Looking back on 15 years of anime fandom, Japan’s culture of flowers, and pouring your own drink
Hello from beautiful San Jose. We've been enjoying the vibrant anime fans here at Fanime Con, and if you're in ...
Tag: culture
The subject of international marriage in Japan, how foreigners live in Japan, and fully perceptions of other countries
One subject of interest in Japan is kokusai kekkon, or international marriage involving a Japanese and a person from another ...
The subject of patriotism in Japan, bilingualism and the mystery of translation, and J-Culture in H-Games
One debate going on in Japan right now is what role patriotism should play in society. Currently, Japanese are perhaps ...
Ways to save the Japanese from extinction, the darling of figure skating, and cell phones for kids?
With Japan's population having already peaked, the country is undergoing a national debate about how to raise its brith rate. ...
Experiments with Japanese literature, my impressions on positives and negatives education in Japan, and squid ink pizza
Coming to Japan brought many surprises for me, and not just the usual things like beer vending machines and ikasumi ...
Golden Week in Japan, “indoctronating” my bilingual kids, and all about the otaku
We're right in the middle of Golden Week, a cluster of Japanese holidays that usually fall near each other. One ...
The link between North Korea and Japan, Japan’s many seasons, and imitation being the sincerest form of flattery
The major link between North Korea and Japan is a cruise ship called the Mangyonbon-go, which makes regular trips between ...
Japan’s train culture, all about rice and the Japanese, and the Japanese word “ne”
Japan is a very rail-centric place, and trains are a big part of life here. In big cities like Tokyo, ...
The tradition of sitting on the floor in Japan, differences in business culture, and using non sequitors in Japanese
One tradition every foreigner living in Japan must come to terms with is sitting on the floor. The Japanese do ...
Spring vacation without kids, our trip to some hot hot springs, and all about Jidai Geki
It's spring vacation in Japan now, and rather than having the kids hanging around the house with nothing to do, ...
Language reflects on culture, fun with kanji and English words, and the mysteries of April 1 in Japan
I've always thought that language both reflects culture and influences it, and part of the reason the French are so ...
Funny English used in Japan, Japanese subject particles, and understanding culture through shoes
Perhaps more than any other people, the Japanese import words from other languages for their daily use, nearly always taking ...
Bilingualism and “English wars” between my kids, the American-or-British question, and 4-kanji phrases
I've always been fascinated with the subject of bilingualism, of how the brain adapts to thinking in two languages, and ...
American magazines in the Japanese news marketplace, creases on your eyelids, and the truth about slurping noodles
Japan is a very literate nation, and there are many daily newspapers and weekly magazines that report and compile the ...
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 ...
Valentine’s Day and Chocolate in Japan, learning about Japan through “fighting five team” shows, and Japanese linguistic poverty
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and all throughout Japan men are looking forward to receiving the gift of chocolate from females ...
Japanese Buddhist attitudes about land, and ruminations on when I first arrived in Japan
One big difference between Japan and America is the attitude people have towards land and personal mobility. In the U.S. ...
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 ...
Japan’s lack of faith in construction, new foods you can eat in Japan, and the J-List Year-End Party
Japan is a nation founded on construction, and much of the country's modern economy is derived from building roads, bridges, ...
Japan’s lack of faith in construction, new foods you can eat in Japan,
Japan is a nation founded on construction, and much of the country's modern economy is derived from building roads, bridges, ...
Japanese recommendations for living longer, sadness in the news, and all about capsule toys
The Japanese are some of the longest-lived people on the planet, with women living 84 years and men 78 years, ...
A new way of thinking about Japanese animation, and this year’s Japanese slang words
Japanese animation has been a huge influence on the West over the years, and there are many ways that American ...
Japan as the land of contradictions, the benefits of teaching ESL, and our Mona Neko T-shirts
Japan is nothing if not a land of contradictions, where you can connect to the Internet via a high speed ...
