Barrier to white people learning Japanese: Kanji
Without a doubt, one of the big barriers to learning Japanese are the kanji, the Chinese characters that communicate meaning ...
Tag: family
A useful word of Japanese, Japan’s seasonal nature, and how to teach an 80 year old Japanese war veteran about the Internet
I've got a bit of a problem. On January 1st we did what we always do, visiting my wife's family, ...
Learning about trust in a drinking establishment in Japan, why Japanese kids love New Year’s Day, and what is a “tish”?
When a person goes to live in a foreign country, it's natural that he encounter some words and concepts that ...
Happy New Year from J-List, observations on culture and gaijin, a dearth of new adults in Japan, and Japan as “supplier heaven”
Akemashite omedetou to all J-List readers! We had a nice, quiet New Year's Day, relaxing in the morning and watching ...
Comparing my kids Japanese and American personalities, more on what makes Japanese people tick, and all about sitting on the floor in Japan
We hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday, wherever you are in the world. We had a great day, complete ...
Thoughts on Christmas in Japan vs. America, my surprising first Christmas in Japan, and Japanese food for poor single men
Well, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and we're all getting ready for a wonderful Christmas around ...
The interesting status of voice actors in Japan, shortening foreign words in English and Japanese, and ways that the Japanese aren’t so polite
Anime has really gotten big in the U.S. in recent years, changing the face of popular culture as people are ...
Needing a sixth sense to communicate with people from other countries, this year’s kanji, and all about “smorking”
Talking with people from other cultures often requires a sense for words that's quite unrelated to speaking a foreign language. ...
Goodbye to New York, examining Japan’s Buddhism and Shinto religions, Buddhist Altars, and fun linguistic coincidences
Well, our fun time in New York is at an end, and now it's time to head back to San ...
My hop to New York, narrowly dodging staying in the city’s worst hotel, and comparing it to the Star Wars Cantina
I've made the long hop from Japan to New York, and I'm now enjoying the 19 degree (with wind chill) ...
My family treating me like an “American,” thoughts on learning a foreign language, and the pain of sitting in “seiza” style
Being an American in rural Japan can be a challenge, and while I do my best to fit in with ...
Foreigners’ relationship with Japanese slippers, International Pocky Day, and reading my wife’s English homework from 20 years ago
I'm often asked how I can come with so many observations about Japan, to which I usually respond that it's ...
Finding the geographic center of American English, adventures in New Zealand with plenty of sheep, and getting complimented on chopstick use
One question I've been asked by my ESL students in Japan is, just where is "standard" American English located geographically? ...
A useful Japanese slang word, changing in the Japanese savings rate, and one “key” to understanding Japan and America (?)…
Recently we took our daughter to a resort hotel in Kusatsu, a hot springs town in the mountains with more ...
Thoughts on biculturalism and Halloween, types of ramen you should try, and my fascination with Japanese females
Happy Halloween from J-List. Halloween is one of those "American" holidays (although originally Irish and Scottish) that has a way ...
Little differences between Japan and America like sandwiches, crime and honesty in Japan, and vending machine costumes?
Sometimes it's fun to notice the little differences between Japan and the U.S., like the way packaging of products is ...
On the evolution of language into new forms, thoughts on internationally famous Japanese, and my connection with New Zealand
Every language is constantly evolving, and while the English major in me isn't always happy about the LOLification of my ...
Having fun with perceptions, all about Japanese steak, and my trip to a Caribbean Beach
Perceptions are funny things, and it's surprising how easily they can be wrong. One day a student of mine asked ...
Nuances of how you call people in Japanese, writing systems in Japanese and how they’ve changed, and gaijin fingerprinting
First, we apologize for an outage on the J-List and JBOX.com websites, which was caused by a bad router at ...
Questions about ice cream in Japan, on Japanese students who use their dictionaries too much, and funny corporate slogans in English
I was once asked if the Japanese eat any flavors of ice cream other than Green Tea. The answer, of ...
You’ve been in Japan too long when you ‘teach’ someone your phone number, all about the history of Panasonic, and fun with English phrases in Japan
"You've been in Japan too long when you 'teach' someone your phone number." Of course, we all use different words ...
Thoughts on how the Japanese define “family,” confusion over English lyrics in Japanese songs, and how to tell a Korean from a Japanese
We've got a bit of a running joke in our family. South Korean television dramas are popular in Japan, and ...
A trip to a Japanese doctor’s office, insights into Japanese home remodeling, and differences between Gaijin and Japanese
I was feeling a little under the weather the other day so I went for a visit to our local ...
