Japan

itasha 痛車: Embarrassing Cars in Japan

itasha 1Japan has a unique and varied car industry. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find weird cars in Japan. There’s a word in Japanese called “痛車” (itasha) which is the combination of “pain” and “car” to equal “painful car”.

The car itself isn’t painful, but it is painful to look at or makes you cringe in embarrassment. Personally, out of all the things people do to stand out to make their car attract attention, I don’t really mind this compared to people who play their music too loud. Regardless, let’s see what’s the deal with these “itasha” cars.

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Japanese Pizza: Weird, Expensive, and Fantastic

japanese pizzaI want to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart. Japanese Pizza. It’s essential for parties. It soothes your soul after a long, stressful week at work. It doesn’t judge you and is a good listener. Oh yeah, it also (usually) tastes  good.

Today I want to talk about Japanese pizza and how it differs from the way people see pizza in the US. Follow along with me as I use this post as a great excuse to talk about pizza.

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How to make Japanese friends online

make japanese friends online resources

Great, so you’re studying Japanese but have no one to talk with?

Have you considered trying to make Japanese friends online? When I was in high school in the US, I lived in an area where there were few opportunities to meet Japanese speakers or anyone from Japan. Instead, I used the Internet to find people my age that I could talk to.

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How to Bypass The Japan Times Article Limit

The Japan Times article limit
This message is frustrating

I love reading The Japan Times, but sometimes I encounter a message like this: “You’ve reached your story limit as a non-registered user”.

The site then tries to force readers to register for a free account to access more articles or pay a monthly fee for unlimited access. I’m not interested in making an account just to read daily articles on a website, so I want to show others how to bypass The Japan Times article limit.

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Japanese and American School Differences

If you have ever wondered how different the education systems are in the United States and Japan, you are not alone. Many people are curious about the similarities and differences between these two countries, especially when it comes to schooling. I saw a post on Mental Floss that mentioned Japanese and American school differences, and I wanted to do my own version. What’s the deal with school uniforms, and do students really clean their own schools without janitors? Let’s find out!

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Guide to Applying for the JET Program

I came across an article on Tofugu about the pros and cons of joining the JET program and wanted to complement that with a small outline and guide to the application process.

For those that don’t know, the JET Program is an organization for people to teach English in Japan. The first year I applied, I made it to the interview and ended up on a waiting list, but didn’t get a placement. The second year I applied, passed, and was placed in a high school in Japan where I worked as an ALT for 5 years. I gained valuable experience and wanted to share some tips with people who are considering JET.

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Waiting for American Movies in Japan

Seeing American Movies in Japan

Why do American movies arrive in Japan so late compared to other countries? It’s really frustrating seeing many movie trailers online because while my excitement builds there is also a grim feeling of disappointment. I know I’ll have to wait 6-12 months longer than people in other countries to see the same movie.

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