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 ...
Tag: Japanese language
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 ...
An expected bit of Irish in Japan, thoughts on Japan’s slow-changing educational system, and all about the concept of “kakko ii”
Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, a celebration of all things Irish in the U.S. and, presumeably, Ireland. As you might ...
The needless tragedy of ‘ijime,’ what’s easy and hard about learning Japanese, and the Japanese as the most expressive people on the planet
The other day I went to my son's school to watch the various end-of-year performances the students had prepared for ...
All about trains and fuzzy blue rabbits from London, linguistic quirks of the Japanese language, and finding someone’s “secret talent”
One thing I like about living in Japan is the rail culture here, so very different from the freeway- and ...
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 ...
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 ...
The reality of “learning Japanese,” Japan’s special relationship with garbage, and the history of the Japanese Postal Mark
One thing I've heard from foreigners who have recently come to Japan -- and which I've probably uttered myself a ...
Understanding world culture through Japanese hip hop music, thinking about thinking in a foreign language, and out with devils!
It's funny how culture criss-crosses the globe, never stopping at such laughable things as national borders as it flows to ...
Thoghts on learning Japanese back in 1987, the many nuances of Japanese name suffixes, and being romantic under an umbrella
I sometimes find myself thinking back to my college days when I first started learning Japanese, and it never fails ...
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 ...
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 ...
Learning about the brain through Madagascar, how names work in kanji in Japan, and a bizarre murder in Tokyo
We have a rule at our house: in order to help our kids become bilingual, we only watch DVDs from ...
Learning your own language by teaching ESL, funny English used in Japan, and all about chopsticks
One of the cool things about teaching ESL in Japan was learning my own language and its grammar. Language is ...
Thoughts on raising bilingual kids, comparing of names between Japan and the West, and what Carl Sagan has taught me
It's hard raising bilingual children in a country where English isn't used on a daily basis, except on signs that ...
Looking up when you walk, the Japanese custom of name stamps, and the J-List Year-End Party
I recently talked about how many Japanese professionals from businessmen to musicians to athletes seem to consider succeeding in the ...
How Japan’s writing system works, a summary of the past few years in kanji, and Japanese learning to deal with “hen na gaijin”
Kanji (KAHN-gee), the Chinese characters that the Japanese use to express most words in writing, is fascinating to Westerners because ...
Thoughts on ordering “peanuts butter,” a tasty Japanese treat in the winter, and a friend who can’t receive New Year’s Cards
You know you've been in Japan too long when your mother sends you a bottle of nutmeg spice for Christmas, ...
A very Buddhist way of looking at your house pets, how to beat the Chinese at kanji, and thoughts on Japan’s future
Pets are a part of our household in Japan, and currently we've got a dog (faithful old Sakura) and two ...
What Japanese think of foreigners who learn their language, odd ways to get cell phone customers, and American politics seen through Japanese eyes
I'm often asked what the Japanese think of foreigners who go out of their way to learn the language. I ...
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 ...
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 ...
What they teach in a Japanese “morals” class, smart tricks for studying a foreign language, and Japan’s newest otaku boom
It's always interesting to observe the large and small differences between schools here and back in the States. Both my ...
