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Thursday, January 22, 2026
Latest:
  • Kakuritsuki (確率機 – Crane Game with Probability Control): Part 1
  • Tazan no Ishi (他山の石 – Drawing a Lesson)
  • Kōkai Saki ni Tatazu (後悔先に立たず – Repentance Comes too Late)
  • Jinsei Yama Ari Tani Ari (人生山あり谷あり – Life Has Its Ups and Downs)
  • Neko wa Kotatsu de Maruku Naru (猫はこたつで丸くなる – Cats Curl up under the Kotatsu)

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CultureEssayEtymologyJapanese traditionKanjiScienceUncorrected
Toru Feb 11, 2018Jan 02, 2024 change, etymology, heart, Japanese, kokoro, language, mind, onomatopoeia, organ, theory

Kokoro (心 – Heart)

Kokoro 心 One’s mind, that would be basis of human feelings, knowledge, or intention, is called 心 (kokoro) in Japanese. Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected
Toru Feb 10, 2018Jan 02, 2024 etymology, explanation, human, Japanese drama, kanji, Kinpachi-sensei, person, sideways, theory

人 (Hito – Person)

Today I’d like to talk about the Kanji: 人 (hito), which means “person” or “human.” 人 In the famous Japanese Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiSlangUncorrected
Toru Feb 09, 2018Jan 02, 2024 beat-up, fatigue, Japanese, kutabire mashita, kutabireru, mentally tired, physical energy, shabby, tired, tsukaresu

Kutabireru (くたびれる – Tired)

Kutabireru くたびれる Yesterday, くたびれました (kutabire mashita – I was tired). 昨日はくたびれました。 The verb くたびれる (kutabireru) means to lose your physical Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected
Toru Feb 08, 2018Jan 03, 2024 actor, human life, idiom, important event, isse ichidai, Japanese drama, kabuki, last stage, lifetime, performance

Isse Ichidai (一世一代 – Something of One’s Life)

Isse Ichidai 一世一代 Today may be a very important day called 一世一代 (isse ichidai) for me. 今日は私にとって、「一世一代」の重要な日かもしれません。 The four-character idiom, Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionOnomatopoeiaUncorrected
Toru Feb 07, 2018Jan 03, 2024 anxiety, doki doki, excitement, expectation, fear, hara hara, joy, onomatopoeia, waku waku, worry

Doki Doki” (ドキドキ), “Waku Waku” (ワクワク), “Hara Hara” (ハラハラ)

I introduced you to two words related to “excitement” in the last two days. 「ドキドキ」と「ワクワク」と「ハラハラ」 Today I’d like to talk Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected
Toru Feb 06, 2018Jan 03, 2024 bad feeling, excited, good meaning, heart, Japanese term, kokoro odoru, literal meaning, munasawagi, skip a beat

Kokoro Odoru (心躍る – Exciting)

Kokoro Odoru 心躍る Yesterday, I introduced you to the Japanese term 胸騒ぎ (munasawagi), which means to have a bad feeling. Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiOnomatopoeiaUncorrected
Toru Feb 05, 2018Jan 03, 2024 chest, etymology, excitement, feeling, heart beat, idiomatic expression, Japanese, munasawagi, romp, tension

Munasawagi (胸騒ぎ – Bad Feeling)

Munasawagi 胸騒ぎ Have you ever felt that something bad would happen? 何か悪いことが起きると予感して興奮したことはありますか? Such a state is called 胸騒ぎ (munasawagi) in Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyJapanese traditionScienceUncorrected
Toru Feb 04, 2018Jan 03, 2024 bark, crape myrtle, kusuguri no ki, Lagerstroemia indica, Lythraceae, saru, sarusuberi, smooth, tickling, tree

Sarusuberi (サルスベリ – Lagerstroemia Indica)

Yesterday, I introduced you to a term related to 猿 (saru – monkey). サルスベリ Today I’d like to talk about Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiSlangUncorrected
Toru Feb 03, 2018Jan 03, 2024 chaban, imitate, Japanese, monkey, performance, play, sarumane, sarushibai, show, trick

Sarushibai (猿芝居 – Stupid Trick)

Sarushibai 猿芝居 Formerly, I introduced you to the Japanese term 猿真似 (sarumane), which means to imitate acts of others without Read More
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