There’s something about the state of Japanese publishing and the state of Japanese attention to niche interests that makes it more economically feasible to have newsstands and bookstores teeming with magazines, not just in Tokyo but everywhere. Looking atMurakami’s bibliographyshows that the indust...
–Writing fluently is more important than having fluent Japanese.Again, obviously you need to understand the Japanese fully, but if you can’t render that in the correct English, then it’s meaningless. By “writing fluently” and “correct English,” I think I mean that you need to have ...
It’s common for beginner Japanese learners to get tangled up in the intricacies of kanji. Sometimes, they get so twisted around that it disrupts other parts of their learning progress. You don’t need to worry about kanji before you’re ready—and at this stage, you likely are ready for...
When introduced to someone for the first time, sayhajime mashite(our meeting has begun). Japanese take care when introducing people as they feel responsible for the relationship created. If you are a tourist out with a Japanese person, they will most likely introduce you by your country and ...
To say that Sino-Japanese relations throughout history have been complicated is an understatement, but numerous Japanese traditions have their roots in Chinese ones. Religion is probably the single largest influence that China has had on Japan. While today the majority of Japanese do not claim a ...
Meanwhile, the train is searched and pulls forward to the other end of the platform. You then re-board the train for Bangkok. What's the train like? Train 133/134 Bangkok-Vientiane has one air-conditioned 2nd class sleeping-car, shown below. It's a former Japanese Railways car with a ...
We highly suggest this method for anyone who’s coming to Korea to visit. Not only can you get the authentic experience by living in a Korean household, but you also save yourself a few bucks you would have spent in a hotel. Now, who can say no to that? Staying with a Korean host...
If you're a woman, you don't go to the beach topless. A hotel room has a private bath. On the other hand, traditional Japanese-style inns have cavernous common baths. Foreign films are always subtitled, except for films for children. On television, though, they're always dubbed, except...
“UNIQLO is often lumped into the fast fashion category, but, in my opinion, it’s really different,” Lascity says. “The main difference… is that you can always go to UNIQLO and know you’ll be back to find certain items. That’s not to say that’s all they sell but… that’...
“I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense o