On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Dr. Wes Robertson stops by to talk about the wonderful mess that is the Japanese writing system. About Dr. Wes Robertson Wesley C. Robertson is Lecturer in International Studies at Macquarie University, Australia. His research focuses on variation and language play inherent in writing, with a focus on Japanese. He completed his …

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re joined by Hannah Kentridge of the popular YouTube channel MissHanake. About Hannah Kentridge Hannah Kentridge is a content creator with over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. Known as MissHanake on YouTube, Hannah has spent over 10 years producing videos in Japanese about her life and the Japanese language. Topics Discussed Hannah’s perennially …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: How do you count that in Japanese? Topics Discussed The counter system used in Japanese Japanese counter suffixes The sometimes confusing nature of Japanese counters The correct suffix for counting chopsticks in Japanese Various counters used with different kinds of chopsticks How to properly count squid in Japanese How the shape of …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is Kansai-ben? Topics Discussed What the Kansai dilaect is The different that are found within the Kansai region of Japan Osaka-ben vs other dialects within the Kansai-ben umbrella The stereotype of the Ōsaka no obachan (older lady from Osaka) Leopard print clothing Who uses ōkini and where it is typically used …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Are rabbits counted as birds because eating meat was taboo in Japan? Topics Discussed The practice of counting rabbits as if they were birds in Japanese Whether Japanese people eat meat What exactly qualifies as meat The history of meats “bans” in Japan The hypocritical and dubious nature of meat “bans” in …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What should I know about Japan’s Bubble Era? Topics Discussed What was Japan’s “Bubble Era” The Japanese bubble economy of the late ’80s and early ’90s Examples of some of the over the top ways people are said to have spent money during Japan’s bubble economy era Golden Bomber’s “Dance My Generation” Bubble …

 On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, Tony answers the question: How did you become so familiar with Japan? About Tony Vega Tony Vega is a writer, editor, and podcaster. He has lived in Japan as both a student and participant of the JET Programme. He possesses an M.A. in Japanese language and linguistics from the University of …

 On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What first person pronoun should I use when speaking Japanese? Topics Discussed The most common first person pronouns used in Japanese The tendency for Japanese speakers to avoid using pronouns The lack of true pronouns in Japanese How choosing which first person Japanese pronoun to use can be confusing even for …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Do you have any funny or embarrassing Japanese mistake stories? Topics Discussed How “sayonara” is not used in most situations when saying “goodbye” in Japanese A mix up at a convenience store Getting used to referring to people in the Japanese language What exactly a rōtari is Being asian Dealing with people that …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we once again ask: What annoys you about living in Japan? Topics Discussed The frustratingly useless nature of many English-language versions of Japanese websites Booking hotels in Japan The frustrating but hilarious nature of bad English translations of Japanese (a.k.a. Engrish) Engrish t-shirts The practice of using Japanese readings for kanji when reading a …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is yakitori? Topics Discussed What yakitori is The difference between yakitori when it is written using kanji and when it is written using only hiragana What qualifies as yakitori An overview of the history of yakitori The supposed origin story of the skewered sparrows that the area around Fushimi Inari Shrine …

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Do you have any funny or embarrassing Japanese language mistake stories? Topics Discussed What Ikigai Connections is How you say “fart” in Japanese The tricky nature of the Japanese passive form Getting similar sounding Japanese words confused The confusion that can occur when you speak more than two languages The various ways …