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
CultureDiaryEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionLanguageUncorrected Toru Jan 03, 2024Jan 07, 2024 earthquake, expression, father, fire, Japan, jishin, kaji, Kaminari, oyaji, thunder Jishin, Kaminari, Kaji, Oyaji (地震、雷、火事、親父): Part 1 Jishin, Kaminari, Kaji, Oyaji: Part 1 地震、雷、火事、親父 Part 1 At the start of the new year, Japan experienced some terrifying 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
CultureDiaryEssayIdiomJapanese traditionScienceSlangUncorrected Toru Dec 28, 2023Jan 01, 2024 brain, brute force, gaming, Internet slang, kinniku, muscle, nナ耕in, nナ肯iso, personality, playing games Nōkin (脳筋 – Meathead) Nōkin 脳筋 I sometimes become a state called nōkin (脳筋) while playing various games. 私はときどき、ゲームをプレイ中に「脳筋」になります。 Nōkin is an Internet slang Read More
CultureDiaryEssayIdiomJapanese traditionOnomatopoeiaSlangUncorrected Toru Dec 26, 2023Jan 01, 2024 absent-minded, bonyari, bナ衡to suru, bナ鉱en, daze, driving, onomatopoeia, suru, thought, work Bōtto Suru (ぼーっとする – “Spacing Out”) Bōtto Suru ぼーっとする Recently, I have been finding myself in a state referred to as bōtto suru (ぼーっとする) a lot. Read More
CultureDiaryEssayIdiomSlangUncorrected Toru Dec 26, 2023Jan 01, 2024 Christmas, Heijō Unten, Japanese, normal operation, public transportation, routine, term, Tsūjō, usual, work Heijō Unten (平常運転 – As Usual) Heijō Unten 平常運転 Today is Christmas, but I have no special plans besides work; in other words, it is heijō Read More
CultureEssayIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiOnomatopoeiaUncorrected Toru Dec 22, 2023Jan 01, 2024 confusion, expression, idiom, Japanese, language, panic, right and left, rushing, synonym, wandering Uō Saō (右往左往 – Helter-Skelter) Uō Saō 右往左往 The four-character idiom uō saō (右往左往) describes a situation where someone is confused and wanders around. 混乱し、あっちへ行ったりこっちへ行ったりうろうろすることを、「右往左往」と言います。 Read More
CorrectedCultureEssayIdiomJapanese traditionProverb Toru Dec 20, 2023Jan 08, 2024 board, comparison, fluently, Japanese, literal meaning, phrase, smoothly, standing, tateita ni mizu, water Tateita ni Mizu (立て板に水 – Speaking Fluently) Tateita ni Mizu 立て板に水 When someone speaks fluently and smoothly without hesitation, you can describe the situation as tateita ni Read More