The joy of “onigiri” rice balls, observations on cooperative elements of Japanese language, and man, that’s a really Nice Boat!
If you were to plan a picnic, you might pack a basket containing things like sandwiches, potato salad or maybe ...
Tag: Japanese language
Thoughts on Japan and group culture in anime, hard and difficult areas of Japanese, English etc., and various mysteries of life in Japan
Japan is famous for its cooperative group culture, and you can see this in many places, from clubs in schools ...
Foreigners’ relationship with Japanese slippers, International Pocky Day, and reading my wife’s English homework from 20 years ago
I'm often asked how I can come with so many observations about Japan, to which I usually respond that it's ...
Finding the geographic center of American English, adventures in New Zealand with plenty of sheep, and getting complimented on chopstick use
One question I've been asked by my ESL students in Japan is, just where is "standard" American English located geographically? ...
Funny moments in Japan, Tokyo’s famous Asakusa district, and limitations of Japanese “humility”
(It looks like we were experiencing some problems with the site due to heavy server load, although it's fixed now. ...
On the evolution of language into new forms, thoughts on internationally famous Japanese, and my connection with New Zealand
Every language is constantly evolving, and while the English major in me isn't always happy about the LOLification of my ...
Having fun with perceptions, all about Japanese steak, and my trip to a Caribbean Beach
Perceptions are funny things, and it's surprising how easily they can be wrong. One day a student of mine asked ...
Nuances of how you call people in Japanese, writing systems in Japanese and how they’ve changed, and gaijin fingerprinting
First, we apologize for an outage on the J-List and JBOX.com websites, which was caused by a bad router at ...
Internalizing a foreign culture through gestures, the current state of English conversation in Japan, and guess what day to day is?
Living in a foreign country means more than just learning that country's language. It also means subtly taking the local ...
Linguistic foibles in Japanese, “made-in-Japan” English words for people who like mayonnaise, and questions about inflation
The other day my wife asked me what a "window-breaker" was. I assumed she was asking about a type of ...
The mechanisms of Japan’s group structures, big differences in education between Japan and the U.S., and some useful Japanese words
The Japanese, as I've written many times, are quite group oriented, and it's interesting to observe some of the actual ...
More about the “second childhood” you get when learning a language, my daughter’s Sports Day, and all about the Toyoya Prius and Tezuka Osamu
Last time I mentioned the "second childhood" I'd enjoyed as a student of Japanese. It's true -- learning a foreign ...
Learning about Japan through late-night TV, update on international marriage in Japan, and learning Chinese “for free”
I watch more than a little late-night Japanese TV, and I enjoy its light- hearted goofiness. The other night I ...
“Respect for the Aged Day” in Japan, various ideas about the grammar of Japanese, and the joy of shared popular culture
Today is a holiday in Japan: Keiro no Hi, or Respect for the Aged Day. Celebrated nationally since 1966 -- ...
Frustration at teaching English in Japan, “sorry” to see Prime Minister Abe go, how to pronounce Japanese, and “see you later, bald person”
My wife has decided to volunteer at my daughter's elementary school as an assistant in the English classes they have ...
A big typhoon pummels Japan, thoughts on the concept of “standing out” and a fun word of Japanese for you
September is storm season in Japan, as we were reminded when Typhoon Fitow -- designated boringly as Typhoon No. 9 ...
Summer fireworks and reflections on language, the poor plight of Sumo’s most famous wrestler, and what’s up with those Japanese name stamps?
Hanabi (花火), meaning "flower fire" or fireworks, are part of summer in Japan, and you can't watch three hours of ...
On psychology and jealousy of gaijin living in Japan, thinking about Japanese grammar while in the bath, and using the Far Side in English class
I've written before about the psychology of ex-pats living in Japan, such as the the Three Stages of Eye Aversion ...
Japanese High school baseball update, things I’ve learned from teaching ESL, and the next “boom” to hit Japan — Vinegar Beer?
You never know where the next interesting "boom" will come from in Japan. Maybe it'll be a strange new fashion ...
Thoughts on e-books and other “revolutions,” the worst-run government program in history, and why you don’t want to be in a car in Japan now
Imagine what would happen if a quarter of all Americans lived in the Washington D.C. area instead of spread out ...
Challenges Apple’s iPhone will face in other language markets, like Japan
When I was in the U.S. I played with Apple's new iPhone in an Apple Store and immediately knew I ...
Thoughts on flying to Japan, comparing sports and sexy waitresses, and more oddities of written Japanese
Well, I've completed my return journey, and am safely back in Japan. Whenever people hear I'm flying across the Pacific ...
150,000 fans later, learning about Japan through the kanji for “child,” and comparing movies between Japan and the U.S.
Well, one weekend and a staggering 150,000 people later, the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con is past. It was a wild ...
Peter’s rant about “baka-gaijin” (with apologies to Chris Rock), thoughts on Japanese having an “American accent” and getting ready for Comicon!
Like every nation, Japan has a segment of people from other countries living there, although at just 1.5% of the ...
