Dear reader, Welcome to our new website, Kokoro Media, that has just opened on July 15! Kokoro is a Japanese word that is often translated in English as “heart” or “spirit.” However, for the Japanese, the concept of kokoro encompasses what a person thinks, feels, and would like to express. A person’s kokoro cannot be seen or touched, but we can have a glimpse of it by looking at what a person does or makes and by using our imagination. (You can read more about this concept here: What is “Kokoro?”) At Kokoro Media, we are an editorial team made of long-term foreign residents in Japan and Japanese nationals….
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Embracing a New Life through Calligraphy: an Interview with the Calligrapher Kaku
My First Encounter with Kaku The first time I met Kaku-san was during the fall of 2018. I was working on a project regarding tourism in the town of Takahama, in Fukui prefecture. I was told I was going to participate in a calligraphy workshop. My guide told me, “The calligrapher is very talented–he’s even been invited to exhibit in other countries. He’s an artist, but he also rents a room in his house for tourists, and he does calligraphy workshops too.” When I heard that, for some reason, I was imagining a sixty-ish austere man living in a traditional house. Then I met Kaku, in his thirties,…
The Dos and Don’ts of Bowing in Japan
In shops, in the streets, on the phone… You may have noticed that Japanese people bow all the time! Japan has a lot of hidden rules and manners, but the habit of bowing is evident. Why…
Kotodama: The Spiritual Power of Words in Japanese Culture
During my recent interview with Sathi, she mentioned kotodama as one of the Japanese concepts she tried to integrate into her everyday life. She summed it up as follows: “When you say good things, good things will happen.”…
Why Do the Japanese Fold Toilet Paper?
Japanese washrooms have been attracting attention worldwide for some time. Common topics include the famous high-tech toilets with heated seats, and the cleanliness and abundance of public washrooms in the country. However, this time I’d like…
Are Tokyo’s Streets Really Clean?
Tokyo’s street cleanliness is a natural object of admiration among foreign visitors. “Japanese people don’t litter” has become one of the most famous misconceptions about Japan, along with “Japanese trains are always on time.” Tokyo is…
Tips for Navigating the Rules of Japan
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines social norms as “the informal rules that govern behavior in groups and societies.” As a country with a famously high-context culture, Japan is known for having an endless amount of…
When Thoughts Become New Worlds
While Haruki Murakami and Hayao Miyazaki have become household names around the globe, there’s one Japanese creator who also deserves mainstream recognition: Hideo Kojima, the game designer best known for the Metal Gear franchise. I’ve been…
Thoughtful Communication during Difficult Times
At the time of this writing, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is providing weekly updates on the Covid-19 pandemic in English via YouTube. If you live outside of Japan, this might not seem like a big deal….
Thoughtfulness at 30,000 Feet
When you live almost 5,500 miles away from your hometown, you tend to spend a lot of time flying, experiencing varying levels of hospitality and thoughtfulness throughout the process. One flight I’ll never forget is when…