Donald Ash is the creator of TheJapanGuy.com website. He is from Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. and is currently living and working in Ibaraki, Japan as an English teacher. The majority of his professional work has been in the educational field, having taught both karate and middle school in the United States.
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- Ekiden: The Ultimate Relay Race
- January 21st, 2013Category: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Events
- Have you heard of Ekiden before? If not, it’s a race that’s very much a part of Japanese popular culture. Ekiden is what I like to think of as a relay race with a twist. The twist is that each runner runs a half marathon. At the collegiate level (I think that’s t ... » Continue Reading
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- How to Get Your Japan Residence Card
- November 6th, 2012Category: Uncategorized
- In a previous post on my blog and (here on GaijinPot) I mentioned to you that there have been some pretty significant changes to Japan’s Immigration System, many of which are changes for the better. For example, those with a valid Japan work visa, unless you’re stay ... » Continue Reading
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- How Will American Fast Food Affect Japanese Culture?
- November 2nd, 2012Category: Culture, Food & Dining, Play
- I won't lie, I DO love a good Mickey D's strawberry shake and some fries. This Crispy apple pies ain't bad neither. Mmm, mmm, mmm! I will be the first one to tell you that a McDonald’s chicken sandwich with a large order of crispy, lightly salted, golden fries fol ... » Continue Reading
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- Can Embracing Japanese Culture Make You Forget Your Own? (Part 2)
- August 31st, 2012Category: Culture
- If you're just joining us, you can catch up on Part 1 here. Music This has been a big one for me. A prime example of how living abroad has affected , is in the genres of music that I listen to. For example, one genre of music that I really enjoy is the hip-h ... » Continue Reading
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- Can Embracing Japanese Culture Make You Forget Your Own? (Part 1)
- August 27th, 2012Category: Culture
- Kiyomizudera, Kyoto, Japan Being transplanted into Japanese society, adhering to Japanese customs and being able to hold your own, thousands of miles away from family and hometown friends is sometimes no small feat. My sincerest kudos to all of those teachers, busines ... » Continue Reading
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- How To Play Kendama (けん玉)
- August 8th, 2012Category: Culture
- Japanese bilboquet or Kendama (けん玉) is a game that’s been around for ages…in some way, shape or form, all over the world. Some people call it bilboquet, or the Bilbo Catcher, the cup and ball game, or the ring and pin game**. Since the origins of the game are unclear, I ... » Continue Reading
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- Disney vs. Ghibli, A Cartoon Studio Comparison
- August 1st, 2012Category: Arts & Entertainment, Play
- Disney vs Ghibli Way back in 1928, audiences were enthralled as the black-and-white, animated short, Steamboat Willie, made its theatrical debut. The rest as they say is Disney history. Perhaps you may know of the main character in that first film. He goes by the ... » Continue Reading
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- Japanese Animation, A True Art Form
- July 25th, 2012Category: Arts & Entertainment
- Momo he no Tegami (A Letter to Momo) Poster I went to see a full-length feature anime and the name of this movie was ももへの手紙 (Momo hen o Tegami or A Letter to Momo). For those of you who don’t know the story (I’ll try not to spoil everything) Momo hen o Tegami ... » Continue Reading
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- The Japanese Breakfast vs. The American Breakfast
- July 19th, 2012Category: Food & Dining
- Please close your eyes for a second and think about your idea of the perfect, most delectable breakfast you could have. Think about every nuance. Are you eating it at a restaurant that really makes your tummy smile every time you go? Perhaps it’s at your Mom’s house o ... » Continue Reading
