From Japan with Love

Since there are many railroads in Japan, many people have become familiar with and fans of railroads from a very young age. In Japan, male train geeks are called tetsuo (鉄男) and female train geeks are called tetsuko (鉄子). 日本にはたくさんの鉄道があるため、幼い頃から鉄道に親しみ、ファンになった人がたくさんいます。 日本語では男性の鉄道オタクの事を「鉄男」女性の鉄道オタクの事を「鉄子」と呼びます。 Types of Train Geeks 鉄道オタクの種類 Railroad geeks have their own areas of expertise. 🚋撮(と)り鉄(てつ): someone who likes to take pictures of trains 🚋乗(の)り鉄(てつ): Someone who likes to ride trains. 🚋音鉄(おとてつ): People who enjoy recording train-related sounds, such as internal announcements and melodies. And there are many more 😉.That's more than 20 fields, they say. What field do you like? 鉄道オタクにもそれぞれの専門分野があるそうです。 🚋撮り鉄: 電車の写真を撮るのが好きな人 🚋乗り鉄: 電車に乗るのが好きな人 🚋音鉄: 社内アナウンスやメロディなど、鉄道に関する音を録音して楽しむ人 他にもたくさんの種類があります😉20分野以上あるそうですよ。 あなたは何の分野が好きですか？ Reference: http://sanwa-reform.com/blog/20190204/ Kyoto Railway Museum 京都鉄道博物館 There is a place in Kyoto that is attracting the attention o...

Do you eat persimmons in your country? In Japan, persimmons are one of the most popular autumn fruits. In the countryside, people often receive persimmons from their family trees. I buy them at the supermarket. あなたの国では柿をたべますか？ 日本では柿は秋を代表する果物です。 田舎では家の木になった柿をもらう事も多いです。私はスーパーで買います。 At the supermarket, persimmons are sold like this. スーパーでは柿はこんな風に売られていますよ。 Seedless persimmons種(たね)なし柿(がき) This is a type of persimmon that has no seeds and is very easy to eat. The number next to the price tag indicates the sweetness of the fruit. これは種がないタイプの柿で、とても食べやすいです。 値札の横の数字は果物の甘さを表しています。 In the fruit section of supermarkets, there is sometimes an indication of sweetness like this. This persimmon has a sugar content of 14, so it's sweet. スーパーの果物コーナーにはこのように甘さを示す表示がついている事があります。この柿は糖度14なので、甘いですね🤗 Which softness do you like? あなたはどれくらいの柔らかさが好き？ Persimmons are delicious even if they are a little hard, as long as the skin is orange. Different people have different tastes. 柿は皮がオレンジ色で...

Hello, I'm Mog, a Japanese born and raised in Japan. This is the last installment of a four-part series on why Japanese people don't say "I love you". こんにちは、生まれも育ちも日本の日本人、Mogです😉 4回に渡りお届けしたテーマ「なぜ日本人は「愛してる」と言わないのか」今回は最終回です。 🔶 1st:Translation of the word I love you 🔶 2nd:Is empathy related to housing conditions in Japan? 🔶 3rd: What are the alternatives to the word love? 🔶 4th: How Japanese people express their dissatisfaction 🔶 1回目:愛してるという言葉の翻訳 🔶 2回目:共感力は日本の住居事情と関係がある？ 🔶 3回目:愛の言葉の代わりは？ 🔶 4回目:日本人の不満の伝え方 What does your partner do for you that makes you feel loved? パートナーに何をしてもらった時に愛されていると感じますか？ A friend who has been reading this series sent me a link to an interesting quiz. There are many different ways to express love. Words, time spent together, things done for you, gifts, physical touch. This is a quiz to find out which of these ways you feel love 😉. このシリーズを読んでくれた友人が、面白いクイズのリンクを送ってくれました。 愛の伝え方には様々な種類があります。言葉、一緒に過ごす時間、自分のためにしてくれた事、プレゼント、スキンシップ。この中で、...

Today I would like to write an article on the topic of how Japanese people communicate their dissatisfaction to others. 今日は日本人は不満を相手にどう伝えるのか、というテーマで記事を書きたいと思います。 Today's article is a continuation of the previous article, "Why don't Japanese people say I love you? This is the third article in the series. If you haven't read it yet, please read it from the beginning. 今日の記事は先日の「日本人はなぜ愛してると言わないのか」というテーマの続きです。今回はシリーズ4回目の記事です。 まだ読んでいない方は、初めから読んでみてください。 🔶 1回目の記事はこちら 🔶 2回目の記事はこちら 🔶 3回目の記事はこちら I think Japanese people are very empathetic due to their cultural background and education. However, on the other hand, I think many of us are not good at communicating small complaints. 日本人は文化的背景や教育により、共感力がとても高いと思います。しかし、逆に小さな不満を伝える事は苦手な人が多いのではないでしょうか。 Do I complain to the restaurant? お店に苦情を言うか Let's say I have just eaten at my first restaurant and the atmosphere is bad, the staff is not very nice, the food is bad and the bill is very expensive. I would not complain to...

Today's article is a continuation of the previous article, "Why don't Japanese people say I love you? This is the third article in the series. If you haven't read it yet, please read it from the beginning. 今日の記事は先日の「日本人はなぜ愛してると言わないのか」というテーマの続きです。今回はシリーズ3回目の記事です。 まだ読んでいない方は、初めから読んでみてください。 🔶 1回目の記事はこちら 🔶 2回目の記事はこちら In my previous article, I talked about the cultural background of Japanese people's understanding of other people's emotions through trivial facial expressions and actions. 日本人が相手の感情を些細な表情や行動で理解する文化的背景について、前回の記事でお話しました。 Due to our cultural background and education, I believe that Japanese people have a very high capacity for empathy. I have often heard people who have traveled to Japan say that many people are kind to them when they visit Japan. This may be because we Japanese feel as if we are the ones who are in trouble when people around us are in trouble. 文化的な背景や教育の影響で、日本人の共感する力はとても高いと思います。よく日本に行くと親切にしてくれる人が多いと、日本に旅行に来た方が言うのを聞いたことがあります。これは周りの人が困っ...

Today's article is a continuation of the previous article, "Why don't Japanese people say I love you? Click here for the previous article 今日の記事は先日の「日本人はなぜ愛してると言わないのか」というテーマの続きです。 前回の記事は こちら Japanese people don't say many direct words of love. 日本人は直接的に愛の言葉をあまり言わない In Japan, there is no custom of kissing or hugging. They also don't say direct words of love very often. This may have something to do with the characteristics of Japanese houses. 日本にはキスやハグの習慣がありません。また、直接的な愛の言葉を言う事はあまりありません。 それは日本住宅の特徴に関係あるかもしれません。 Characteristics of Traditional Japanese Houses 伝統的な日本家屋の特徴 Compared to the rest of the world, Japanese houses are small. In order to make efficient use of a small house, 襖(ふすま)fusuma (sliding doors) are used instead of walls or doors between rooms in traditional Japanese houses. Fusuma can be used as movable partitions to freely change the layout of the rooms. 日本の家は世界に比べて狭いです。 狭い家を効率的に使うため、伝統的な日本家屋では部屋と部屋の間は壁やドアの代わりに襖が使われています。 襖は動く間仕切りとして部屋の間取りを自由に変えることができます。 ...

I've been thinking about it ever since I heard a month ago from a friend who is in an international relationship that her Japanese partner doesn't say "I love you" very often.🤔 1ヶ月前に、国際恋愛をしている友人から「日本人のパートナーがあまり愛してると言ってくれない」と聞いてから、ずっとその事を考えていました。 I finally got my thoughts together, so please read on. 🧐It's very long, so I'm going to split it into several parts. やっと考えがまとまったので、読んでください。とても長いので何回かに分けるつもりです。 Don't Japanese people really say "愛(あい)してる I love you"? 本当に日本人は「愛してる」と言わないの？ I asked three of my colleagues who are married. "Have you ever said '愛(あい)してるI love you' to someone you're dating or to your husband?" After two seconds of thought🤔, they replied,  "Never..." 結婚している同僚3人に聞いてみました。「付き合っている人や夫に愛してる、と言ったことある？」 2秒考えて彼女達は答えました。 「ないなぁ」 I changed the question. "If you had to say it three times in your life, when would you say it? Would you say it at your wedding or when you die?" The women th...

Have you ever been to Inari Shrine in Kyoto? It is one of the world's most famous tourist attractions in Kyoto. About the Inari Shrine Behind the Inari Shrine is Inari Mountain, which takes about two hours to climb. The path is lined with many torii gates. Reference: http://inari.jp/en/ It's usually too crowded to take a picture like this. If you want to take pictures, I suggest you go early in the morning.😉 There are many things I would like to tell you about Inari, but today I would like to introduce you to a chopstick shop near the Inari Shrine. All kinds of cute chopstick rests The other day, I introduced chopstick rests to you. The article is here. 🔶 Seasonal decorations with chopstick rests 箸置き(はしおき) I found a lot of cute chopstick rests in this shop.   There are seasonal chopstick rests that make me think of autumn dishes.🍂🍁 Looks like I'll be adding another one to my collection.😍 How to choose your chopsticks This store specializ...

Companies are required by law to have their employees undergo annual medical checkups. Preparing for the medical checkup Before the day of the medical checkup, we need to fill out a medical questionnaire to describe our medical history, recent physical condition, and lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise. To see the condition of our intestines, we have to submit to a stool test. You cannot eat food after 9:00 p.m. the night before the test. On the day of the test, you may drink only water until two hours before the test. The list of medical checkup items. Here's the menu for the day's physical examination. This is a general example, as the contents may vary depending on the local government or company. You can also apply for some options not listed here for a fee. 1. Urinalysis 2. Height, weight, and abdominalcircumference measurements If the value is significantly different from last year's value, you will be asked the cause of the difference. If you are f...

お月見(つきみ) Otsukimi is an event to gaze at the beautiful and bright moon on the clearest day of the year, also known as the "十五夜(じゅうごや)" or the "中秋(ちゅうしゅう)の名月(めいげつ)". In 2021, September 21 will be the day of Otsukimi. History of Otsukimi The culture of Otsukimi was introduced to Japan from China. In the Heian period (794-1185), aristocrats enjoyed drinking sake while gazing at the moon, and also enjoyed poetry and music on a boat. What an intelligent and elegant event for the aristocrats of the Heian period! ✨ I have also written about the culture of the Heian period in the following article, so please refer to it.😉 🔶 Imagining the personality of the person who wrote the handwriting In the Edo period (1603-1868), Otsukimi spread among the common people as a harvest festival to share the joy and give thanks for the safe harvest of rice. Offerings for Otsukimi Traditional offerings for Otsukimi are silver grass, moon-viewing dumplings, and farm products. ス...

In Japan, there are days in spring and autumn when we make offerings to our ancestors, and they are called "お彼岸(ひがん)Ohigan.” When is Ohigan? These dates vary every year, but for 2021, the dates for the Ohigan are as follows. Spring Ohigan: "March 17 to March 23 Autumnal Ohigan: September 20 to September 26 The spring Ohigan is determined based on the dates when the weather changes from spring to summer, and the autumn Ohigan is determined based on the dates when the weather changes from summer to autumn, and in both cases the length of day and night are almost the same. What to do on the Ohigan? The Ohigan is not decorated in the same way as Obon, and people generally visit graves and hold memorial services. However, in some regions, there are events unique to the Ohigan period. For the information about Obon, please click here. 🔶 Obon is the day when ancestors come home. Wagashi for the Ohigan This is the most popular wagashi to eat during the Ohigan. In fac...

I heard from a foreigner living in Japan that he was surprised to see how many Japanese women like beer. What is the percentage of beer lovers in other countries? What percentage of people love beer? There was a survey of 363 people between the ages of 20 and 49. In the survey, 69.3% of men said they liked beer, compared to 41.2% of women. Percentage of beer lovers by gender and generation The percentage of both men and women in their 20s has dropped. Males🍻 40s 78.1% 30s 72.7% 20s 56.1% Women🍻 40s 42.4% 30s 51.6% 20s 30.3% I don't know if this percentage is higher than other countries, but looking at the percentage by generation, I thought it was interesting and reflected the way Japanese working style, so I would like to write about my personal opinion.🧐 Reference: http://www.mobile-research.jp/investigation/research_date_081029_2.html How did your first beer taste? I have a question for all you beer lovers. Did you enjoy the first beer you drank? Many of you may h...

It is said that Japanese people are time sensitive. That may be so. It's a bit complicated because the rules can change based on different scenarios. Today, I would like to talk about the etiquette rules for meeting on time. Meeting up with a friend Until you know what kind of feeling the other person has about the meeting time, it is safe to arrive on time or 5 to 10 minutes early. Some people come up to 30 minutes early. If you are going to be more than 5 minutes late due to unavoidable circumstances, let the person know as soon as you know the estimated time of arrival. Nowadays, everyone has a cell phone, so it is very convenient. With friends who have known each other for a long time, I adjust the meeting time in advance so that one of us doesn't wait too long, but if there is a possibility that both of us will be late, I try to find a better place to meet. Meeting place with my friends A good meeting place is a place where we can sit and let our minds ...

Today I would like to introduce you to some of Japan's famous autumn grasses and flowers.  Everyone, regardless of gender or generation, knows these names and they are often used in conversation. Cosmos 秋桜 (コスモス) When you think of autumn flowers in Japan, this is probably the flower that immediately comes to mind. In kanji, it is written "秋 autumn 桜cherry blossom." Cosmos fields with many cosmos plants are located in many places in Japan, and many people go to see them. When I think of cosmos, the song "Cosmos" comes to mind; it is quite an old song, released in 1977, but the lyrics and melody are so good that it is still a famous song. This is a song about a daughter's feelings for her mother before her wedding. Many of the songs written by Masashi Sada are heart-wrenching like this. 秋桜  https://g.co/kgs/jPYWdM I'd love for you to taste the lyrics. But I couldn't find the lyrics in English. I'm sorry. Unlike today's trends, in th...