Traffic safety week, things you have to get used to in Japan, and all about the Yakuza
Japan has one of the lowest birthrates of any modern nation, with just 1.38 children born per couple, which will ...
Tag: cars
The new Tokyo Tower, an experiment in conformity, and classics of Japanese literature
There's a perception that the Japanese are more conformist than people in Europe or the States. Leaving aside the question ...
Good and bad foods from Japan, three Japanese words for you, and lack of “DIY Culture” in Japan
My diet has certainly changed since I came to Japan back in 1991. Like some Americans I wasn't too keen ...
Being a Champion of Justice, thoughts on “Image English” in advertising, and the perfect gifts for White Day
I remain convinced that the foreigners who live in Japan furnish an important service to the country, by providing a ...
Thoughts on Tokyo, the truth behind internationalization, and the triumph of inefficiency
I went into Tokyo on business yesterday, and as is often the case, I was amazed that the city is ...
The mathematical aspects of Japanese grammar, Japan and its environment, and ways to fluster a Japanese person
A show I like a lot is NHK's Eigo de Shaberanaito ("I must say it in English"), which helps motivate ...
The concept of honesty in Japan, our New Year’s Day prayer, and winter snow report
I've always believed that people will be what you expect them to be, and if you assume that people are ...
Standing in the “Nihonjin Line” at Narita, Japan’s truck gap, and Japanese tax-related civic spirit
"You know you've been in Japan too long when you think it's cool to stand in the 'Japanese only' line ...
Christmas vs. Buddhism in Japan, all about New Year’s, and a Japanese math problem for you to solve
The Christmas holiday means different things to different people, and each country has its own way of observing it. By ...
All about Japanese roads, a Mongolian sumo wrestler does good, and goodbye Mr. Miyagi
You've been in Japan too long when you see a road with two lanes going in the same direction and ...
The joy of eating Cheetos, new crimes on the rise in Japan, and some really “radical” kanji for you
One of the benefits to living the expat life is coming to value the things from home you used to ...
On the inability of people living in Japan to fix their own cars, and days of the week in Japanese
For some reason, living in Japan robs a person of the ability to open the hood of their car. When ...
A small Okinawa town in Bolivia, Tomo gets a new car, and thoughts on luck in Japan
Hello from Japan. We've been having some off-and-on problems with the J-List server, which we've gotten under control again, we ...
Japan’s population peaks, immigration, and all about Japanese car names
Hello again from Japan. I've made the 6760 miles (10,879 km) hop from Baltimore to Japan, and have slipped into ...
How corporate brands work differently in Japan, and on a “super-brand” you’ve probably never heard of
Hello again from Japan, where the Disney film Lady and the Tramp is known as Wanwan Monogatari or "The Tale ...
Various surprises that were waiting for me when I went to live in Japan
Before I moved to Japan, I had a lot of preconceptions about what life would be like here, based on ...
Japan, China and the ghosts of the past on both sides
There are big problems in China as demonstrators in several cities engage in protests against Japan, calling for boycotts of ...
Pouring your own beer in Japan, and what we could learn from the Japanese
You know you've lived in Japan too long when you're incapable of pouring your own beer. It's true -- in ...
The history of the Pocky company and Japan’s tiny land mass
Hello again from Japan, the home of such products as Mapple (map book), Crunky (crunchy chocolate) and Quickle Wiper (floor ...
What the month of March means to the Japanese
The month of March means different things to different people. In Japan it's a time of partings (wakare no kisetsu), ...
Right wingers in Japan, and what is the most popular anime?
Hello all. I'm running later than usual because my dentist needed to fix my teeth today, Wednesday, rather than Tuesday, ...
Ah, Sunny San Diego
Hello all. I am still in San Diego, enjoying the January warmth, which until I got here was the January ...
Yon-sama and variations on the word “Gambarimasu”
Hello all. Finishing a busy week, and am looking forward to taking the kids to the onsen, that is, hot ...
New Years in Japan
Hello all. Had a nice weekend. A friend from Tokyo came up and we had a New Year's Party (Shinenkai, ...
