2025 -06-27 | Neo Nippon Quirks
A country that is friendly towards lost items, Japan’s mysterious services Introduction Smartphones, wallets, commuter passes… “I accidentally dropped it!” “I left it on the bus!” Everyone has had that experience, right? However,...
2025 -06-27 | Japanese Riddles
‘Honest feelings and formalities’: the Japanese art of balancing emotions Are Japanese people complicated? ‘I don’t understand what Japanese people are thinking.’ Behind this comment, often heard from foreigners, lies the unique culture of ‘honest feelings and...
2025 -06-27 | Nihongo Riddles
Introduction Foreigners who are studying Japanese sometimes ask me, “What does ‘reading the air’ mean?” This word is difficult to explain in a dictionary. However, it is very commonly used in the daily lives of Japanese people. In fact,...
2025 -06-27 | Japanese Riddles
Japanese people don’t say “NO!” Why don’t they say “NO” clearly? In Japan, saying “no” is very rare. Instead, vague expressions, smiles, and silence can be used to “gently decline”. This is not because of...
2025 -06-23 | Japanese Riddles
What are hankos? What is ‘hanko culture’ for Japanese people? Are you familiar with Japanese stamps “hanko”? Japan has a long-standing culture of using hankos. Instead of signing their names, people use hankos with their names engraved on them. Stamping is more...
