On the magical blending of features in “haafu,” a Japan cell phone update, and some Japanese words I am passionate about
Somewhere between the staid features of futsu (normal) Japanese and the dizzying varieties of face, hair and body types seen ...
Tag: Japan
Thoughts on my father and Buddhism, the Mac-PC connection with being bilingual, and our cute American, Japanese daughter
Sunday was my father's meinichi, the anniversary of the day he died nine years ago (although Japanese are always puzzled ...
Confusingly noble business practices in Japan, ideas on gift-giving in Japanese society, and how cotton masks made $4 billion for AFLAC
Japan is always ready to surprise you in one way or another, and some of the business practices employed here ...
Multiple meaning of “wa,” raising bilingual kids, and what cute culture has to do with the rock band KISS.
Many English speakers know the Japanese word wa (和） which means harmony and peace, and in some cases additionally refers ...
Being an American in Japan during Thanksgiving, subtleties of Japanese pronunciation, and a cultural lesson for PSP owners
By and large, an American expat living in Japan has two choices when it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving: completely forget ...
American uniqueness vs. Japanese uniformity, a new debate on “beautiful Japan” and the little joys of living in Japan
Just as Americans are accustomed to thinking of our country as a union of semi-soverign states, each with its own ...
A delicious food that brings people together, naughty words in Japanese, and the tragedy of “ijime” in Japan
Last night we went to a friend's house to have one of my favorite dishes, nabe (NAH-beh), a word that ...
The triumphant return of an old Japanese favorite, a milestone for my son, and a source of sadness in Japanese society
Imagine if a food you ate every day were suddenly unavailable, say, hamburgers, just to pick an example. With no ...
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 ...
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 ...
