Author Archives: Richard Mulvihill

Tokyo’s Takuma Sato Wins Long Beach GP

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

おめでとうございます。 Congratulations to Takuma Sato. The first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race. Here are some more photos of the Race.             Tweet

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Getting beat up by the Yakuza

Posted on March 19, 2013 by

The Yakuza, simply put, is the Japanese mafia. It is Japan’s infamous organized crime syndicate. Like their Italian counterparts, they have been elevated to legendary pop-culture status through countless movies, TV shows, and anime. I don’t really know much about … Continue reading →

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Okinawa Named Top 10 Place to Visit.

Posted on February 21, 2013 by

Okinawa Japan was recently named one of the Top 10 places to visit in 2013 by Coastal Living Magazine. Claiming that Okinawa “Has what it takes to be the next big thing!” I think they are right, and I think … Continue reading →

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The Gaijin’s Guide to Natto.

Posted on January 9, 2013 by

Natto, along with uni, and konnyaku, make up the top three Japanese foods that scare the bejesus out of people. None of these foods actually tastes bad. I think they are scary due to their strange textures. I have read … Continue reading →

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Learning Japanese From Car Names, Honda Part 1 – Hiragana

Posted on December 7, 2012 by

  This is an ongoing series where I explain concepts of the Japanese language through words that you already know;  Japanese car names. (Car Names Main Page) Lets use Honda to explain Hiragana.  Written Japanese is made up of four alphabets … Continue reading →

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Why the Japanese don’t litter

Posted on July 3, 2012 by

  I will begin this post about Japanese garbage, trash, and litter with a soccer story. It was the 1998 World Cup in France. The Japanese national soccer team had qualified for their first World Cup ever. Their fans had arrived in … Continue reading →

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Featured Photo: Gobo chicken sign

Posted on June 15, 2012 by

This is a sign outside of the small town of Gobo in Wakayama Japan. It makes for a great Kanji quiz, as all destinations are 5 characters long. But it is more notable for its strange translation. I quote funny … Continue reading →

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The Japanese Barber Shop

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

They say that once you are able to talk to a barber and a cab driver in a foreign country, using a foreign language, you are now considered fluent. Of course until you reach that skill level you are considered … Continue reading →

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My First Haircut at a Japanese Barber Shop

Posted on May 8, 2012 by

  The first barber I ever went to was around the corner from my old apartment near Nagoya Station.  It is a tightly packed neighborhood behind the Toyota Museum. There is a constant clickety-clack sound of trains running in the … Continue reading →

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