The Nintendo Switch is region free, and many (not all) games, including the demo for Project Triangle Strategy, have the full Japanese text and audio available in the U.S. release of the game. This is an amazing resource for gamers who are learning Japanese. Here’s my latest grab! Japanese: どうした。顔が真っ青だぞ、ベネディクト。 Romaji: doushita. kao ga massao…
Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka
I finally made it to Sumiyoshi Taisha after years of visiting Osaka. It was never on my radar as it’s a bit out of the way from the city center, but now that I’ve been there I wish I had gone sooner. A friend of mine recently moved to the Sumiyoshi Taisha neighborhood, which was…
Japanese Lesson from Games: 難攻不落
Japanese: 難攻不落 Hiragana: なんこうふらく Romaji: nankou furaku Literal Meaning: Difficult to attack, won’t fall. The entire sentence here is 今やあの要塞は難攻不落だ。 要塞 (ようさい) means fortress. 今や well, 今 (いま) means now. The extra particle や is for emphasis, and a smaller nuance that I won’t get into here. So here Claude is saying, “Now that fortress…
Koshi Hikari Rice beer from Niigata
Not just any rice. Koshi Hikari! Koshi Hikari itself is known as one of the highest quality rice brands in Japan. Despite the unmistakable quality and brand recognition of the rice, I wouldn’t have guessed this beer was made with rice if it wasn’t on the label. It had a light smooth taste and was…
Nintendo Switch Setup Tip – Opt out of Google Analytics
By default the Nintendo Switch eShop shares your data with Google Analytics. If you don’t want to feed your activity to “Big Data” you can change your settings with a few easy steps. On your Switch go to the eShop. Select your profile icon that is on the top right. In your profile section you’ll…
Dajyare. Japanese Jokes. Oyaji-gag. Learn them, but use with caution.
That’s right. Japanese jokes. Japanese jokes are pretty interesting. There is a whole category of them that is entirely based on word play. Dajyare are made mainly of words that can have multiple meanings when pronounced.. The jokes don’t always involve two ‘words’ that can have double meanings, they occasionally use the grammar in the…
Japanese Lesson from Games: 損切り
The Nintendo Switch is region free, and many (not all) games, including Octopath Traveler, have the full Japanese text and audio available in the U.S. release of the game. No need to import from Japan! This is an amazing resource for gamers who are learning Japanese. Here’s my latest grab! Kanji: 損切り Hiragana: そんぎり Romaji:…
Japanese Lesson from Games: たまげた
The Nintendo Switch is region free, and many (not all) games, including Octopath Traveler, have the full Japanese text and audio available in the U.S. release of the game. No need to import from Japan! This is an amazing resource for gamers who are learning Japanese. Here’s my latest grab! Kanji: 魂消た (The kanji doesn’t…
Traditional Soba at Yamatoan on Mount Yoshino in Nara (Yoshinoyama)
Yoshinoyama (吉野山 or Mount Yoshino) in Nara prefecture is mainly famous for it’s beautiful cherry tree blossoms in the spring. However, I was in the area in the summer as part of another trip, and Google Maps led us to a wonderful soba shop, Yamatoan. The staff are very friendly. Maybe it’s because we went…
Japanese Lesson from Games: 取捨選択
The Nintendo Switch is region free, and many (not all) games, including Octopath Traveler, have the full Japanese text and audio available in the U.S. release of the game. No need to import from Japan! This is an amazing resource for gamers who are learning Japanese. Here’s my latest grab! Kanji: 取捨選択 Hiragana: しゅしゃせんたく Romaji:…