More reflections on “freedom” and how it relates to James Dean, my trip to the Moon, and Japanese “standing nails”
Well, Otakon has passed and we're safely back in San Diego, our long, multi-stage vacation across America finally over. After ...
Tag: history
What you can learn about public baths from Street Fighter II, Japan and Yellow Cabs, and the end of 0%
There are many things to like about Japan: beautiful temples, delicious food, cherry blossoms, and Hello Kitty bento boxes. But ...
Back in the USA (and sleepy), English and my son’s spelling, and a theory of macro-economics
I've made the hop from Japan to the U.S. once again, going from the world of sushi and bullet trains ...
Nostalgia and the Showa Era, a serious definition of “coincidence” and World Cup bad news
Like most people, the Japanese have a tendency to look back with fondness on bygone eras, which they often sum ...
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 ...
Back in Japan with culture shock, all about Japanese dialects, perceptions between countries and A-Kon wrap up
Well, I'm back in Japan now, the land of sushi and small cars and very cute things. No matter how ...
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 ...
Election comparisons in Japan and California, Marie Antoinette’s anime connection, and wow, a dollar buys so much!
It certainly is nice to be back home in San Diego for a brief vacation in between anime conventions, and ...
Buddhism and Japan’s identity, an air-raid siren at noon, and
Japan is a Buddhist nation, and despite many other influences such as the indigenous animistic Japanese religion of Shinto, Confucianism ...
Experiments with Japanese literature, my impressions on positives and negatives education in Japan, and squid ink pizza
Coming to Japan brought many surprises for me, and not just the usual things like beer vending machines and ikasumi ...
Traffic safety week, things you have to get used to in Japan, and all about the Yakuza
Japan has one of the lowest birthrates of any modern nation, with just 1.38 children born per couple, which will ...
Spring vacation without kids, our trip to some hot hot springs, and all about Jidai Geki
It's spring vacation in Japan now, and rather than having the kids hanging around the house with nothing to do, ...
The new Tokyo Tower, an experiment in conformity, and classics of Japanese literature
There's a perception that the Japanese are more conformist than people in Europe or the States. Leaving aside the question ...
Cultural reasons behind self-introductions in Japan, how to find good sushi, and Zeta Gundam III
A word you hear a lot in Japan is jiko shoukai (自己紹介) which just means "self introduction" but which has ...
History and our “national personality,” famous Japanese of the world stage, and putting dogs to sleep in Japan
History is in all of us, and each nation has its own unique quirks or features that come about as ...
Earthquakes and Japan’s islands, a parable about the sexes in Japan, and an update on the Imperial Family’s problems
Japan is an atoll of more than 3000 large and small islands, with the major ones being the main island ...
The concept of honesty in Japan, our New Year’s Day prayer, and winter snow report
I've always believed that people will be what you expect them to be, and if you assume that people are ...
A watershed year for Japan, notes on Japanese education and university life, and Alo-Hello USA!
Hello from sunny San Diego. We've made the hop from Japan to the U.S. to enjoy our first Christmas at ...
NHK and Japanese history, a shocking fire at 3 am, and the living-challenged in Japan
Well, the popular historical drama Yoshitsune has come to an end, and what an end it was. Every year Japan's ...
All about Japanese roads, a Mongolian sumo wrestler does good, and goodbye Mr. Miyagi
You've been in Japan too long when you see a road with two lanes going in the same direction and ...
Educational game shows, winter coming to Japan, and the eerie, sad story of Minako Honda
I've always been impressed with how serious Japan is about education, and a lot of energy is spent on coming ...
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 ...
December tests in Japan, my favorite place in my prefecture, and a cool Japanese artist
The month of December means many things: Christmas, spending time with loved ones, and what the Japanese call "shiwasu," that ...
