Being sick in Japan and America, the concept of “political correctness” in Japanese, and all about Japan’s famous alcoholic drink, sake
Japan is a fun place -- the people are nice, the sights are beautiful, and you get to have wacky ...
Tag: gaijin
Anime Expo update, advice on traveling in Japan, on the idea of Japan as “#81” and two words every pop Japanologist must know
We're still here at Anime Expo in Long Beach, and it's been a real blast. Monday is the last day ...
Our plan to “reform” our home in Japan, the joys of getting citizenship, and times when Japan just throws you for a loop
Our plan to "reform" (remodel) our house in Japan is continuing apace, as we prepare to redo our bath area, ...
The only country where eating quietly is strange, how ethanol can affect the price of soy sauce, and gaijin drinking rules
First of all, we had a problem with checkout on the J-List and JBOX.com websites that caused orders to not ...
More ways that Japanese group dynamics operate, linguistic land mines, and how to really appreciate Pop Tarts and Peanut Butter
I talked last time about some of the mechanisms that are in place to keep Japan's group-oriented society running smoothly, ...
More fun at Star Wars Celebration IV, all about Japanese bathing, and some interesting ways you can study Japanese (or anything)
The Star Wars Celebration IV convention continues, and we're having lots of fun. Highlights have included Carrie Fisher coming by ...
Gaijin battling to be the “King of Akihabara,” silly thoughts on Japanese company names, and life sometimes being fair in your favor
One Japanese TV show that never fails to please is TV Champion, which pits exceptional people against each other in ...
Living in Japan and changes in your native language, of Golden Week and flying carp, and a “Gaijin Battle” on Japanese TV
Living in Japan means adapting to many things, not the least of which is modifying your native language. When I ...
Japan’s amazing adaptions of “black culture,” all about gestures used by the Japanese, and what’s the currency of Japan?
The Japanese are very good at taking outside culture and adapting it to fit their own needs, and they have ...
Japan and its interesting top-down society, a trip to the park, and all about Japan and conveyor-belt sushi
One of the more interesting aspects of Japan is the top-down nature of its society, how it's ostensibly structured in ...
American brands in Japan, video games for girls, and
One of the more amazing aspects of the Japanese is how aware they are of popular American brands. When my ...
Embarrassments of being a foreigner in Japan, Japan’s latest “rose boom” and words that feature a unique kanji
Hello again from Japan, where the zipper in your pants is known as the "window of society" (shakai no mado).As ...
Happy news at Torino, things foreigners find odd when they come to Japan, and all about Japanese heaters
The Torino Olympics have been going on for two weeks, and Japanese fans have been eagerly watching all the events ...
Being fixated on Japanese, bittersweet themes in anime, and my recent culture shock
When you spend many hours focusing on something, whether it's building a model train set or learning a foreign language, ...
The cell phone industry in Japan, ways that language reflects culture, and buying a “mansion”
The local cell phone industry has been turned on its ear by the news that Europe's Vodafone was quitting the ...
All about the word “banzai,” a giant love hotel in my city, and more on differences between languages
The word banzai is one of the most well-known Japanese phrases in the West, up there with geisha, samurai, ninja ...
Our love of Japanese hot springs, thoughts on government and the private sector, and the most beautiful Pocky box ever
As part of my son's homework, he keeps a diary about the past day's events, alternating entries between Japanese and ...
Japan’s shock over Virginia Tech, how Japanese names work, and on the psychology of foreigners in Japan
Japan is numbly watching the aftermath of the sad events at Virginia Tech as they unfold. Much like Europe, it's ...
Funny things you may see in Japan, strategies for taking tests, and an important difference between Japanese and American schools
Hello again from Japan where getting your hair colored is known as a "hair manicure."For some reason, one of the ...
The most-quoted phrase by pop Japanologists, the reason for Japanese innovation, and stupid Japanese money tricks
No consideration of Japan is complete without the often-quoted-by-gaijin- who-are-experts-on-Japan phrase deru kui wa utareru (DE-ru KOO-ee wa oo-TAH-reh-ru), which ...
A magic Japanese phrase for you, home ownership Japan-style, and Japan as “producer heaven”
Last time I mentioned the magic words that may be responsible for much of the wa or harmony that Japan ...
An Incredible Otaku Journey, Earthquakes can be Fun, and Weird Accounting Tricks in Japanese
I got a reminder that Japan is very much a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire yesterday when a ...
All about trains and fuzzy blue rabbits from London, linguistic quirks of the Japanese language, and finding someone’s “secret talent”
One thing I like about living in Japan is the rail culture here, so very different from the freeway- and ...
On the relationship of foreigners and the Japanese, the “gaijin samurai” and an unexpected crime wave in Japan
All countries have foreigners living in their midst, whether its a Swedish college student working for a season at a ...
