If you've ever needed help making a small decision like who gets the last piece of pizza or who gets to ride shotgun, you're probably more than familiar with the game of rock, paper, scissors. But you might not know how … [Read more...]
Modern day goldfish are believed to have descended from several red mutants of the Chinese funa carp. These mutants, or hibuna (ヒブナ), in turn mutated into the wakin (和金), the first goldfish that were brought into Japan in … [Read more...]
I’ve always been fascinated by the social sciences. Some people say that they’re not as important or “real” as the “hard sciences“ (i.e. chemistry, physics, biology, etc.), but social … [Read more...]
Color is closely, and often imperceptibly, intertwined with Japanese language and culture – but to see how and why, we have to dig a little deeper into the history of Japan. The earliest written history of Japan, which … [Read more...]
Did you know that every year the Japanese Kanji Proficiency Society chooses a "Kanji of the Year"? They choose a character that best represents the events of that past year through a national ballot where of course, the … [Read more...]
Streetwalker. Gentleman of the night. Gigolo. Hustler. Escort. They have many names, and if you've ever been to a crowded Japanese city at night, you've probably seen them. Prowling the street corners, smiling at you, … [Read more...]