ポッドキャストの可能性と市場の現状
Zatsudan Room with Taiki. Welcome back to ZatsudanRoom with Taiki. I'm your host, Taiki Arai.
It's been about a month since my last episode inearly February. I know, I know. I've been away fora while.
I wanna say thank you for waiting, but I also oweyou an explanation. I'll get into the details of
why I took this hiatus in the second half of theshow. It involves some personal reflections and
health updates that I think are important to sharewith you all. But first, let's talk about the main
theme today. The immense potential I see inpodcasting. I've been thinking about thisconstantly
lately, and I want to break it down from twoperspectives. The global market and my personal
journey. To start off, I want to reference a bookthat really inspired me recently. It's called
How to Create a Professional Podcast by TakafumiNomura, the head of Chronicle.
If you are interested in the book, I highlyrecommend it. He talks about the history ofpodcasts.
Did you know the word was coined back in 2004? It's a mix of iPod and broadcast. I remember getting
my first iPod around 2005 when I was in middleschool. It's wild to think that this new media has
actually been around for 20 years. It's an oldmedium that is finding a massive new life.
Look at the US market. It's incredible. During thelast presidential election,
podcasts became a primary platform. Candidateslike Donald Trump appeared on over 10 long-form
podcasts. Why did he attend? Because it allowsthem to speak for two or three hours
without being edited, letting listeners hear theirtrue thoughts. In the US,
over 100 million people, half the population overage 12, listen to podcasts every single month.
The market is worth nearly $8 billion and is stillclimbing.
Now, let's look at Japan. Currently, only about 70% of people listen to podcasts monthly.
Some might see that as low, but here's theexciting part.
That is the exact same level the US was at in2014.
In business, we call this time machine management.If you look at the US 10 years ago,
you can see Japan's future. We are standing rightat the edge of a massive boom.
That's why I believe starting now is the bestdecision a creator can make.
Next, personal perspective. On a more personalnote, why am I so obsessed with podcasts?
To be honest, it comes from a place of regret.
Back in 2018, I started a YouTube channel. I wascreating content for students who
wanted to transfer universities, teaching themEnglish and economics.
But I stopped. I felt self-conscious. I wasworried about what people thought,
and I couldn't see the success yet.Looking backnow, eight years later,
if I had just kept going, I'd likely have over100,000 subscribers.
I miss that wave. And that feeling of I shouldhave stayed still sticks with me today.
I won't let that happen with podcasting.
Secondly, I just love the medium. I've been alistener since 2019,
right when I got my first pair of wirelessearbuds. It changed everything.
Suddenly, my commute and my walks were filled withwisdom and laughter.
I have to tell you, recently, I was listening toNobuyuki Sakuma's All Night Nippon Zero
while eating ramen alone at a restaurant.He wastalking about how he had a free afternoon
and decided to ask Gemini, the AI, to plan hisentire day.
The way he executed that plan was so hilariousthat I literally almost choked my ramen.
I was sitting there, trying not to spray noodleseverywhere while laughing to myself
like a crazy person. But that's the magic ofaudio, right?
It's so intimate. You feel like the host is yourfriend.
Finally, my strategy is global. Not many people inJapan are doing high-quality bilingual podcasts.
I want to occupy that space or market. Plus, Ibelieve audio first is the secret to masteringEnglish.
If you can't hear it, you can't say it.
Okay, let's move on to the second half.
個人的な後悔とポッドキャストへの情熱
Now, let's talk about that one month break.
As I mentioned, I wasn't doing well physically.
This month taught me a hard lesson.
Words can lie, but my body is always honest.
I spent this time in what I call a red town. Youknow, the starting town in Pokemon.
I felt like a blank slate.
I've realized that the way I thought in my 20s won't work in my 30s.
In my 20s, I try everything, teaching at fromschools, running social media accounts,
working in schools as an assistant to see whatfits.
But I turned 31 recently, and I've decided.
My 30s are for focusing on my core strengths.
That core is audio and English.
Everything I do from now on, whether it's myEnglish coaching, my work as a tour guide,
interpreter, or this podcast, will revolve aroundthose two things.
I want to use English not just as a tool, but as aform of entertainment and hospitality.
To welcome people from all over the world.
In this podcast, I want to foster intellectualcuriosity.
I'm studying for my tour guide exam right now.
And the more I learn about Japanese temples andhistory, the more I realize how little I knew.
I will be sharing those discoveries here and on myother show, Audio Japan.
健康状態と新たな決意、そして英語コーチングの告知
And before I go, I have an announcement for you.
I'm starting a special trial for my six-monthEnglish coaching program.
This is for adults who are tired of just studying
and want to actually start using English in theirprofessional lives.
The trial price is for 5,500 yen for two sessions.
But now I offer trial price.
In the session, I will do a deep dive hearing, amini test, and a sample lesson to see
if you can transform your English over the nexthalf year.
If you've been feeling stuck with your English,let's change that together.
Check the link in the show notes for details.
Thank you so much for sticking with me today.
It feels good to be back.
I'm Taikei Arai, and I'll see you in the nextepisode.
Bye for now.
