American-style shopping in Japan, the shadow of MC Hammer in TV commercials, and what does baseball have to do with ham?
Last weekend my son and I decided to stop by Aeon, a sprawling American-style shopping mall that recently opened near ...
Tag: Japan
Japanese tricks to memorize anything, fun with “companions” in Tokyo, and thoughts on evangelical Buddhism
Hello again from Japan, where it's believed that only good things happen on Friday the 13th. There was a lot ...
Reasons why we hate living next to North Korea, all about the word ‘kawaii’ and a complex social concept
Japan is buzzing about North Korea's reported underground nuclear test, which took place a few hours ago. The news comes ...
Staying healthy with “Ningen Dock,” being tormented by images of Kyoto, and the Japan-Helen Keller connection
Yesterday was time for my annual top-to-bottom physical, called Ningen Dock, a name that implies a human (ningen) "drydock" where ...
A new social problem for Japanese, famous English phrases including “Boys, Be Ambitious,” and the Japanese obsession with design
Among the many problems modern Japan faces is katsuji-banare (ka-TSU-jee bah-NAH-ray), or a growing detachment from printed characters. Japan publishes ...
Seeing Japan through iced coffee goggles, relieving stress through coloring books, and how we gaijin can save Japan from its falling birthrate!
Whenever my wife and I try a new restaurant we order aisu kohi, which we use to judge the dedication ...
The hierarchy of language in Japan, trouble for “unhurried education” and, is my wife a Desperate Housewife?
Hello again from Japan, where, when two people say the same thing at the same time, they're then supposed to ...
Understanding Japan through job resumes, reflections on the word “otaku” and Obi-Wan on our “point of view”
One way to compare Japan's more structured society with the U.S. and Europe is to look at the standardized Japanese ...
Observations on America as a “free” country, what that means to the Japanese, and questions about Burger King and Dairy Queen
My son and I continue to enjoy our mini-vacation here in Baltimore, and it's been fun to watch his reactions ...
San Diego Comicon 2006
I sure know how to keep busy. The San Diego Comicon ended just two days ago, but I'm already several ...
All about bowing, something America has that Japan does not, and a strange buzzing sound
Can you hear that? The buzzing sounds you hear are the murmers of excitement being uttered by everyone who's going ...
The value of spending a year abroad, various definitions of “bilingual,” and observations on Japanese females
If you ever find yourself in the position of giving guidance to a young person, try to turn them onto ...
Learning to count chopsticks in Japanese, the meaning of GOD HAIR & MAKE, and Japan’s new yaoi boom
When you learn a language as different from English as Japanese is, some things are going to be challenging, such ...
The first Japanese person to visit the USA, new tragedy of Japan’s society, and all about Japanese culture shock
The first Japanese person to visit America was Manjiro Nakahama, a 14-year-old fisherman who was rescued in 1841 by an ...
All about Pizza in Japan, how Japanese social relationships work smoothl, and things I’ve learned about my brain
I remember my first time ordering Pizza over the phone in Japan. I'd studied four years of the language at ...
The subject of patriotism in Japan, bilingualism and the mystery of translation, and J-Culture in H-Games
One debate going on in Japan right now is what role patriotism should play in society. Currently, Japanese are perhaps ...
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 ...
Japan and “acting your age,” all about Japanese seaweed, and the official dictionary of Japan
I've written before about how the "eyes of others" (hito no me) can be a strong force in keeping Japanese ...
The “eyes of others” as a social engine, interesting new directions for 7-11 in Japan, and fun with Japanese words part XXVI
One of the engines that drives Japanese society and makes Japanese people the way they are is called hito no ...
Modern Japanese problems and “Amakudari,” politeness in Japan, and when to show reflection for something
First of all, the J-List website was down for a few hours on Friday night due to a server glitch, ...
Valentine’s Day and Chocolate in Japan, learning about Japan through “fighting five team” shows, and Japanese linguistic poverty
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and all throughout Japan men are looking forward to receiving the gift of chocolate from females ...
Japan and its paper doors, young people who imitate James Dean, and bilingualism tricks with kids
Japan's come a long way from the classic image of "paper houses," but paper is still commonly used in modern ...
The buzz around Horie’s arrest, Horie as a “standing nail,” and info on Japanese names
Japan is all abuzz about the arrest of entrepreneur Takafumi Horie and his staff on investor fraud charges. A highly ...
Las Vegas, the Japanese concept of “face,” and the best sauce for your eggs
Hello from happenin' Las Vegas. We're here at the AVN Expo and having lots of fun talking with customers and ...
