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Friday, December 12, 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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CorrectedDiaryEssayEtymologyHistory
Toru Apr 28, 2023May 06, 2023 0 Comments 2014, entry, Germanic, miss, missan, missjan, mistake, Old English, post, wrong

Misu (ミス – Mistake/Miss)

Misu ミス On April 24, I made a misu (ミス – meaning “mistake”) of not pressing the submit button on Read More
ChinaClimateCorrectedDiaryEssay
Toru Apr 28, 2023Jan 02, 2024 0 Comments 2013, cold, four-character idiom, repeat, warm

Sankan Shion (三寒四温 – A Cycle of Three Cold Days and Four Warm Days)

Sankan Shion 三寒四温 Recently, warm and cold days have been repeating every few days. 最近、数日ごとに温かい日と寒い日が繰り返されています。 Such weather seen from winter Read More
CorrectedEssaySlang
Toru Apr 27, 2023Jan 02, 2024 0 Comments 2012, balance, budget, gesture, lick, older people, pencil

Enpitsu Namename (鉛筆なめなめ – Think Seriously / Balance a Budget)

Enpitsu Namename 鉛筆なめなめ Today, I learned a phrase used by older people, called enpitsu namename (鉛筆なめなめ). 私は今日、「鉛筆なめなめ」という年輩の方が使う言葉を学びました。 Since enpitsu (鉛筆) Read More
ClimateCorrectedEssayEtymology
Toru Apr 26, 2023Jan 02, 2024 0 Comments 2011, full moon, harvest moon, loved person, metaphor, moon, night, poem, rain, visible

Amayo no Tsuki (雨夜の月 – Something that Exists but Is Invisible)

Amayo no Tsuki 雨夜の月 Something that exists somewhere but is not visible, or an imaginary thing that does not exist Read More
CorrectedEssayKanji
Toru Apr 25, 2023Jan 02, 2024 0 Comments 2010, ambition, death, desire, fat, ovary, suggestion, wish

Shibō (しぼう – Wish/Death/Fat/Ovary)

Shibō しぼう As you may know, the Japanese language has many homonyms. ご存知のとおり日本語には多くの同音異義語があります。 Yesterday I typed shibō (しぼう) on my Read More
CorrectedCultureEssayFoodHistory
Toru Apr 23, 2023Jan 02, 2024 0 Comments 2009, court lady, dried bonito, dried bonito flakes, imperial court, Muromachi period, rice ball

Okaka (おかか – Dried Bonito Flakes)

Okaka おかか A few days ago, I ate a rice ball containing okaka (おかか). 先日「おかか」のおにぎりを食べました。 Okaka means “dried bonito flakes” Read More
CorrectedEssayEtymologyFoodJapanese tradition
Toru Apr 22, 2023Jan 02, 2024 0 Comments 2008, crush, farmer, green soybean, local delicacies, rice cake

Zunda Mochi (ずんだ餅 – Green Soybean Rice Cake)

Zunda Mochi ずんだ餅 I bought zunda mochi (ずんだ餅) today. 私は今日「ずんだ餅」を買いました。 Zunda mochi is a rice cake made from mashed green Read More
EssayEtymologyIdiomUncorrected
Toru Apr 21, 2023Jan 02, 2024 0 Comments 2007, crab, empty-headed, moon, moonlit night, night, skinnier, superficial

Tukiyo no Kani (月夜の蟹 – A Superficial/Empty-Headed Person)

Tukiyo no Kani 月夜の蟹 Superficial or empty-headed people are sometimes referred to as tukiyo no kani (月夜の蟹) in Japanese. 中身のない人や、頭の中が空っぽの人を、「月夜の蟹」と言うことがあります。 Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected
Toru Apr 20, 2023Jan 02, 2024 character, decision, idiom, indecision, Japanese, kind, negative meaning, negative prefix, soft, yūjū fudan

Yūjū Fudan (優柔不断 – Indecision)

Yūjū Fudan 優柔不断 Someone sometimes calls me yūjū fudan (優柔不断). 私はときどき「優柔不断」と言われます。 Yū (優) means “kind” and jū (柔) means “soft,” Read More
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  • Kakuritsuki (確率機 – Crane Game with Probability Control): Part 1
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  • Jinsei Yama Ari Tani Ari (人生山あり谷あり – Life Has Its Ups and Downs)
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