Not long ago, I told one of my proofreaders that I had dreamed about her. The response I received was classic: "I'm sorry for bothering you in your dream." That may be the most Japane...
If I were to concoct a kanji compound meaning "one's true colors," I'm pretty sure I would approach the coinage in a literal-minded way, using 色 (color). Instead, I keep encounter...
I recently received a mysterious envelope containing a glossy magazine-sized publication. I have no idea who sent it from Manhattan or why. Although I don't usually scrutinize unsolicited...
This week brought a terrific surprise. Mark Schreiber, who regularly writes about the Japanese language for the Japan Times, contacted me for the first time ever (on a mutual friend's...
There's nary a hiragana to be found on this book cover, but I suppose that's fitting for a work covering the history of yojijukugo (四字熟語...
I appeared on an NBC talk show this week! I'm told...
Here's a Quick Quiz for you, one with two parts:
1. Holding something over someone's head usually means "bearing a grudge." What could it mean in a more benevolent context...
Last week, a Facebook friend from high school posted several pictures of our classmates from the first day of 10th grade. My photo was among those she selected. And as it reflected, I was so shy th...
Let's start with a quiz. Japanese shop owners often display a statue of a tanuki (raccoon dog), such as this one:
...
Last weekend, my language partner Kensuke couldn't talk on our regularly scheduled day (my Saturday, his Sunday), but he happened to have a holiday on his Monday, so we shifted our Skype chat a...
The following sign brought up all sorts of feelings for me, which is weird because it's about parakeets, and I don't think I have deep-rooted issues about parakeets:
Lately I've been craving elusive tastes: malty, smoky, yeasty, earthy ... These flavors are so elusive that I sometimes lack words for them. All the sensations are strong, and yet the...
On the whole, I really like the kanji of the week, 銘 (inscription; established name; to engrave on one’s mind). I like the wa...
Part of me feels that this should be a Trump-free zone because we're all inundated with miserable political news, and kanji should provide a respite. Then again, some things are too good to pas...
Writing about kanji always transports me to unexpected and wonderful places, one path leading to another and then another. So it was with es...
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