JP Might Be Moving To Japan | Inside The Bus

Summary

Bussin' With The Boys – "JP Might Be Moving To Japan | Inside The Bus"

Release Date: April 3, 2026
Episode Overview:
In this episode of "Inside the Bus," the Boys dive deep into JP Hovey’s recent trip to Japan. With lighthearted banter, cultural comparisons, and travel stories, JP shares why living in Japan is tempting, what he loved (and didn’t), and how the experience broadened his perspective on food, etiquette, and daily life. The crew explores themes of culture shock, the beauty of Japanese customs, global friendships, and what it means to appreciate both the US and life abroad.

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Main Theme

Immersion into Japanese Culture through JP’s Eyes
JP returns from a trip to Japan profoundly impacted and teased by the idea of moving there. The episode explores his full immersion in Japanese customs, cuisine, people, and his reflections on both the joys and constraints of Japanese life versus America.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. JP’s Immediate Reactions to Returning from Japan

• JP expresses his reluctance at being back in the US, emphasizing the allure of Japan’s culture and way of life ([03:24]):

  “Normally I would say it's good to be back. But after the experience I just had the last seven days in Japan, I do wish that I was still there. […] That country is special” – JP Hovey (03:24)

2. The Japan–America Twitter “Alliance” & Cultural Exchange

• The Boys joke about Japanese Twitter users "infiltrating" American BBQ content and share laughs about mutual online fascination ([03:47–04:20]).
• JP highlights mutual curiosity: “They want to know everything about America. They want you to know everything about Japan.” ([09:33])

3. Japanese Etiquette & Public Behavior

• JP is struck by the “little things” Japanese do right, sharing anecdotes about strict crosswalk rules, honking being rare, and public quietness, especially on subways ([04:43], [05:34]).

  “If you are like, it's perfectly fine to be whispering and talking low, but […] nobody's dying, laughing, telling big, there's no street performers.” – JP Hovey (06:24)

• The Boys reflect on the impact of social norms on kids, with Japanese youth expressing they miss the “freedom” of daily American life ([06:34]).

4. Food Quality, Price, and Dining Culture

• JP marvels at the affordability and freshness of food, sharing that a high-quality meal for four with drinks cost only $42 ([07:41]):

  “Eight drinks, at least six dishes and a dessert. $42. And so much more high quality than anything we have here. First meal back in the U.S., I get sick. I don't think that's coincident.” – JP Hovey (07:41)

• Differences in service culture: pre-ordering outside restaurants for efficiency, and the strict no-tipping custom which, if attempted, may even offend staff ([19:05], [21:27]).

5. Stories from Cities, Small Towns, and Bars

• JP describes tourist favorites Tokyo and Kyoto, noting the preservation of tradition in Kyoto, crowds in temples, friendly kimono-clad locals, and welcoming attitudes ([08:46], [09:21]).

• In a small fishing village—Amano Hashidate—Japan’s scenic beauty and joyful local interactions stand out ([10:23]):

  “Their starfish have this like orange markings on them that make them look like samurai starfish. I'm like, of course. Their starfish are cool too.” – JP Hovey (10:23)

• Golden Gai, a renowned tiny-bar district in Shinjuku, is a cross-cultural melting pot. JP describes meeting people from Norway, Argentina, Australia, etc., and bonding over Google Translate.

  “This is really what life is about. Like people from all over the world in this tiny bar in Japan communicating through Google Translate, having the greatest time. And it's just like, God, the real life is so much better than the Internet.” – JP Hovey (13:41)

6. Karaoke, Spike Ball, and Markets

• Japanese karaoke: “taken very, very seriously” – bowing when finished ([15:00]).
• JP brags about winning spike ball against Europeans in a Tokyo park, describing the international group’s camaraderie ([16:09]).
• At the famous fish market, JP enjoys massive oysters and high-quality sushi, reinforcing the food culture’s uniqueness ([17:27]).

7. Highlights and Lowlights of JP’s Trip

• Worst: Japanese Chex-Mix-like snack with whole sardines – “the smell crushes my nose” ([17:46]).
• Best: Nigiri and Wagyu omakase meals, fresh wasabi, thick tuna and salmon cuts ([19:03], [20:58]), and surprising off-menu items:

  “Half of it you can eat raw, which … just seems scary.” – JP Hovey (20:58)

8. Learning from Japanese Work Ethic and Customs

• JP admires the dignity and respect in all jobs, from trash collection to airport ground staff bowing to departing planes ([22:11]).

  “They did it with such intention that you're like, holy crap, if I attack my job like this, I'd be so much more successful.” – JP Hovey (22:11)

9. Japanese and American Cultural Contrasts

• The high discipline and low crime rates in Japan ([09:47]).
• Challenges: social pressure, lack of spontaneity, high suicide rates, declining population.
• The Boys reflect on how travel grows appreciation for America:

  “Most of [the] people you talk to in these countries, their goal is to come to the US, which always gives you a sense of pride.” – JP Hovey (36:23)

10. Sports: Baseball and Motocross

• Shohei Ohtani is a ubiquitous hero in Japan, with every billboard featuring him ([31:41]).
• Otani and Yamamoto discussed as icons, bridging sports fandom ([32:04]).
• Japan’s connection to motocross (all major dirt bike brands manufactured there) ([33:14]).

11. Anime and Pop Culture

• Anime is omnipresent, but official merchandise is less so, likely due to licensing ([43:06]).
• Manga is a common subway read (JP notices many locals scrolling manga, not social apps) ([43:06]).
• Fun moment: JP gets called "old head" by a fellow anime fan after mentioning classic series ([44:24]).

12. Advice for Future Travelers

• Hit the temples and shrines early in the morning for peace before crowds gather; wishes for more time in Kyoto and small villages ([27:04], [30:33]).
• Skip: Shopping last-minute at UniQlo instead of savoring a final meal ([27:04]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "How, how in the world is a place this peaceful?" – JP Hovey on Japan’s tranquility ([09:33])
• "No tipping. Yeah, Derek said part of the reason for that is because in Japan they do not tip … in the US tipping is massive." ([19:05])
• "I'm so fragile. I'm so weak. I get injured when the Wind blows." – A new Uruguayan friend in Golden Gai, via Google Translate ([13:41])
• "The real life is so much better than the Internet." – JP Hovey ([13:41])
• "They did it with such intention that you're like, holy crap, if I attack my job like this, I'd be so much more successful." ([22:11])
• "Shohei Ohtani… every billboard… it's going to be Shohei Otani. And he's one of the first people that, like, if you're talking to Japanese people, they'll ask you about. Or just like a great bridge to communicate…" ([31:41])
• "You have no idea how cool that is. But, yeah, I mean, [anime is] massive. And they all know…" – JP Hovey on anime’s prevalence ([43:06])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• JP’s Arrival and Initial Impressions: 03:24 – 05:34
• Japanese Public Etiquette & Cultural Observations: 04:43 – 06:34
• Food & Tipping Culture: 07:41 – 09:46, 19:05 – 21:27
• Travel Stories (Kyoto, Amano Hashidate, Golden Gai): 10:23 – 15:25
• Karaoke, Bar Hopping, Spike Ball: 15:00 – 17:24
• Japan vs. America, Living Abroad Reflections: 36:23 – 37:56
• Japanese Work Ethic & Social Systems: 22:11 – 23:02
• Sports (Baseball, Motocross): 31:31 – 33:29
• Anime and Manga in Daily Life: 43:06 – 44:18
• Advice & Recommendations—What to Do / Skip: 27:03 – 30:33

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Tone and Banter

Light-hearted, conversational, full of running jokes and genuine friendship. The crew poke fun, muse about travel aspirations, and geek out over their favorite cultural finds, with JP's enthusiasm for Japan inspiring the whole group. Cultural respect and curiosity dominate the discourse.

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For Further Listening

• Upcoming episode: JP teases a special guest visit; inside jokes about family and future travel plans abound ([52:09–56:10]).
• For travel fans: Final reflections discuss dream destinations, European trips, Japan high on everyone’s bucket list ([38:41–42:00]).

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End of Episode:
JP ceremonially bows and thanks Japan:

“A bow. Ar go.” – JP Hovey (56:29)

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This summary captures the episode’s invitation to see Japan through JP’s eyes: respectful, awed, amused, and thoughtful. If you haven’t listened, you’ll understand both the highlights and the small details that made his experience so transformative.

Transcript

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[WebMD Host]

This week on a special episode of WebMD's Health Discovered podcast, we're taking a closer look at a common form of lung cancer that accounts for 85% of all cases.

[JP Hovey]

When I first heard the words you

[Coop]

have lung cancer, I was in shock.

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It's a diagnosis that changes everything. So what does it really mean to advocate for yourself when you're living with non small cell lung cancer? Listen to health discovered on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mitch]

Welcome back to another episode of Inside the Bus. This is episode number 42, historically known as the Jackie Robinson podcast, but more importantly known as the JP might be moving to Japan pod. Yeah, guys, welcome back. J.P. hovey. Let's get a round of applause. It's nice to have you back, man.

[Coop]

Normally it's probably not nice to be back.

[JP Hovey]

Normally I would say it's good to be back. But after the experience I just had the last seven days in Japan, I do wish that I was still there. As much as I love the seat, as much as I love my co workers, that country is special. You see in the last few weeks, dude. On Twitter too, maybe just the last week. But the Japan and America Twitterverse, the

[Mitch]

alliance is growing stronger. I mean, it's the closest we've ever been with Japan predating the war.

[JP Hovey]

So have y' all seen this?

[Coop]

Is it the steak stuff?

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, that's part of it.

[Mitch]

That kind of was like, I think the first domino.

[Matt]

I've seen it be like, alluded to. I don't really know.

[Mitch]

Yeah. For context, I believe that the Japanese Twitter kind of infiltrated American Twitter and all they were doing is bombarding comments for people grilling steaks and meats and barbecues and truly, just like, it's just a surprise.

[JP Hovey]

Bombarded us.

[Matt]

Yeah, again.

[Mitch]

And that'll be all we have today do.

[JP Hovey]

But I was thinking about that though, like that joke. I'm like, Japan easily could have just come back and been like, is that the game you want to play? If we want to, like, yeah.

[Coop]

Well, yeah.

[Matt]

I love how we're like super cool with them now.

[JP Hovey]

I know it'll be. There's reason. I've been there. They're good people. The ambassador. They're good people.

[Matt]

We were the bad guys.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, we were the bad guys. And I don't know if they're. I don't know if you saw the. The video after Japan played England yesterday and all the Japanese fans stayed after and picked up all the trash from the stadium and it's just like, dude, it's. They do. That was one of my favorite parts, is they do all of the little things right in Japan. And some of it, I'M sure would be frustrating if you moved over there and try to live it because it's as small as going across a crosswalk. There's zero jaywalking. Street will be empty. Everybody will just stand there and wait. And it could be a line of like a hundred people, but they're not gonna go, which is just awesome. Honking is basically illegal, so you don't got to worry about road rage because everybody is on their P's and Q's, not distracted, not doing anything. I heard like maybe two honks. And Tokyo is significantly bigger than New York.

[Matt]

They're probably friendly honks, right?

[JP Hovey]

It's like their friend the subways, dude. One time I had a horrible moment because I was trying to call my friend that we were meeting up with. And you know, it can be confusing. You can't really understand any of the signs. And I called him and the train was getting there and he's telling me like, hey, get on this one and meet me here. And I'm like, are you sure it's this one? Do you know where I'm at? He's like, yeah, yeah, get on. And so I'm on the phone as I'm stepping on and I'm talking and it was kind of loud and then I just like fully stop and look around and everyone's just kind of looking over. I was like, oh, my God, dude, they're not gonna allow me back.

[Mitch]

Is it like phone etiquette on like. Like public transportation is a big. No, no.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. Can't talk. I mean, dude, it's so quiet.

[Mitch]

Even just talking in general. Like, us having a conversation on the subway would not be go well if they.

[JP Hovey]

If you are like, it's perfectly fine to be whispering and talking low, but you cannot have, like, nobody's dying, laughing, telling big, there's no street performers.

[Mitch]

Like, there are New York on these buses going crazy.

[JP Hovey]

No street performers. And it. A bunch of the things that make it cool. Definitely. I could see it. And a lot of the kids have the same complaints growing up there. It's like they feel very kind of pressured to live up to a certain standard and they feel very boxed in. And a lot of the kids that I was talking to when I was there, that I knew from img, I asked him, like, what's the thing you miss most about America? And every single one of them, and this is probably five or six kids, all had the same answer. And they were like, just the freedom in your day to day life. Which I thought was pretty cool being American and How you know, the biggest thing of the American brand is freedom, and that's the number one thing they miss from it. But the world would be a whole lot better if we implemented just half the things that Japanese people implement, including the freshness of the food.

[Coop]

Yeah. I mean, the meals we were talking obviously before, like when you got back and like the yen, like how far the US dollar goes with the yen. And like, obviously you, like you were saying that you were eating amazing out there, but the entire meal comes out to like 10, like 10 bucks.

[JP Hovey]

Dude, we went to the equivalent. And y' all know how I feel about Barcelona. Like, I'm not that type of tapas guy. We went to the equivalent of that in Japan and we got probably like six dishes, eight drinks total, because it was me and sitting and then another couple and dude, the. The final bill was like $42. Eight drinks, at least six dishes and a dessert. $42. And so much more high quality than anything we have here. First meal back in the U.S. i get sick. I don't think that's coincident.

[Coop]

I think it's your body telling you something.

[JP Hovey]

It is, man. It's telling me to move there. But dude, just like it's going by all the knife shops, seeing all that. The swords. I do. I did, I did. I ordered a sword.

[Coop]

Good.

[JP Hovey]

But it just. It's a process of it getting here. But dude, I can't wait.

[Mitch]

Did you.

[JP Hovey]

Dude, it's like, I know I should mount it, but like, I kind of want it just ready to go.

[Coop]

Stay ready, so don't have to get ready.

[Mitch]

Did I see on your Twitter you got your dad some custom engraved.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, we got hub. I got hubby on the knife.

[Mitch]

That's sweet.

[JP Hovey]

Which is cool because he loves cooking, so I know he'll be fired up. And he doesn't follow me on Twitter. That's why I post on Twitter. So he. Paul ain't on Twitter. He's on Instagram. Stay supporting. But dude, I like being in Kyoto because they. It's obviously a very big tourist place, but they do such a good job of keeping the traditions where like Tokyo can feel like New York, but Kyoto does such a good job with it. And just people walking around in kimonos everywhere. There's so many temples. And one of the things I love about Japanese people is they're so willing to like, teach you their culture.

[Coop]

And that's cool.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. So like, you. You don't feel out of place or dumb talking to somebody or asking, which I feel like in other Places you can feel like, like if you're in

[Mitch]

Germany or something, you're almost trespassing.

[JP Hovey]

Exactly. But they're like, they want to know everything about America. They want you to know everything about Japan. And I'm just like, does not feel real when you're there. You're like, how, how in the world is this, is a place this peaceful?

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

And it's so impressive. And you know, their crime, crime rate is like the lowest in the world. And it's. Dude, there's just so many, so many good things.

[Coop]

Were you able to talk to like, is there their second language is English or do a lot of like people out there speak English?

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, in Tokyo there's definitely a, a decent amount.

[Coop]

But in Kyoto, was it harder to like, do. We're like, were you able to go up and ask like a stranger on the street, like, hey, I'm trying to get here?

[JP Hovey]

Yes. But only because like Google Translate and stuff. Or you just, you know, I'll just show them my map and like, hey. And then they'll just tell me like just by pointing.

[Coop]

Gotcha.

[JP Hovey]

They don't really know it too well. I think they can understand it better than they can speak it. But there was one place we went to this place called Amano Hashirate, which is like a small fishing village, close to a fishing village in like the north western part of Kyoto, which is like, I guess they call, I don't know how to pronounce it. Perfectures. Perfectures, you know. But it's super small town, so not very touristy. Like, we didn't see any other white people or like any other, any other country other than Japanese people. Looked like Japanese people were vacationing there. And dude, that was probably my favorite stop of the whole trip because the water was extremely clear. Their starfish have this like orange markings on them that make them look like samurai starfish. I'm like, of course. Their starfish are cool too. These jellyfish are rolling through. You can see all the fish swimming. And it's one of the three most beauty spots in Japan. And you go up to this like ski lift and you get to see like, I guess these two different bodies of water coming together underneath this bridge and it's, it's so incredible. And the. Some of the Japanese people there were like, I had them take a photo for us. I took a photo for them, they took a photo for us and one of the kids was like, have a nice day. And I was like, hey, have a good day. Your English is good. It was like A squad of four high school kids, and they just start geeking out, like, so hype. And I'm like, dude, if an American high schooler took a photo of, you know, like, a tourist or whoever, you know, they're probably just immediately clowning and.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

Doing whatever. And the Japanese kids are just the exact opposite. And I'm like, man, they are. They're the best. But I'm trying to think, what was the weather?

[Mitch]

Like, pretty similar to here.

[JP Hovey]

It was def. It was a little colder, probably, but it was, like, mid-40s to high-50s into the 60s. And, like, on the sunny days, which we only got, like, two full sunny days, the weather was fine, but just overcast a lot. But it would probably felt like 65 or 66.

[Coop]

So is it, like their fall, winter?

[JP Hovey]

It's spring.

[Coop]

Okay.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. So they're on the same ones as us, and. But I think their seasons are more extreme. Like, they have.

[Coop]

You were saying it gets pretty hot and. Yeah, I know they have, like, great skiing and stuff up there.

[Mitch]

Yeah.

[Coop]

Parts of Japan.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. Up in, like, Hakone or. What is the name of it? There's, like, a Sapporo, which is also the name of one of the beers. But, dude. Yeah, there's this. This little bar district in Shinjuku called Golden Guy. And I think I was telling you about it maybe. But, dude, it's like. It's just the melting pot of the bar experience where there's probably, like, six rows to this place, and these bars are just stacked on top of each other. And it's only like, four to seven, Four to eight people that can fit in each bar. And so we went into probably four different ones. In the first one, it was, like, two people from the uk, two people from Argentina, and one person. Oh, and one person from Italy. And then the next one, we went into this, like, foreign exchange. Crew of kids from Norway was in there and like, three Australians who were there for a wedding. And then the last one was these two guys, these two brothers that were from Portugal or. No, not from Portugal, they're from Spain, but they were born in Uruguay, but they have Italian passports and they've never been to Italy. They had the funniest backstory their whole life. One of the guys is talking about how much he loved soccer but couldn't play. And he's, like, doing all Google Translate with me, and he was telling me how injury prone he was, and the phrase he wrote out was, like. Like, I'm so fragile. I'm so weak. I get injured when the Wind blows and he's. And he's just holding it and looking at me and he sees me finish reading. He's like. And did. It was just like, I don't know, it was one of those experience where it's just like, man, this is like, this is really what life is about. Like people from all over the world in this tiny bar in Japan communicating through Google Translate, having the greatest time. And it's just like, God, the real life is so much better than the Internet. And but that bar district is just awesome because so many of the different things are themed as well. So. So one bartender could be singing karaoke the whole time. The other one, it could be like a Italian theme or superhero theme. And it's just, they have it all.

[Coop]

I. Before you went, I'd watched this like motocross video about a Japanese writer and they were saying like, karaoke over there is like taken very, very seriously.

[JP Hovey]

Oh yeah.

[Coop]

And it's like, it's not like an embarrassing thing to go up there. It's like you are putting on and putting on a show and like they like bow to everybody once they're done. And just the culture over there seems so sick and just realize. Makes me realize how uncultured I am, dude. How much different is out there and like the lives of people like that, the Portugal people. Like, that seems like such a sick life.

[JP Hovey]

I'm like, how do you, dude, I could not for the life me figure out how they got an Italian passport without ever being there. I'm like, where'd you pick it up? Did they just send it to you? It does like, does Italy just need residents and maybe they're just affiliated? Yeah. Also went 3, 0 and spike ball. I went to like, I guess maybe one of Tokyo's. It's not near as big as Central park, but one of their parks with one of my friends, sister and her husband and she works for Google. So like a lot of English speaking people are working at Google. So it was this massive picnic, but it was a great vibe out there. And they brought out the spike ball. We played against this guy from Switzerland. His name was Sunshine. Like his government name was Sunshine.

[Coop]

And people are so cool, man.

[JP Hovey]

I know. And the other guy was from Sweden. And I said to my friend, sister Erica, I was like, so what's the, like, what's the level of spike ball over here? Because I feel like if I'm lining up against two Japanese people, it could get dicey.

[Mitch]

It's. You definitely got to be prepped. But it feels like A Japanese game in some sense. I don't know if that's racist, but let's keep it moving.

[JP Hovey]

They're quick. They're quick. Twitch culture and. But, you know, luckily we. We went up against a Swiss in a. And a Swedish person, and we went 3, 0. They were great, great, great guys. But sitting and I sit and played her butt off. I was nervous because she hadn't played in a while. Neither have I, but I know, like, if I'm competing internationally, I have to step up. And I didn't know if sit and felt the weight of the situation, but she did. She rose up and she even had the two guys. They were like, oh, man, you guys lied to us. Like you said, you never, never play. Dude, it was. It was great. The sushi, incredible. The fish market had some mondo oysters that were insanely good. Like the biggest oysters I've ever seen in my life. And just going by each of the fishermen and it just feels. You feel like you're contributing because they're still in their sailor clothes and you're like, I'll take six.

[Matt]

I would feel like I'm in a TV show or a movie, dude.

[JP Hovey]

That's what it looks like in the market. Just walking by and they have every kind of fish you could imagine. And just like their sashimi plates and their poke bowls. Dude, it's a joke.

[Mitch]

What was your favorite thing you ate? And almost more importantly, what was your least favorite thing that you ate?

[JP Hovey]

The least favorite thing I ate was I got this, like, snack pack, which I will call it, like, the Japanese equivalent of Chex Mix, even though it wasn't that at all. They're doing something completely different. But they had these pretty good little rice crackers in them, but they had these kind of baked, I guess, like sardines. They were just like, look, small fish and just whole fish. So, like their eyes and everything. And I got it. I was like, oh, this would probably be fun to. Fun to have. And I just immediately open in. The smell crushes my nose. And we're on the bullet train when I'm trying it and I'm already like, dude, I'm so loud opening this thing. And every. I'm probably ruining everybody's trip. They're commuting from work and there's just a dumb American tourist opening this snack, like this Chex mix with sardines in it. And I took a bite of the fish to taste it, and it just wasn't. It wasn't all that. I would still crush the bag out of respect. But that was probably my least favorite. And then my favorite thing. Dude, it's probably two things. Just the nigiri across the board. We went to this one place that. Similar to the golden guy setting. A lot. A lot of the restaurants in Japan are super small because they're trying to get people in and out. And their menus will be pretty short too.

[Coop]

You'll have to say how, like they do the ordering and stuff too.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. Like, if you're, if you're waiting to go in, they'll take your order outside. They're like, hey, what do you want? Yada, yada. So then by the time you're in there, your food is at your table within like three minutes. Which I'm like, that's so smart to do. I don't know why US restaurant culture doesn't do that. At least take the, like that first five people that are waiting in line. No tipping. Yeah. Yeah, that's fair. No, no. Yeah. Derek said part of the reason for that is because in Japan they do not tip, whereas in the US Tipping is massive. So the servers are getting majority of their money from the service they're providing. From the experience in Japanese, I'd say the food is more of the experience than the service. And. But we went to this spot when the nigiri was just incredible and the dude was crushing the, like the wasabi root in front of you. And he. We had this one roll that was a normal sushi roll wrapped in the rice, but it was also like, he put the rice like in the wasabi and then rolled it. So the, it was like a wasabi roll with just this perfect tuna inside of it. And they, the, the pieces of tuna they put in there and salmon are just so much thicker than what they do in the US and it's just like all the different cuts of it as well. Like, I feel like we're given one option for a tuna roll and there it's like you got fatty tuna, you got the millions of different variations of this fish. And. But that was a, that was a great one. And then we did this wagyu omakase that was incredible. Like, there was these two off menu items that were so good. And I don't even know the part of the cow that we're eating, but half of it you can eat raw, which is just like they, they can eat raw chicken in Japan. That's how fresh it just seems scary.

[Coop]

Yeah, I don't, like, I, I don't even eat raw fish. And like, that's kind of how you're supposed to eat it. Yeah, Eating raw chicken and beef is like. They're doing something right out there.

[JP Hovey]

I know. Like, the beef tongue. The cow tongue was so good. We had. We did like, two of the kind of omakase where they. One of them, they cooked it in front of you. The other one, my friend, she cooked it for us because that's. We don't know how to do it. But I would say those two things, like, the wagyu scene is just incredible.

[Mitch]

On the. On the line of tipping, if you try and tip, is it a. Are they like.

[JP Hovey]

No, no, no, no, no, dude, honestly,

[Mitch]

almost offensive to tip.

[Coop]

Honestly, I'm more still laughing at the. You asked if something else before it was racist and then you.

[Mitch]

That's just normal, man.

[JP Hovey]

Dude, honestly, I have no idea because we didn't try and nobody else was trying either. But from what I've heard, it is just like, they refuse it.

[Mitch]

I'm pretty sure when broads and slammy went. Two of my buddies went to Japan two years ago. They said they tried to do it. Like, when. The first couple nights.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Mitch]

And they realized very quickly the tipping culture is not like America. And it was very much like, head down, like, please, sir, do not. Like, we will not accept that, dude.

[JP Hovey]

It's the respect that they have for everybody. And just like every single job. We were walking on the street one day and the trash guys were coming by, and, dude, these two guys, they hop out the truck and they don't have, like, the big trash compactors like we do, So a lot of it is manual labor. And they, you know, fly off the truck, grab the bags, throw them over, Then they grab their brooms and their dustpans and sweep it up. And it was just a machine. And they did it with such intention that you're like, holy crap, if I attack my job like this, I'd be so much more successful. And we watch a class cross the street, and then they, like, all bow to the crossing guard, thanking them for their service. And then when we flew away from Japan, the grounds crew all stands there as your flight goes, and they all line up and they bow and they're like saying thank you. And I'm just like, I saw that

[Mitch]

video you posted, and I know just the emotion that was going through your body at that moment. Just like, I. I have to go. I have. And I will be back, though, dude,

[JP Hovey]

all of my validation came when each of the kids I saw when they were. They were talking to, sitting about, meeting me while we Were at img, and they're like, dude, we always said that. Or sitting. We always said that. JP in another life, he was 100% Japanese. And I was like, you guys have no. Have no idea how much that means to me. And, dude, just. Just to see them in their environment, all the kids that I knew it was. And to see them out of college, like, with their jobs or navigating whatever they're up to now was. Was really cool and really special because it's like how many times you get to form relationships that spread across the. Literally the earth.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

And it's like, I don't know. There's nothing better than that.

[Coop]

I feel like it makes it even to make the trip 10 times better, because you knew, oh, people, and they probably took you, like, hey, we got to go to this spot rather than this spot, dude. And, like, getting to meet their families and stuff like that probably made it ten times more special.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, they. The. They made it. They made the trip. Without them, it would have been awesome. But to have them showing us around and be our translators for a lot of it changed things, too. But especially in the restaurants, like, very few times did sit and I ever order, like, they always ordered everything, which makes it so much better because I would not have. No, like, not. The menus aren't really in English, and we had an app that can translate stuff, but I'd have had no idea. Yeah, but, yeah, man, it was.

[Coop]

Were there many other, like, Americans out there?

[Mitch]

Did you.

[Coop]

That you saw. Were they all, like, whites?

[JP Hovey]

I'm trying to think. I feel like there wasn't a lot of Americans, but there was definitely a lot of, like, people from, like, I feel like a lot of the European countries.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

Were there, like, a lot of people from England? A lot of. Actually, there's a lot of people from India there. And we sat next to this one Indian couple in this bar we went to. It's called Club SG, and I guess it's on the top 100 bars in the world or something, because you're supposed to have a reservation to get in there. And somehow we walked in, and then we got led to the downstairs, which is a separate bar that's, like, even better than the upstairs one. And the Indians next to us, they were like, you know, how long. How far in advance did you guys get this reservation? We're like, oh, we just kind of walked in, and they're like, no way. And I was asking them where they had been. Just traveling around, and they've been to so many places. And we're like, which one do you think we need to go to next? Yada, yada. And they were like, well, I don't know if you would like the things that we do, like, when we go to different places. And I'm thinking, like, what. What could this possibly mean? And I was. And I asked him, like, wait, how come? Like, I feel like I'm pretty. I'm pretty fluent with a lot of these things. Like, well, we do, like, all the Disney stuff. He's there, like, because we don't have any Disney in India. So, like, any chance they get to go to a Disney World or Disneyland, they, like, seize the opportunity. But it cracked me up, and I guess a lot of them maybe are, like, moving there as well.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

So, yeah. I mean, Tokyo's. There's a lot of different cultures, which is cool. Just being in that park, I'm like, that's. When you. When you're in that park and in that setting, it's like, okay, I could definitely live here and make friends and kind of immerse myself in the culture.

[Coop]

So when are you going to live there?

[JP Hovey]

We'll see, man. There's. There's some medical logistics that. That we have to figure out for sure, and obviously work logistics.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

So. But never say never. Never say never.

[Coop]

That's so sick to hear. It just makes. I don't know about y', all, but it makes me want to travel, like, asap, for sure.

[Mitch]

I've got one more question, too, just on the Japan Realm. If you're gonna go back or recommend one thing that you did on your trip, what is it? And then what's something that you would also X from the itinerary?

[JP Hovey]

Something I would X. Such a hard question.

[Mitch]

Yeah, dude.

[JP Hovey]

So much of it was so fun. I. I think what I would have asked. I'm wearing the shirt right now, and it is an X. It's an xl. But it was like the. I don't know. I was just. You just feel so rushed to, like, this is. The shirt I'm referring to is Uniqlo. And Uniqlo is a Japanese brand, and it's a nice brand. Like, in the US it's all the stores are only in bigger cities, bigger shopping cities, and it's pretty expensive, but over there, it's super cheap. And I feel like my last day, I just. I was like, man, I want to go get some Uniqlo stuff. But then I completely missed, like, getting a great last meal, and I literally was in Uniqlo, and I looked over at sitting I said, what the heck am I doing? Like I don't shop for clothes. Like I still have some of the same shirts that I was wearing in high school that are in my weekly rotation. Like why are we here right now? And dude, I was kicking myself like because I'll. My self talk was horrible that day. I was like, somehow I find a way. Like the trip is perfect and somehow I will always find a way. The last minute just ruin it it. And she's like, it's just one. Like it's. It's only been an hour. Like we can still. I was like, I'm like, you don't understand. Like I could have, we could have went to this place. We could have bought another sword. Like now I got these clothes that I don't even care about clothes. So yeah, like the shopping aspect and we didn't really even do that much shopping. But for somebody that could care less about clothes, I'm like, I don't know why I like even went in half these stores. Somebody was like, yeah, you got to go to this little district in Shibuya for all these clothes. And I'm walking in and it's like the nicest type of like people that are into clothes would love it. But I'm walking through these stores and not like just everything that's not a T shirt and shorts. So I'm like, I'm not interested really. Surprise shopping. And then the one thing we did do, dude, just like getting up early and going to like a lot of the temples and shrines. I wish we even would have got up earlier because it is a mad house and by the time you're finished you. You can get a glimpse of it because it's slammed. But there's something so peaceful about going. Getting to these places early and you feel like you're transported in time. Like you're walking back with those early age Japanese era people as they're going through and going through all their daily rituals and walking to up to some of these temples and shrines when it's peace and quiet is like, it's really cool, really special. So I was just say hitting. I wish we could have hit more of those in Kyoto especially.

[Mitch]

Are a lot of those temples, are they like inhabited by like Buddhist monks or is this way different part of like region?

[JP Hovey]

No, it's truly just like I don't know how much of it is just for like I feel like a lot of it now is just for tourism.

[Matt]

Sure.

[JP Hovey]

But like one of the guys that I was, that we met up with. He kind of explained what you do at the shrines, why they're there, and it's really cool. Like, you know, like the. The prayer aspect of it. And they like, you clap twice and then you like, kind of say your prayer. You bow twice and. Yeah, it's. I wish we could have done more. Kind of. Like, the one thing I wish I would have done is probably like a guided walking tour through them with. With a Japanese person, like, fully dedicated. Four hours. Is there.

[Coop]

The wedding. I'm assuming you're gonna want to go back at some point.

[JP Hovey]

Oh, yeah.

[Coop]

What point? Like, what spots are you gonna want to check out next time?

[JP Hovey]

Dude, all the places similar to that Amana Hashidate place. Like all the smaller villages or like smaller towns. Like, there's a place. It's not even that small because it's probably an hour away from Tokyo, but it's called Kamakura, and it's a beach town, and I would love to go there. One of my other friends, he teaches at an international school, like in the northern part of Japan where a lot of people snowboard.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

And he's like. He teaches a sports business class, and he's like, dude, I want. Next time you're back, I want you to come up and come speak for that class. I do. You have no idea how epic that would be.

[Coop]

His.

[JP Hovey]

His name is Yoshi. And dude, Yoshi is a. He's an icon. So I would want it. There's so many small towns I want to go to, and then Okinawa for sure, which is like Japan's Hawaii. There's a US Military base there. But I would love to go there. The photos are.

[Matt]

Are incredible for the baseball fans that we hopefully attracted. Last week we had a big baseball pop.

[JP Hovey]

I saw the baseball banana ball.

[Matt]

Yeah. Well, you were explaining. You can quickly explain how big Shohei Ohtani is there, dude.

[JP Hovey]

Every billboard, every. Like, anytime there's even space for an advertisement for something, it's going to be Shohei Otani. And he's one of the first people that, like, if you're talking to Japanese people, they'll ask you about. Or just like a great bridge to communicate with Japanese people on. We're like, how about Ohtani? And they just freak out. Like, they love him so much. And what's the other pitcher's name?

[Matt]

Yamamoto.

[JP Hovey]

Yes, they love Yamamoto. Like, he was getting. And obviously he's a great, great player here. But it's like in the US we kind of. It's really just focused on Shohei.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

And. But do they're all about Yamamoto and I. It was opening weekend when we were there, so baseball buzz was big.

[Matt]

I would have loved to be there during the Ichiro Suzuki row. He was massive there too, dude.

[JP Hovey]

I made a. They love their songs, Fatal Air. I asked the bartender because there was a bottle of whiskey and it was like, ichiro whiskey. And I was like, is that Ichiro from, like, Seattle Mariners? They're like, oh, no. Like, there's a lot of Ichiros. I was like, yeah, that's a stupid question. I was like, you know, like, in. In North America, like, a lot of the athletes, like, they have their own liquor. Like, I promise it's normal. I was like, that's so stupid.

[Matt]

I would have done the same thing. I'm like, intro Suzuki.

[Mitch]

Any connection point I. I can make.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[Mitch]

I'm like, oh, yeah, that's gotta be them, right?

[JP Hovey]

And that's just, that's the best part because they're about it, dude. They're about it all. Like, you don't have to worry about looking like an idiot. She handled it perfectly because she's like, oh, yeah, we love Ichiro. Like, oh my. Oh, man.

[Coop]

I wanna. I would want to check out Japan 1 for everything that you've said. But also, like, all of the dirt bikes are made out there, like Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki.

[Matt]

Suzuki.

[Coop]

They're all like, it is the hub for motocross out there. So.

[JP Hovey]

And they're talent. Like, Kawasaki is like a city.

[Coop]

Yeah. And like each one of them I think is. Yeah, city, which is cool. But. Yeah. That's so sick.

[JP Hovey]

I know.

[Matt]

Makes me want to go to Japan so bad. Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

It went by way too fast.

[Matt]

And my, my sister and her future husband's family, like, just went like, everybody's gone in the fall. And I was jealous. They brought me back this, like, nice kitchen knife that. It's got its own sleeve. It's got like little Japanese design on it, dude. I use it on my steak every Sunday.

[JP Hovey]

That's what I want.

[Matt]

They brought all these cool things and stories.

[JP Hovey]

I'm like, no, you know, like the long blade knife that you're supposed to use for the meat slice. I was like, showing the dude the photos of it and he was doing his best to like, explain to me basically that, like, hey, it doesn't sound like you're there yet.

[Mitch]

You're not ready.

[JP Hovey]

And I'm like, man, I want to be ready. And I wish I would have spent more times, like, more time with the knives and bought more knives, but they are still like, Prizes are great over there, but I mean, the knives are still expensive. And it's like we got one for sitting parents, one for my parents, and two for ourselves. And you're already running like decent bills. It's like, I wish I could buy. I wish I could get everybody a knife and bring it back. But they be, they're. They're nice.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

I mean, and a lot of Australians, dude, there was like in two knife shops I went into, it was two Australians working it.

[Coop]

That's. We were talking about it earlier today. You said Japan was like really far away. And I'm like, no, it's not. They're like right next to each other. He's like, and they're 10 hours away from Australia.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. The only thing Japan's really close to is China and South Korea. And I guess some of the Philippines would be like the most doable flights.

[Coop]

But because I. When I was in Australia, like almost 10 years ago. Damn. A decade, there were a bunch of like Japanese people like everywhere.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Coop]

And I don't know if it was because, like, we were in like, we were in the Gold coast and it's like a touristy town or my girlfriend at the time was at a university. I don't know if a bunch of Japanese people just studied there. But like, I felt like I. Because there were so many Japanese people, I'm like, oh, it's probably like a three hour flight. They just pop over, hang out. But then it's 10 hours. I'm like, no way.

[JP Hovey]

We gotta get some sort of non, like violent earth or like a tsunami that happens. That just shifts Australia closer to everything, to more things. Because it is just. It's impossible to get there.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

I guess. Unless you're the Philippines.

[Coop]

I. I think that we're. Brooke and I are going to Italy and Greece in September. But like my next stop, I want to go back to Australia and I want to live out there for like a year or two.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Coop]

I think it'd be so sick. And just the lifestyle out there and just a lifestyle anywhere. Anywhere but the US Seems like cool.

[JP Hovey]

It does. And I mean, I'll say this though, like, because I will. I mean, I would love to live in Japan and be a dream come true, but. And I've only ever been to two different. Two other countries. But the U. S. Is like you. Most of people you talk to in these countries is like, their goal is to come to the US which always gives you a sense of pride. And I get it. I mean, it's like, dude, we we truly have everything and the opportunity for these people. Like, because the suicide rate in Japan is super high, and so much of it is that culture and the, like, lack of opportunity right now. I think there's a stat out there. They have more dogs than children. And whenever there's these, like, population declines, it's just bad news all around for everyone. So, so many homes are empty in a lot of the smaller villages especially. And it's like, so just a lot. So many of them are trying to get to the US And I'm like, I would want to live in these places for a year, but I would 100 the number one place to live my life, us.

[Coop]

I feel like you got to get out there to then realize what you have back home. Like, because when I went to. When I was in Samoa, 100, like, Samoa's very third world.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Coop]

So it's, like, a lot easier to do that. But then, like, you come back, you're like, yeah, this place, like, America does rock.

[JP Hovey]

Right.

[Coop]

It is, like, awesome. And it is, like, being able to have, like, the freedom and whatnot, but just I think to be able to say, you lived in Japan for a year.

[JP Hovey]

Right.

[Coop]

Live in Australia for a year, it's like, that's something you can reflect on and think about, like, if you become friends with somebody out there, like, be, like, lifelong friends. And it's just. I don't know, it just really seems attractive.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. There's so many lessons I would want to instill in my kids from the Japanese culture.

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

Which would be the. One of the number one benefits of living there is just being immersed in it. Because I'd love to work in, like, school. There's. Or even just do videography for school. Because the kids are so grateful for any type of content. Or they were the same way at img. And I just know it would make their day. And knowing that they have all those pressures to, like, be able to kind of play a role in, like, hyping them up. They're not. They're about that. They do zero self promotion on anything. They don't really have much for themselves. I think it would be, like, the coolest thing in the world. Yeah. But, yeah, awesome trip. Where's the next place y' all would want to go? Obviously you said yours. Where out of the country. Where would you go?

[Matt]

Well, that's about. I want to go to Europe. I don't really know exactly where. I feel like you can kind of hit a lot when you're over there. As I've heard from other people visiting. Japan's been on my radar since my sister and her fiance went. Just because they just come back bragging.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Matt]

And I've already been when I was 13 to Canada. But me, Addie and my family, my brother's wife, my sister and her fiance, all them, we're going to Canada in August, which will be really fun. Cuz.

[JP Hovey]

Where are y' all going?

[Matt]

Like Whistler, Vancouver.

[JP Hovey]

So up in the like north east, right?

[Matt]

Northwest.

[Pandora Jewelry Sponsor]

Yeah.

[Mitch]

Longest runs in the world.

[Matt]

And I've been to Whistler. I. Like I said I was. I was young and we did like white water rafting and like Olympic Village and all that, but a lot that I couldn't do when I was 13, a lot that I don't remember when I was 13. So it'll be exciting to go out there as an adult. So like in August. August. And that's. I mean, I go to Mexico all the time or I've been to Mexico a lot. So like, that's. I do travel to other countries, so to speak, but I'm excited to get to like a new like one experience something fresh.

[Coop]

But always banned from there.

[Matt]

Honestly, I really don't know.

[JP Hovey]

I don't think it's horribly far. Like.

[Coop]

Yeah, it's like, like whatever the one on the east is.

[Matt]

Calgary is like in this. In the center.

[Coop]

Yeah, I think Calgary.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Coop]

Banff is closer to Calgary.

[Matt]

But I'm excited to go to Canada. I really want to get. Because I've been blessed to travel like a lot and I just haven't gone across like to Europe or like Asia any. Yeah, any of that. So I'd be happy to do any of it. But Japan, like, Japan sounds sick. And the no talking on the subway, that's a ride up my alley.

[JP Hovey]

You don't have to worry about it. Half the things you got to worry about here.

[Matt]

I know.

[Mitch]

I mean, I think I'm riding the same line. Japan and Australia be awesome. I. If I go to Japan, it will definitely be for some sort of a snowboarding trip because Japan got some of the most snow on the planet. And there's some really awesome documentaries that are from Japan centered around snowboarding that have inspired me in my early ages before I started working, working here. So love to do that. Obviously Australia, hit the Gold coast, do whatever there is to offer out there. See some crazy animals. More like internal Europe, like a Switzerland area. I'd love to go to Amsterdam. And I just went to Greece last summer. I know JP did as well. Mitch, you're going. I Would love to revisit Greece. There's just so many islands you can go to and not enough time. Just like a white. A week or two weeks. So. Love to get back to Greece, but. Yeah, I. You know, I'm gonna fall in line with this pod for sure and probably put Japan up there as number one. And then, you know, Australia is a close two. That'd be fun.

[Matt]

Yeah, I did. Another one is again, my sister and her fiance's family, they travel a lot, so they go to a lot of places. I get jealous of Iceland and then. And then my. My flights from Nashville, really. And my parents went there as well, and it's just like, you know, they bring back videos and pictures, and it's. Again, it's all the word of mouth in the story. I'm just. I'm so jealous because I didn't even, like, I don't even think that one was on my radar really. Like, what's in Iceland?

[JP Hovey]

Right?

[Matt]

But it's, like, beautiful and fun and. Yeah, that's a big one.

[Coop]

Oh. Like, I learned about it in, like, high school. Iceland's named Iceland and why Greenland's named Greenland. Did you. Have you. Did you guys?

[JP Hovey]

No. Or maybe we did, but I don't

[Matt]

know if this is.

[Coop]

This is true or not, but I. It's like in high school, and I still believe it.

[Mitch]

To the opposite of each.

[Coop]

Yes. For. So for, like, when the Vikings would, like, sail the seas, they called Iceland what it is. But it's like, as to, like, up the other Vikings in the sense of, like, don't go there. It's all ice. When it's, like, beautiful and the vice versa for Greenland. And I'm like, that. That just seems so cool.

[JP Hovey]

Can you imagine just navigating the world in that era? Just, like, pretty much have to trust them that they said that. And like, like, then you show up

[Mitch]

in a barren tundra and you're like, well, it looks like most of us are gonna die.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

The Viking era, dude. Oh, Finland Saga.

[Mitch]

I swear,

[JP Hovey]

that'll be your next one, Derek. I'll watch live action one piece. You watch Vinland Saga.

[Coop]

Was there Is, like. Is anime, like, a big thing? Obviously it's a big thing, but, like, was it everywhere out there or like.

[JP Hovey]

It's everywhere, but, dude, there must be something unique with the licensing rights from these shows, because merch is kind of hard to find, which really bummed me out because if we're talking about shopping, I would have done some shopping on a bunch of anime graphic tees and everything. I was only able to secure, like, one, but there's a play. It's like the anime district. It's called Akihabara. And they have, like. They're really into the figurines and everything, so there's tons of stores. But they also. It's really cool because they have a lot of the manga. So, like, all the comic books. And it's so funny to see the Japanese people on the subways and stuff reading manga on their phone. Like, they're not really scrolling Twitters. Obviously some of them are on TikTok and everything, but I caught a few people reading manga and I'm just like, you have no idea how cool that is. But, yeah, I mean, it's massive. And they all know, like, I was able to talk to so many of the people we ran into, like, whether it would have been if we weren't able to take the subway and how to take an Uber. I would, like, ask Uber driver, like, what shows do you watch? And once I was able to drop a few that I'm into, they kind of. I could feel the respect they had for me. Like, oh, he's. He's actually locked in.

[Coop]

Yeah, he's tapped in.

[JP Hovey]

That's what it was. You know, I was saying, somebody called me old head. Yeah, dude, this one guy, he was asking the.

[Mitch]

You got unked in Japan by the.

[JP Hovey]

By the porch. Like, the. The Spanish, Italian, Uruguayan guy. And what'd you say, Senpai? He. He was asking me which animes I liked. You know, I always kind of start out with the new gen ones because the people love to give you a look of like, oh, yeah, classic. Like, you're a new anime guy, which I am. But I've watched some of the OGs, and I mentioned the one I'm watching right now, which is how you made. No, no. Ippo. And he. I said that. And he hit me with the same. Damn. And I said, what you mean? He said, you old head for sure. Huh? I was like, God, I was just

[Mitch]

trying to earn respect. Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

And he was 27. I'm like, man, come on. He was like, how'd you may know he, bro. And especially, like, with his Spanish accent, too. It's even funnier. But yeah, man, being in the land where everybody watches. Everybody watches anime, I just felt like I belonged finally. What else we got?

[Coop]

Y' all are going to Texas Tech this week or no, you're not.

[Mitch]

I will not be. Your JP is basically just like Japan.

[Matt]

Everyone will be. Everyone will be in Texas one way or another.

[Mitch]

Yeah, I'll be there.

[Matt]

I'll be in Texas.

[JP Hovey]

So it is pitching when y' all

[Matt]

are there or when the Rangers probably. Kumar Rocker. Vandyi.

[JP Hovey]

Oh, yeah, he's kind of. How old is he?

[Matt]

He's.

[JP Hovey]

He's still young, right?

[Matt]

Yeah, he's 25, 26. He. He was not good last year, so we'll. Hopefully this year he turns it around. He's supposed to pitch today, and then I was gonna get to see someone good, but is that.

[Coop]

Is Addie going with you?

[Matt]

No, she won't. She won't be there for that. She's celebrating with her sister who is moving here, who moved here, actually.

[Coop]

Has she been to home?

[Matt]

Oh, yeah, a couple times.

[JP Hovey]

Okay.

[Matt]

We went to a wedding. We went Christmas, Thanksgiving.

[JP Hovey]

So, hey, you stole both holidays.

[Matt]

We did two Christmases. We did. We did Texas, then Florida. Thanksgiving will probably be Florida next year. But, yeah, she's been there. But, yeah, the Rangers game, I'm. I'm pumped about that one. I didn't get to go to one last year. Two years ago, I went to the opener and then not another one for the whole year.

[JP Hovey]

What's the pulse on the Rangers this year? That's supposed to be good or.

[Matt]

Yeah, I mean, they're getting their ass kicked right now, but they. They started long season. It's a long. There's a. There's a lot of games. They. They started 4 and 1. They lost the first game. Clump was talking shit. Then they smacked the Phillies two games in a row. And now they're. They're going to be 4 and 2 here in a few minutes, which is. That's not bad. It's not bad when four out of six games all year. They'll be pretty good. I said last week, I think they're gonna be good this year, but I don't need to get into it. It'll be good. Just believe me.

[Coop]

Seven more to go.

[Matt]

If I'm being positive about them, you know, they might be good, Right? Although if I was being negative, they probably. They're still good.

[JP Hovey]

Dude, you got to go to this one bar. I. I gotta find the name of it because it's where I met my first friend in Dallas, when I lived there. And on maybe. Nah, it wouldn't have been on a Thursday because that'd be way too busy of a night. But like, on Wednesday, maybe it's like you flip a coin with the bartender, and if you win, the beer costs 25 cents. And so, dude, it is. It was one of the most iconic things Ever. No. If you lose, you just pay.

[Mitch]

I'm fine with that. You know, if I can gamble for a beer, I'm in. But yeah, preferably, I would like market price. Yeah, yeah, find that. Because I will go and flip the coin just for content.

[JP Hovey]

Like a bar in Nashville. Like maybe in East Nashville on Tuesday. They should incorporate that somehow, guys. It's such a good idea.

[Mitch]

I love that. Coop, have you heard there. I can't remember the exact name, but when I was at this bachelor party party a couple weekends ago, they were talking about a place called something's Ice House, I think.

[JP Hovey]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt]

I. I've never been, but I know Katie Trail.

[Mitch]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Katie Trail, Ice House.

[JP Hovey]

Dude, it's a vibe.

[Mitch]

Yeah. They said it's like an awesome outdoor patio scene. That seems like a good Friday. Kind of like maybe post lunch, go check it out. We'll see.

[Matt]

That'll be way closer to where you're at. But as me and Shermer, I was. I'm begging. Joe T. Garcia. It's probably a little trek. Not too bad, but probably the best restaurant of all time. That's why.

[Mitch]

What kind of food is Mexican food?

[Matt]

Yeah, it's like an outdoor patio. It's really nice. I'd have to pull up pictures. It's.

[Mitch]

Yeah, it's supposed to be a hot one. I know this weekend everywhere. Here in Nashville too.

[JP Hovey]

You got. Yeah, you gotta go to the Ice House. Great vibe. It's like right on their greenway.

[Mitch]

You've been there before?

[JP Hovey]

Yeah. And then. Dude, also on Greenville Ave. Did you ever spend much time on Greenville Av Classic? I. Of course. Right. But they have some. They have this place and I like. I feel like there's a few in Texas in general and other places, but it's called the truck yard.

[Matt]

Oh, I've been in the truck yard. Dude.

[JP Hovey]

Truck yards.

[Matt]

Truck yard. Sick.

[Mitch]

Okay.

[JP Hovey]

It's. Yeah. So I guess it's Lower Greenville actually is the name of it. But yeah. It's basically like. You walk in and it's just all these pieces of old trucks that are like stuck in the dirt. And a few bars are like some

[Matt]

food trucks out of them.

[JP Hovey]

There's food trucks. It's a great vibe.

[Matt]

There's like a centralized bar area.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Matt]

And then two sides. All the trucks, like, he's talking about. And different food trucks.

[Coop]

It's like the trucks like a table. Or is it just kind of like they.

[Matt]

They turn. There's some of them that are like. It's like tailgates. And there'll Be like, benches with a table in between. Like, it. It's kind of hard to explain, but it is. That place is sick, dude.

[JP Hovey]

There's. Dallas has so many fun.

[Mitch]

I'm so fired up because, like, as an adult and. And we're fortunate enough with work that we've got to experience a lot of cool cities, like, big and small. And this is one of the first times in the last few years where I'm going to a very major metropolitan area that I've never been to, except for commuting through an airport. So just to, like, get that first taste of it and, like, really develop, like, how I feel about it. I'm pumped. I feel like you. The older you get, you kind of realize you only get to visit X amount of cities for the first time again. And, you know, inside the U.S. like, like I said, you know, we get to see a lot of them. So I'm. I'm excited to come back and hopefully with some good news that Dallas is. Is them or him or her. Whichever one you want. We're gonna figure it out.

[JP Hovey]

I love it. I think Dallas is him.

[Coop]

There's a. To go back to, like, the tailgate or the truck place. There's a bar and I think San Diego. Brooke was telling me about, like, you rent out. I don't know if you rent or you just kind of get placed. You get in, like, a motorhome or like a. Yeah, kind of like a motorhome. And like, that's your section for the night. And like, you just kind of. You're kind of hanging out in, like, your own little room by yourself. Just.

[JP Hovey]

Nephew would hate it.

[Coop]

Yeah. Or no, Matt. Oh, yeah.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Pandora Jewelry Sponsor]

Wait,

[Mitch]

Mitch said hate or heard hate and looked at Cougar.

[Coop]

Yeah, I. I heard hate. And I'm like, Coop hates everything. So. Except.

[JP Hovey]

Except.

[Coop]

Except the Rangers and the Cardinals, but.

[Matt]

No, I hate the Cardinals.

[Coop]

But, like, Brooke went there for, like, a bachelorette party and said it was, like, the most fun.

[JP Hovey]

That's really cool.

[Coop]

And I. Fun bars are very fun. No, it sounds really dumb, but really, like, underrated. And there's not enough of, like, those cool type bars. Like, you just have, like, your stereotypical bar, and it's like you're just the same as every other one here.

[JP Hovey]

I'm with you as a person that doesn't really enjoy going to bars that much. When there is a fun one, I feel it just.

[Coop]

I will go back to that one.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, it puts it over the top for me.

[Coop]

Where are we at, Derek?

[JP Hovey]

Perfect.

[Mitch]

Sweet spot.

[Coop]

Next week we have a very, very special guest.

[Mitch]

Is it gonna be a one on one?

[Coop]

No, it'll be. It'll be a couple of us, but unfortunately, y' all two won't be here.

[Mitch]

I know. I hate that you can announce it, who the guest is. I mean, it's already been announced.

[Coop]

It hasn't been announced, but I'm gonna.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah, I feel like you gotta take. You got to tell the people.

[Mitch]

You got to.

[Coop]

Next week, we have a very special guest. Supercrosses in town, and therefore my family comes down every year for it. And my brother, Nate Carsley is flying in Tuesday night, and he's strictly coming in that early just so he can come and sit on the inside the bus set.

[Mitch]

Coming a week early just to get on the bus and be on the pod.

[Coop]

And what sucks is that y' all two are not going to be here.

[Matt]

It's just gonna be me.

[JP Hovey]

What day do you leave? Oh, wait.

[Coop]

But if y' all have any questions you want to ask him.

[Mitch]

I might have to create a couple. Just because your brother geeks me out. Me and him at a good time. The last time he was in Nashville.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Matt]

This means I'm gonna have to step up and actually ask questions.

[JP Hovey]

Yeah.

[Coop]

And like, we can. Like, he's really looking for, like, when we first started, he's like, bro, like, you need to get me on there. I'm like, you gotta come down. Like, what do you mean? And he's like, all right, all right. And then he's like, I'm thinking I'm coming down Tuesday. Like, why that early? He's like, to come on inside the bus. What do you mean?

[Mitch]

So I talked about this, Mitch.

[Coop]

It'll be us two, and then probably Matt interviewing my brother, which will be time.

[JP Hovey]

Last time he was here, he fell asleep on the couch. Right.

[Matt]

When was he here?

[Coop]

He was here April of last year. Him and his. One of his buddies who's working down here and like this somehow ended up being down here at the same time. He'll. He'll be in. I don't know if he'll be coming in the shop, but Nate and him last year just fell asleep in there because they were just out until three or four every. Every night. And I'm sure it'll be the same thing this. This time around, but. Yeah, it'll be. He'll be shacking up with us for a couple. Couple days, which will be interesting, but couple weeks. I'm trying to. I'm trying to get Nate to move out of PA because he needs to

[JP Hovey]

get out of there.

[Coop]

But he.

[Matt]

How old is he again?

[Coop]

He is 20. I'm 27. He's 24. Turning 25.

[JP Hovey]

And wait, does he work concrete?

[Coop]

Yes. And I'm like, bro, Nashville just keeps pouring concrete everywhere.

[JP Hovey]

Nothing but concrete.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Coop]

Like opportunity.

[Matt]

Every concrete fit.

[Coop]

Come join the concrete jungle down here or something.

[JP Hovey]

But

[Coop]

no, that is my roommate from college. Which we will get into closer to Christmas time.

[Mitch]

I thought you were about to do an early poll.

[Coop]

No, but yeah, we have a special guest next week and it'll be. It'll be cool.

[JP Hovey]

And you know how he was, how him and his boy were napping on the couch last time they were here. There's something about like the. Because your brother, he works in concrete. Like hard work. There's something about like the blue collar nap that I just. Part of me envies and I'm like, man, I wonder like what my life would be like if I was living. Like I would probably be sleeping so much better. And it's just something about seeing a guy. Jeans on, belt buckled all the way, tight boots on, like. And it's probably the worst thing you could think of to sleep in just in full rem.

[Mitch]

Probably got a can in the back pocket against the cheek and.

[Coop]

But like 100. That wasn't a blue collar nap. That was a hungover nap.

[JP Hovey]

Right?

[Jacob Goldstein]

Come on.

[JP Hovey]

But he had the blue collar look. Yeah, he.

[Coop]

Him and I.

[Mitch]

Him and I.

[Coop]

Like I'm wearing like a T shirt, shorts and like these shoes.

[Mitch]

Hey, show off them high tops. Come on.

[Coop]

Him and I could not be more polar opposite. And it's going to be funny when he's sitting right here like, this is my brother and he's going to be. He's going to have his hat on, he's going to have his mustache. He's going to have like just a kicker shirt, belt, jeans and boots.

[Mitch]

First. First family member on the pod for anyone. Right?

[Coop]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

Got to believe Camps next.

[Coop]

Gotta get.

[Matt]

I'll start recruiting.

[JP Hovey]

And left a juicy comment on my post this morning. This guy.

[Coop]

Yeah, we gotta get Jimmy on.

[Mitch]

Yeah. If he just ever comes back, I guess we could do like a Zoom interview like 8am for him in Hawaii. But whenever he comes back, he's actually. He's mentioned that too. But I'm a little bit harder on him. Like. Yeah, I don't know. We'll see.

[Coop]

Yeah. Nate, he listens to this all the time. So. Shout out, Nate.

[Mitch]

Let's go, Nate.

[Coop]

Look forward to that next week.

[Matt]

We.

[Coop]

And we will catch you next week.

[Mitch]

43:43 with my brother JP you want to sign us off? Sign us off. Just give one last thank you to Japan.

[JP Hovey]

A bow.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[JP Hovey]

Ar go.

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