Japanese is one of those languages that is seen as mysterious and exotic to many Westerners. It may seem that way, but if you've read Part 1 and Part 2 of my "Borrower Language" series, or if you are familiar with … [Read more...]
Now that we have successfully entered the month of August, we are officially in the thicket of summer! And in Japan, that means festival season! Sure, festivals are put on all around the world, but there are elements of … [Read more...]
One day, even though I had plans to hang out with my friends Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, Professor Anderson gave me some homework: “Make one million sentences in English.” About that time, they both of my star friends … [Read more...]
In seventh grade I had my half-Japanese friend burn me a CD full of her favorite Japanese music. That CD, full of Japanese boy bands, ballads, technopop, and anime themes, was my first introduction to J-Pop. That music was … [Read more...]
Anyone who's been to Japan knows that they have some pretty advanced technology over there. Anyone who's gone to the bathroom in Japan knows that they have some pretty awesome toilets. No, I'm not talking about the old … [Read more...]
Over the last few years of studying Japanese, I've met more than a handful of J-pop fanatics. Heck, some people I know owe all their mad Japanese skills to studying AKB48 lyrics like their life depends on it. Honestly, … [Read more...]