The Way Smells Bring Out Memories
It's funny how different senses can bring out different memories. With Easter approaching, my mother sent us a care package ...
Tag: USA
Little Mis-Pronounciations of English in Japanese
The Japanese, of course, use a lot of English in their daily lives, even if serves mainly as a decoration, ...
Gaijin to get Language Requirement to Live in Japan?
There was a minor dust-up on the Internets in Japan this week after the government suggested that it might add ...
Thinking about elections in Japan vs. the USA, a mechanism for sexual equality, and information you can get from the Japanese news
There are two things that are really strange to watch in Japanese: sportscasters giving the play-by-play of an American football ...
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 ...
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 ...
Friday the 13th and superstitions from Japan, thoughts on how to approach learning, and my take on Heroes and Japanese actors
Hello and happy Friday the 13th, often considered to be a day of good luck in Japan, since many festivals ...
Weird new products in the U.S., getting Japanese onomatopoeia on the brain, and what to the Japanese think of us?
Whenever I come back to the U.S., I like to cruise the grocery stores to see what new products have ...
Thinking about “conformity” some more, making English easier for students to learn, and the Brazil you can visit from Tokyo for 1000 yen
I've written about conformity in one form or another a lot recently. The word isn't one that Americans probably have ...
Jet Lagging in the USA, ways that Japanese reflect total social harmony, and would you save your baby’s umbilical cord?
Well, once again I've made the hop from Japan to San Diego, which takes about 24 hours from door to ...
Japan’s amazing adaptions of “black culture,” all about gestures used by the Japanese, and what’s the currency of Japan?
The Japanese are very good at taking outside culture and adapting it to fit their own needs, and they have ...
American brands in Japan, video games for girls, and
One of the more amazing aspects of the Japanese is how aware they are of popular American brands. When my ...
How Cup Ramen became a part of our food culture, a new trend in vending machines, and my thoughts on the enigma of the “Japanese Female”
You may have seen that Momofuku Ando, the Father of Instant Ramen, died recently. Momofuku, whose name meant "one hundred ...
The art of faux pas in Japan, Internet-influenced advertising trends, and 100 “geniuses” the Japanese respect
I'll never forget the moment. In my first year of SDSU, my family got a Japanese homestay student who stayed ...
Good things and bad about living in Japan, more ways Japanese look to the West, and social benefits of love hotels
There are a lot of good things about living in Japan. Good food, from sushi to sashimi to Indian curry. ...
More on the concept of “senpai” including “gaijin seniority,” and the cutting edge of the female pachinko market
I talked last time about the invisible lines drawn between the three social groups in a Japanese school or organization, ...
Broken stereotypes of the Japanese, Japan’s love affair with “overseas dramas,” and Autumn, season of healthy appetites
Stereotypes are really not good, since they cause us to make assumptions about people from other countries before we've gotten ...
Japan’s most famous businessmen, when not to laugh at your students, and all about our prefecture
Japan's fascination with businessman Takafumi Horie (whose nickname is "Horiemon" because someone thought he looks like the character Doraemon) continues ...
New “keitai” phones for my family, all about Japanese names, and the Pluto – Gamilon connection
Saturday was "new keitai day" for our family, and we all went down to the local "au" store to get ...
Thoughts on raising kids bilingual, the origin of the name “Atari” and Our RV Trip
Well, our RV trip to the Grand Canyon is finally over. We had great fun and the kids were amazed ...
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 ...
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 ...
