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Wednesday, December 17, 2025
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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AnimalCultureEssayFoodScienceUncorrected
Toru May 22, 2016Jan 07, 2024 animals, camouflage, displacement activity, emotions, human behavior, jiggle legs, large meal, mind stability, nervous, scratch head

Displacement Activity

Human beings jiggle their legs when they are nervous, and scratch their heads when they feel embarrassed. 転位行動 This behavior Read More
BusinessCultureEssayEtymologyJapanese traditionUncorrected
Toru May 21, 2016Jan 07, 2024 beckoning gesture, economic fortune, engimono, lucky charm, maneki neko

Maneki Neko

Yesterday, I wrote about beckoning gestures. 招き猫 Today, I will talk about “maneki neko,” which is posing with the beckoning Read More
BusinessCultureEssayEuropean countriesJapanese traditionUncorrected
Toru May 20, 2016Jan 07, 2024 beckoning cat, come here, Europe, gestures, international sales, Japan, maneki neko, palm down, palm up, US

Beckoning Gestures

Today, I will talk about gestures meaning “come here.” 手招きのジェスチャー In Japan, when we want to express “come here,” we Read More
BusinessCultureEssayHistoryJapanese traditionUncorrected
Toru May 19, 2016Jan 07, 2024 barber shops, electric perms, Electricity Outage Day, electricity shortage, Japanese beauty salons

Regular Holidays of Beauty Salons

Japanese beauty salons (and barber shops) are closed every Tuesday in the Kanto region, and every Monday in the other Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyEuropean countriesFoodJapanese traditionUncorrected
Toru May 18, 2016Jan 07, 2024 candy, chewing gum, gamu, gom, gomu, gum, gumi, gummy, loanword, rubber

Gamu (Gum)Gamu (Gum)

Gamu ガムとゴム Today, I will talk about “gamu” and “gomu.” 今日はガムとゴムについて話します。 “Gamu” is an English loanword, and “gomu” is a Read More
CultureEssayIdiomJapanese traditionOnomatopoeiaSlangUncorrected
Toru May 17, 2016Jan 07, 2024 bamboo, consecutively, Japanese, leaned, phrase, popular, reason, say, tongue twister, unnatural

Takeyabu (Bamboo Fence)

Takeyabu 竹垣 Today, I will talk about a tongue twister that I can’t say. 今日は、私が苦手な早口言葉を紹介します。 “Kono takegaki ni take tatekaketano Read More
BusinessCultureEssayIdiomJapanese traditionUncorrected
Toru May 16, 2016Jan 07, 2024 colleagues, congratulations, farewell, greeting, Japanese expression, Otsukaresama desu, phrase, project, work

Otsukaresama Desu

Today, I will talk about an useful Japanese expression “Otsukaresama desu.” お疲れ様です Otsukaresama desu is a phrase that rewards someone Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionSlangUncorrected
Toru May 15, 2016Jan 07, 2024 adversative passive, communication, expression, imply, inconvenience, intransitive verbs, Japanese, language, passive form, unique

I Was Rained

Today, I will talk about a Japanese unique expression “adversative passive.” 雨に降られる In Japanese, when you suffer inconvenience, you sometimes Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiOnomatopoeiaUncorrected
Toru May 14, 2016Jan 07, 2024 character, conversion, input method editor, Japanese, kanji, noma-sign, odoriji, reading, repeated, voiced sound mark

The Meaning of “々

Today, I will talk about a Japanese sign “odoriji” (the literal meaning is a dancing character). “々” の意味 The “odoriji” Read More
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Recent Posts

  • 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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