Japan as the land of the middle class, thoghts on Japan and Krispy Kreme, and fun Japanese things you can put on your car
Japan is nothing if not the land of contradictions. On the one hand, society has been organized in a vertical ...
Tag: gaijin
A new appreciation for American medicine, all about the word ‘baka’ and a really annoying girl in a yellow dress who I can’t stop listening to…
It was Thomas Paine -- a possible ancestor of mine, although I somehow doubt it -- who uttered the words, ...
The history of Valentine’s Day in Japan, thoughts on why the Japanese are so harmonious, and a really cute picture of the Yamato
You probably know that they do Valentine's Day a little differently in Japan than in the West. Here, Feb. 14th ...
The reality of “learning Japanese,” Japan’s special relationship with garbage, and the history of the Japanese Postal Mark
One thing I've heard from foreigners who have recently come to Japan -- and which I've probably uttered myself a ...
Shrinking the Earth and watching Football, all about the word “sumimasen” and the four islands of Japan
That old planet Earth, she just keeps on getting smaller and smaller, and it's a lot of fun to sit ...
Culture shock for foreigners coming to Japan, reflections on the Japanese word “nantonaku” and test culture as a Great Democritizer in Japan
When a foreigner comes to live in Japan, he or she is in for some changes. I remember my first ...
All about Japan’s most enigmatic food natto, how reading your Hemingway can help you under modern otaku culture, and a happy day for a town in Japan
The fermented soybeans known as natto (NAT-toh) are one of the most famous foods in Japan, enjoyed throughout the country, ...
About police and “police boxes” in Japan, learning to mispronounce your own language, and various meanings of “genki”
The subject of Japan's police is an interesting one. Japan's boys in blue are organized under the umbrella of the ...
Coming of Age Day in Japan, on Japanese puns used in TV commercials, and right wing politics at work in Japan
Today is a holiday in Japan, Seijin-no-hi, or Coming of Age Day. Venture into any Japanese city right now and ...
Learning about how your brain works through Japanese, looking back on Japan since 1991, and services gaijin render to Japan
One thing I like about learning another language is the understanding you get of how your own brain works, not ...
Learning your own language by teaching ESL, funny English used in Japan, and all about chopsticks
One of the cool things about teaching ESL in Japan was learning my own language and its grammar. Language is ...
Extremely warm Christmas greetings from Guam, comparisons of Christmas, and using a “contrite attitude” to get government documents
The warmest Christmas Greetings from J-List! We hope that everyone is having an great holiday wherever you are, surrounded by ...
What the Japanese think of Americans, our trip to Guam, and ah, the smell of kerosene in the morning
As an expat American living away from my home country, it's sometimes interesting to ask the Japanese people around me ...
Thoughts on raising bilingual kids, comparing of names between Japan and the West, and what Carl Sagan has taught me
It's hard raising bilingual children in a country where English isn't used on a daily basis, except on signs that ...
On the magical blending of features in “haafu,” a Japan cell phone update, and some Japanese words I am passionate about
Somewhere between the staid features of futsu (normal) Japanese and the dizzying varieties of face, hair and body types seen ...
Looking up when you walk, the Japanese custom of name stamps, and the J-List Year-End Party
I recently talked about how many Japanese professionals from businessmen to musicians to athletes seem to consider succeeding in the ...
How Japan’s writing system works, a summary of the past few years in kanji, and Japanese learning to deal with “hen na gaijin”
Kanji (KAHN-gee), the Chinese characters that the Japanese use to express most words in writing, is fascinating to Westerners because ...
The role of trains in Japan, funny observations on society here, and Christmas comes early
Japan is a very rail-centric place compared to the U.S., and trains are a much larger part of society than ...
Multiple meaning of “wa,” raising bilingual kids, and what cute culture has to do with the rock band KISS.
Many English speakers know the Japanese word wa (和） which means harmony and peace, and in some cases additionally refers ...
Education and high school dropouts in Japan, Japanese in touch with their history, and the biggest shock Japanese get when they go to the U.S.
I caught a post on Slashdot the other day about a surge in high school dropouts in the U.S., and ...
Interesting careers open to gaijin in Japan, getting used to strange words, and do you know what year it is?
I get a lot of mail from people who'd like to live in Japan someday, and I do my best ...
American uniqueness vs. Japanese uniformity, a new debate on “beautiful Japan” and the little joys of living in Japan
Just as Americans are accustomed to thinking of our country as a union of semi-soverign states, each with its own ...
What Japanese think of foreigners who learn their language, odd ways to get cell phone customers, and American politics seen through Japanese eyes
I'm often asked what the Japanese think of foreigners who go out of their way to learn the language. I ...
Things that can always freak a gaijin out, the Japanese penchant for talking over songs on the radio and what is a “real house”?
No matter how long a person lives in Japan, there are always things that can bring on what expats here ...
