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 ...
Tag: Japan
Funny things you may see in Japan, strategies for taking tests, and an important difference between Japanese and American schools
Hello again from Japan where getting your hair colored is known as a "hair manicure."For some reason, one of the ...
The Japanese fear of making mistakes, the end of the Japanese blood type myth, and panty shots in anime you didn’t expect to see
Although the Japanese generally study six years of English (or up to ten if they take it in college), they're ...
Thoughts on television in Japan, April and “newly harvested rice,” and that cultural question, what color is the sun?
Television (which turns 80 today) in Japan can be quite entertaining, and sometimes its fun to sit back on the ...
A magic Japanese phrase for you, home ownership Japan-style, and Japan as “producer heaven”
Last time I mentioned the magic words that may be responsible for much of the wa or harmony that Japan ...
What we can learn about culture and Star Wars from Japanese comedians, some reverse sexual discrimination, and all about “What is your Hobby?”
"What is your hobby?" This is one of the first phrases of English conversation that Japanese students learn, along with ...
The Japanese concept of “joshiki” (common sense), why there are rice fields everywhere in Japan, and would you pay $3500 to meet Michael Jackson?
One concept that's always interested me is joshiki (JOH-sh'kee) the Japanese "universal common sense" or knowledge that all reasonable people ...
The “Princess Di” of Japan, about Japan as a “vertical” society, and I can see the Sphinx from my house
There's a minor hullabaloo going on between Japan and Australia right now after the publication of a controversial book on ...
Understanding Japanese society through business cards, some fun Japanese words that are pregnant with meaning, and all about Shinjuku
I was making up some Japanese business cards for one of my employees yesterday, trying different layouts and fonts to ...
Japan as the land of safety, small conveniences of living in Japan, and the reason for that wacky “Engrish”
I've written before about how Japan is a very safe place -- so safe it might just kill you with ...
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 warmest winter ever in Japan, all about the Japanese kanji character ‘ki’ and excitement at my son’s school
We've been watching the extra-cold winter dumping lots of snow on the U.S. this year and feeling more than a ...
A Yakuza gang war in Tokyo, my trip to the concrete jungle of Tokyo, and how the wisdom of China is at work in Japan today
Japan has a reputation for being a peaceful place with very little in the way of violence, giant monsters emerging ...
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 ...
How the iTunes Japan store reflect Japan’s oddities, my mother-in-law and our old sofa, and understanding Japan through Big Macs
Slate.com ran an article yesterday on Apple's Japanese iTunes Music Store and how frustrating it was that fans of J-POP ...
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 ...
Going to ge a haircut and learning about Japanese culture instead, when Japanese people must become bold, and using songs to master Japanese
People talk about convergence all the time, of things coming together in a more convenient form. Living in Japan, one ...
The art of faux pas in Japan, Internet-influenced advertising trends, and 100 “geniuses” the Japanese respect
I'll never forget the moment. In my first year of SDSU, my family got a Japanese homestay student who stayed ...
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 ...
All about New Year’s Eve and Oshogasu in Japan, the big Kohaku TV event, and a New Year’s Card from us!
Hello again from J-List, where the country is preparing to say goodbye to the current year and ring in the ...
The start of Japan’s important Holiday Season, a local battle over a Ferris Wheel, and understanding Japanese humility through baseball players
Now that Christmas is past, Japan is getting ready for its own big season, Oshogatsu or New Year's Day, by ...
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 ...
