I want to share some insights about a significant Kanji 道 (どう dō or みち michi) in Japanese culture. While 道 commonly translates to “way” or “path,” its meaning extends far beyond the physical road or street. In Japanese culture, 道 represents a profound concept encompassing a “way of being,” a spiritual journey, or a […]
Culture
The Moment I Felt Alone – Japanese Phrases
There are Japanese phrases that are deeply part of me. I feel alone or lonely when I don’t get to say these to anyone. Today, I want to share a small story related to those phrases. In Japanese, we have specific expressions when we come home or welcome someone home. NOTE: You can drop the […]
Japanese Kamon 家紋（かもん）- Family Crest
家紋（かもん Kamon）means “Family Crest” in Japanese. Let me talk about Japanese Kamon in this article. Kamon is hardly used in modern Japan, but in Samurai Era, each 武家（ぶけ Buke = samurai family) had their own Kamon. Tokugawa’s Kamon One of the most famous Kamon in Japan is 三つ葉葵（みつばあおい Mitsuba Aoi）. It was the Kamon by […]
日本語のラブレター Japanese Love Letters by Married Couples
I want to share with you a few Japanese love letters by married couples. They are real Japanese people who are married for many years. And the letters are for their spouses. Some of them are still alive. Others are now in heaven. These letters are from the book I bought about 10 years ago. […]
Sukiyaki Song – Lyrics in Japanese & English
Do you know this Japanese song – Sukiyaki Song? The original title of the song in Japanese is 上を向いて歩こう（うえをむいてあるこう）”Ue o muite arukou” by Kyu Sakamoto. ⠀ The Sukiyaki Song “Ue o muite arukou” was released in 1961 in Japan. It reached the top of the Billboard charts in the US in 1963.⠀ This is such […]
Learning Japanese is difficult – My Story
Learning Japanese is difficult! That’s how you may be feeling no matter how long you’ve been studying. It is true. Learning any language is a challenge, and Japanese may be one of the most challenging ones because we have three different writing systems. Recently, I’ve received emails from a few students who are frustrated with […]