Pachinko, the New York Times best-selling novel and now major TV series, shines a light on the history and plight of the Zainichi – ethnic Koreans long resident in Japan – and their struggle to make lives for themselves despite persistent discrimination and ethnic stereotyping. Zainichi researchers Drs Jon Glade, Cindi Textor and David Roh join presenter Ali Moore to explore the value of popular culture products such as Pachinko in illuminating the tangled strands of identity and ethnicity among diaspora communities, and examine what it means to be a perpetual outsider. T

An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. Transcript here.

Main image: L->R Dr Jonathan Glade, Dr Cindi Textor, Dr David Roh. Listing image: Korea Town, Tokyo. Credit: Trevor Dobson/Flickr.