On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Is Japanese women’s language an illusion? Topics Discussed About Japanese women’s language About gendered language in Japanese How context affects people’s speech in Japan Directness vs indirectness About politeness and “women’s speech” in Japanese About steretypical speech styles in Japanese About direct and indirect indexicality About Japanese first person pronouns Constructing …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What’s the difference: Eikaiwa vs JET? (The Good & Bad of Teaching English in Japan) Topics Discussed About teaching English in Japan About working in eikaiwa (English conversation school) in Japan About working on the JET Programme About working as an ALT About the application process for getting an eikaiwa job About the …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Why are these things so expensive in Japan? (We’re especially focusing on why randoseru, fruit and delivery pizza are so expensive in Japan) Topics Discussed Whether living in Japan is expensive The cost of Japanese movie theaters What a randoseru is The expensive price of randoseru The average price of a randoseru …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Are Japanese…? (Stereotypes About Japan) Topics Discussed Japanese stereotypes Whether Japanese people are shy/quiet Whether Japanese people eat sushi everyday Whether all Japanese people love anime Anime as part of one’s identity Whether Japanese people are good at math Whether Japanese people work long hours Whether Japanese people can handle alcohol About …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is yōshoku? Topics Discussed What yōshoku is? About Japanese style Western food is What qualifies as yōshoku When yōshoku emerged The history of yōshoku The supposed origin of tempura How Japan began adopting more foreign ingredients and cuisine during the Meiji Period About Japan’s first yōshoku restaurant in Nagasaki Examples …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: How do you say “trombone” in Japanese? The main topics for this episode include the many uses of katakana in Japanese and how nationalists in Japan appear to have wanted people to use less katakana words during World War II. Topics Discussed About how the Japanese writing system works The many different …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Why is Argentina “Aruzenchin” in Japanese? (This is a follow up to episode 56 of Ichimon Japan: What katakana words do you hate?) Topics Discussed The possible reason for my Argentina in Japanese is aruzenchin rather than something closer to the original name in Spanish About sounds that formerly did not exist in the Japanese …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What katakana words do you hate? Basically, we’re talking about funny, quirky and annoying katakana words! Topics Discussed Katakana-ified words that people hate Annoying katakana pronunciations Some possible reasons for why katakana words are pronounced in peculiar ways How katakana words are sometimes closer to the original pronunciation of the word they …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is that sound? This time we’re talking about Japanese onomatopoeia and yes, we’re talking about some really wacky ones too! Topics Discussed About onomatopoeia in Japanese How onomatopoeia are used in Japanese The difference between giongo and gitaigo What giongo are What gitaigo are Examples of giongo What donburako means The story of Momotaro What jirojiro means What …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Should I go to Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan? Topics Discussed Whether we think it’s worth visiting Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan in Osaka About Ryan’s experience at Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan About Universal Studios Japan’s Cool Japan special event About the appointment system used …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Why do hands come out of the toilet in Japan? Topics Discussed Japanese stories/legends/folklore/urban legends (toshi densetsu) involving hands, toilets and hands coming out of toilets The hand in the bathroom/toilet from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask The story of Akai Kami Aoi Kami (Red Paper, Blue Paper) and its various versions The …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Does “Your Name” live up to the hype? Topics Discussed Whether the movie Your Name (Kimi no Na wa) is as good as many people say it is The reception of Your Name (Kimi no Na wa) within Japan and abroad The basic plot of Your Name (Kimi no Na wa) Some potential …