On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What is wasei eigo? (Funny “Japanese” English) Topics Discussed What wasei eigo is About English sounding words made in Japan tenshon ga takai pākā How SNS is not English arubaito nōtopasokon buraindotacchi misu misesu rippukurīmu hocchikisu OL sararīman (salaryman) shīchikin interi haiso furonto hōmu chakku majikkutēpu majikku majikkumirā Gpan jampāsukāto wagomu atakku …

 This episode of Japan Station is a re-broadcast of episode 52 of Ichimon Japan.   On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: What are gyaru? Topics Discussed What the term gyaru/gal means/refers to About the word gyaru How the word gyaru was used in Dragonball by Master Roshi What a kogyaru/kogal is About the singer Namie Amuro and her role in …

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is known for its crazy sound effects so I decided to do a video showcasing of the most infamous sound effects Hirohiko Araki has come up with. I also explore what go go go/do do do mean. Check out the video below!

 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: 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 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 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: 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 …