17 Best Japanese American Podcasts to Listen to (2026)

'Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order' is the story of one of the most shocking decisions in American history: the executive order to target and round up innocent citizens, Japanese Americans, at the outbreak of World War II. This six-episode narrative podcast will examine and shed new light on how that policy came to be, who was behind it, who attempted to stop it, and the heroism needed to end the policy for good. Brazen lies and stereotypes about a minority group being pushed by senior government officials. Desperate efforts to prevent the policy from going into place. A community terrorized on the streets by the U.S. military, grabbed from their homes and sent to faraway, hastily built detention camps. Government reports gathered up and set on fire to suppress the truth behind the policy. And a bombshell discovery in the unlikeliest of places that would ultimately expose it all. This is the story of the American government's decision to pursue and carry out an extreme and unconstitutional policy against its own citizens, and it's the story of what it finally took to stop it. Rachel Maddow's previous narrative podcasts -- 'Bag Man,' 'Ultra,' and 'Ultra: Season 2' -- all reached #1 on the Apple podcast charts and have received an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Journalism Award, a Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism, and most recently, a 2025 national Edward R. Murrow Award. Her new series, 'Rachel Maddow Presents: Burn Order,' premieres December 1, 2025. more

Welcome to 'Japanese America,' where the Japanese American National Museum unveils captivating stories that add a Nikkei slant to the American narrative. In each episode, we explore the unique experiences, challenges, and triumphs of Japanese Americans, illuminating their rich contributions to the mosaic of American life. From historical milestones to contemporary perspectives, join us for an insightful journey through the curated collection of the Japanese American National Museum, showcasing the diverse tapestry of a community that has shaped the American story in extraordinary ways.  Welcome to 'Japanese America,' where each story unfolds like a chapter in a living history book. more

A lo-fi archival podcast on the Japanese Americans during the WWII 'internment' camps. In this podcast, we publish the audio archives from the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians during the 1980s and more. more

Order 9066 chronicles the history of the WWII Japanese American Incarceration through vivid, first-person accounts of those who lived through it. The series explores how this shocking violation of American democracy came to pass, and its legacy in the present. more

Densho's new podcast, Campu, tells the story of Japanese American incarceration like you've never heard it before. Brother-sister duo Noah and Hana Maruyama weave together the voices of survivors to spin narratives out of the seemingly mundane things that gave shape to the incarceration experience: rocks, fences, food, paper. Follow along as they move far beyond the standard Japanese American incarceration 101 and into more intimate and lesser-known corners of this history. more

Immersive storytelling from the BBC World Service. The home of original drama.The latest season is Purple Heart Warriors, a time-travelling drama about the Japanese American soldiers who became legends of US military history. Inspired by real events, it's the little-known story of the 442nd Regiment, decorated for their bravery fighting the Nazi German army in World War Two. Narrated by Will Sharpe and written by Oscar nominee Iris Yamashita, it is told in six-parts.Also listen to our previous season: Fukushima. This seven-part nuclear drama tells the story of the tsunami which hit in 2011. It follows the heroes who fight to contain the disaster and those whose mistakes led Japan to catastrophe. more

Between 1942 and 1945, the US government locked up tens of thousands of Japanese American citizens not because of anything they'd done but because of who they were. Scapegoat Cities is a podcast that helps you know and feel what this episode of mass injustice was. Each episode tells one true and moving human story drawn from historian Eric Muller's two decades of research, reminding us of the devastating harm that can arise when a frightened nation turns against its own people. more

The Yon-Say Podcast Network, presented by Nikkei Rising, is a space where we'll be bringing you mini-series filled with round table discussions with special guests involved in and around the Japanese American community to honor the Japanese American community's history and explore its implications today. more

 Reframing the American story through the multicultural experience:An educational community storytelling podcast series featuring conversations with Japanese Americans and beyond.As Americans grapple with increasing tension and division, what can we learn from the past to connect with each other? The series features conversations with Japanese Americans and beyond, and explores identity, culture, and history in a multicultural society.Produced by an educator and students with diverse backgrounds, the series aims to embrace and empower local communities with multicultural experiences to share their stories and reimagine the future together. more

Welcome to 'beyond generations' - a journey of a Japanese student in Seattle discovering what happened to Japanese American people in Seattle during World War II and how people have been trying to acknowledge, understand, and learn from it, and figure out how to connect it to the future. I am your host Monica. more

Join Walter Nishinaka as he explores Japanese American culture in Los Angeles through conversations with community members and friends. more

A podcast that dives deep into uncomfortable history; the kinds of stories we need to learn so they're never repeated. Each season we'll dig into a history that we've misremembered, tried not to think hard about, or even tried to erase. Through interviews with historians, scholars, artists, and people who lived the history firsthand, we'll learn with the depth each topic deserves.Season 1: 'American Concentration Camps: The Story of WWII Japanese Incarceration', launches February 19th. Sponsored by the JACL Mt Olympus Chapter, the Takahashi Family Foundation, and the JA Community Foundation. more

Our passion is to introduce Buddhist Values and Japanese culture. We will have interviews with authors, scholars, ministers, and artists. There will also be discussions and, to liven things up, we will have live performances. more

Two culturally confused college girls having honest conversations about Japanese-American culture, politics, life, and everything in between. more

Informative podcast on Japanese American Internment.

Hibiku Kotoba is a brand new podcast series we are launching this Fall! With a new podcast we hope to outreach through a new medium to an ever growing community. When translated, Hibiku Kotoba means 'Resonating Words' and we hope that this podcast will reach you, family and friends and spark conversations that will bring ideas and people together from all backgrounds.Kathleen Wong a former J-Sei staff will be the host and producer of the show. She will be interviewing local AANHPI leaders, creatives, innovators and more, and will cover topics from art to health and culture to advocacy. Along the way, she hopes to gain insights and perspective from the people she interviews and share new things along the way. Join us on this brand new adventure!J-Sei is a Japanese-American, multi-generational and multi-cultural organization with its roots in Nikkei values and culture located in the East Bay. Visit the website: https://j-sei.org/ more

A sweeping wartime love story set in California's Santa Clara Valley. When Thelma, a Japanese American farmer's daughter, and Benjamin, the son of a Mexican American sharecropping family, fall in love, they are torn apart by Executive Order 9066 and World War II. Through forced incarceration, loss, and separation they fight to hold onto love, family, and hope.This is the companion piece to the VALLEY OF THE HEART CURRICULUM GUIDE. Explicit content has been edited to be suitable for Grades 4th-8th. more