Japanese Culture | Tofugu.com

Our “First” Post

1. January 2008

Happy New Year, Tofugu! It’s now 5:19am (Hawaii time) on the first day of 2008. Why, you ask, for the love of cozy blankets and fluffy pillows, why am I awake? Well, I have to admit, when my alarm went off almost 20 minutes ago, I didn’t know, myself. But now I remember. I’m awake because [...]

Resolutions for Learning Better Japanese in 2008

1. January 2008

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The New Year is a great time to break disgusting habits and set impossible resolutions…at least, it’s a great time to try to do those things. Most people come out from the rubble a couple of weeks later still smoking, drinking, or using Japanese words in English sentences, but everyone at least gets a little [...]

We Wish You a Merii Kurisumasu

25. December 2007

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Unsurprisingly, we’ve recently gotten quite a few emails asking about Christmas (クリスマス or kurisumasu) in Japan. Though this might be a bit late, I thought I’d endeavor to answer those questions today, unwrapping my presents with one hand and typing this up with the other. A Brief History of Kurisumasu Christmas in Japan is an interesting creature. [...]

Top Japanese Impulse Buys of 2007: Part 2

24. December 2007

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In the first installment of this series, I covered the top trendy items in Japan from 1-5. This time, I’ll be talking about items 6-10. Let’s get started, shall we? 6) Leggings/Tights: It wasn’t too long ago that I gave in to the trend and bought my first pair of tights. While showing a little leg [...]

“Mama Sucked out my Nose Mucus;” Child Protection Agency Works Overtime

5. December 2007

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Apparently there’s this neat little product over in Japan that’s called “ママ鼻水トッテ,” which roughly translates to “Mama takes (sucks) my nose mucus.” Seriously, only the most dedicated mothers would be able to suck the runny snot out of their sick children. Then again, Japanese mothers are pretty dedicated. Anyways, let’s take a look at it: The [...]

Half of Japanese Authors have Meaty thumbs

3. December 2007

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At this point, everyone should know that Japanese people like their cell phones. In Japan, we are seeing a decline in personal computer use and a bigger interest in more versatile mobiles (the video’s a fake, but there’s still a lot of truth in it, nonetheless). On Japanese phones there are coupon scanners, television tuners [...]

How to Win at UFO Catchers

26. November 2007

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Aight maggots. It’s time to edumacate you in the fine art of UFO catching. I’m about to present to you tips on how to net yourself a cute stuff j-character without spending a lot of moolah. Koichi spent ¥5,000 figuring out the tricks of the trade so the lot of us wouldn’t have to. But [...]

Top Japanese Impulse Buys of 2007: Part 1

23. November 2007

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We’re halfway through Black Friday (the American tribute to consumerism) by now, so I thought I’d share with you the top trendy, must-have items that debuted in Japan this year. 1) The Mega Mac: A recurring menu item, the Mega Mac showed up again on Japanese McDonald’s in January this year. It’s advertised (see left) [...]

Nothing Scarier Than a Gaijin

31. October 2007

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I know this is coming kind of late, but I sort of forgot to post this earlier D: Apparently, somewhere in Nagoya, 外人さん (Mr. Foreigner) “costumes” consisting only of a nose and a pair of eyes are being sold. Not the most politically incorrect costume I’ve ever seen, but I thought it might be good for [...]

Nice Japan p I: Violence and Anime

23. October 2007

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There are way too many people out there with utopian views of the Japanese nation, and we aren’t here to perpetuate anyone’s fantasy. Although Japan is pretty freakin’ sweet (I think we all pretty much agree), it’s still a country full of problems, just like anywhere else. And now, without further adieu… This is my [...]