In situations where we Japanese say “Itadakimasu: いただきます,” “arigatou: ありがとう,” and “gomennasai: ごめんなさい,” we put our hands together. That is a custom not only in Japan, but also over Asia. …
Welcome to my new blog post about Japanese experiences. Many HTJ writers have posted pictures of various shrines and temples and explanations of them in wonderful articles. I had the …
Hello. Do you know what the zodiac animal will be in 2024? 2024 is the year of Ryu 龍 (dragons). In Japan, the twelve Chinese zodiac signs are called Junishi, …
Japan has many different dialects. One reason for this is that words originated in the capital or cultural centers and spread to the regions through transmission. This happened because the …
What’s miso? Miso is the traditional Japanese fermented condiment made of soybeans, water, and koji mold. The way of making it is not rocket science, so you can make it …
Do you know what the shortest form of poetry in the world is? It is the haiku, a three-line poem of only 17 syllables (5-7-5) that describes a natural scene …
Have you often heard or been called “sumimasen すみません” in public places or stores? When you’ve heard the word “sumimasen” as an apology, did you wonder, “Why do Japanese people …
♪Ton, Ton, Ton♪ Welcome to the third edition of “Japanese language fun time!” Today’s sound is ”Ton(とん/トン)!“ First of all, it has nothing to do with a big amount of …
Welcome to my new blog post about Japanese lifestyle and traditions in November. Speaking of November, shichi-go-san”七五三” is a famous event in Japan. It is the ceremony for 7-year-old girls, …
The Japanese lifestyle of taking off one’s shoes and sitting on the floor cannot be described without mentioning tatami. The widespread use of tatami plays an important role in the …
