Japanese is a means to an end. No one sane studies Japanese for over a dozen years, becomes a professional translator, and learns all the complexity and nuance of this language because the language is fun. Yes, it is a great challenge, and it is very interesting, but that wasn’t the point. The language is…
Instruction is a River Into the Mind
In Japanese, the kanji (Chinese character, the hieroglyph-ish stuff) for “instruction” combines two components. The first component is “words”: that which pours out of a mouth. This is the component, or “radical,” on the left. The second component is the radical for “river.” In itself, this kanji, on its own, represents a channel carved into…
How To Learn Japanese
There are many schools of thought for how to learn Japanese. Allow me to briefly present mine. #1: Settle On A Goal If your goal is to know a few cool words to impress your friends, you do not need to learn very much. If your goal is to hold a brief oral conversation with…
Want To Study At A Japanese University?
If you’d like to study at a Japanese university, read on. If you don’t… read on anyway! You might find this interesting. At the present time, Japan is undergoing a chronic shortage of students for its well-respected universities. (Most of you will have read one of the numerous news reports in recent years concerning Japan’s…
Samurai: Sometimes Warriors, Always Servants
The word “samurai” evolved from the word “saburai,” which itself is rooted in the verb “saburau,” meaning “to serve.” The kanji for samurai, 侍, is composed of two components, or “radicals”: a man (on the left), and a temple (on the right). Thus, just as a man pays homage to the kami (spirits/ gods) at…
Naruto – The Real (Life) Story
“Naruto” is not just the name of a popular ninja-centric anime, nor the name of the main character of that anime. This is the story of the “swirl” that appears left and right in that series. Naruto is also a real-life island: Naruto Island. Naruto is also a straight: the Naruto Strait, where the Seto…