Author: Michael
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Bathhouse Etiquette
Do you know the correct etiquette for bathing Japanese style? During a trip to Naoshima last summer, I picked up this pretty little pamphlet that describes the process.
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House Omamori
Omamori are used in many different places around Japan. Most often you’ll see them being sold as colourful trinkets at Shinto shrines, but did you also know about gofu given out to protect houses?
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New Year’s Discounts
Printing New Year’s cards to send out to friends and family is a custom given much importance in Japan. Huge quantities of postcards are send out all over the country just to ‘check in’ with people, even if it is just once a year.
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Gargle to Prevent Influenza
As a recent flu victim myself, it seems a little ironic that I had already planned to write this post before becoming ill. It’s as much a cultural lesson as it is vocabulary.
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Undersea Bean Friends
A bit of a fun little lesson this time. A bunch of cute sea creatures from an aquarium product label. How’s your sea-life vocabulary?
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25 Years of Mario
Mario is celebrating his 25th anniversary this year and Nintendo are commemorating the event with a special edition boxset of the original Mario games.
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Gachigori – ガチゴリ
Have you chomped down on Gachigori before? It’s made up of two onomatopoeic words combined together for maximum effect. Can you guess what?
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Happy Soft Piping Hot
Handwritten signs are used quite a lot in stores in Japan, especially the smaller, more personal places. This one particularly caught my eye while shopping.
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Body Warming Cream
One peculiar product I happened across recently was this little orange tube of cream claiming that it would warm you up just by spreading it on your body. I was skeptical, but having tried it out can confirm that it really does work!
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Melty Kiss Winter Version
Melty Kiss is a brand of Meiji chocolate in Japan that, like many companies here, releases seasonal versions of its most popular products. Here the latest Winter Version.