Japan is an island nation that stretches thousands of miles. “A country surrounded by the sea,” as one common expression has it. Perhaps not surprisingly, the country has had a highly developed fishing culture for centuries, if not millennia. It has long been a global pioneer in everything from ways to preserve freshness to forms of seafood cuisine. This is our topic for this edition of Japanology Plus: how Japan fishes its oceans, in particular its coastal seas. Our expert guest is Professor Osamu Baba of the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.

This time on Japanology Plus, our theme is the Ogasawara Islands, a remote archipelago with a unique ecosystem and multicultural heritage. Located 1,000 kilometers off Japan's Pacific coast, the Ogasawara Islands were first settled by a group of Westerners and South Pacific Islanders, who interacted with later Japanese settlers to bring forth a unique culture. Our expert guide is Sho Sebori, a direct descendant of the American who became the leader of the first community on the islands.

In a Japanophiles interview, Peter Barakan meets Chad Mullane, a comedian from Perth, Australia. Chad talks about Japanese comedy, and explains how he fell in love with it. We see some of his routines, and learn just how much hard work it took to become a professional in the industry. We also meet Tea Kato, Chad's long-term comedy partner, and Bonchi Osamu, a veteran performer who took Chad under his wing.