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April 30, 2024
 

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Daniel Morales
For Daniel Morales's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 30, 2011
Procedural phrasing: often a pain, but always polite
Japanese is chock full of procedural phrases that sound incredibly awkward when translated too literally into English. While many of these may seem unnecessary, they are critical to speaking more natural, fluent Japanese. Even the most basic phrases in Japanese are sometimes far more "play-by-play" than their English equivalents.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 27, 2011
Stop worrying and embrace the passive tense
English grammarians like to abide by ironclad rules: Don't split infinitives! Don't splice sentences together with commas! Use the active voice!
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 20, 2010
Battling language’s law of diminishing returns
Before I left Japan in May, I planned a pub crawl in Tokyo's Shibuya district with some friends. My friend Brian had to work until 7 p.m., so I first went for ramen with a couple of Japanese friends. One spoke English but the other didn't, so I figured I would speak only Japanese in order to make sure everyone understood each other. When Brian arrived, we could switch between the languages and balance things out.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Aug 25, 2010
Big (only) in Japan? Oshibori
Oshibori: a Japanese tradition of hospitality that never grows old ... but go easy on the body-wiping.
LIFE / Language
Aug 25, 2010
'Ii' is a perfectly good way to say, 'No, thank you'
When I was in elementary school, a certain comma was the bane of my existence. No, not the serial comma. I learned (and later unlearned) that one relatively easily. It wasn't the comma before "too," either. Nor was it the one between multiple adjectives modifying a single noun. No, it was the comma in "no, thank you." The role that comma plays, the way set phrases are spoken and understood, and the disconnect caused by a phrase of refusal that incorporates a word of affirmation and acceptance is mirrored in the Japanese word ii (良い, いい) and its polite alternatives, yoroshii (宜しい, よろしい) and kekkō (結構, けっこう).
CULTURE / Books
Aug 15, 2010
Unresolved mystery from the mind of Murakami
In May 2009, Haruki Murakami released "1Q84" to tremendous sales and mostly positive domestic reviews. The novel, released initially in two parts, follows two, 29-year-old Tokyoites as they are pulled into an alternative version of the year 1984.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 13, 2010
Tachiyomi: Do it on your device
Tachiyomi gets a twist, as publishers and marketing companies embrace Twitter and new platforms to, um, help drive more print sales.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Aug 6, 2010
Big (only) in Japan? Rooftop beer gardens
Imported from Europe in 1953, beer gardens are a summer tradition in Japan. Recently, they've had to cater to a new demographic to stay afloat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Japan Pulse
Jul 29, 2010
Pulse Rate: ikyu.com
Japan isn't exactly the land of discounts, but the Web is at least helping consumers pinpoint the price drops in certain sectors.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Jul 22, 2010
iPhones become ice-breakers at gokon dating parties
iPhones are helping to lubricate the interaction at Japanese gokon dating parties.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 21, 2010
Passion for 'garage kit' models mounts at Wonder Festival
Attention to detail reaches new heights at the annual Wonder Festival showcase of amateur-made figurines.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 9, 2010
KFC goes for finger-lickin' health-conscious goodness
Fast-food chains in Japan are trying to reinvent themselves with facelifts and health-conscious menus.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jun 28, 2010
Who will feed the Haruki Murakami fans online?
Author Haruki Murakami has 60,000 followers on one Twitter account. But where is the real Web presence of Murakami?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Jun 21, 2010
Big (Only) in Japan? 'Greensleeves'
Thank you for calling. All of our operators are busy. Please listen to 'Greensleeves' for an eternity.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 16, 2010
The value of seemingly empty Japanese phrases
Japanese is often considered an indirect and ambiguous language, and that's because it is. The national character, too, often appears passive and indirect to non-Japanese. As a result, it can be tempting for newcomers to take a lead from Frank Sinatra and do things "My Way," and generally this works just fine. It can even be seemingly consequence-free for the worst (linguistic and nonlinguistic) behavior.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Japan Pulse
Jun 12, 2010
Pulse Rate: 'Free rent' pricing aims to fill up empty apartments
To fill the dead spot in the annual real estate calendar, realtors have taken to renting apartments at low, low rates.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Jun 2, 2010
Mixi helps users socialize with new apps
Following in the footsteps of Facebook, Mixi brings fun and functional apps to its user community. Anybody need a pantsu calendar?
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
May 20, 2010
Daburu Koron hit big time with pun-riddled riddles
Comedians live and die by popularity of their gags. With pun-riddled riddles, Daburu Koron have found a sweet spot.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Japan Pulse
May 14, 2010
No Konbini No Life: instant maze-soba
Maze-soba is the latest ramen trend to make it to konbeni shelves. If you're desperate, it might hit the spot but there's nothing like the real thing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
May 10, 2010
Apartment shares in Japan draw a share of the herd
Rents aren't getting any lower, but if you're willing to share, you might end up with a pretty cool place to live.
When will Japan intervene to support the yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki has reiterated the government's readiness to take an appropriate action as the yen continues to slide against the U.S. dollar.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Raising kids in Japan as a single parent? It takes a village.
Making things work as a foreign, single mother in Japan isn't easy, but these tips and tricks can help you through the hardest parts.
Yen rebounds strongly after first slide past ¥160 since 1990
The yen dropped to ¥160.245 per dollar on Monday before heading into the other direction to ¥155.01 amid speculation of an intervention by Japanese currency authorities.
JAL cancels international flight after captain gets drunk at Dallas hotel
A Japan Airlines' flight from Dallas to Tokyo was canceled last week after its captain got drunk at a local hotel.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree
By Alex K.T. Martin

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