Tag: Japan

One of the more interesting paradoxes about Japan is the way around 70% of people here will insist they don't ...

One question I'm asked sometimes is, how do Japanese feel about otaku? Originally a semi-formal way to say "you" or ...

Over the years I've read several novels by James Clavell, which were loosely based on history and set in Hong ...

The Japanese are big fans of television, and watch 2-6 hours of TV per day on average, depending on their ...

Two important concepts related to Japan are 建前 tatemae (tah-teh-mah-eh) and 本音 honne (hon-neh), which essentially mean "the facade or ...

A few days ago the father of a friend of ours passed away, so we had to go into "Japanese ...

One part of Peter's Unified Theory of Japan™ is that the country follows behind the West socially, taking its cues ...

One of my favorite aspects of Japan is definitely the train culture here, and it's always fun to take a ...

I like to think I've made the most of my time in Japan, having a wide range of experiences in ...

Over the years certain companies have found success here in Japan, including Nestle (they celebrate a century of selling coffee ...

One thing I write about often is how the Japanese are very sensitive to how they're viewed internationally, and how ...

When dealing with other languages there's plenty of potential for words that are similar in sound to become confused in ...

Language reflects the character of the people who use it, and this is definitely true of Japanese. One of the ...

In addition to hay fever season in Japan, it's also time to prepare for the start of the new school ...

One aspect of the Japanese I'm a fan of is their humility, the general tendency to be self-effacing and avoid ...

Japan was a very different place when I came here back in 1991. Back then, foreigners were happy if we ...

While Japanese television is well-stocked with variety shows, live music shows and contemporary and historical dramas, some of the programs ...

I write a lot about how Japan is one of the safest and most peaceful countries in the world. Murders ...

Before the Internet, Japan was a truly mysterious place, and it was difficult to access information about the country from ...

Japan is probably the only country where eating too quietly will get comments from people around you. The correct way ...

One of the more enjoyable aspects to living in Japan is the constant stream of entertaining TV commercials, and I ...

Although Japan's economy is limping along with little if any real growth, its official unemployment rate is an enviably low ...

Everyone knows that rice is the staple food of the Japanese, and it really is -- most people in Japan ...

Japan is currently experiencing a wave early retirements as dozens of teachers, police officers and other public servants move their ...