Tag Archives: japanese

On Getting Rid of Japanese in Japan

Posted on September 25, 2013 by

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 , , , | 7 Comments

15 English Words You Will Only Hear in Japan

Posted on February 13, 2012 by

English is something of an international language, and so it tends to make out with a lot of native tongues. In Japan, I hear a lot of English phrases scattered into otherwise Japanese conversations. Most of them, however, make no … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, language, Weird | Tagged , , | 34 Comments

J-Cin Sundays: Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Biker Gangs and How to Get Angry in Japan

Posted on September 11, 2011 by

Title: Godspeed You! Black Emperor Director: Mitsuo Yanagimachi Year: 1976 Notes: This documentary was the inspiration for the name of post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, which honestly is the only reason I sought it out. TLDR: A bunch of … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

On Using a Japanese Toilet

Posted on June 29, 2011 by

I still don’t know what “standby mode” means for a toilet.

Posted in Culture Shock, Tradition, Uncategorized, Weird | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments