"Taishu engeki," or "popular theater," is a fun and engaging form of entertainment that is intended to appeal to everyone. Typical performances are period dramas, telling stories of samurai and sword-fighting. The shows also feature singing, dancing, and glamorous costumes. Our guests are Ryuji Sawa and Daigoro Tachibana, both leaders of theater troupes. Sawa is a veteran with 8 decades of experience, while Tachibana has made a name for himself as a performer of female roles.

There are 6 dog breeds native to Japan, including Akita and Shiba Inu. Each has adapted to the region of its origin, but they all have pointy ears, a curved tail, and an unwavering loyalty to their owner. This time on Japanology Plus, our theme is Japanese dog breeds. Our guest is Mitsuaki Ohta, a professor at the Tokyo University of Agriculture. He explains the difference between Western and Japanese breeds. And in Plus One, Matt Alt looks at efforts to increase the number of Akita owners