Commomorating Karaoke Culture Day, a cruel joke on the population front, and all about mixed bathing in Japan
Japan is a big fan of naming special days to create awareness about things we take for granted, like Sweet ...
Tag: family
What’s up with those big eyes and colored anime hair, and, understanding Japan’s great Meiji Restoration adventure
Many people first experience Japan through its animation, which has been a staple of entertainment here since Astro Boy was ...
More on the concept of “senpai” including “gaijin seniority,” and the cutting edge of the female pachinko market
I talked last time about the invisible lines drawn between the three social groups in a Japanese school or organization, ...
What they teach in a Japanese “morals” class, smart tricks for studying a foreign language, and Japan’s newest otaku boom
It's always interesting to observe the large and small differences between schools here and back in the States. Both my ...
Broken stereotypes of the Japanese, Japan’s love affair with “overseas dramas,” and Autumn, season of healthy appetites
Stereotypes are really not good, since they cause us to make assumptions about people from other countries before we've gotten ...
Politicial life after Koizumi, being at peace with taking your shoes off, and why Taro can’t code
The post-Koizumi era will soon be on us, now that Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe has officially been elected leader ...
Typhoons and destruction in Japan, Respect for the Aged Day, and a death sentence for Japan’s scariest cult leader
Typhoon season has arrived in Japan, with Typhoon No. 13 (named "Shanshan" by the American weather service, although no one ...
A new social problem for Japanese, famous English phrases including “Boys, Be Ambitious,” and the Japanese obsession with design
Among the many problems modern Japan faces is katsuji-banare (ka-TSU-jee bah-NAH-ray), or a growing detachment from printed characters. Japan publishes ...
More ways we foreigners can save Japan, all about “Nihonjinron” and superstitions about death
Last time I put forth the idea that perhaps one solution to Japan's birth rate woes might lie in international ...
New “keitai” phones for my family, all about Japanese names, and the Pluto – Gamilon connection
Saturday was "new keitai day" for our family, and we all went down to the local "au" store to get ...
August and Yasukuni Shrine, a very Buddhist holiday, and small drinks and Japanese girls’ butts
Well, I've made my little hop across the Pacific, and am once again in hot, humid, kawaii Japan. When people ...
Understanding Japan through job resumes, reflections on the word “otaku” and Obi-Wan on our “point of view”
One way to compare Japan's more structured society with the U.S. and Europe is to look at the standardized Japanese ...
Things Japanese don’t expect gaijin to be able to do, learning proverbs in Japanese, and reflections on my childhood
There are several methods of learning a foreign language, including grammar-translation (learning grammar and example sentences), Total Physical Response ("Simon ...
Thoughts on raising kids bilingual, the origin of the name “Atari” and Our RV Trip
Well, our RV trip to the Grand Canyon is finally over. We had great fun and the kids were amazed ...
All about bowing, something America has that Japan does not, and a strange buzzing sound
Can you hear that? The buzzing sounds you hear are the murmers of excitement being uttered by everyone who's going ...
My Narita Reconsideration, a very useful Japanese mantra, and an important virtue for Japanese to have
Like Tokyo Disneyland, the New Tokyo International Airport is not located in Tokyo, being situated in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, ...
The value of spending a year abroad, various definitions of “bilingual,” and observations on Japanese females
If you ever find yourself in the position of giving guidance to a young person, try to turn them onto ...
Fun in my Miata, all about Sake and what to avoid, and the sound of silence in Japanese
We're quite a Mazda family around here, with a Miata in San Diego, a Miata (or "Roadster," which Japanese think ...
Japan’s relationship to China and “Kampo” medicine, skills a foreigner in Japan needs, and all about tipping
Roughly speaking, Japan's historical relationship to China is similar to that of the West and ancient Rome and Greece: the ...
Japan’s education and going to school on Saturdays, the Protestant Work Ethic in Japan, and all about Japanese dentists
I've always been impressed with Japan's dedication to education, the great amount of national resources that are put into teaching ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
This year’s Meat Day celebration in Japan, my lust for American cell phones, and the meaning of “recycle” in Japan
The Japanese often play with numbers in interesting ways, converting the numerals into sounds to make messages. Through a phonetic ...
