He does sometimes offer very interesting observations about Japan.

Often gets deeply sidetracked in very obscure territory as he is recording. Scott is aware of this and has acknowledged it on his show.

you may very much enjoy his pleasant laid back podcast.

These are three comments from japanpodcasters.com.

What I like About your show is the fact is that you are an American family guy with a Japanese family.

Peter

Scott, I hereby present you with the San Nakji Broadcasting Corporation (SNBC) award for outstanding achievement in the field of excellence. A much more coveted award I think you will agree :)

Peter and San:
Thank you both for the kind words. As for the SNBC award, all I can say is I'm humbled and honored. I'll try to book the big blimp for a flight down to New Zealand for the gala award ceremony.

What's Happening In Tokyo's response to the farcical JapanPodcasters.com awards:


www.whitokyo.info/mp3s/WHIT-01-08-2008.mp3



Tokyo Dan

What's happening In Tokyo

Jindies Music website

Tokyo Dan:
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I too considered vitriol in response to not getting an award. Instead, I chose sarcasm tinged with irony. Perhaps you missed it.

I published your comment with accompanying links because you are a fellow Tokyo podcaster.

Upon listening to the first 15 minutes, I have to ask: are you sure you'd like Tokyo Calling listeners or visitors to this site to hear this recording? I wonder if it puts a less than favorable light on your efforts.

Frankly, most visitors don't take the time to check a site's comments so this thread will remain as obscure as many of the tangents I take on my own podcast - a tendency of mine which Mr. Savage criticized. So the link probably wont generate much traffic anyhow.

If you want me to pull your comment, let me know and I'll be happy to oblige.

Follow-up: I've just listened to the entire linked to recording. My offer still stands.

In your final segment before listing the coming events, it would appear that you've called me a sucker for posting the badge and link back to Mr. Savage's site. Nicely, done!!

Hello Scott,
My last comment wasn't meant as a personal attack. I just don't like seeing Dan Savage accomplish what he set out to do. (hell, I gave him a lot of free advertisement too). And please don't pull the comment. (If your going to pull anything, take down that JapanPodcasters.com badge. Why give that shark free advertisement?) I want as many people as possible to hear my podcast. And what's wrong with little bit of controversy? And isn't that what's podcasting all about - speaking you mind? But I'm not upset about not getting one of Dan Savage's meaningless awards. And I accept his personal opinion of my podcast. I just don't like his sneaky and conspired way of drawing attention to himself. But that's all mentioned in my podcast.

On another note. I noticed that you are twittering. I didn't know you could do that in Japan. Could you pleas give me some advice on how to do that? Does it raise your phone bill?

Regards, and keep on podcasting.
Dan

Hi Scott,

Kinda sorry to do this, but, well, it makes more sense here than on Tokyo Dan's site.

Tokyo Dan, in the comment you wrote on the 10th, you say "I want as many people as possible to hear my podcast." yet you have pulled the single possibly interesting show you have. Well, that's not entirely accurate.... It wasn't pulled, you've moved it into a store where you are charging $1.99. Seriously, 2 bucks? not worth the time nor money. Shame on you.
I've listened to your show on and off over the last few years and I think that diehard music lovers would appreciate the bands, and for those who live in Tokyo, it is a good source of information. Just not my bag, but if your making it work, good on you. Personally, I'd just delete the show if you are embarrassed by it. If you're not, you should keep it free. my $.02 for what it's worth.

Topic Shift
I went and spent a little time on the savage site. Overall I'd have to say I'm not impressed and no one should get up a head of steam on this one. It is a review site. He managed to include several notable podcasts but he left out just as many. I second Tokyo Dan's assessment of " meaningless awards", and augment that with-- Mr. Savage in not even in country....

But the idea is worthwhile. Those of us who have podcasts based in Japan have been pretty lax about getting a group together. There is now a yahoo group available I'll dig up the name and post it later. But, if there are enough Japan based podcasters who are interested in awards that are voted on by the community of japan-based podcasters, I see no reason why that can't be done. Well, no good reason anyway. The main thing holding back a far more legitimate version of awards is the fact that the Japan-based podcasts have been a fairly lone-wolf sort of folks. We are all pretty busy and no one has really had the pull to organize anything. But we could if we wanted to .
Scott, What do you think? I would imagine an academy-like set up, podcasts would gain membership by having over 40 or 50 shows and still be in current production. A question, what about podcasts produced in Japan, but not strictly Japan focused? Dunno....

There are of course problems with that as well. To prevent it from being just a popularity contest, somebody would have to pick it up and run with it. Sounds like a lot of work.

Anybody have more to add? I'd love to hear the ideas.

In short, my guess is the savage site won't see much in the way of gains. besides there is another Dan Savage with a MUCH larger audience doing a sex advice podcast out of Seattle. Plus, that one has his own ?monthly? print article. (when I first heard the name I thought to myself "Why in the hell would Dan Savage be interested in Japan?" haha)

Ahhh, rambling... must stop...
Peace.
Scott (but not Lockman)

Scott: Thanks for stopping by and stirring things up. Now this is getting confusing and interesting. Tokyo Dan is charging people $1.99 to listen the episode he linked to in this comment thread? Can someone get their money back if not entirely satisfied?

As for awards - the only one that really matters is tne SNBC awards from somewhere in the antipodes. Rumor has it, Tokyo Calling is in the running for something there. I don't have much time or interest in anything else award related.

Actually, the idea of a group or club or association of Japan podcasters doesn't have much appeal to me. I think it was W.C. Fields or Groucho Marx how said he'd not join any club that would have someone such as him as a member. That pretty well sums up my thinking on the matter.

Funny you mention the other Dan Savage. BicycleMark just mentioned Dan Savage doing a report on Real Time on the South Carolina primaries. I checked it on YouTube - I think it might be the same dude. Hard to tell with these old eyes, though.

Hi Scott,

Yep, I remember hearing the quote attributed to Groucho. As for TD's episode, maybe, but in order to find out I'd have to serve up the 2$ first. I can rant pretty good on my own, no point in paying to listen to someone else's :)

lol, that was the Dan Savage I had written about.
Funny guy. If you listen to his podcast he is pretty funny, but definitely not for the weak of heart and DEFINITELY not for the under 18 crowd.

The episode in question that I moved to Jindies.com and charged 1.99 for is free again along with a newer follow-up episode. And the reason I charged 1.99 for it is that I am just throwing mud at the wall to see what sticks - same reason why I made that "controversial" episode. I didn't think it would work but just had to try. And a podcasting friend of mine told me it was a bad idea and that he'd stop listening if I continued to charge. He said there's too much good content on the net for free. Another listener said podcasts should be free, like radio. I agree with both of them.

And again, Scott (Lockman), I wasn't directly calling you a sucker. I was just gereralizing that many Japan-based podcasters took JapanPodcaster's bait. Let's be friends (or at least mutually respected, fellow Japan-based podcasters).

And to Scott (not Lockman), as for creating some kind of organization of Japan-based podcasters with awards that actually stand for something...Well, in March 2006, when I still believed in the promise of podcasting, I tried to start a Tokyo podcasters' group (TAP):

http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4834&sid=158cc2f993de450745a10821b97c4053

I think I even contacted Scott Lockman about it. And even before me, the legendary Josh, of "Josh in Japan" podcast tried the same thing. But there never seemed to be much interest and I didn't try to hard. But I'd join such a group, and it'd be nice to get together - but I'd hate to run into you Scott (Lockman) if you still hate me.