r/japanese

I am American, please forgive my ignorance. From what I have seen/learned via social media, Japanese culture seems to consist of ALOT of cooking, and many small dishes and sides. So why are Japanese kitchens so small? I see massive houses with such tiny kitchens, minimal counter space and sometimes not even an oven. With a culture built around cooking, wouldn’t kitchens be designed to be bigger and offering more counter/prep space?

Hello,
ever since I discovered Uniqlo it quickly became my favorite brand and I was wondering what actual Japanese people think about the brand.

I have two common things that happening and both I have confusion. First one is the word kawaii (I really hope not kowai), I guess I can say I hear it often, from males and females, or when I even not supposed to hear it, when for example in my part time one of the co worker girl told to tencho that I'm kawaii and I was behind the wall and heard accidentally. And the reason its confusing me, its... I heard that kawaii is telling to people when someone is ugly but you need to be polite. And, especially when in times I have a thick beard hearing kawaii is very suspicious

The second one is the most confusing thing is japan for me. People telling me I have a small face. I kinda knew it, people was joking at me and my childhood about my small face, but why would japanese straight trying to offend me? I still cant understand how its supposed to be complimentary. For example, today I had event at senmon and one of the senpai girls told me about my small face. I heard it also from co-workers, but I decided to ask straight "Is it bad of good"? They told me its good and told うらやましい. At the moment I didn't know this world, but how I translated it means jealousy. And... Can someone explain me how my small face supposed to be compliment while at my hometown people will trying to offend me for the same reason?

Hello, this is my first time making a Reddit post.
I’m currently studying abroad in Japan and I have been here for a month.

I am in senior high school, but everywhere I go all people at my school do is stare at me. Every time I ask my host family about it, they say that they’re just curious and want to talk to you. So I have always approached them and talked to them in Japanese.
I have no friends here and no one to talk to because no one speaks even a little bit of English.

I am from Oklahoma and people there always talk to each other whether you know them or not. I was prepared that Japan is the complete opposite but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I try to speak in Japanese with them, but they still don’t have any interest in me.

The only other person that speaks English at my school is a teacher that came from Canada 27 years ago. He told me that even tho he speaks Japanese fluently, there are still teachers that refuse to talk to him or just don’t acknowledge him. I’m scared because he said this school is not a good school even if it’s a private school.

I’m trying to get my class changed so maybe I can be in a different class and that could help. I’m going to switch to his English class because I really don’t know what else to do. Every time I mention it to my parents, they brush it off. No one is taking it seriously, but I’m do frustrated. I am very polite here and I try to be as positive as possible.

About a week ago we had a sport festival at my school and apparently it took a long time preparing. While everyone started preparing they didn’t tell me what I could do to help even tho I asked multiple times. I just tried to help where I could.

Before the school day was over, I asked what we would be wearing the next day and they said “the normal school uniform.”
When I came to school the next day everyone (except for me) was wearing the PE uniform. I just thought maybe they didn’t understand what I asked as my Japanese is not that good.

This proceeded to happen 3 times out of 4 days. The third time I was really hurt because I kept asking people and they told me the wrong things.
When I had asked someone with Google Translate why no one told me that we were wearing the other uniform she read it out loud and every single girl in the room laughed. It was humiliating and I just speed walked to the bathroom and started crying. I was so embarrassed. No one apologized or anything.

I really don’t know what else to do as we have school Monday through Saturday. I don’t belong here and I know I won’t, but being treated as such really hurts.

For all the Japanese people, what can I do to make more friends or be more involved?

Please tell me knowing information about Japanese sweets.

Hi! I'm Japanese and I live in Japan. I'm planning to write about everyday life in Japan in English, and I'm curious how people outside Japan feel about our traditional everyday items.

For example:Tenugui (thin cotton hand towel),Furoshiki (cloth for wrapping and carrying things),Jinbei / samue (cotton loungewear),Noren (fabric curtain for doorways),Furin (glass or metal wind chime),Kotatsu (heated table with a blanket),Handmade ceramics, like yunomi tea cups,Geta (wooden sandals)

1. Which of these would you actually use at home in your country? Why?

2. Which ones feel more like a souvenir or a costume than something for daily life?

3. What stops you from buying or using them? (price, size, shipping, "is it okay for me to use it?", not knowing how to use it, anything)

4. Is there any other Japanese item you already use every day?

My English isn't perfect, sorry. Blunt answers are totally fine!

For the first time learning kanji I felt like whenever I couldnt remember a radical it was ALWAYS the 糸 radical. Maybe it was personal, but maybe its really common in some begginers lists, or just difficult for begginers. Anyone else had that issue? At some point I just started guessing ito when I didnt know what radical was lacking and often times it worked. lol.

Hi All,

I am looking to spend 2 months in Japan from November to January with the main goal of improving Japanese proficiency. I will sprinkle some fun and domestic travel in too but the focus will be language. Currently about N4/N3 level. Would love to work towards N1 eventually.

How would you go about spending 2 months there with above goal? Would you enrol in an intensive school in a major city like Tokyo? Would you go to a regional or remote town and immerse yourself in the community that way? Or something else?

Keen to hear what people's opinions and insights are.

Thanks!

I'm running a dnd campaign thats set in a fantasy regency era and one of my PCs wants to play a character thats from Japan, any good sources or websites

I'm a walnut farmer in California, and I'll be lucky enough to visit Japan with my older parents and my son (16) during the summer of 2027 (exact dates TBD).

Selfishly, I'd really like to learn how walnuts are farmed in Japan, and meet a grower and see how things are different. From googling, I understand that production in Japan is quite limited, but that just makes me more intrigued. I guess most production is in Nagano, specifically Tomi? I have no idea if this is really the case, but I'd like to connect with farmers (or even one!) and visit, regardless.

More importantly, I read that there are native walnuts in Japan (Onigurumi), but I can't find much information on them. That REALLY interests me, and I want to learn as much as I can. I don't care if it's cultural, culinary, agricultural, artistic... The knowledge just tickles me.

(At the same time, I'd love to visit someone that farms old varieties of rice. My father spent 50 years growing and processing rice, so it would mean a lot to him to visit a fellow farmer.)

My family is all about visiting somewhere and learning about real life, not flashy things. We feel that what others find mundane is the stuff that will blow our minds, as that's usually what happens when folks visit us in California!

So...

1. Where can I see walnuts being grown in Japan? English and native.

2. Does anyone have any connections to farmers that would be willing to share their experience with a fellow farmer that respects what they're doing and wants to learn about how they do it? Also artisans or cooks that utilize walnut wood or walnuts, in traditional and/or almost-forgotten ways.

3. Are there cultural aspects that I can learn about while I'm there? Especially regarding how walnuts or walnut wood are used in culturally significant ways (Shinto altars, etc)?

I'm ok to share my contact information via DM if anyone has legitimate connections that would be willing to listen to me ask questions for a while.

Thanks, in advance!

EDIT: I showed my son some of the first responses, and now he wants to add that he'd like to see where the huge Japanese yams are grown, if that's near either of the regions mentioned, regarding walnuts (Tomi) and rice (Uonuma)...

Go easy on me as I'm still learning. Still around N5, early N4.

A: すいません。

B: いいですね！私も吸（す）いません。

A: …え？

Idk but if use than I like to talk with them 😺😉☺️

Since Duolingo is taking forever to show me kanji I want to ask this community for suggestions. I don't want to buy that one book I just need a resource that lets me focus on kanji