I know I missed Valentine's day by a week, but it is still the 'love' season right?  I thought I'd cover love in Japan for this cultural episode this month.  It is something that not a lot of people talk about, but I'm sure a few wonder about before th.

This month, I've been hit by a few setbacks. I caught a cold, which really isn't that bad, but I caught some kind of stomach bug for a few days while I still had the cold. I wasn't able to really do much for a good 2 or 3 days. This is quite a problem fo

When someone mentions Japanese theater, the 1st thing that probably pops into your head is kabuki. Kabuki, of course, has a long tradition in Japan dating back to the early 1600s when shows were first put on for samurai. And the image you probably have o

The holidays have come and gone.  They were the best thing for me because I got to relax and spend time with family.  But also the worst thing for my studies because it meant I ended up with very little time to study, which to be honest is okay.  We al

If you ask pretty much anyone in Japan what their favorite holiday is, they will usually tell you it is the New Year's holiday.  Although New Year's is a huge party holiday to be spent with a friends (and occasionally family) in the West, in Japan it is

All right, so the December 2012 test is over and done with. That was a bit of a big weight on my shoulder. I was trying to not put so much pressure on myself to study and pass this year because, well, I've got so much stuff going on, like say running a si

Japan's geography doesn't quite get as much love as the other interesting aspects of Japan. For whatever reason, talking about wildlife and animals just isn't as sexy as the fast-paced, sleek urban landscape of Tokyo, but you'll find a lot of hidden gems

I have been pretty much preparing for this big test in December all this year.  I have studied at least an hour every day and usually a lot more.  That time has not been wasted as I can truthfully say that my reading and listening comprehension have no.

When you think of Japanese food, what do you think of? Chances are one of the first things that pops into your head is sushi. You might also think of tempura, tofu, udon, or possibly miso soup that comes with every Japanese home cooked meal. And all of th

We are heading into the final stretch before the main event in December. As always, I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to get all the things I want to get done, but I have managed to (barely) keep to my 5 month plan I laid out in July. It h