This is a blog post about Japanese culture. Japan is an island country surrounded by the sea and is blessed with nature. One of the characteristics of Japanese culture, which is an island country, is to cherish everything in the flow of nature without going against nature. In this article, I will explain the characteristics of Japanese culture that are faithful to this view of nature and the differences between Western culture. By all means, I would like many foreigners to know the good old culture of Japan.
Why working from home with a pandemic is useful for learning Japanese. The recent pandemic has forced people all over the world to adopt remote work, and it has become a kind of experiment in the way we work. The forms of communication and collaboration between people are changing every day, and we may never …
Why Remote Work is Beneficial for Learning Japanese. Read More »
These days there are increasing opportunities for Japanese learners, mainly expatriates relocated in Japan to talk with native Japanese speakers (via online, or in real life). However, even those that have been there for some time often say they tend to be anxious about making “casual conversation” with them. Here’s what can be done about …
Tips for Japanese learners feeling that they’re not making progress Read More »
Japanese food culture Pot Nabe On cold days, the pot is great for warming your mind and body. Here are some of the most popular varieties in Japan. Gathering around a steaming pot is a classic way to prevent winter blue in Japan. The pot is placed on a portable heat source (usually a gas …
Eto Eto is a zodiac animal that forms a 12-year cycle. From November to December, next year’s animals will begin to appear in various seasonal products sold in New Year’s cards and in Japan. From mouse to wild boar The idea of animals in the zodiac, which represent different years with a 12-year cycle, originally …
Japanese women in kimono. It seems that many Japanese people always wear kimono, carry Asian parasols on their backs, and wear sandals to walk around. This is no longer the case. The truth is that Japanese usually dress like Westerners (almost to the point of emulation). When it comes to kimono, most Japanese wear dress …
Japanese food Japanese food is quite diverse. More common Japanese dishes include noodle dishes (ramen, etc.), rice bowls (donburi), and sushi. Japanese food is generally very healthy and often contains certain types of seafood, usually white glutinous rice and vegetables. Noodle dish Soy sauce Ramen is one of the most common noodle dishes in Japanese food. …
Buddhist statues in Japan Buddhist statues in Japan The most common religions in Japan are Buddhism (Buddhism-Buddhism) and Shinto (believers-Shinto). In Japan, Buddhism and Shinto are basically combined. However, Japanese religion has become more cultural and most people only consider themselves Buddhists from tradition. This means that they know little about their professed beliefs and rarely practice …
Meet new people Students studying Japanese often ask me how to introduce myself to Japanese people. This interaction is usually very formal and is filled with several bows. The following is a typical Japanese conversation / introduction between two people who meet for the first time. Japanese Person 1: こんにちは。はじめまして。 Konnichi wa. Hajimemashite. Hello. Nice to meet you. Person …
