stages of World War II, cruel forced collective suicides occurred in many parts of Japan After many twists and turns, the midwife's descendants were luckily found Liu Yan's later life in the autobiography
From GPT 3.5 to DeepSeek, AI is rapidly changing our world. Among all fields, programmers are the group most affected, and other industries may face similar impacts in the future. Therefore, in this podcast episode, the two hosts begin by discussing how they use AI to assist in developing the Leftover Talk website and app, introduce the AI tools they commonly use in their daily lives, and discuss potential security issues associated with AI. Note: This recording was made before the release of GPT 5.0. However, since GPT 5.0 did not offer many surprises, the hosts did not record additional content about it. (Sam Altman is not worth it.)
Gundam is the most classic robot anime series in Japanese history. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the launch of Mobile Suit Gundam. Sunrise, in collaboration with Studio Khara, released a new series in the franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, which stirred up a storm of controversy, with praise and criticism clashing fiercely, and once again reignited people’s attention and enthusiasm for this long-standing anime IP. What exactly is the charm of “Gundam” that has endured for so long? How has this robot anime profoundly influenced subsequent Japanese animation and the real world? Centering on the currently popular Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, listen to the hosts and guests of Leftover Talk chat freely about the stardust memories of the Gundam Universal Century.
Ishikawa Takuboku was the most revolutionary poet of Japan's Meiji era. Using simple and质朴 three-line verses, he wrote about his mother, his friends, and himself,