All about the Japanese word “Gambaru” (do your best)
One word that comes up in anime a lot is gambaru (gahn-BAH-roo, alternately written ganbaru, in Japanese 頑張る), a happy, ...
Tag: kids
Learning about the subtleties of Japan through children’s programming
Living in Japan can bring you into contact with concepts that may be difficult to wrap your mind around. While ...
Observations on Japanese education, and “No Media Day”
The other day I came home from work to spend some time with the kids, and I suggested popping a ...
Juken season in Japan — time to eat your Kit Kat!
Right now it's juken (test) season in Japan, when hundreds of thousands of high school students take the university entrance ...
How to make a fool of yourself in front of a famous Japanese artist
One of the defining features of the Japanese as a people is that they are generally kenson (KEN-son), that is, ...
Thoughts on men and women and marriage, things that surprise foreigners in Japan, and how we sound to the Japanese
Yesterday my wife and I went to our favorite restaurant and noticed that the girl who had been working there ...
A useful word of Japanese, Japan’s seasonal nature, and how to teach an 80 year old Japanese war veteran about the Internet
I've got a bit of a problem. On January 1st we did what we always do, visiting my wife's family, ...
Learning about trust in a drinking establishment in Japan, why Japanese kids love New Year’s Day, and what is a “tish”?
When a person goes to live in a foreign country, it's natural that he encounter some words and concepts that ...
Happy New Year from J-List, observations on culture and gaijin, a dearth of new adults in Japan, and Japan as “supplier heaven”
Akemashite omedetou to all J-List readers! We had a nice, quiet New Year's Day, relaxing in the morning and watching ...
Back in Japan and getting ready for New Year’s, my respect for hard work, and a great way to get money in 2008!
Hello again from J-List. Once again we've made the hop from San Diego to Japan, traveling the 5443 miles (8759 ...
Comparing my kids Japanese and American personalities, more on what makes Japanese people tick, and all about sitting on the floor in Japan
We hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday, wherever you are in the world. We had a great day, complete ...
Thoughts on Christmas in Japan vs. America, my surprising first Christmas in Japan, and Japanese food for poor single men
Well, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and we're all getting ready for a wonderful Christmas around ...
The interesting status of voice actors in Japan, shortening foreign words in English and Japanese, and ways that the Japanese aren’t so polite
Anime has really gotten big in the U.S. in recent years, changing the face of popular culture as people are ...
My family treating me like an “American,” thoughts on learning a foreign language, and the pain of sitting in “seiza” style
Being an American in rural Japan can be a challenge, and while I do my best to fit in with ...
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 ...
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. ...
Thoughts on biculturalism and Halloween, types of ramen you should try, and my fascination with Japanese females
Happy Halloween from J-List. Halloween is one of those "American" holidays (although originally Irish and Scottish) that has a way ...
Thoughts on how English loan words are used in Japanese, public affection in the English classroom, and the “V” sign
Sometimes it can seem that the Japanese use of creative English is totally random. I mean, how can you quantify ...
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 ...
Thoughts on how the Japanese define “family,” confusion over English lyrics in Japanese songs, and how to tell a Korean from a Japanese
We've got a bit of a running joke in our family. South Korean television dramas are popular in Japan, and ...
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 ...
