CultureEssayEtymologyHistoryIdiomLanguageProverbUncorrected Toru Feb 09, 2024Feb 11, 2024 Chinese Classic of Poetry, gem, misbehaviors, mistakes, mountain, Polish, proverb, reflection, stone, tazan no ishi Tazan no Ishi (他山の石 – Drawing a Lesson) Tazan no Ishi 他山の石 The mistakes and misbehaviors of others can be used as materials to polish oneself and for Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyHistoryIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiLanguageUncorrected Toru Jan 31, 2024Feb 11, 2024 Chinese Buddhist historical texts, difference, distinction, diversity, enlightenment, idiom, sensa banbetsu, thousand Sensa Banbetsu (千差万別 – Divers) Sensa Banbetsu 千差万別 Everything is different, and the world is full of diversity. どんな物事にも、それぞれに何かしらの違いがあり、一つとして同じものはありません。 The four-character idiom sensa banbetsu (千差万別) Read More
CultureEssayHistoryIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiLanguageProverbUncorrected Toru Jan 28, 2024Jan 29, 2024 anecdote, character, Japanese proverb, Kōbō mo fude no ayamari, Kūkai, Kyoto, missing stroke, Ōtenmon gate Kōbō mo Fude no Ayamari (弘法も筆の誤り – Even Homer Sometimes Nods): Part 2 Kōbō mo Fude no Ayamari: Part 2 弘法も筆の誤り Part 2 The Japanese proverb Kōbō mo fude no ayamari (弘法も筆の誤り) originates Read More
CultureEducationEssayHistoryIdiomJapanese traditionLanguageProverbUncorrected Toru Jan 27, 2024Jan 29, 2024 calligrapher, calligraphy, culture, education, Heian period, Japanese, Kūkai, mistakes, proverb Kōbō mo Fude no Ayamari (弘法も筆の誤り – Even Homer Sometimes Nods): Part 1 Kōbō mo Fude no Ayamari: Part 1 弘法も筆の誤り Part 1 Yesterday, I introduced the proverb saru mo ki kara ochiru Read More
CorrectedCultureEssayEtymologyHistoryIdiomJapanese traditionLanguage Toru Jan 04, 2024Jan 08, 2024 Edo period, jishin, kaji, Kaminari, oyaji, rhyme, strong wind, terrifying, theories Jishin, Kaminari, Kaji, Oyaji (地震、雷、火事、親父): Part 2 Jishin, Kaminari, Kaji, Oyaji: Part 2 地震、雷、火事、親父 Part 2 There are two major theories about why oyaji (親父 – “father”) Read More
ChinaCorrectedCultureEssayFoodHistoryIdiom Toru Dec 30, 2023Jan 08, 2024 Chinese poet, effort, farmer, grain of rice, hardship, Li Shen, poem, ryu ryu shinku, suffering Ryū Ryū Shinku (粒粒辛苦 – Toil and Moil) Ryū Ryū Shinku 粒粒辛苦 The four-character idiom ryū ryū shinku (粒粒辛苦) is sometimes used to describe the accumulation of small Read More
CorrectedCultureEssayHistoryIdiomJapanese traditionKanji Toru Dec 29, 2023Jan 08, 2024 construction, expression, first, ichiban, iroha song, Iroha Uta, Japanese, kana characters, origin, pillars I no Ichiban (いの一番 – The Very First) I no Ichiban いの一番 The Japanese phrase i no ichiban (いの一番) is sometimes used to describe that something is first Read More
CultureDiaryEssayHistoryJapanese traditionUncorrected Toru Dec 23, 2023Jan 01, 2024 celebration, custom, exchanging greetings, greeting card, indebted, Japanese, nengajō, New Year, relatives, tradition Nengajō (年賀状 – New Year’s Greeting Card): Part 1 Nengajō: Part 1 年賀状 Part 1 Today, I wrote nengajō (年賀状). 私は今日、年賀状を書きました。 Nengajō is a traditional Japanese greeting card for Read More
ClimateCultureEssayHistoryJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected Toru Dec 21, 2023Jan 01, 2024 ginsekai, Japanese, kanji, landscape, metal, platinum, silver, snow, white, world Ginsekai (銀世界 – Snowy World) Ginsekai 銀世界 A landscape where snow has fallen and everything is covered in white can described as ginsekai (銀世界) in Read More