The difference in perception as expressed in Japanese
When you ask Japanese people, “How many fingers do you have?” most people will answer 10 or, after some thought, proudly 20. This is surprising for English-speaking people, isn’t it? …
Knowledge
The birth of “Anpan,” a sweet bun with red bean paste
Generally speaking, “anpan” is a small bun filled with red bean paste which has been quite popular as a sweets amongst Japanese people. “An” means the filling inside the bread, …
Circles in Japan
“I’ve got a lot of circles!!” If you hear a Japanese kid saying something like this with a big smile, can you guess what the circles are? Circles play an …
What is “My Number Card”?
Have you heard the words “My number” and “My Number Card”? It may sound more like “my-none-bar” and “my-none-bar-car-dough.” What is “My Number”? “My number” is an individual number given …
Nengajo – New Year’s postcards in Japan
One of the traditional Japanese New Year’s customs is sending New Year’s greeting postcards called nengajo (年賀状). Many people write and send nengajo to their friends, relatives, and coworkers in …
♪Japanese phrase having a good ring♪ ～Jyan～
“Ta-da!” Can you imagine how surprised and amazed I was when I first heard this English phrase? It was one of the moments that I felt learning foreign languages was …
Toire no Kamisama (トイレの神様） God in the restroom
What is God in the restroom? You may have no idea what I’m talking about. Today, I would like to talk about 8 million divine spirits from ancient times and …
Randoseru 2022 / Rankatsu – How to select and buy Randoseru
Do you want to try Randoseru? Or do you want to know how kids use Randoseru in Japan? Actually, I’m a mom of two kids, so I’d like to share …
How to Ask for a Redelivery & History of TA-Q-BIN
When you start living in Japan, you will probably have a time when you are receiving important documents and packages. For delivery to Japanese households, there are three main mail …
Melody or Noise? ~Insects’ voice~
In September, when the air is turning from summer to autumn, we know that autumn came. Speaking of autumn in Japan, autumn is a season of various activities. We call …