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 ...
Tag: memes
The social problems of “hikikomori,” a Japan population update, and budding awareness of a scary holiday
One social problem that's being talked about more and more in Japan is hikikomori (hee-kee-KOH-MOH-ree, 引きこもり), a Japanese term that ...
Commomorating Karaoke Culture Day, a cruel joke on the population front, and all about mixed bathing in Japan
Japan is a big fan of naming special days to create awareness about things we take for granted, like Sweet ...
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 ...
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 ...
Culture shock related to cars, subtleties of language, and all about Japanese pocket tissue
When I first got to Japan, I had plenty of culture shock related to auto- mobiles. Cars are very important ...
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 ...
The end of Comicon again, thoughts on math and the abacus, and strategies for communication
It's that time of year again: the crowds have gone home, the D.C. Comics banners have been pulled down, and ...
Some useful phrases for making a good impression in Japanese, Japan and the sweet potato-bank ATM connection, and fun at the San Diego Comicon
The San Diego Comic Con is underway, and although it's just gotten started, we're tired already, however it's the good ...
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 ...
What you can learn about public baths from Street Fighter II, Japan and Yellow Cabs, and the end of 0%
There are many things to like about Japan: beautiful temples, delicious food, cherry blossoms, and Hello Kitty bento boxes. But ...
Notes from Anime Expo, culture shock and toilets, all about MOS Burger, and fun in Graceland
Hello again from an extremely enjoyable Anime Expo, which is still going on here in "Animeheim, CA." We're having lots ...
Back in the USA (and sleepy), English and my son’s spelling, and a theory of macro-economics
I've made the hop from Japan to the U.S. once again, going from the world of sushi and bullet trains ...
Language reflects on culture, fun with kanji and English words, and the mysteries of April 1 in Japan
I've always thought that language both reflects culture and influences it, and part of the reason the French are so ...
Wacky Japanese holidays, gift-giving and Kobe beef receiving, and what’s up with the word “gaijin”
Although the Japanese have a reputation for being diligent and hardworking, there are actually more legal holidays in Japan than ...
Japanese aesthetics not found in Vegas, how computers display Japanese, and bilingualism
We're on our way back from Las Vegas, tired but sated from our time here. The AVN show was good ...
Christmas vs. Buddhism in Japan, all about New Year’s, and a Japanese math problem for you to solve
The Christmas holiday means different things to different people, and each country has its own way of observing it. By ...
NHK and Japanese history, a shocking fire at 3 am, and the living-challenged in Japan
Well, the popular historical drama Yoshitsune has come to an end, and what an end it was. Every year Japan's ...
The Old West comes to Karuizawa, and World Peace through Japanese verb conjugations
This weekend we all got in the car and headed off to Karuizawa ("ka-roo-EE-za-wa"), our favorite mountain getaway, for a ...
Community spirit, Japan style, and what to do with old schools you don’t need anymore
J-List is based in a small city in central Japan, about 100 km north of Tokyo, and it has a ...
The Fall season in Japan, touching Japanese TV commercials, and a cosmic rule about pickles
Hello again from Japan. We're very sorry with the problems with the site after the last update -- we had ...
Humility in Japan, the many faces of apologies, and Japanese calendars
Hello again from J-List. We're a day late with the update because of some database related problems, but the update ...
Typhoon update, life in Gunma Prefecture, and ways that the Japanese walk to their own beat
Florida is getting pummeled by Hurricane Katrina, but Japan just got walloped by Typhoon No. 11, which dumped tons of ...
Japanese food for the summer including delicious eel, and a little on the nature of fame in Japan
The Japanese can be very seasonal people, going out of their way to enjoy each season for what it has ...
