Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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This is my conversation with Saeko Kitamae. She is a heavy metal artist from Osaka who has shattered cultural barriers and went to the international stage. We talk about her dream as a teenager, the journey that followed, the challenges she faced, and how she found freedom through her passion for heavy metal.

Thank you for listening.

*SHOW LINKS:*
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Listen on Apple Podcast: apple.co/4lLpEXA
Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi/42kcOYy

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YouTube Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOv56NTjNAeK7cUVamIPioSCsr06-vSGG

*SAEKO KITAMAE LINKS:*
Saeko Kitamae's Website: saekometal.info
Saeko Kitamae's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/saeko.metal
Saeko Kitamae on Instagram: instagram.com/saeko.metal
Listen to and watch Saeko Kitamae on YouTube: youtube.com/@SAEKOOfficial
Listen to Saeko Kitamae’s latest album on Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/22fDIRzNR4KHNLXQXHtZc5?si=i3XYHKrERKOXnEn91r9VHQ
Listen to Saeko Kitamae on Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/saeko/1575745052

*OUTLINE:*
0:00 Intro
1:49 Growing Up in Osaka
17:19 Discovering Heavy Metal
56:17 Hospitalization and Recovery
01:20:37 Moving to Europe
01:32:57 Final Thoughts & Outro

*CONTACT LINKS:*
To come on the podcast, share feedback, ask a question, or reach out for any reason, visit: podcast.jeffreyvanleeuwen.com/p/contact

This episode has been co-produced by Kate van Leeuwen.