Takahiro Goto is the director and a teacher at the cram school “GS Shingaku Kyoshitsu” in Hachioji City in the Greater Tokyo Area. Cram schools (“juku” in Japanese) are schools where young students study hard to prepare…
Recommended Articles |
Teru Teru Bozu, the Japanese Rain Charm
Have you ever seen this doll hanging by someone’s window in Japan? You have great chances to see them during the rainy season. Japanese children (and sometimes adults, too) hang these dolls called teru teru bozu,…
Iwata-san: Learning about Life and Leadership in Japanese
One of the things I love about interviewing experts and business leaders is the opportunity to learn while I work. I get to hear their experiences, process their wisdom, and share it with anyone willing to…
The Japanese Ghost Story “Yotsuya Kaidan” and Its Shrine
Japan has a tradition of ghost stories dating from the Edo period and if you’ve been there before you may have heard some of them. “Yotsuya Kaidan” or the Yotsuya ghost story, a story of murder…
How Science Helps in Revitalizing Japan’s Fishing Industry
Takashi Suzuki is an assistant professor at Kagoshima University and a former project researcher at the University of Tokyo. Now a specialist in marine life and fisheries, he was a student on the Iwate Prefecture campus of Kitasato University student…
How My Home Is Making Me “More Japanese Than the Japanese”
The community of French residents in Japan often uses a funny word to describe and make fun of the French people who “want to be more Japanese than the Japanese.” They use the word “tatamisé,” which…
How to Optimize Classes, Textbooks, and Flash Cards to Become Fluent in Japanese
A few weeks ago, I was listening to a podcast about learning Japanese, and the host divided learners into two camps: those who use textbooks and those who don’t. I immediately thought, “Wait a second, what’s…
How We Dealt With the “Stay Home” Situation in Japan
While Japan did not go on a strict lockdown, people were invited to change their habits because of COVID-19. In our new unfiltered talk, we share our challenges and the lifestyle changes we made during the…
Shimanami Kaido: A Foolproof Guide to Enjoying Japan’s Cycling Sanctuary
Seventy kilometers, six scenic islands, six massive bridges, and two prefectures—all woven together by a single blue line. This is the Shimanami Kaido: Japan’s premier long-distance cycling route. There are countless articles and videos that cover…
How to Express Your Individuality and Maintain Harmony in a Japanese Company
Foreign professionals in Japan often struggle to communicate new, diverse ideas and opinions to Japanese colleagues in a corporate world that prioritizes harmony and consensus. Modern Japanese companies that operate globally recognize the importance of employing…