Culture Archives - Page 8 of 40

Safety in Japan for Foreign Girls

January 31st, 2013By Vivian MorelliCategory: Culture

Moving to Japan as a single foreign girl is quite safe, but there are some things you should be aware of if you're considering living here. Foreign girls attract a lot of attention in Japan, mostly because there aren't too many of us, and we stand out. We are extremely ... » Continue Reading
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Traditional Japanese Game: Kazu-ken

January 31st, 2013By GaijinPotCategory: Arts & Entertainment, Culture

Kazu-ken (ken of numbers), according to history, originated in China, where the oldest version of ken games came from. In this game, both players make hand gestures with their right hand, representing a number from zero to five. As they do so, they call out the numbe ... » Continue Reading
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Hakone: A Day Trip to Remember

January 30th, 2013By Ciara LynchCategory: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Outdoor/Sports, Travel

Many visitors to Japan plan an itinerary that starts in Tokyo then quickly moves further south to places like Kyoto or further north to places like Hokkaido. Of course, this is perfectly ﬁne, what beautiful places to visit and should be included in any itinerary if ... » Continue Reading
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President Obama

January 28th, 2013By Jessica FastCategory: Culture, Events

President Obama was recently re-elected for his second term as president of the United States. In his sweeping acceptance speech, he makes a remark about how citizens of America can make their own futures happen if they work hard, no matter if they are black or white, ... » Continue Reading
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Jinmyaku (Networking) and Saabisu

January 25th, 2013By David SharpCategory: Culture, Networking Events, Work Tips

To get ahead in Japan, it isn’t who you know – it’s how long you’ve known them! Traditional Japanese values dictate that the length of a relationship almost always correlates with the depth and importance of the relationship, and so the Japanese system of develop ... » Continue Reading
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Traditional Japanese Game: Konkonchiki

January 24th, 2013By GaijinPotCategory: Arts & Entertainment, Culture

Today, teenagers spend their time online, attending cosplays, playing video games, hanging out and going to parties, but historically young adults, especially Japanese women, spent their time either studying traditional customs or staying home and playing indoor games. ... » Continue Reading
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Why Do Classes Suck?

January 23rd, 2013By Ken SeeroiCategory: Culture

If you are: a) learning a language, and b) not being raised by wolves in a cave somewhere, then you’ve heard it time and again: classes suck. Everyone knows it. You can learn a language faster and more enjoyably on your own. Yeah well, everyone knows a l ... » Continue Reading
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Dog Craziness in Japan

January 22nd, 2013By Ciara LynchCategory: Arts & Entertainment, Culture, Shopping

I am about to admit to something that you will most likely ﬁnd unbelievable, shocking, disturbing, (insert relevant adjective here). This is very difﬁcult for me to write, I can't quite believe it is true myself. But at one point in my life, actually if i'm honest, for ... » Continue Reading
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Ekiden: The Ultimate Relay Race

January 21st, 2013By Donald AshCategory: 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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Who’s Really Japanese?

January 18th, 2013By Ken SeeroiCategory: Culture

When I first came to Japan, things were so much simpler. Men were men, Japanese were Japanese, and foreigners were gaijin. Now everything’s gone to pieces, nuanced to the point that when somebody talks about “the Japanese,” I don’t even know who they mean. That ... » Continue Reading