Author Archives: Eryk Salvaggio

On Getting Into the JET Program, Part 1: What is it?

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Eryk Salvaggio

So, some of you are probably about to embark on the mysterious journey that is the JET application process. There’s no information anywhere, no one gives you straight answers, and when people do give you answers, they’re usually snarky.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged japan, jet program | 11 Comments

Guest Post: Going Loco in Yokohama

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Eryk Salvaggio

This week, we’re sharing a guest post from expat writer and J-blogger, Baye McNeil, aka “Loco in Yokohama.” This excerpt, from his eponymous book, is about kids learning English in some unconventional ways. It contains some spicy language and situations, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

On Having Sex With an Octopus in Japan

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Eryk Salvaggio

There’s an old joke that any revolutionary tool mankind creates to express our highest ideals and ambitions will always simultaneously be used for pornography.

Posted in Culture Shock, Uncategorized, Weird | Tagged erotica, japan, pornography, sex, shunga | 3 Comments

On Getting Rid of Japanese in Japan

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Eryk Salvaggio

Kanji is hard. The hieroglyphic written script (just one of three) used in Japanese has a weird history, borrowed and bastardized from the Chinese. And it takes years, even for the Japanese, to learn. For foreigners used to Roman scripts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Kanji, language | Tagged history, japanese, kanji, languages | 7 Comments

On Driving a Train Off the Rails in Japan

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Eryk Salvaggio

It was just after the morning rush on an April day in Amagasaki, a city of about half a million people close to Osaka. A JR commuter train was taking a bend on the track when it derailed, crashing into … Continue reading →