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Author Archives: J Sensei
Learning Through Lyrics: Part 6
Line Six 何度も伝えたい 君はひとりじゃない Translation I want to tell you over and over you’re not alone Vocabulary & Grammar Notes Nando mo Japanese: なんども、何度も。 The first kanji is the “nan” as … Continue reading
Fan Service: What It Means, And Why
Defining A Phrase Most people with even a small amount of knowledge of anime or manga are familiar with the term “fan service,” and usually with what it means. However, there is an interesting little story to tell about the … Continue reading
Learning Through Lyrics: Part 5
Line Five 小さな不安さえ 僕が摘み取ってあげる Translation If you feel a little unease I’ll snatch it away Vocabulary & Grammar Notes Chiisa na “Chiisa” is the root of this irregular adjective. Usually, we read this as “chiisai” for small. However, it is … Continue reading
Sincerity: A Core Japanese Virtue, On TV Anyway
Image: Ferns. In flower language, the fern signifies “sincerity.” As I try to scour the Internet for good comments on Japanese culture, I found one that seemed slightly random at first. This comment was that sincerity is considered an important … Continue reading
Posted in Anime, Culture, Japan, video games
Tagged anime, character design, culture, Japan, pop culture, video games
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Why Bushido Didn’t Push Japan Into WWII
Setting The Record Straight I don’t want to link to this because it’ll only draw attention to leaky history but, in my efforts to find sites worth linking this blog to, I began reading a ‘history of Japan’ that floated … Continue reading
A Concise History of the Samurai
This is from a class I once taught on an education site. I provide it for free. It is, as the topic implies, a concise history that takes the big picture view that puts all the little details in context. … Continue reading
Japan Culture Sites Shouldn’t Hate Japan
This is a relatively young blog. I wanted to go around the Internet finding sites to link to, but there’s a little problem with that. I keep finding sites that cover Japanese culture that, without naming names, because that would … Continue reading
Learning Through Lyrics, Part 4
Line 4 ちゃんと聞こえている 君の心の聲 Translation I’m hearing loud and clear the voice of your heart Vocabulary & Grammar Notes Chanto “Chanto” is a word that means “properly, perfectly, exactly.” It is, thus, equivalent to the English idiom, “loud and clear.” … Continue reading
Culture of Japan: Ukiyo-e, Part 1
A depiction of a young Japanese housewife returning from shopping in historical Edo (modern Tokyo). Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Library.
Learning Through Lyrics, Part 3
Third Line Trust me 繋がっているから ただ感じていて このぬくもり Translation Trust me/ for we are connected just go on, feel this warmth Vocabulary/ Grammar Notes Tsunagatteiru The original uses a non-standard kanji variation that I have not used … Continue reading