There’s no doubt there are an abundance of cute characters in Japan. Japanese people love cute things, and will buy mountains merchandise to show off in their homes, use as supplies, or hang them as keychains to dangle from their phones or bags. And because there are so many characters and fads that come in [...]
When the Tofugu team visited Japan earlier this year, we went through the process of trading our dollars for yen (at a great exchange rate, thank you Mr. Abe), a typical step in visiting a foreign country. But recently I’ve been wondering about whether or not that step is even necessary anymore. With everything so [...]
I’m constantly being reminded that the comments section of Tofugu (or any site, for that matter) can really take on a life of its own. My post a few weeks ago about weird ramen took an unexpected turn in the comments as people began to discuss my usage of the word “gaijin.” Gaijin (外人, short [...]
I started watching the American TV show New Girl this week and while I really enjoy the characters, zany antics, and comical situations (you should probably check it out if you haven’t, it’s a good show) it also made me think about how co-ed roommates are viewed in today’s society. In the show New Girl, [...]
One of Japan’s biggest cultural exports is its martial arts: karate, judo, aikido, kendo. Back before anime got really big, Japanese martial arts was one of the big draws that got Westerners saying “I wanna move to Japan!” Beyond the romantic notions of Japanese martial arts as some kind of path to enlightenment or self-realization, [...]
While many of you non-American countries will scoff at the idea of it being difficult to procure alcohol underage, Americans will know how difficult it is to get away with this sort of thing. Many American stores and restaurants have a “if they look under 35, card them” policy. Still others have a “always card, [...]
When the Tofugu team was in Japan earlier this year, Japan’s safety measures (or lack thereof) astounded me. In the US, everything has to have a label and a warning, otherwise people will get hurt and sue the hell out of each other. But that’s not the case in Japan. For whatever reason, Japanese culture [...]
