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	<title>The Japan Times &#187; BILINGUAL</title>
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	<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp</link>
	<description>News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More</description>
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		<title>Good morning Miss Kita-Senju, konbanwa Japan</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/09/29/language/good-morning-miss-kita-senju-konbanwa-japan/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=good-morning-miss-kita-senju-konbanwa-japan</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/09/29/language/good-morning-miss-kita-senju-konbanwa-japan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Sep 2013 13:48:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matthew Chozick</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Perhaps there comes a day in many a man&#8217;s life when he squints and says to himself something like this: 「まずいなぁ、もう少し度の強いメガネがあったら良かった。この距離だと、あの方が女装している北野武さんなのか、ミス・インターナショナルなのか、分からないや」(&#8220;Mazui n&#257;, m&#333; sukoshi do no tsuyoi megane ga attara yokatta. Kono kyori da to, ano kata ga jyos&#333; shiteiru Kitano Takeshi-san nanoka, Misu Int&#257;nashonaru nanoka, wakaranai ya,&#8221; &#8220;Yikes, if only I had stronger eyeglasses. [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>A Japanese word-processing primer for beginners</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/09/22/language/a-japanese-word-processing-primer-for-beginners/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=a-japanese-word-processing-primer-for-beginners</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/09/22/language/a-japanese-word-processing-primer-for-beginners/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Sep 2013 13:50:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Schreiber</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[Even a 入門者 (nyūmonsha, entry-level learner) of Japanese can use a personal computer to his or her advantage, as a supplementary learning tool. ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Nadeshiko — adorable till they die</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/09/15/language/nadeshiko-adorable-till-they-die/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=nadeshiko-adorable-till-they-die</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/09/15/language/nadeshiko-adorable-till-they-die/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 15 Sep 2013 14:00:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kaori Shoji</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=455416</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;France for food, Japan for wives.&#8221; That was basically the conclusion made by French journalist/novelist Pierre Loti, who dropped by our shores in 1885 and wrote a book about his stay called &#8220;Madame Chrysantheme.&#8221; Loti hadn&#8217;t exactly caught the Japan bug &#8212; he was critical of many facets of Japanese society, weather and men. Of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/09/15/language/nadeshiko-adorable-till-they-die/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>Smoking, now too uncool for school</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/09/01/language/smoking-now-too-uncool-for-school/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=smoking-now-too-uncool-for-school</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/09/01/language/smoking-now-too-uncool-for-school/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Sep 2013 13:08:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Minoru Matsutani</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=436449</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kitsuen (喫煙, smoking) could become an obsolete habit in Japan in the near future, as youngsters apparently now consider smoking dasai (ダサい, uncool). A recent survey by the monkash&#333; (文科省, an abbreviation of monbukagakush&#333;, or the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) shows that only 9 percent of k&#333;san danshi (高3男子, high school [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>When does one&#8217;s native language stop being native?</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/08/25/language/when-does-ones-native-language-stop-being-native/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=when-does-ones-native-language-stop-being-native</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/08/25/language/when-does-ones-native-language-stop-being-native/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Aug 2013 13:58:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Schreiber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[katakana]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=433795</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A 71-year-old man in Gifu Prefecture made headlines recently when he attempted to initiate a lawsuit against broadcaster NHK. Through its excessive use of foreign derived words, the man claimed, NHK had caused him 精神的苦痛 (seishinteki kuts&#363;, psychological pain). He demanded &#165;1.41 million in 慰謝料 (ishary&#333;, damages). The local court refused to hear the case. [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Japanese women and the summer chill — a love story</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/08/18/language/japanese-women-and-the-summer-chill-a-love-story/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=japanese-women-and-the-summer-chill-a-love-story</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/08/18/language/japanese-women-and-the-summer-chill-a-love-story/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Aug 2013 13:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kaori Shoji</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=431475</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Meet Matt, a software engineer in Silicon Valley, California, who recently married his college girlfriend from the University of Southern California. Her name is Miho. The pair are both in their late 30s and there was a 10-year period after university when he didn&#8217;t lay eyes on Miho or feel any interest in Japanese women, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/08/18/language/japanese-women-and-the-summer-chill-a-love-story/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The latest gyaru-go: The top 10 words for gals on the go</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/08/04/language/the-latest-gyaru-go-the-top-10-words-for-gals-on-the-go/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-latest-gyaru-go-the-top-10-words-for-gals-on-the-go</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/08/04/language/the-latest-gyaru-go-the-top-10-words-for-gals-on-the-go/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 Aug 2013 14:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Minoru Matsutani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[gyaru]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gyaru-go]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=423606</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The other day, I overheard two gyaru (ギャル, gals, i.e., fashion-conscious girls) talking, but I had no idea what they were saying. &#8220;Oh my goodness! I was doing KS! I gotta reply now!&#8221; What is KS? The hint is that the girl was doing something with her sumaho (スマホ, smartphone). KS, pronounced &#8220;kei esu,&#8221; is [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Hyper, mega, ultra: talking in superlatives</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/28/language/hyper-mega-ultra-talking-in-superlatives/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=hyper-mega-ultra-talking-in-superlatives</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/28/language/hyper-mega-ultra-talking-in-superlatives/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jul 2013 14:00:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter Backhaus</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[intensifiers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=419976</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the ultra-fascinating facets of Japanese is its super-large arsenal of intensifying prefixes that provide an otherwise neutral expression with some emphatic edge. The best-known (and least spectacular) of them is dai (大), which usually translates as &#8220;big.&#8221; When something went really well, for instance, people call it dai-seik&#333; (大成功, big success), whereas in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/28/language/hyper-mega-ultra-talking-in-superlatives/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Summer brings out the creepy crawlies</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/21/language/summer-brings-out-the-creepy-crawlies/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=summer-brings-out-the-creepy-crawlies</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/21/language/summer-brings-out-the-creepy-crawlies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jul 2013 14:00:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Matt Alt</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=413273</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now that the tsuyu (梅雨, rainy season) has ended and the dreaded heat has descended upon the city, most of us have taken refuge indoors, camped out in front of the eakon (エアコン, air-conditioning) in a desperate attempt to wick away some of summer&#8217;s sticky mushiatsusa (蒸し暑さ, humidity). The summer months conjure up images of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/21/language/summer-brings-out-the-creepy-crawlies/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Furigana: read the fine print, decode the hidden meanings</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/14/language/furigana-read-the-fine-print-decode-the-hidden-meanings-2/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=furigana-read-the-fine-print-decode-the-hidden-meanings-2</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/14/language/furigana-read-the-fine-print-decode-the-hidden-meanings-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Jul 2013 14:00:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Schreiber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[furigana]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=410163</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Years ago, a colleague at a company where I worked had a surname written using a character so obscure, that when handing out his business card he used to joke apologetically, 名前の漢字、ほとんど誰も読めない (namae no kanji, hotondo dare mo yomenai, hardly anybody can read the kanji in my name). He dealt with this problem by persuading [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/14/language/furigana-read-the-fine-print-decode-the-hidden-meanings-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The aidoru industry seeks big bucks in numbers</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/07/language/the-aidoru-industry-seeks-big-bucks-in-numbers/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-aidoru-industry-seeks-big-bucks-in-numbers</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/07/language/the-aidoru-industry-seeks-big-bucks-in-numbers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Jul 2013 14:01:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kaori Shoji</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[AKB48]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[idols]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=407018</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[They say that Japan is suffering from a major shōshika (少子化, plummeting birth rate) syndrome, but a cursory glance at the entertainment industry reveals a singular fact: The young people of this country are well and thriving, and huddled together in mass aidoru gurūpu (アイドルグループ, idol groups). To be an &#8220;aidoru&#8221; in Japan may look [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/07/language/the-aidoru-industry-seeks-big-bucks-in-numbers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Voting for idols is bigger than politics</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/01/language/voting-for-idols-is-bigger-than-politics/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=voting-for-idols-is-bigger-than-politics</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/01/language/voting-for-idols-is-bigger-than-politics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Jun 2013 15:04:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Minoru Matsutani</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=400705</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Elsewhere in the world, the kind of sōsenkyo (総選挙, general election) that fires up public interest and garners media attention is one where political parties compete for national office. In Japan, however, the sōsenkyo of aidoru gurūpu (アイドルグループ, idol group) AKB48 tends to grab far more attention than it deserves, which is ironic considering the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/07/01/language/voting-for-idols-is-bigger-than-politics/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Furigana — for when you need a little help with kanji</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/24/language/furigana-for-when-you-need-a-little-help-with-kanji/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=furigana-for-when-you-need-a-little-help-with-kanji</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/24/language/furigana-for-when-you-need-a-little-help-with-kanji/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jun 2013 15:02:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Schreiber</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=389848</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While watching a variety program on NTV over lunch a few weeks ago, I happened to see the word 儚い (hakanai) flash up on the screen. I didn&#8217;t recognize it right off — I can only speculate how many viewers did, as it is a 表外漢字 (hyōgai kanji), i.e., it does not appear in the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/24/language/furigana-for-when-you-need-a-little-help-with-kanji/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Thoughts of rice and Japanese men</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/17/language/thoughts-of-rice-and-japanese-men/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=thoughts-of-rice-and-japanese-men</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/17/language/thoughts-of-rice-and-japanese-men/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kaori Shoji</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Keisuke Honda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=384658</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you&#8217;re like me or the men in my life, you probably broke down and wept for joy on June 4, when Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda scored the goal that bagged Japan&#8217;s slot in the FIFA World Cup next year. At such sports events, one or another of my brothers turn up at my place, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/17/language/thoughts-of-rice-and-japanese-men/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Shinto&#8217;s kami and jinja seeking world acceptance</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/03/language/shintos-kami-and-jinja-seeking-world-acceptance/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=shintos-kami-and-jinja-seeking-world-acceptance</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/03/language/shintos-kami-and-jinja-seeking-world-acceptance/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 02 Jun 2013 15:04:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Minoru Matsutani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=375438</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ise Jingu (伊勢神宮, Ise Jingu Shrine) has recently published a sasshi (冊子, booklet) in English, titled &#8220;Soul of Japan &#8212; An Introduction to Shinto and Ise Jingu.&#8221; The news was picked up by some Japanese media because the shrine used, for the first time, words such as kami (神, God or deity), matsuri (祭り, festival) [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/06/03/language/shintos-kami-and-jinja-seeking-world-acceptance/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Oyaji gyagu, more than just cheesy puns</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/27/language/oyaji-gyagu-more-than-just-cheesy-puns/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=oyaji-gyagu-more-than-just-cheesy-puns</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/27/language/oyaji-gyagu-more-than-just-cheesy-puns/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 May 2013 15:02:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mio Backhaus  and Peter Backhaus</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oyaji gyagu]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=371368</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Stop me if you&#8217;ve heard this one. Two men aged around 50 enter a sushi restaurant. One orders a raincoat, the other a garage. What looks like the beginning of a &#8220;Monty Python&#8221; sketch is in fact the stuff of a most typical oyaji gyagu (おやじギャグ), or old man&#8217;s joke/gag. Such jokes normally center around [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/27/language/oyaji-gyagu-more-than-just-cheesy-puns/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Product names show language creativity at work</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/20/language/product-names-show-language-creativity-at-work/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=product-names-show-language-creativity-at-work</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/20/language/product-names-show-language-creativity-at-work/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2013 15:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Schreiber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fuji]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[product names]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[products]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Renown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sharaku]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Recently I was asked to write a blurb for a new liquid plant-nutrient. As soon as I saw the name of the product, 早根早起 （Hayane Hayaoki), I smiled at this example of linguistic creativity.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/20/language/product-names-show-language-creativity-at-work/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>It ain&#8217;t easy being a bilingual girl</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/13/language/it-aint-easy-being-a-bilingual-girl/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=it-aint-easy-being-a-bilingual-girl</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/13/language/it-aint-easy-being-a-bilingual-girl/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 May 2013 15:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kaori Shoji</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[This bilingual thing &#8230; they say that it&#8217;s a both curse and a blessing. Watakushigotode kyōshukudesuga (私事で恐縮ですが, A thousand pardons for having the gall to talk about myself), but I think of it more like a stigma. It&#8217;s not the same for millenials — they were born and raised in a kinder and more lenient [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/13/language/it-aint-easy-being-a-bilingual-girl/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>29</slash:comments>
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		<title>Plan to introduce TOEFL to universities has its merits</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/06/language/plan-to-introduce-toefl-to-universities-has-its-merits/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=plan-to-introduce-toefl-to-universities-has-its-merits</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/06/language/plan-to-introduce-toefl-to-universities-has-its-merits/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 May 2013 15:02:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Minoru Matsutani</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[The media and kyōiku senmonka (教育専門家, pundits on education) have been voicing the pros and cons of the idea put forward by the Jiminto (自民党, the Liberal Democratic Party) to make TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) mandatory for entrance exams at all Japanese universities. TOEFL is a test to assess a person&#8217;s English [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/05/06/language/plan-to-introduce-toefl-to-universities-has-its-merits/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Bilingual beauty, straight and permed</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/29/language/bilingual-beauty-straight-and-permed/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=bilingual-beauty-straight-and-permed</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/29/language/bilingual-beauty-straight-and-permed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:01:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter Backhaus  and Yuko Kunimatsu</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hairstyles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language education]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Beauty must be a bilingual thing. At least that’s the impression one gets from looking at signs outside hairdressers, beauty parlors and similar types of businesses in Japan. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/29/language/bilingual-beauty-straight-and-permed/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Ways to &#8216;spell&#8217; Japanese out loud</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/22/language/ways-to-spell-japanese-out-loud/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ways-to-spell-japanese-out-loud</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/22/language/ways-to-spell-japanese-out-loud/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2013 15:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Schreiber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language education]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I dial a number and ask to speak to my literary agent, Mr. Suzuki. &#8220;Moshi-moshi. Suzuki Masatoshi-sama oraremasuka?&#8221; &#8220;Sumimasen ga, okyakusama wa?&#8221; Literally &#8220;Excuse me, as for the guest?&#8221; That is the speaker&#8217;s polite way of asking &#8220;Who should I say is calling?&#8221; &#8220;Shuraibā to mōshimasu&#8221; I tell her. &#8220;Eh?&#8221; She interjects. &#8220;Doraibā (driver) desu [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/22/language/ways-to-spell-japanese-out-loud/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>The life and times of the destitute girl</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/08/language/the-life-and-times-of-the-destitute-girl/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-life-and-times-of-the-destitute-girl</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/08/language/the-life-and-times-of-the-destitute-girl/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kaori Shoji</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hikon joshi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language education]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I was one of those suckers who thought that the seifu (政府, government) might get it right this time.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/08/language/the-life-and-times-of-the-destitute-girl/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<title>It&#8217;s all change at Shibuya Station for the Toyoko Line</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/01/language/its-all-change-at-shibuya-station-for-the-toyoko-line/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=its-all-change-at-shibuya-station-for-the-toyoko-line</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/01/language/its-all-change-at-shibuya-station-for-the-toyoko-line/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Minoru Matsutani</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language education]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[On March 16, the platforms for the Tokyu Toyoko Line at Shibuya Station moved from the chijō nikai (地上二階, second floor) to the chika gokai (地下五階, fifth basement floor) to connect the Toyoko Line with the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/04/01/language/its-all-change-at-shibuya-station-for-the-toyoko-line/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
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		<title>Yoisho! A word to move mountains (and smaller things)</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/25/language/yoisho-a-word-to-move-mountains-and-smaller-things/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=yoisho-a-word-to-move-mountains-and-smaller-things</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/25/language/yoisho-a-word-to-move-mountains-and-smaller-things/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter Backhaus</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[The man from next door says it. My mother-in-law says it. The guy in the grocery store says it. The nurse on TV says it. Seems like everyone says Yoisho! (よいしょ!) It&#8217;s one of those expressions that appear to be a common part of everyday Japanese life but are not usually taught in Japanese language [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/25/language/yoisho-a-word-to-move-mountains-and-smaller-things/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Best to consult an expert before getting a cryptic kanji tattoo</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/18/language/best-to-consult-an-expert-before-getting-a-cryptic-kanji-tattoo/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=best-to-consult-an-expert-before-getting-a-cryptic-kanji-tattoo</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/18/language/best-to-consult-an-expert-before-getting-a-cryptic-kanji-tattoo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Schreiber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Tattoos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=321833</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Mami,&#8221; I said, reading the kanji 「真実」tattooed on the bicep of the young man seated beside me last December, aboard a flight bound for Houston, Texas. &#8220;Is that the name of your Japanese girlfriend?&#8221; The mélange of emotions displayed on his face — a mixture of irritation and panic — could have put him in [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/18/language/best-to-consult-an-expert-before-getting-a-cryptic-kanji-tattoo/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>A personal invitation to the I-hate-cherry-blossoms club</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/11/language/a-personal-invitation-to-the-i-hate-cherry-blossoms-club/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=a-personal-invitation-to-the-i-hate-cherry-blossoms-club</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/11/language/a-personal-invitation-to-the-i-hate-cherry-blossoms-club/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kaori Shoji</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sakura]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=263758</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s that time of year when the Japanese turn their thoughts to what I call the 3-S&#8217;s: sakura (桜, cherry blossoms), sakamori (酒盛り, drinking parties) and shuran (酒乱, getting raucously drunk). Fifty weeks out of the year we&#8217;re our dull, proper, work-addicted selves, but for two weeks in spring, under the cherry blossoms, we turn [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/11/language/a-personal-invitation-to-the-i-hate-cherry-blossoms-club/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Tense times in Japan&#8217;s relationships with its neighbors</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/04/language/tense-times-in-japans-relationships-with-its-neighbors/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=tense-times-in-japans-relationships-with-its-neighbors</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/04/language/tense-times-in-japans-relationships-with-its-neighbors/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Hoffman</dc:creator>
		
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		<description><![CDATA[It's a dangerous, unpredictable world. Twice in January Chinese warships in the East China Sea challenged Japan's Maritime Self Defense Forces patrols in a manner deemed threatening. And on Feb. 12 came North Korea's nuclear test.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/03/04/language/tense-times-in-japans-relationships-with-its-neighbors/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Japanese traffic light blues: Stop on red, go on what?</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/25/language/the-japanese-traffic-light-blues-stop-on-red-go-on-what/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-japanese-traffic-light-blues-stop-on-red-go-on-what</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/25/language/the-japanese-traffic-light-blues-stop-on-red-go-on-what/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:00:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Peter Backhaus</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language study]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic lights]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Road traffic in Japan is a complicated affair. Apart from those narrow, crooked streets that sometimes end without warning, you have to get used to unclear right-of-way rules and the national fetish for backward parking. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/25/language/the-japanese-traffic-light-blues-stop-on-red-go-on-what/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can-can dancers, tea-time snacks and katakana confusion</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/18/language/can-can-dancers-tea-time-snacks-and-katakana-confusion/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=can-can-dancers-tea-time-snacks-and-katakana-confusion</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/18/language/can-can-dancers-tea-time-snacks-and-katakana-confusion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:15:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mark Schreiber</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[gokon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[japanese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=life&#038;p=159370</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In last month&#8217;s column, I looked at the origins of several famous Japanese product brands. Thinking back, perhaps the very first brand I noticed here was a confectioner named 文明堂 (Bunmeido). The company, a 老舗 (shinise, well-established shop), was founded in Nagasaki in 1900, taking its name from 文明開化 (bunmei kaika, the opening of Japan [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/18/language/can-can-dancers-tea-time-snacks-and-katakana-confusion/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Providing for old age somehow connects to V-day blues</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/11/language/providing-for-old-age-somehow-connects-to-v-day-blues/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=providing-for-old-age-somehow-connects-to-v-day-blues</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2013/02/11/language/providing-for-old-age-somehow-connects-to-v-day-blues/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Feb 2013 15:20:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kaori Shoji</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Anime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Onyanko Club]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valentine's Day]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I was talking to a joshikōsei (女子高生, high school girl) friend of mine (yes, I&#8217;m fully aware of this exalted position) and she told me that these days in sociology class, Japanese teens are taught that by the time they start paying taxes, the ratio of college grad workers to nenkinzoku (年金族, pension plan tribe) [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
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