Shinto funerals vs. Buddhist ones, what to wear to a funeral, and the three ages of anime
I attended a Japanese funeral over the weekend, after when the father of a friend passed away at the age ...
Tag: Golden Week
Concepts like giri and ninjo, eating raw fish in Boston and Hokkaido, and fun with a Japanese ear pick
No study of pop Japanology can be complete without exploring the twin concepts of giri and ninjo (義理と人情）, which crop ...
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 ...
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 ...
Coming to Japan from San Diego, changing Japanese views on alcohol, and Japan Autumn Report
Coming to Japan meant adjusting to many new things, from vending machines that accept the equivalent of $100 bills then ...
Some useful phrases for making a good impression in Japanese, Japan and the sweet potato-bank ATM connection, and fun at the San Diego Comicon
The San Diego Comic Con is underway, and although it's just gotten started, we're tired already, however it's the good ...
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 ...
Peter’s recommendations for karaoke, how kanji works, and where Japanese company names come from
I'm a fan of karaoke, and if there's a microphone nearby, you can bet I'll be willing to pick it ...
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 ...
A new electronics law in Japan, fun with hi-tech toilets, and some words to live by
Japan is declaring war on used electronics with the upcoming "PSE law" that will take effect next month. Basically, it's ...
All about Commodore Perry, more on Japan’s culture of “sho ga nai” and our “second house”
Hello again from Japan, the home of "rinse in shampoo" (which means shampoo that contains cream rinse in it). One ...
The origins of the Japanese flag, wacky theme parks found in Japan, and a whale who became an idol
The Japanese flag, with its red circle against a white background, has got to be one of the most recognizable ...
Golden Week, and thoughts on Japan being a “vertical” society
It's time once again for Golden Week, a series of Japanese holidays that happens to fall more or less within ...
Reflections on Japanese TV, and the history of Loose Socks
One of our favorite Japanese TV shows is Trivia no Izumi (the Fountain of Trivia, a title that sounds similar ...
Greetings from J-List 10/29/2004
Japan can sure be a perplexing place. When you buy a can of beer for 200 yen, it's a given ...
Greetings from J-List September 8, 2004
Hello from Japan, where a cleft chin is known as "ketsu-ago" (KEH-tsoo AH-go), literally meaning "butt-chin."Japan is the home of ...
Greetings from J-List July 30, 2004
You probably know that the Japanese eat whale, which is "kujira" in Japanese (some trivia for you: Godzilla got his ...
Greetings from J-List May 5, 2004
Hello again from Japan, where drivers should always practice "safety driving."When foreigners come to Japan for the first time, one ...
Greetings from J-List April 30, 2004
Hello again from Japan, home of cars with unique English names like the Honda "That's."I often think that the U.S. ...
Greetings from J-List April 26, 2004
Hello again from Japan, where the statement "not by the hair of my chinny chin chin" means something else entirely...First ...
Greetings from J-List August 1, 2003
Hello and TGIF from all of us in Japan! It's Friday in Japan, and I'm taking a rare day off ...
Greetings from J-List April 28, 2003
Hello from Japan, the home to the famous "cream powder" for your coffee called Creap. When learning Japanese, it's always ...
So you want to teach English in Japan?
Okay, here we go with Peter's Generic Information on Teaching in Japan Wherein the author give some slightly cynical information ...
Greetings from J-List February 10, 2003
Greetings from J-List! Want to know a Japanese joke? In Japanese, the word for Prime Minister is "sohri," which sounds ...
