The A-Bomb City Easter Extravaganza, featuring a squeaking Japanese Easter Bunny, reminiscences of childhood chocolate eggs, and...er...nothing else to do with Easter.Dave reveals his new internet venture, a website featuring 100-word book reviews, and kicks it off with a summary of Eric Hoffer's little-known tome "The Ordeal of Change". Andy pretends to go and make a cup of tea.Part 3 of Andy's 'Kyushu Diary' next, in which we discover the Chinese and European past of Nagasaki, and why the Lonely Planet guides are crap.The musical interlude this week is an old Easter Islanders techno piece called 'Canova da Milano', based on sampled and reversed lute loops, which leads in to a discussion of said renaissance stringed instrument and its appearance in a certain Shakespearian epic.'Difficult Word of the Week' features that esoteric biblical utterance 'shibboleth', which somehow leads into talk of immersive online world 'Second Life' - watch out for Alric Yoshikawa!abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity100-word-book-reviews.blogspot.com

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This week we kick off with that most important of questions - do the Japanese eat grasshoppers? From here we follow up with an amazing tale of how you can find honey armed with only a long piece of cotton, which somehow gets mixed up with David's fish-selling exploits of yore. Next our hosts discuss some recent purchases - Andy has had a spring blow-out on musical gear while Dave has begun supporting the arts with his wallet. In the second part of Andy's 'Kyushu Diary' we find out about how the residents of Nagasaki have come to love the bomb, after which STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) hit us with the experimental rock piece 'Modality in Extremes'. Then it's time for the new 'Difficult Word of the Week' segment to rear its shiny head before Dave returns to feed us some more 'Real Japanese', this week concerning a subject dear to his heart: stinginess. Don't forget to vote for us on www.podcastalley.com! abombcity@gmail.com www.abombcity.com www.hirohurl.net www.ardle.net www.myspace.com/abombcity

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We're back! The usual poorly-recorded rambling returns. Find out what fun Dave had with the trains back in Britain, and listen to part one of Andy's 'Kyushu Diary', detailing his exploits on his recent trip to that particular Japanese island.Another rude rubbing story from Hiroshima's trams, and then Andy's band STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) assault our ears with the track 'Searchlight Serenade.' Next the lads head into the plastic world of Japanese Pop with an old magazine article of Andy's, and the live dissection of a cheery song by oriental boy band faves, SMAP.After Dave muses on the need to travel, both of your hosts are then unexpectedly thrown out of the karaoke box in which they had been recording...Yep, business as usual!abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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This week kicks off with a pungent tale of what the Earl of Oxford Edward de Vere did when he met Queen Elizabeth I.Next we hear about our hosts' holiday plans - Dave is set to visit dear old Albion during the most dismal month of the year weather wise, there to spend jolly hours in the family mansion while the aged mother knits. Andy reveals his plans to tour Japan's southern island, Kyushu, in March, and anticipates much sulphurous volcanic activity.Then we introduce www.gethiroshima.com, a somewhat cliquey English-language website designed to let you know about what's going on in the A-Bomb City. Andy relates an amusing tale of how one of his aquaintances passes the time by replying to the very intriguing personal adds to be found therein.This week's musical offering is another slice of techno from Andy's electronic outfit Easter Islanders, entitled 'Slosco'.After that, we tackle a very touchy and tricky subject : the use and meaning of the word 'Jap'. Free speech it seems, needs to be tempered with sensitivity in such areas.We round off the show with another dose of 'Real Japanese' from David, this time centring on those naughty parts and what you might need to say about them in certain situations in good ol' Nippon.Amen.abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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This week Andy tells us of his miserable day at the university and subsequent humiliation in the guitar shop, while Dave enjoys a chunk of schadenfreude.Next up, we hear some more mangled English from a pudding-faced young  lady under Dave's academic supervision, after which Andy goes off on a rant about Japanese bureaucracy and pettiness - will his woes never end?This week's music is an old STAVKA song (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) entitled 'The Great Divide', which brings on an interview with Andy concerning his musical endeavours, as suggested by a listenerWe conclude with another dollop of 'Real Japanese', this time some rather fruity slang the like of which tends to spout forth from the lips of naughty high school girls - hey!abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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Today's show comes live from the dining table of Dave's pad in the western suburbs of Hiroshima.First we bring up the question of the Japanese and cleanliness - are they as squeaky-clean as they would like us to believe? Evidence from the classrooms of various universities in these parts would seem to suggest otherwise. A love of overheating, keeping coats on indoors, the 'wash cycle' and that strange object the 'kotatsu' are all to blame...Next up, high culture and the well-known poetry form the 'haiku' is analysed and dissected to much mirth. Well, a little bit, anyway.Andy's band STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) serve up the song  'Parzival',  which leads to talk of ancient Britain, and those wanting to reconnect with it.Finally, a throbbing mail sack is emptied and we answer some listener's questions. First we tackle the reasons for the relative lack of western women/Japanese men relationships, and digress into talk of Russian mail-order brides and mummy's boys. Next we cogitate upon the relative volumes of poo produced by the Japanese and American servicemen in World War II. Hopefully our dear listeners are not eating during this final segment...abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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The A-Bomb City Emergency Podcast Episode: listen at your peril!A regular show not being possible this week, a seemingly unconnected collection of outtakes and unused material from the cutting room floor have been glued together between classic songs from Osaka's finest, Shonen Knife (www.shonenknife.net, www.shonenknife.com).Subjects include the sexual perversions of Roman emperors, undergraduate antics, the dangers of air rifles, and the long lost 'maid cafe' live report featuring Mio who co-hosted Episode #7. There are also cameo appearances by a bevvy of female voice talents, and a sonic snapshot of Mr.B, who sounds suspiciously like erstwhile collaborator Preston Mendoza.Government Health Warning: This Episode is crap!abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity 

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The lads are back in the studio this week for a bumper helping of good ol' drunken incoherent rambling - just like the old days, eh?Kicking off with peaty whiskeys from the Isle of Islay, talk then meanders past the late quiz show host and Icelandic scholar Magnus Magnusson, an attack of the winter collywobbles, and islands of various descriptions before Andy confesses that he is a nerdy computer wargamer, and how he recently got into hot water on a gaming forum in which he dared espouse the notion of freedom of speech for all.Next, a comparative review of both recent Clint Eastwood war movies 'Flags of Our Fathers' and its Japanese-language counterpart 'Letters From Iwo Jima', before the musical break looms with another original composition from Andy's band STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm), this time the track 'Leper Aesthetic'.Finally, Andy returns to his long-forgotten series 'History as I See It' and tells of the pivotal but largely unknown conflict between Japan and the Soviet Union in Mongolia in 1939 which had drastic repercussions on the outcome of World War II. On the way, of course, Dave sidetracks it all into a confused and largely misinformed discussion concerning the Roman emperor Constantine.Yeah, like I said, vintage A-Bomb City!abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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In this episode Dave is out and about Hiroshima doing the roving reporter bit while Andy tries to nail it all together back in the studio.First we get to listen to a fun Japanese DVD which instructs youngsters how to wipe their arses properly in the by now obligatory toilet humour section.We then follow Dave as he heads into town after a night on the (mahjong) tiles, where he meets and interviews one Ms.Watanabe, boss of local charity ANT-Hiroshima. Off microphone she mentions Martin Luther King, whose birthday it is today, so Dave poots forth on the significance of the good man and we get to hear a chunk or two of his famous speech.Next Andy spins another STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) platter, this time the track 'All Just For Show', before we hear newcomer Mrs.H reading something in Japanese. Fear not - 'tis merely MLK in Nihongo, for this is the subject of Dave's 'Real Japanese' segment.My, aren't we serious for once?abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.ardle.netwww.hirohurl.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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This week's fix of ABC takes us out of the studio and on to the streets of Hiroshima.Beginning in a cafe, the lads soon move off to a 'karaoke box' to talk about what New Year means for the Japanese: sunrises, special food that looks good but tastes awful, and the obligatory exchange of meaningless cards. We are then 'treated' to Dave singing a couple of songs, and by 'singing' I mean shouting out the words at random intervals and pitches. You have been warned.Luckily some 'real' music is at hand in the form of Andy's band STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) who play the track 'Low Ogre'.Next we consider poo, and how it relates to the Japanese and the Germans. In this context we get a sticky anecdote from Andy and Dave reads a popular German children's tale concerning the brown stuff which has become a hit here in Nippon.Returning to the subject of 'PC', Dave tells us how we can follow a 10-point plan to rid ourselves of that particular affliction, while Andy insults Dave's clothing.Finally, the lads brave the cold to stagger around Nagarekawa, Hiroshima's nightlife area, to bring you the sights and sounds of sleaze, to be enjoyed from the comfort of your armchair.abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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Dave returns to the studio, and Andy relates to him a scary tale of shady mafia guys, spicy Chinese food and the perils of frequenting hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Hiroshima. Somewhere along the way giant squid drop in, and we learn why pudgy cricket umpires are submerged in a mountain of white jumpers every summer.Andy's band STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavka.htm) put in an appearance with the tune 'Fortune City Breakout', before the lads turn their attentions to the horrors of PC.Dave reviews the book 'The Retreat of Reason - Political Correctness and the Corruption of Public Debate in Britain' by Anthony Brown. Controversial historian David Irving also gets a (dis)honourable mention in this context, and Andy faces a PC test concerning some contentious and controversial issues, which he fails miserably, according to Dave.Finally, Dave's new language series, 'Real Japanese' gets another airing in which we learn all about what the average female 'OL' can expect career-wise, and how she must watch out for the see-you-home wolf!abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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In this (slighty) festive episode Andy is joined in the studio by local writer Andrew Kozelka who gets all serious about life in Japan and the world of literature, despite Andy's best attempts to derail him by dollops of the obligatory A-Bomb City crap humour.Along the way we hear some jolly Christmas tunes from the likes of the Moscow Liturgical Choir, Osaka's Shonen Knife, and Californian punk band The Dickies, before we are treated to a reading of some of Mr.Kozelka's poetry.Rounding out the show is an unusually classical piece from Andy.Oh, and Dave makes some minimal but insightful contributions from time to time...abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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Knee-deep in high oriental culture and tradition this week, as Dave interviews a doctor acquaintance about his musical pastime: playing the 'shakuhachi', a Japanese species of flute. After the interview we move straight to the concert hall, where we treat you to a live recording of the good doc performing traditional music on said 'shakuhachi' backed by the 'koto' and 'shamisen', other instruments of Old Nippon. Yes, it's all that plinky-plinky stuff that evokes images of Samurai, Geisha and other people with funny hairstyles shuffling around drafty wooden palaces in the Kyoto of centuries gone by. The antidote to all this comes in the form of 'The Eye of the Beholder', a track by Andy's electronic outfit Easter Islanders. We conclude with another chunk of the doc's concert... abombcity@gmail.com www.abombcity.com www.hirohurl.net www.ardle.net www.myspace.com/abombcity

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An unusual episode in which both our regular hosts are out and about in different directions, digital recorders in hand, with Andy pasting it all together back in the studio.Dave presents a recording of traditional Japanese songs rendered by an old  gentleman acquaintance to an audience of appreciative senior citizens.Next, STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) introduce us to 'Anna from Havana', a pop-rock gem dating from 1999.Andy then takes over the helm, conducting a two-part interview with his American friend Dan, a loquacious and eccentric geezer who regales us with tales from the countryside, run-ins with the yakuza, and dodgy goings-on in provincial universities, punctuated by a few old tunes from his collection of scratchy 78's. Yeah!abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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Starting with another crap joke, the lads soon venture into the unlikely territory of animal noises and how they are represented in both English and Japanese. Points are awarded for their comparative realism...Andy's musical persona STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) play the abrasive rocker "Lowest Common Denominator Blues", after which the animal theme continues as David forces Andy to translate some well-known English nursery rhymes into Japanese. Cover your ears, listeners, as some very dodgy singing ensues...Preston Mendoza is mysteriously absent this week, so Andy gives us some more insights into the murky world of shortwave 'number' stations and plays a few examples; David can barely stay awake...abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace/abombcity

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Episode #35 begins with a crap joke, before Andy gives Dave instruction on how to open a show properly.Next, we dwell upon the dangers of reliance on translation software, these days frequently the recourse of lazy Japanese students, and read you a fine example of what gibberish results from such an attempt.Then, unusually, Andy takes on the role of 'sensei' and schools us in the ancient art of the Japanese tongue twister, complete with a guest appearance by a certain 'Madam X'.STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) hit us over the head with the punk rock ditty 'Bible Junkies', before Dave confesses to having recently read Germaine Greer's classic 1970's breakthrough feminist blockbuster 'The Female Eunuch'. Surprisingly, as he demonstrates, it turns out to be a rather good book.After that, Preston Mendoza crawls out of the woodwork to deliver his most impassioned (and deranged) monologue yet, this time on the subject of nosey neighbours and what the Japanese really like to do in their lunch breaks...Finally Dave reveals his new Japanese language learning segment, entitled 'Honto no Nihongo' (Real Japanese). Today he tells how to know our limits, something our good friend Mendoza should take note of...abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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Opening up with the B-side to their new hit single, the lads launch into the world of 'waka', or Japanese poetry. This time the 'tanka', a five-line form a bit meatier than the humble 'haiku', takes centre stage, and Dave tells us of ancient poetry competitions in which it was customary to award first prize to the crappiest poem. Who says we don't cover Japanese stuff on the show any more?Andy's band STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) pump the intermission full of steaming punk in the shape 'The Wall', after which our mysterious contributor Preston Mendoza phones in a confession concerning his feminine side.Andy briefly muses on an inappropriately-named range of bath products before heading into the action with the much more manly topic of war, today focussing on the Clint Eastwood flicks 'Flags of Our Fathers' and its counterpart 'Letters From Iwo Jima.' And there's an end on't!abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.netwww.myspace.com/abombcity

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This rather lacklustre episode gets off the ground with a moving ballad for peace delightfully sung by our two intrepid hosts. From here it's all down hill...We open up with some talk of crytpography, Francis Bacon and what you can do in this respect with a mirror, together with an introduction from Andy on the cult subject of shortwave radio 'number' stations.Next, what happened in the Irish pub, and why Dave was seen wearing a very expensive suit in town. It turns out that he had been speaking in the cathedral alongside such luminaries as Archbishop Desmond Tutu who was in town for a Peace Conference Type Thing.Along the way we discuss Yoko Ono's installations, mannequins, school girls and balconies, and the biblical cutting off of ears...Mercifully STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) intervene and play for us 'Punched Out, Rounds One and Two', after which we open a bulging mail bag and salute the new folks on the Frappr map.Preston Mendoza puts in his by now customary appearance and this time pays homage to those ex-patriots in Hiroshima who are brave enough to leave the English teaching circus for such manly pursuits as...er...pottery.abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comhttp://www.myspace.com/abombcitywww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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This week Andy entertains us with a lengthy romantic anecdote from his dubious past in Germany concerning a certain charming Hungarian lady going by the moniker of Monika.On the way, the lads of course digress, delving into strange Mongolian pilgrims, diaphonic throat singing, sacred steps in Rome, how hotel minibars work and why Hungarian women don't wear bras. Phew!Andy's band STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) provide us with another tune, this time 'The Birth of Astro Boy', before we are treated to another slice of our co-conspirator Preston Mendoza's bile. This week he decides it is time to stand up and defend our meek Japanese hosts...Dave closes the show with the final edition of his linguistic series 'Dave's an Idiom', in which he takes a closer look at the seat, so to speak...abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.ardle.netwww.hirohurl.net

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This week's dose kicks off with the lads engaging in a bit of Gregorian chant in a large cathedral, before launching into talk of The Beatles, Fokker Triplanes, Sake Festivals and snogging gays on the way to university. Wow! - the diversity!Dave then begins a seeming endless monolague about his teaching exploits in York, via Klaus Barbie, theatrical lawyers and prog rock keyboard players. The telephone rings, the impetus is lost, and talk turns to property development before Dave's anecdote continues, with a few gratuitous bicycle clips, corduroy trousers and hush puppies thrown in for good measure...STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) play the song 'Not Special',after which we introduce you to our new contributor Preston Mendoza, who tells us of 'new age currents'.Dave then presents us with more Japanese idioms, but not before regaling us with reminiscences of that 80's icon, Shaking Stevens. Today's idioms are all centred on the bush, so to speak...abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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Is modern man a wimp and are we all hemmed in by the 'system'? We kick off with this little conundrum, via a revelation that Dave will be translating for Desmond Tutu, and a sidetrack into classroom violence. Meanwhile a small child invades the studio and makes annoying noises in the background. Talk of tea and coffee crops up next, and we discuss our caffeine preferences in response to a listener's question, after which Andy tells us how he tries to make young ladies laugh during the solemn Japanese Tea Ceremony. Next a musical tribute to the late Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks as we play 'Read About Seymour' by Swell Maps from 1977. Rest in peace, my brothers... Andy then introduces the fabulous 'Hooting Yard' podcast (http://hooting.yard.users.btopenworld.com/), a weekly half hour of baffling, erudite, funny, vertiginously bizarre, digressive, obsessive and eccentric tales from writer Frank Key. More music, this time some industrial metal from Andy's early 90's Berlin outfit 'Thanatoid' - the track, 'Brutal Essen Reintun', translates into English as 'feed me brutally'...quite! Then Dave steps in to bring us yet more Japanese idioms, this time 'to take a back seat' and to 'play second fiddle'. abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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Andy loses his rag at the listeners at the beginning of this poorly-recorded episode coming from Dave's pad.First up, a look at this year's winners of the Ig Nobel Prize, a comedic alternative to the more straight-laced affair begun by those Swedish dynamite chuckers.Next, we attempt a live on air off the cuff translation of Ludwig Wittgenstein's "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus", considered by many to be the most important philosophical work of the 20th century. Others might conclude that it is, on the contrary, a steaming pile of shite. Draw your own conclusions from our in depth learned discussion.STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) play the song "Sea Shanty", after which the theme of philosophy is continued as we talk about Jostein Gaarder's novel "Sophie's World", Plato's Republic, the difficulties in translating Immanuel Kant into English, and the influence of Goethe's "Faust". Aren't we pretentious? Finally Dave brings up the rear (!) with some more Japanese idioms, this week on the subjects of outwitting, sneaking around the back, and concluding with a rather large pack of lies.abombcity@gmail.com www.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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This week we begin by considering how difficult it is to do things normally when you are specifically told to 'do things normally'.Andy then regales with us tales of the astronomical costs of visiting Norway as well as encounters with annoying Chinese tourists therein, offset by the amazing scenery, freaky sculptures, all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets, and friendly English-speaking natives. Oh, and apparently the famed Nordic babes have now all become chubby.Andy's band STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) play the track 'We Shook Hands', before talk turns to the subject of the Triple Tyrant, aka The Pope, who has apparently been unwise in his historical quotations of late, leading to the lads discussing faith, hypocrisy, the murky past of the Catholic church, and the dangers of organized religion...phew!abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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We kick off this week with talk of the dodgy bars in which Dave incurred his humungous hangover, and his increasing difficulties in pronouncing the English language. Andy, meanwhile, has been having a horrible time at the immigration office...STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) play the alternative rock gem 'Interface Bakery', after which we air a promo by those nice guys from the Anarchy X podcast (www.anarchyx.us).Next comes the seventh and final part of Andy's Kansai Diary in which he meets a lot of old people on squeaky bicycles and finds kitsch atop a mystical mountain retreat.Back in the studio, and the conversation has turned to immigration again, in this case the controversies over Britain's allegedly open doors, and Dave gets so carried away he forgets to deliver us a Japanese idiom. Oh well.abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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This week's episode centres on those two great Anglo-Saxon words beginning with 'f' and 'c', with an in-depth look at their history and literary usage. Perhaps not for those easily offended... The musical interlude is the song 'Seeders and Leechers' by STAVKA, after which we hear Part 6 of the Kansai Diary, where Andy visits the mighty Himeji castle and has some interesting interactions with ladies in Kobe... Next we hear what a former boss of Disney has to say concerning the uses of the f-word, followed by some interesting entries on the subject of taboo words from an English usage textbook. Dave then presents some examples of the Earl of Rochester's amazingly bawdy poetry from the 17th century, before giving us 'the horn' in his analysis of the Japanese language.

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This week we go all poetic with readings from Philip Larkin (1922-1985) and John Betjeman (1906-1984) concerning the perils of parenthood, crap British towns in need of aerial redevelopment from the Luftwaffe, and athletic girls in liquorice fields with inviting mouths.The musical intermission is "X-Ray Village" from Andy's rock imprint STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm).Next we enter the world of the 'chijo', Japanese ladies who enjoy a grope and a rub on the crowded transportation systems of this nation, and Andy provides us with a first-hand account.Dave finishes up the show with a selection of idioms based, appropriately enough, on the Japanese word for the nether regions.www.abombcity.comabombcity@gmail.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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Dave introduces Andy to an arcane Japanese summer tradition in which you prick a latex covered ball of Japanese bean-paste candy (aka a "yuukan ball") and end up with a sticky ball on a toothpick. After munching on sticky balls for a while they remember that they are actually podcasting and get on with the subject in hand, namely, Botchan, or "a little boy" - the title of Natsume Souseki's novel set in Matsuyama... Dave delves into the intricacies of translating Japanese novels and exemplifies the difficulties therein encountered by reading four versions of the opening couple of paragraphs of Botchan, which go from the stuffy Meiji era attempt of an old Japanese buffer to a recent "devil-may-care" version in American English, featuring such gems as "Buck b'cawk," and "buttmunch"... Somehow or other the lads get sidetracked by recurring themes of Scottish roots and the roots of tight-waddery. Andy supplies some genuine backpiped musical relief. Andy takes us back to civilization with the 5th episode of his Kansai Diary in which he takes us on a tour of sleazy side streets and treats us to a rapping guide to the multifarious bars and dental clinics of nocturnal Osaka... This week's musical offering, "When too Much is Never Enough," features lyrics by the infamous Mr. B... Dave polishes off with a bit of Japanese trumpet blowing, "rappa o fuku..."

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Today we're all about fashion: more T-shirts with offensive slogans, socks that look like they have another pair of socks inside, skirts worn over jeans and those feminine boys wearing low-cut pink tops. This leads us to the beach and the Japanese ladies' nipple denial, before Andy tells us a tale of German nude bathing and its effect on repressed pallid English lads.In part 4 of the Kansai Diary Andy ruminates on the horrors of mass Japanese tourism but finds solace in Kyoto's lesser visited sites, revealing on the way the trials of Zen monks in pursuit of enlightenment.STAVKA (www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm) play the laid back number 'Soluble Raincoat Dissolves', before talk turns to the bath house, and Dave takes us through the procedure for visiting a public bath in Japan. A brief comparison with the revolting practices found in Roman baths follows, before we run the whole gamut with the Japanese idiom 'pin kara kiri made'...abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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Why does Japan's Prime Minister keep going to the infamous Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo? Andy and Dave certainly have no idea, but that's not going to stop them blathering on about it...In Part 3 of the "Kansai Diary" Andy visits the ancient capital Nara and regales us with tales of deer poo, enormous gilded boots, ornate gardens with nasty secrets and strange ceremonies conducted in mossy shrines.STAVKA plays "Asleep on Wake Island", an ode to those miserable gits who constantly complain in this land of plenty. More info on STAVKA can be found at http://www.ardle.net/stavkahome.htm.Next Dave reads an anti-Zen poem in the 'tanka' style sent in by Arthur Moss, before drawing once again on a 17th century account of Japan in the second part of John Saris' diary.We round out with 'Dave's an Idiom', in which we talk of huge numbers and repentance, in another snippet of the Japanese language you will never need to use...www.abombcity.comabombcity@gmail.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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Andy's new hard rocking theme tune is subverted by some God-awful sentimental Japanese ballad which would have us all going off to the country to get a whiff of skunk cabbage.Next comes Part Two of the Kansai Diary, an audio record of Andy's recent trip to that region: today he focusses on the ephemeral bridges of Uji town and a fat sweaty monk in Daigo-ji.A brief chat about how one can become enlightened by being whacked on the bonce leads us to the melancholic reggae of the STAVKA song 'First Order Flesh Requisition', after which a literary bent is revealed.Dave reads again from Edmund Blunden's "A Wanderer in Japan", before we hear the first extract from the diary of John Saris, an Englishman who visited Japan in the early 17th century.We wrap up with the strange Japanese idiom which, taken literally, means to smell like water...abombcity@gmail.comwww.abombcity.comwww.hirohurl.netwww.ardle.net

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The drink flows, nore talk of eels, then we hear Part One of Andy's 'Kansai Diary', documenting his recent trip to the cultural heart of Japan in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek fashion. This week  centers on the truth about Kyoto's Geisha, and a visit to Uji to visit some alleged UNESCO World Heritage Sites.STAVKA sing 'Lo-fi Gods', an ode to all things badly recorded, before talk turns to the poets of World War One, including one Edmund Blunden who subsequently visited Japan and wrote of his experiences in post-A-Bomb Nagasaki. Dave rounds out with another Japanese idiom, this time concerning 'evaporation', which considering our talk of Nagasaki, is somewhat tasteless. Oh well...

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We kick off with confusing talk of Cow Day, seasonal interregna, Chinese cosmology and eel-eating - all of which are somehow connected.Next we reveal what Dave's Dad was doing in Malaya in the 1950's and explore the end of empire in that region before opening our ears to another STAVKA track, "Felled in Ginza."Andy then tackles the slightly dodgy subject of Asian bloodlust - have wartime barbarities merely been transformed into violent manga, sadistic porn and extreme schadenfreude?Controversy then continues with Dave reviewing Kishore Mahbubani's book "Can Asians Think?", which leads to a discussion of whether or not Japan is different from other Asian countries, as exemplified by its economic success.

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What's in a name? Quite a lot, as it turns out, as Andy delves into the world of Japanese monikers and unearths romanticism, conservatism, confusion and a lot of bilingual double-entendres too.STAVKA rock out with the experimental piece "We Have Come For What's Left of Your Mind", before Dave lifts the curtain on the stereotype of the ultra-polite and civilised Japanese.

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This week Andy and Dave get all serious about cetaceans: that's whales, dolphins and porpoises to you. We look at Japan's attempts to restart commercial whaling, the killing and eating of dolphins at Taiji, and then take a look at what those folk on the Faeroe Islands get up to.This leads into a somewhat heated debate about the nature of cetaceans and whether or not they are special animals. From here we get into a wider discussion concerning man and his place within the animal kingdom.Heavy, man - but don't worry - there are still a few quips! On the musical front we return to alternative rock, as Andy's band STAVKA perform "Vinegar Tom" for your listening pleasure.

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The lads return with a live broadcast from a very humid Peace Memorial Park in the centre of Hiroshima. We hear how Dave's ditch-digging resulted in no episode last week, before launching into talk of summer plans: Andy will head for Kyoto and Norway, while Dave will head towards another ditch, which may or may not be full of newts. A brief chat about the ugliness of Japanese parks and their lack of grass leads us to Easter Islanders playing the cryptically-named techno piece "92,000 yen". Andy then tells us how the title was inspired by his encountered with the Hiroshima police a few years back, after which we learn of Dave's immigration misdemeanour. Finally we treat you to a short extract form the aborted podcast with our friend Mr.B, before wandering over to the Peace Bell to wrap things up with a dong for peace...

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This week's episode kicks off with a tale of a podcasting disaster: how our last recoding session resulted in the guest presenter being carted off to hospital! Next we introduce you to "Candy Girl", the adult-sized sillicone female companion with detachable parts who may be responsible for Japan's declining birthrate. Easter Islanders, Andy's techno outfit, come up with the song "Pure Essence of Carsten Meissner", after which we learn the sad story of the gentleman named in the title. Website of the Week features www.stumbleupon.com, where you can get a toolbar for your browswer that lets you surf the web in an intelligent and personalised way. Being July 1st, we commemorate the Battle of the Somme which kicked off on that date 90 years ago, and our presenters tell us what their respective grandfathers were up to at that time. The English are currently facing another kind of battle in the soccer World Cup, a tournament from which Japan have recently been eliminated. Dave tells of the case of too many yellow cards, and then has to unexpectedly disappear in connection with something else of a yellow colour... We wrap up with more tales of dolls, this time in the shape of an old Japanese horror story...

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Recorded live form Miyajima Island, (with consequent sound drop-outs), we begin by pondering why the Japanese like to group famous things into threes, before turning our attention to the shady dealings of Sokagakai, Japan's equivalent to Scientology.Then on to earthquakes: a recent one brings back memories of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, and Andy tells us how he almost became a looter.Next we look at the recent fad of the 'Meido Kissa', cafes in which waitresses attired in French maid outfits are ogled by nerds, which have apparently already made their appearance in Hiroshima.The show is then interrupted by a ravenous deer who devours Dave's show notes, but the lads make good their escape and go to gawp at the Big Red Gate, symbol of Miyajima, and do a spot of winkle-picking at its foot.Next a quick look at Itskushima Shrine, with its floating stage for play performances, before the appearance of a motorized priest leads us to a digression on the lucrative trade in remembering the dead in Japan.Easter Islanders provide us with another mellow techno number in the shape of 'Devious III',  before we go to sample one of Miyajima's delicacies, 'Momiji-manju', maple-leaf shape sponge cakes filled with chocolate, custard or sweet bean paste. Sounds revolting, doesn't it?A brief chat about eels and the Japanese ingrained habit of gift-giving and the ferry home beckons...

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We kick off this week with an inpromptu campfire singalong before launching into the subject of 'nutters'. Andy tells us of the bizarre antics of the Yano Can Man, while Dave parries with talk of folk who memorise tram conductor spiel and perform it ahead of the real thing. Andy returns with a tale of a local Tourette's Syndrome victim and some weird goings on at a Hiroshima language school.Music is provided by Easter Islanders, Andy's electronic outfit, who play the intriguingly named 'Oscar : Cut 'n' Dried Quagmire'.Next comes another episode in Andy's 'History As I See It' feature in which he attempts this time to set the historical record straight with regard to Poland. Why was their country in the wrong place between the wars? Who was General Pilsudksi? Did they really send sword-wielding cavalry against German tanks in 1939? All will be revealed...Dave then tests Andy's historical knowledge by getting him to spot the mistakes in a passage from Dan Kurzman's 'The Day of the Bomb : Countdown to Hiroshima', before informing us how to reveal your true colours via a Japanese idiom.

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Another show from Happy Happy Park in which we tell you about Pocky Sticks, the history behind Dave's horrible coffee cups and the possible connection with Japan's current lack of children.Next we get all historical and Dave lectures on the Japanese victory in Singapore in 1941, commanded by locally-trained General Yamashita, branded a war-criminal by the Allies, but still revered in some circles here.Music is again provided by Andy's electronic outfit Easter Islanders, this time playing the oddly-titled 'Yamazaki Doughnut Conspiracy Theory'.Said confectionery conspiracy theory is then revealed by Andy, a man with one hand in the Hiroshima cake business.Andy takes a look at the attempt to introduce a new national day in Britain and tries to work out what it means to be British.Dave wraps up with another idiom, this time concerning 'cause and effect', and there is talk of Dutch ladyboys for no apparent reason.

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A bumper drunken episode broadcast from Dave's new pad.Dave reads some poetic fanmail, recommends a restaurant, and reveals the latest food fad in here in Japan. Meanwhile, Andy has some exciting news about his band STAVKA...Talking of music, Andy reveals his techno side with the song 'Nichiren' by his electronic persona 'Easter Islanders', featuring the dubious vocal talents of none other than our Dave.An argument about Buddhism, and then we then go all theatrical, as Dave waxes long and lyrical about the performance of a visiting British Shakespearian company to Hiroshima, with digressions on the native dramatic forms of Noh, Kabuki and Kagura, and how the Globe Theatre in London changed Andy's views on 'Romeo and Juliet'.Come and join us in the cheapseats!

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Our tenth show kicks off with a parable before we launch into sonic mayhem with an episode sure to grate on the ears...News: Dave tells of his moment of soccer glory, before prognosticating on Japan and England's respective World Cup prospects, while Andy has been behind desks in amphitheatres listening to stylistic analyses of short stories.The literary theme continues with the questions of why we read, what the best posture for reading in bed is, and why the Hiroshima Book Club came to a sticky end.STAVKA crank up the amps for the hard-hitting anthem 'Angst Perimeter', before we change tack and consider leisure in Japan, the country where 'sleeping' is seen as a hobby.We then conclude with a cacophonous tour around a game centre and a pachinko parlour to see what the natives get up to therein.

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In which we take you on a culinary tour of Hiroshima... Andy kicks off with an intro from the Royal Host family restaurant at Tenjingawa, east Hiroshima, before meeting up with Dave on platform 7 of Hiroshima Station to listen to him slurp noodles into his maw. Gross! A quick trip on the train to Yokogawa, the next station along the line, and your intrepid hosts crash into Okonomi House for a slab of Hiroshima's cabbage pancake that tastes better than it sounds. To the clatter of the Master's spatulas, Andy tells of his Short Fuse Week and goes all class-conscious, while Dave impresses us with his recipes and three words of Japanese. Of course, an idiom brings up the rear (so to speak).

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Dave returns, and we announce an exciting competition in which our listeners can win a great prize... We learn about crap trains in Britain, before discussing the onset of beergarden season here in Japan, and then get sidetracked onto the perils and pleasures of brewery tours in Europe. STAVKA then sing about the treachery of Lady Luck in the song 'A Half Friend in Fortuna'. Website of the Week features the Japan-themed forum at http://www.crisscross.com/jp/forum/ Then comes the main event: we tackle the myths and reality being the age-old question, is Japan 'Shag City'? We round out with a couple of Japanese idioms from Dave centred on bowels and brushes...

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Andy takes the helm since Dave is away in Britain, and regales us with tales of financial disaster and misdiagnosed computer ailments.He then heads downtown, new portable digital recorder in hand, to interview a Japanese female in an exceptionally noisy restaurant. Between mouthfuls of pizza, the talk ranges from men with breasts to plastic bags full of goldfish, as our young interviewee gamely dodges a neverending stream of innuendo.STAVKA treat us to the new track "Coasts of Low Potential" before Andy reviews www.japanesepod101.com in 'Website of the Week'.After a brief description (including sonic proof) of the horrors of Hiroshima's 'Flower Festival', we drop back in on the restaurant to catch the tale end of the interview,  which  brings things to a close.

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An off the cuff episode in which our hunger soon leads to talk of 'isakayazas', the ubiquitous Japanese eateries where you can lie on straw mats if you so wish.In a similar vein, we marvel at Dave's metabolism, before talk veers towards liquid sustenance and we trawl through Hiroshima's nightlife area of 'Nagarekawa', discovering the delights and dangers therein.STAVKA sing to us concerning 'Towers to the Moon', which leads Andy to wax lyrical about the unbounded imagination of childhood and how its cynicism-free innocence is occasionally recaptured in Zen-like moments.We then discuss the origins of the good old English word 'collywobble' before once again delving into Dave's bag of Japanese idioms to round out the show.

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We begin with Dave visiting a local art gallery where he sees a lot of blokes pissing against the wall. In 'Website of the Week' we take a squint at www.alllooksame.com, where we discover that despite living in the Orient for 13 years we can't distinguish between Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.A digression into why Japanese ladies' legs are compared to radishes and mention of Dave's first romantic exploit in Hiroshima bring us to this week's STAVKA song, the anti-war epic 'The First Casualty'.Andy then muses upon the culinary fare found in the north of England, in particular the fabled dish known as 'peawet 'n' scraps', before we tuck into a discussion on 'Nihonjinron' - myths of uniqueness which the Japanese like to propound about themselves.Muffin the cat puts in an unexpected appearance, and we round out with another collection of idioms form Dave.

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We kick off with a discussion on Japanese biscuits, which soon morphs into the pleasures and dangers of the hi-tech toilet.Next, Dave dons tacky clothing and heads for the golf course, where we learn a lot about balls.In the 'Website of the Week' feature, we visit http://www.smalltime.com/dictator.html, where our attempts to extract comedy from an online game of 'Guess the Dictator' bomb horribly...STAVKA comes to the rescue in the shape of the tune 'Mass Shoplifting in the Suburbs'.Andy then reads the Ivor Cutler story 'Old Cups of Tea' in tribute to the recently departed Glaswegian comic.Dave wraps up by delving into all things cherry blossom, those ephemeral pink bits which are so prized by the Japanese.

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In which we receive our first email, a message of support from the good folks of the Planet Japan podcast.Dave then brings up the touchy subject of whale meat, from which we stray into the 'joys of soy' - the recent fad for soybean milk.Andy then tells us how he lost $100 in a ticket vending machine, before trying to talk about his recent trip to Australia, but Dave diverts things into a discussion on hot cross buns after which Andy recounts his youthful exploits as a pheasant-plucker in the English countryside.STAVKA provide the musical interlude with the song 'In Search of Cryptic Authors'.Next, we start to explain the Japanese game of 'Go', and actually play a live game for the edification of our listeners, followed by another selection of Japanese idioms.

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Our second effort kicks off with a stroll round Hiroshima's cafes, before heading into the strange world of 'Engrish' - bizarre legends on T-shirts and inappropriately-named food products found all over Japan.Talking of food, have you ever had pink chocolate nipples, cow intestines or a glass full of live fish? We have!Andy begins his 'History As I See It' series with an assault on Finland, informing us what those jolly Nokia-wielding lumberjacks were really up to 60 years ago. Today's musical interlude is "Iron Iconoclasts (Go To Hell)" by Andy's band STAVKA. Next, we attempt to get serious (or as serious as the free-flowing cognac will permit) as Dave looks at the pros and cons of the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on this fair city back in '45. Finally, another batch of Japanese idioms from David-sensei.

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The inaugural show in which we, Andy and Dave, introduce ourselves, drink way too much wine and cognac, then ...with a whole load of comedic digressions... proceed to blather about: Hiroshima City: How did we get here? (Via Italy... Africa... Gibraltar...) What's it like living here? A-bomb talk, including an impromptu account of how Mr Kubota survived... Peace Park Miyajima - Japan's "Holy Island" Yamada Denki - the electrical gadget superstore... The Yamato Battleship Museum, Kure Andy talks about the biggest battleship of World War II and the new museum near Hiroshima dedicated to its memory. Andy's band STAVKA plays "Chain Mail Shelf Life" Japanese Idioms abura ga kireru aka no tanin anaba For detailed notes, references and links go to: http://www.abombcity.blogspot.com.

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