Tag: Japan

I caught an interesting show on Japanese TV the other day called 子供に聞かせたい Kodomo ni Kikasetai! or "I Want to ...

One important concept in Japan is 和洋折衷 wayoh-setchu, which means "a blending of Japanese and Western" and which describes the ...

I've written before about the way Japan-related fandom can be a place where dreams come true. Many of Japan's professional ...

Although Japan has no historical connection to the American (actually Scottish) tradition of Halloween, there's been more and more attention ...

When you study a foreign language, it's natural to want to learn the "naughty" words first, but there's just one ...

Over the weekend I went to my son's high school to attend his last 文化祭 bunka-sai or culture festival, since ...

There are some rather unique professions in Japan, from the waitresses who work at cat girl maid cafes to people ...

There are many sides to Japanese pop culture, including anime, manga, moe-kei games, and cosplay. Another category with a long ...

What color is the sun? You might answer that it's yellow, or orange, or white. However, when asked this question ...

As with other countries, fashions are constantly in motion in Japan, heading off in new directions then doubling back every ...

Everyone is familiar with Japanese sake (酒, pronounced SAH-kay, never "saki"), the distilled rice wine known as "spring water" to ...

Quick, what color are your eyes? You may have answered blue or hazel or brown, but if you were Japanese, ...

In 1989 Japan enacted its first consumption tax (e.g. VAT or sales tax), forcing a 3% tax on purchases on ...

Fall is here in Japan, without a doubt my favorite time of the year since the weather is mild and ...

When you're married to a Japanese woman you should be prepared to hear some surprising observations every once in a ...

Living in a foreign country changes you, a fact I learned when, after just a year living in New Zealand ...

One theme I write a lot about is how the Japanese are interested in the outside world, and especially in ...

One concept you encounter quite a lot in Japan is 責任 sekinin, meaning responsibility or duty. Whether it's a clipboard ...

One of my first impressions of the Japanese people as I was growing up was that they love photography and ...

Japan's automobile market is quite different from what you may be used to in your own home country. For starters, ...

All Japan is in rapture right now over the announcement that Tokyo has been selected to host the 2020 Olympics. ...

Ever since idol culture took off in the early 1970s, Japan has had an affinity for pop idols, extremely cute ...

Living in a foreign country means more than just learning that country's language. It also means subtly taking the local ...

Over the weekend I went driving in the mountains of Gunma, and stopped at a P.A., which is a Japanese ...