This summer, 大地の芸術祭 (daichi no geijutsu-sai, Echigo-Tsumari Art Field), also known as Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, runs July 13 to Nov. 10 in Niigata Prefecture, adding one more destination to Japan’s busy schedule of 夏祭り (natsu matsuri, summer festivals). Although it’s held in what may be an inconvenient location, seeing Yayoi Kusama’s favorite flower sculpture in … Read more
You may have learned that “I” is 私 (watashi). And while this is a handy all-around term to use when referring to yourself, a 2019 survey showed that over 30% of Japanese women and around 70% of Japanese men don’t regularly use it. To make things even more confusing, people do or don’t use 私 … Read more
One of the benefits of living in a Japanese city is the transportation network. A wide range of people use trains, subways and buses to get where they’re going, and you’ll often find 優先席 (yūsenseki, priority seats) in the general seating area. Recently, ジョージア大使のツイートが話題になりました (Jōjia taishi no tsuīto ga wadai ni narimashita, a tweet by … Read more