Tokyo Lore Drops

Tokyo Lore Drops

by Tokyo Lore Drops
EducationSociety & Culture
Season 1

Why Is It So Hard to Stay Motivated? | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep. 11

How motivated are we really to achieve our goals and dreams? In this episode, we talk about where our motivation is right now, what drives us to pursue our goals, and why staying motivated can be difficult when progress seems slow. We discuss how social media affects our motivation, the pressure of comparing ourselves to other people online, our current goals and ambitions, and how to keep going when the things we want to achieve are still a long way away. 💬 We’d love to hear from you: What keeps you motivated when you're working towards a goal that could take years to achieve? 🎙️ New episodes every Sunday 9pm JST. Follow for honest conversations about life in Japan, sharehouse living, and the experiences of foreigners building a life in Tokyo. Follow us: 📸 Instagram: @tokyoloredrops 00:00 Welcome to episode 11 00:43 What are our current motivation levels? 08:06 Social media on motivation 14:46 Comparing yourself to others on social media 20:18 Goals and ambitions 25:46 Staying motivated when you know your goal will take a long time to achieve
S1 · E11
Oct 4, 2026
31:05

Why You Need a Life Outside of Work | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep. 10

In Episode 10, we talk about the places, people, and hobbies that make life feel bigger than work and home. We dive into the idea of third spaces - places such as cafés and parks where people can spend time outside of home and work. We also delve into Tokyo's huge café culture and its role in creating communities and productive environments for people to work in. We also talk about why having multiple social circles can be healthy, how hobbies can help you meet new people, and why having something to look forward to, whether that’s a new hobby or a future trip, can make everyday life more exciting. In this episode: ☕ Third spaces & the café culture of Tokyo 👥 The importance of having multiple social circles 🎸 Hobbies and meeting people through shared interests ✈️ Travel plans and having things to look forward to 💬 We’d love to hear from you: • What are your favourite third spaces? • Do you have different friend groups for different parts of your life? • What hobby or trip are you currently looking forward to? #TokyoLoreDrops #TokyoSharehouse #SharehouseLife #LivingInJapan #TokyoLife #Japan #ThirdSpaces
S1 · E10
Sep 23, 2026
35:05

Moving to Japan Didn’t Fix Everything | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep. 9

Mental health is something society finds difficult to talk about openly, so in this episode of Tokyo Lore Drops, we’re having an honest conversation about our experiences with it. We talk about how our upbringings and relationships with our parents shaped the way we understand and deal with mental health, what we do when we’re feeling down, and how comfortable we are asking our friends for support. We also compare mental health attitudes in Japan with those in our own countries, discuss the cost and accessibility of therapy, and ask a bigger question: did moving to another country actually leave our problems behind, or did we just bring them with us? Finally, we talk about the importance of looking after yourself, valuing your own time, and recognising when you need to slow down. 💬 We’d love to hear from you: • How did your upbringing shape you into the person you are now? • Has moving abroad changed the way you think about your mental health? • And when you’re having a difficult time, what do you like to do to clear your mind? As always, these are just our personal experiences and perspectives - we are not mental health professionals. 🎙️ New episodes every Sunday 9pm JST. Follow for honest conversations about life in Japan, sharehouse living, and the experiences of foreigners building a life in Tokyo. Follow us: 📸 Instagram: @tokyoloredrops #TokyoLoreDrops #TokyoSharehouse #SharehouseLife #LivingInJapan #TokyoLife #Japan #MentalHealth #SelfCare 0:00 Welcome to episode 9! 0:50 How our upbringings shaped us 11:30 How we now cope with our mental health 18:34 Mental health in Japan vs our countries 24:39 Asking friends for support - are they in the right headspace? 26:01 Therapy is expensive and fairly inaccessible, but people need it more than ever 28:57 Did moving abroad fix our problems? 33:46 Learning new things about yourself 36:35 Learning to look after yourself 38:08 What do we do when we're feeling down?
S1 · E9
Sep 14, 2026
46:20

What it's really like living in a Japanese sharehouse | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep. 8

In this episode, we talk about sharehouse living: from house parties and events to meeting people from other sharehouses, making new friends, having socialising spaces and your own space at the same time, and navigating the inevitable gossip and disagreements. In this episode, we talk about: • Sharehouse events, parties & social life • Meeting people from other sharehouses • Having your own space while living with others • Being an introvert in a very social environment • Gossip, drama & house dynamics (you may not always get along with everyone) 💬 We’d love to hear from you: Would you ever live in a sharehouse? And what's the biggest thing you think you'd struggle with? 🎙️ New episodes every Sunday 9pm JST. Follow for honest conversations about life in Japan, sharehouse living, and the experiences of foreigners building a life in Tokyo. Follow us: 📸 Instagram: @tokyoloredrops #TokyoLoreDrops #TokyoSharehouse #SharehouseLife #LivingInJapan #TokyoLife #Japan 0:00 Welcome to episode 8! 1:12 What is a sharehouse? 07:12 Past events at the sharehouse 08:48 Connecting with other sharehouses 11:25 Sharehouses are a great way to meet new people 14:00 The dynamic of our sharehouse 17:47 Even as an introvert, you still have your own space 18:44 You may not always get along with everyone that you live with
S1 · E8
Sep 6, 2026
22:26

Lessons in love | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep. 7

In this episode, we talk about what we've learned from previous relationships and how that affects our current approaches to dating and relationships moving forward. We talk about: • What we learned from past relationships, good and bad • Our current approaches to dating • Our love languages • Dating apps in Japan • The red flags we look for in other people • Red flags that we have within ourselves 💬 We’d love to hear from you: - What’s the biggest lesson a past relationship taught you? - What’s an instant red flag for you when dating? And what’s a red flag you’ve recognised in yourself and worked on? - What’s one piece of dating advice you wish you’d known sooner? 🎙️ New episodes every Sunday 9pm JST. Follow for honest conversations about life in Japan, sharehouse living, and the experiences of foreigners building a life in Tokyo. Follow us: 📸 Instagram: @tokyoloredrops #TokyoLoreDrops #TokyoPodcast #JapanPodcast #LifeInJapan #TokyoLife #JapanCulture #LivingAbroad #CreativeCareers #DatingInJapan 0:00 Welcome to episode 7! 1:03 What we learned from past relationships 9:17 How our upbringing affected how we navigate relationships 22:49 How our past relationships have affected how we approach dating 32:20 Our love languages 46:20 Experience with dating apps in Japan 54:22 Red flags that we look for in other people 59:01 Red flags that we have within ourselves 1:05:35 Good things that we have taken away from previous relationships
S1 · E7
Aug 30, 2026
1:12:03

Balancing creative careers and love ft. Keagan Raphael and Kei Nagata | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep. 6

In this episode, we have our first guests on the podcast, two creatives living in Tokyo: Keagan Raphael and Kei Nagata! We talk about: • Why both of them came to Japan • How both of them got into their respective careers • Balancing their creative careers and their own relationship • Keagan supporting Kei's business Brownie Shots, Kei supporting Keagan's music work • How their different communication styles complement each other 🎙️ New episodes every Sunday 9pm JST. Follow for honest conversations about life in Japan, sharehouse living, and the experiences of foreigners building a life in Tokyo. Follow us: 📸 Instagram: @tokyoloredrops Keagan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keaganraphael Keagan's Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/707OmZTNJHXFBvUXnc4XUo?si=SAepQKJqRI2esueBM9oWwQ Kei's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mskeinagata Brownie Shots Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownie.shots/ Keagan and Kei's upcoming events: - Keagan's album "Talana Hill" coming out later this year - Keagan is performing on October 11 at Wall and Wall to celebrate the release of Nenashi's album "MOMENT" http://wallwall.tokyo/schedule/20261011_nenashi/ - Kei does monthly meetups for Brownie Shots https://www.instagram.com/brownie.shots/ - Singles event and 90s themed party #TokyoLoreDrops #TokyoPodcast #JapanPodcast #LifeInJapan #TokyoLife #JapanCulture #LivingAbroad #CreativeCareers 0:00 Welcome to episode 6! 03:23 Keagan joining the JET programme 11:09 Kei moving to Japan and studying here 17:58 How Keagan became a musician 25:55 Keagan being fulfilled as a teacher 30:29 Kei's Brownie Shots! 33:35 It's hard to find good brownies in Japan :( 37:43 Kei is a natural at bringing people together 39:14 How Keagan and Kei's different communication styles complement each other when working on events or Brownie Shots 44:16 Who made the first move? 46:06 Living together after not even being together for a year 50:06 Balancing creative careers and their relationship 1:02:56 Recording a song together 1:08:52 Making each other feel remembered 1:13:54 Keagan's and Kei's upcoming events that you can attend
S1 · E6
Aug 17, 2026
1:17:08

The truth about chasing your dreams (you may lose friends) | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep. 5

In this episode, we continue our conversation from Episode 4 and dive deeper into what it really feels like to pursue a creative career and an unconventional life. We talk about: • How our parents and friends reacted to us moving to Japan • Losing people along the way who were thought to be close friends • How pursuing your dreams can sometimes reveal who is truly there for you • How the creative path is not as glamorous as it really seems If you've ever felt pressure to follow the "safe" path, or you've experienced people changing as your life changed, we'd love to hear your story. 💬 We’d love to hear from you: Have your family and friends supported your dreams? Have you ever lost friendships while pursuing a goal? What advice would you give someone thinking about taking a non-traditional career path? 🎙️ New episodes every Sunday 9pm JST. Follow for honest conversations about life in Japan, sharehouse living, and the experiences of foreigners building a life in Tokyo. Follow us: 📸 Instagram: @tokyoloredrops #TokyoLoreDrops #TokyoPodcast #JapanPodcast #LifeInJapan #TokyoLife #JapanCulture #CareerChange #LivingAbroad #CreativeCareers
S1 · E5
Aug 9, 2026
42:36

Pre-Tokyo careers, what we are doing now, and pursuing your passions | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep. 4

What did life look like before moving to Japan? In this episode, we look back on our careers and education before Tokyo, share what we're doing now, and talk about chasing creative work, taking unconventional career paths, and building a life abroad. Whether you're thinking about moving to Japan, changing careers, or pursuing a passion of your own, we hope our experiences give you some food for thought. In this episode, we talk about: • Our career histories and educational backgrounds before we moved to Tokyo • What we're currently doing and working towards in Tokyo • The motivations behind our goals and creative pursuits • The realities of choosing a non-traditional career path • How moving abroad has changed our perspectives on work and success 💬 We’d love to hear from you: Have you ever thought about changing careers or pursuing something you're passionate about? If so, what's holding you back? Let us know in the comments! 🎙️ New episodes every Sunday 9pm JST. Follow for honest conversations about life in Japan, sharehouse living, and the experiences of foreigners building a life in Tokyo. #TokyoLoreDrops #TokyoPodcast #JapanPodcast #LifeInJapan #TokyoLife #JapanCulture #Sharehouse #WorkingInJapan #LivingAbroad #CreativeCareers
S1 · E4
Aug 2, 2026
1:03:07

Culture shocks, Japanese beauty standards, and trying to fit in | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep.3

In this episode, we talk about: • Culture shocks that we experienced when we first came to Japan • How you are treated based on whether you look "Japanese" or not • The pressure of fitting into Japanese society based on beauty standards and expected behaviours • Putting respect on the fashion game of Tokyo 💬 We’d love to hear from you: What were the first things you noticed when you first came to Japan? Are they positive or negative? #TokyoLoreDrops #TokyoPodcast #JapanPodcast #LifeInJapan #TokyoLife #JapanCulture #Sharehouse #CultureShock #LivingAbroad #TokyoTravel
S1 · E3
Jul 26, 2026
29:10

Assumptions about us, sharehouse drama, and thoughts on dating | Tokyo Lore Drops Ep. 2

In this episode, we talk about: • Assumptions that people have about us as individuals and us as a group • That time Etana was 'held hostage' 😱 • The 'spin the wheel' girl • Our approaches to dating, especially at our current stages of life • Cultural differences and expectations when it comes to relationships • Red flags, green flags, and what we’ve learned through our experiences No filters, no scripts. Just honest conversations, different perspectives, and the stories that make life in Tokyo so unique. Whether you’re living in Japan, planning to move here, or you’re simply curious about the realities of life, friendships, and dating in Tokyo, we hope you enjoy the conversation. 💬 We’d love to hear from you: What’s the biggest misconception people have about you? And if you’ve lived abroad, what’s the craziest sharehouse or dating story you’ve experienced? #TokyoLoreDrops #TokyoPodcast #JapanPodcast #LifeInJapan #TokyoLife #JapanCulture #Sharehouse #Dating #LivingAbroad #Tokyo
S1 · E2
Jul 19, 2026
38:45
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