Made in Japan-- Conversations with Meljo Catalan

Apr 08 2025 79 ep. 48 mins 36
Made in Japan-- Conversations with Meljo Catalan Podcast artwork

This is not your run-of-the-mill "Cool Japan" podcast. I want to explore the side of Japan outside of sushi & sumo ; anime & video games. People from all walks of life living in Japan sharing their stories, their trials and tribulations and their successes. People who are hungry for making it and People who have made it. This podcast is about my conversations with them.

  Society & Culture
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Ep. 75– Made (and Served) in Japan— Kousuke and Tomomi Chujo, owners of Nihonbashi Philly

Apr 08 2025 37 mins  
On the seventh season of Made In Japan Podcast, we start with equating the first capital of the U.S. , Philadelphia with the OG downtown center of of commerce in Edo/Tokyo , Nihonbashi. Meet Kousuke and Tomomi, who’ve glued both city areas from opposite ends of Earth with a hoagie; the Philly cheesesteak. To my surprise yet unsurprisingly, they’ve managed to make this beloved P

Ep. 74– Kei Nagata , Model and Baker at Brownies.shots

Dec 24 2024 63 mins  
From the volcanic region of Bicol, Philippines to the quiet shores of Shizuoka, Japan, meet Kei, who exemplifies the fire and water of Philippines and Japan. I’m honored to share her story of blending roots as well as her discovering new shades of her identity as she starts her modeling career in Japan. She also happens to be an excellent brownie baker with her new business calle

Ep. 73– Tatsumi Kyo, Freelance Artist and the pursuit of the Manga Career

Oct 18 2024 68 mins  
To be or not to be, that is the way of the “Manga-ka” or Manga artist. I’m back diving deep into the business of what it means to strive as a successful Manga artist. Meet Tatsumi, whom at a young age found passion and with his talent which caught the attention of the giants of the manga publishing world. I was grateful he took time to come and chat with me about what it take

Ep. 72–Made (and Served) in Japan— Davido, head brewer and owner of Yggdrasil Brewing

Aug 29 2024 50 mins  
On this episode, let’s head out to a quaint but comfortable beach town of Hiratsuka, Japan. About ninety minutes southwest of central Tokyo, lies a craft beer bar/brewery blasting heavy metal on some days and showing matches of its local soccer club on other days. Converging different types of crowds in one place for the love of craft beer and supporting its community, meet David

Ep. 71– Matt Ketchum, co-founder of AKIYAZ

Aug 02 2024 56 mins  
What do you get when you mix punk rock, Emperor Go-Daigo and the rise of abandoned property in rural Japan? Meet Matt, co-founder of AKIYAZ, a real estate brokerage and Akiya lifestyle services firm helping clients purchase an Akiya (abandoned property) in Japan’s countryside as well as helping connect to the local community to ensure a seamless integration to rural Japan life. P

Ep. 70– Hiroe Foster, OG “Kikokushijo”: So you wanna be a Japanese Interpreter?

Jun 30 2024 65 mins  
I’m back and this time the sensei has become the student about life inside and away from Japan. Meet Hiroe, a “Kikokushijo”, or commonly in English, a returnee. Hiroe belongs to the first wave of Japanese children that relocated overseas due to orders from their parents’ companies during the 1970’s. Her story is a unique personal lens to life going back and forth to Japan

Ep. 69 Made (and Served) in Japan - Jeremy Freeman, co-owner & pitmaster of Freeman Shokudo

Mar 01 2024 66 mins  
Warning: Do not listen to this episode on an empty stomach. Meet Jeremy, a born and raised New Yorker, reggae head, and former Brooklyn based record store owner. Along with his wife Maiko, opened “Freeman Shokudo” in a quaint yet hip neighborhood in Shibuya city ward. Specializing in barbecue, pastrami sandwiches, falafel and whatever Jeremy feels like smoking or pickling, I ge

Ep.68– Thomas Kim, chef & co-owner of Coaster Tokyo/ Kaigan Brewery

Nov 30 2023 47 mins  
Welcome to the first episode of my series, “Made (and Served) in Japan”, which I will showcase restaurateurs, cafe/bar owners and any small business establishment in the hospitality industry in Japan. To kick off, meet Thomas, chef and co-owner to a popular bar/brewery in the trendy neighborhood of Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. Coaster Tokyo attracts both locals and foreigners visiting

Ep.67– Felisia Gunawan, Content Creator/ Unapologetic Motivator

Aug 29 2023 69 mins  
Mel finally sits down with one of the most intriguing and unabashed guests of this podcast. Meet Felisia, who’s been creating content based on her ever-evolving journey of life with and without Japan. As an outlet, her platform quickly became a conduit for her fans to embrace self-acceptance. Felisia is a testament for those seeking a life outside their home country that there is

Ep. 66– Lisa Knight, Photographer/Videographer

Jul 06 2023 42 mins  
Fire fights fire, iron sharpens iron and in our darkest hour, talent has the potential to be unleashed. Meet Lisa, a recent transplant to Japan who didn’t waste a moment during the outbreak of Covid to capture through photos what the average Japanophile dream to encapsulate life in the streets and nature of Japan. Currently the Digital Content Director at Tokyo Weekender, Lisa is