The Myth of Japanese Indirectness and “Subtlety”
Stereotypes of Japan as a land of vague meaning and blunted expression are just straight up Orientalism that obscure a complex reality.
Stereotypes of Japan as a land of vague meaning and blunted expression are just straight up Orientalism that obscure a complex reality.
Kuzushiji, the “crushed letters” found in historical Japanese documents, have long been the bane of scholars. A new app may change all that.
Most languages use a variation of the name Japan – except for Japan itself! Learn the etymology of Japan, and the reason for the difference.
The rise of Japanese “kira kira” names with unexpected kanji readings has sparked controversy over the past few decades. Will altering the family register system change all that?
Mass strikes, the creation of the 8-hour workday, and an early 20th-century vogue for foreign words – all led to the most popular Japanese word many don’t even realize is foreign in origin.
The entertainment industry’s unwillingness to pay skilled language professionals to produce high-quality localizations is a matter of choice.
It’s often said that there are no swear words in Japanese. But while profanities may be rare, taboos – and banned words – abound.
Why a wide range of local dialects in Japan’s north are intrinsically – and unfairly – associated with rural backwardness.
Japanese is fraught with unspoken rules and meanings. For example: how should people refer to their husbands?
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