Show Notes
The Australian Embassy in Tokyo confirms that it has sent my daughter a letter about an Australian passport. After years without contact, that is welcome news. But what does “sent” actually tell us? I follow the correspondence to discover what the letter is meant to achieve and what government knows about whether it does. A request to send one letter becomes a freedom of information request about what happens after it leaves the Embassy.
(Transcript available from 13 October 2026) Written and presented by Daniel Madden. Music: Avalanche by Soulish.
More from Paper Sings
I’m Daniel Madden, an Australian teacher and a father who has spent years separated from his daughter in Japan. My search for answers became an investigation into what governments promise families, what they do, and what happens afterwards. Paper Sings follows that investigation through letters, official replies and documents released under Freedom of Information. This short introduction explains where it began and how to follow it. Start with The File Opens. Paper Sings is free to listen to. For the choices, doubts and personal stakes behind the investigation, The View from Below is the paid companion, available through membership here on Patreon. Paper Sings. What the record reveals.
Free five-minute preview · Full instalment for paid members How much of an investigation should rest on a personal story? In Something More Durable, I reflect on the experience behind Paper Sings, the limits of media attention, and building a public record that can be tested. The View from Below explores the choices and reasoning behind the investigation. Hear the full instalment Join Paper Sings here, then open this instalment on Patreon and press Play: https://www.patreon.com/16882673/join Membership renews monthly until cancelled. Join through a web browser to avoid the additional iPhone in-app fee. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts After joining, open the Paper Sings page on Patreon: Tap More (•••), then Add to podcast app.
In the first episode of Paper Sings, I return to the newspaper report and correspondence that started this investigation. A public account of Australian families separated in Japan meets a private exchange about what assistance is available and what happens when someone asks for it. Transcript and supporting documents attached below. Written and presented by Daniel Madden. Music: Avalanche by Soulish.