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We survived our month-long hiatus and we are officially back for Season 6 of The Unofficial Official Story! We’re kicking things off in May—just a few days late for National Sun Day—with a massive celestial mystery that asks: Is NASA hiding a second sun?.

Before we dive into solar simulators and the “Morality Clause” of physics, we break the ice with a theory Koji has been pushing for years: What if first contact reveals that aliens are actually Asians?. Our guest, hilarious comedian Ron Josol, joins the fray to discuss everything from almond-shaped alien eyes to his brother’s legendary Wing Chun lineage and the time he had to use Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on a meth-fueled heckler in Australia.

GUEST

Ron Josol is an internationally touring comedian and martial artist who has been performing stand-up since he was 21, recently taping Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen. A long-time practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Ron trained for eight years under Royce Gracie and carries a family martial arts lineage connected back to Ip Man. Whether he’s recounting street fights in Australia or debating if aliens are actually Asian, Ron brings a sharp, worldly wit to every stage. 

RESEARCH

We do most of our research online… because why not? Here are the links we quoted from or used for background or inspiration.

Sharks are older than trees (Smithsonian): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sharks-are-older-than-trees-180980038/

The Sound of the Sun (NASA): https://www.nasa.gov/science-share/the-sound-of-the-sun/

The Nemesis Theory (Space.com): https://www.space.com/22538-nemesis-star.html

NASA Patent 3,325,238 – Solar Simulator: https://patents.google.com/patent/US3325238A/en

ABOUT US

What are “they” not telling us? We’ll find out, figure out, and, when all else fails, make up the missing pieces to some of the most scandalous, unexplained phenomena, and true crime affecting our world today. Join comedian Dwayne Perkins, writer Koji Steven Sakai, and comedian/actor/writer Cat Alvarado on The Unofficial Official Story Podcast every month, and by the end of each episode, we’ll tell you what’s really…maybe…happening. 

Website: http://unofficialofficialstory.com/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theunofficialofficialstorypod/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unoffoffstorypodcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxGCoSTC0bmTk5GVFHP4l3w

CREDITS

The intro and outro song was created by Brian “Deep” Watters. You can hear his music at https://soundcloud.com/deepwatters.

Written by Koji Steve Sakai

Hosts: Cat Alvarado, Dwayne Perkins, and Koji Steven Sakai

Edited and Produced by Koji Steven Sakai

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, hosts Koji Steven Sakai and Michelle Malizaki take the podcast on the road to the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Little Tokyo. In this special archival episode, they dive into a landmark 2024 conversation with the legendary George Takei, recorded by Sharon Yamato during the Tule Lake Pilgrimage.

George reflects on his family’s cross-country odyssey through the American concentration camp system, from the swamps of Rohwer, Arkansas, to the high-security Segregation Center at Tule Lake. He provides a visceral description of Tule Lake as the most militarized of all ten camps—complete with three layers of barbed wire, machine gun towers, and tanks patrolling the perimeter.

The heart of the episode explores the “logic of dissent” and the “no-win” nature of Question 28 in the government’s Loyalty Questionnaire. George also shares the profound lessons he learned from his father about “participatory democracy” and the responsibility of citizens to ensure that a “government of the people” does not slide into autocracy.

Highlights include:
• The origins of his bestselling graphic novel, They Called Us Enemy, and his children’s book, My Lost Freedom.
• The reality of life inside the Tule Lake stockade and the “incompetence of racism” found in the government’s literacy traps.
• A powerful warning for 2026: Why democracy is a choice that requires active participation every single day.
Tune in for a deep look at the fragility of American ideals and the enduring strength of the Japanese American spirit.

CREDITS
The music was created by Jalen Blank
Written by Koji Steven Sakai
Hosts: Michelle Malazaki and Koji Steven Sakai
Edited by Koji Steven Sakai
Produced by Koji Steven Sakai in conjunction with the Japanese American National Museum

Un-History is just me—Koji Steven Sakai, a writer and producer from South Pasadena—sitting in my garage with a weird piece of analog hardware that somehow picks up the “Dead Air.” It turns out the legends of history are stuck on a dead frequency waiting for their final edit, and I figured it was time someone actually audited their scripts. Armed with a few microphones and actual historical receipts, I pull people like Thomas Jefferson and Mother Teresa onto the hot seat to ask them about the massive, hypocritical plot holes their biographers conveniently left out. It’s not a history lesson; it’s just a guy who is tired of bad writing cross-examining the people who spent their whole lives faking it for the textbooks.

Listen to the first episode!

The conspiracy you never asked for is back… and it’s still confusing.

After a month-long hiatus, Cat Alvarado, Dwayne Perkins, and Koji Steven Sakai are officially back for Season 6 of The Unofficial Official Story! In this trailer, we give you a taste of the wild mysteries, bizarre cover-ups, and unhinged pop-culture phenomena we’re diving into this season.

We’ve got a lineup of incredible guests and more hypothetical questions guaranteed to derail every conversation.

Stay Connected:

• Subscribe: Catch the Season 6 premiere in just one month on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
• Follow Us: Don’t believe everything you read on the internet… unless it’s our podcast description.

Keep wondering, and stay unofficially official!

It is peak Sakura season in the Pacific Northwest. In this episode of Japanese America, Michelle and Koji beam up to the Rose City to sit down with Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong, the Executive Director of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO).

Hanako shares her personal journey from growing up in Idaho—where her own family’s incarceration history was largely absent from her education—to becoming a self-described “steward of memory” and “translator” of the past. We dive into the “quietly defiant” identity of JAMO in its new home in the Flanders Building and the fascinating, diplomatic history behind the 100 Akebono cherry trees that line the Portland Waterfront.

Join us for a deep dive into resilience, undeniable belonging, and the “vibe” of planting something beautiful in the soil of a place that once tried to push you out.

Learn more about JAMO at jamo.org.

CREDITS

The music was created by Jalen Blank

Written by Koji Steven Sakai

Hosts: Michelle Malazaki and Koji Steven Sakai

Edited by Koji Steven Sakai

Produced by Koji Steven Sakai in conjunction with the Japanese American National Museum

Check out the article here.

The Architect of Community: Irene Hirano Inouye

“Irene made all of us believe that museums could be more than things that looked towards yesterday. They could be places that are central to today and tomorrow.”

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we are dedicating this episode to a true titan of the Japanese American community: the late Irene Hirano Inouye. As the longtime CEO of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) and founder of the U.S.-Japan Council, Irene’s vision turned a “mess” of an old temple building into an international landmark and a permanent home for our stories.

In this deep dive, we explore Irene’s journey from a service-driven childhood in Gardena to leading national foundations like Ford and Kresge. We also get personal, discussing the “mundane” objects that connect us to our history.

Subscribe & Leave a Comment: If you were curated in a museum today, what mundane object would represent your heritage? Let us know in the comments!

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about JANM: Japanese American National Museum
• The US-Japan Council: Explore Irene’s Global Legacy

CREDITS

The music was created by Jalen Blank

Written by Koji Steven Sakai

Hosts: Michelle Malazaki and Koji Steven Sakai

Edited by Koji Steven Sakai

Produced by Koji Steven Sakai in conjunction with the Japanese American National Museum

Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home on August 5th, 1962. While the official story ruled her tragic passing as a suicide by overdose, the unofficial theories point to something much darker.

This week, hosts Cat Alvarado, Dwayne Perkins, and Koji Steven Sakai dive into one of Hollywood’s most enduring mysteries: Did John F. Kennedy or Robert Kennedy have something to do with Marilyn Monroe’s death?

Was it a tragic accident, a political cover-up to save the Kennedys’ careers, or a Cold War assassination? Tune in as we examine the means, motive, and opportunity, and finally decide on the unofficial official story.

RESEARCH

We do most of our research online… because why not? Here are the links we quoted from or used for background or inspiration.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-5/marilyn-monroe-is-found-dead

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/03/marilyn-monroes-final-hours?srsltid=AfmBOoptX_yqezYF3NAq9EPZq5tdj6drXi5zPUTDh6X63dUefYvkoAdo

ABOUT US

What are “they” not telling us? We’ll find out, figure out, and, when all else fails, make up the missing pieces to some of the most scandalous, unexplained phenomena, and true crime affecting our world today. Join comedian Dwayne Perkins, writer Koji Steven Sakai, and comedian/actor/writer Cat Alvarado on The Unofficial Official Story Podcast every month, and by the end of each episode, we’ll tell you what’s really…maybe…happening.

Website: http://unofficialofficialstory.com/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theunofficialofficialstorypod/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unoffoffstorypodcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxGCoSTC0bmTk5GVFHP4l3w

CREDITS

The intro and outro song was created by Brian “Deep” Watters. You can hear his music at https://soundcloud.com/deepwatters.

Written by Anika Desai

Hosts: Cat Alvarado, Dwayne Perkins, and Koji Steven Sakai

Edited and Produced by Koji Steven Sakai