I would like to share with you about my ふるさと “furusato” (hometown). I grew up in a city called KAGOSHIMA city, Japan. KAGOSHIMA is located in the southern tip of Kyushu. Many of you may know that Tokyo used to be called “Edo” during the samurai period. My hometown, on the other hand, used to be […]
Culture
How Much Do You Know about Japan? – Fun Facts about Japan 1
How much do you know about Japan? Let’s learn fun facts about Japan through a short quiz! Here are 7 statements about Japan, Japanese culture, and customs. Are they True or False? If you want to read all the questions first, they are listed below this video. Ok, here we go. Let’s see how many […]
Fantome by Utada Hikaru – New Album After Six Years of Silence
宇多田ヒカル（うただひかる）Utada Hikaru has released her 6th full album on September 28, 2016. It’s been six years since she had announced an indefinite hiatus as a recording artist. In 2010, she suddenly disappeared from the music scene and the public eye. This broke the hearts of many fans all over the world. What drove her to […]
Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name) by Makoto Shinkai
I had an opportunity to go back to Japan this summer. I spent time with my family and old friends, enjoyed good Japanese foods, and was even lucky enough to take a professional photo wearing a Kimono! (See the profile pic on the right? ;-)) However, I have one great regret about this trip back […]
Japanese Chopsticks Etiquette – 12 Things Not to Do
Do you know chopsticks etiquette? Although forks and spoons are widely used in Japan, chopsticks (箸 “hashi” in Japanese) are still the major utensil in the country. Therefore, knowing the proper etiquette is vital. Japanese children start attempting to use chopsticks between 3 to 5 years old. As they grow up, they gradually learn how […]
How Do You Say I love You in Japanese? – Is There Only One Way?
Sensei, how do you say I love you in Japanese? This is one of the common questions that I receive from my students almost every semester. I usually answer that there is not only one way. There are several ways to say “I love you” in Japanese and it would differ depending on the context […]