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Not long ago, I told one of my proofreaders that I had dreamed about her. The response I received was classic: "I'm sorry for bothering you in your dream." That may be the most Japane...

If I were to concoct a kanji compound meaning "one's true colors," I'm pretty sure I would approach the coinage in a literal-minded way, using 色 (color). Instead, I keep encounter...

I recently received a mysterious envelope containing a glossy magazine-sized publication. I have no idea who sent it from Manhattan or why. Although I don't usually scrutinize unsolicited...

This week brought a terrific surprise. Mark Schreiber, who regularly writes about the Japanese language for the Japan Times, contacted me for the first time ever (on a mutual friend's...

Here's a Quick Quiz for you, one with two parts:

1. Holding something over someone's head usually means "bearing a grudge." What could it mean in a more benevolent context...

Last week, a Facebook friend from high school posted several pictures of our classmates from the first day of 10th grade. My photo was among those she selected. And as it reflected, I was so shy th...

Last weekend, my language partner Kensuke couldn't talk on our regularly scheduled day (my Saturday, his Sunday), but he happened to have a holiday on his Monday, so we shifted our Skype chat a...

The following sign brought up all sorts of feelings for me, which is weird because it's about parakeets, and I don't think I have deep-rooted issues about parakeets:

Lately I've been craving elusive tastes: malty, smoky, yeasty, earthy ... These flavors are so elusive that I sometimes lack words for them. All the sensations are strong, and yet the...