Donald Ash | The Japan Guy

Blog Archives

A Special Blog Post to My Readers

November 19, 2010
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A Special Blog Post to My Readers

Lately I have been feeling the pressures of working, transitioning to a new job, and an increased work load at my current job, and (as of late) I honestly feel like it’s been affecting my writing and my blog. I love writing this blog, and I will continue to do so, but I want it to be something that I can be proud of, and something that people find practical, fun, and compelling to read. As a result, I have decided to hold off on my posting for the next four to five days. This will give me a chance to take care of job applications here in Japan and do some much needed...

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100 Japanese Verbs You Should Know (Part 2)

November 18, 2010
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100 Japanese Verbs You Should Know (Part 2)

100JapaneseVerbs2.mp3 Let’s continue our list of 100 Japanese verbs you should know. I wanted to break this list down into manageable pieces, so if you haven’t read Part 1 of this article, please do so. I hope you find these verbs useful. In a later article series I will delve into the basics of how to use them. Okay, so now for today’s list: The verbs include the Romaji, hiragana, kanji, and English meanings 21. Sanposuru- さんぽする　散歩する- To walk 22. Hashiru- はしる　走る- To run 23. Tobiagaru- とびあがる　飛び上がる- To jump 24. Oyogu- およぐ　泳ぐ- To swim 25. Choyaku- ちょうやく　跳躍- To skip 26. Undosuru- うんどうする　運動する- To exercise 27. Futoru- ふとる　太る- To gain weight 28. Yaseru- やせる　痩せる- To...

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100 Japanese Verbs You Should Know (Part 1)

November 17, 2010
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100 Japanese Verbs You Should Know (Part 1)

100JapaneseVerbs1.mp3 I’m really making an effort to improve how well I can communicate in Japanese. It’s something I think about on a regular basis. I want to be able to say exactly what I want to say and have people understand. There are days when I feel like the goal is so far away. There are other days where I feel like I might just be able to pull it off. Lately I realize that there’s a pretty big disconnect between the ideas that I have in my brain and having those ideas come out in Japanese. One thing I’ve started doing is making flashcards for different verbs. I’m going to post some of...

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How do you study Japanese?

November 16, 2010
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I had no prior experience with Japanese before coming here (save a few Japanese CDs a month or two in advance). I came knowing absolutely nothing about how the language worked. But, once here, I went to my local bookstore and got my hands on a few books that taught me the basic rules. This allowed me to do some very rough communication. My Japanese skills are still quite rough around the edges, and I know just enough Japanese to get me into trouble. I try my best to be realistic about studying, though. I don’t expect to wake up tomorrow and instantly know how to speak fluently, or know all my kanji, it’s...

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The Japan Guy Takes Some Questions

November 15, 2010
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The Japan Guy Takes Some Questions

I just finished up an email interview with Josh K. of York Tech College in South Carolina, U.S.A. and thought that some of his questions were really good ones. I think these answers might be useful for those of you thinking about teaching in Japan. ENJOY!! -Where do you live? I am currently living in Tsukuba, Japan also know as “Science City” because of the number of researchers and science research facilities in the area. Tsukuba is located in Ibaraki, one Japan’s eastern prefectures. -Where did you do to College? I attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A -How long did you attend? I attended college for about four-and-a-half years. From August of 1998...

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Six Factors for Good Japanese

November 14, 2010
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In many respects, Japanese can be a difficult language to learn. Especially to the western newbie who hasn’t taken the hiragana/katana plunge just yet. I like to think that a person’s language abilities are based around six key factors: 1) speaking, 2) listening/listening comprehension, 3) reading/reading comprehension, 4) writing, 5) vocabulary, and 6) grammar. If a person has a solid foundation in these six things, I thing their Japanese will be quite sound as well. 1. SPEAKING I am teaching Enlglish at an Eikaiwa えいかいわ*, and the emphasis is primarily on speaking English. Many Japanese students learn the basics of English grammar and reading in school, so many of them can read. However, when...

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Japanese Hospitality

November 13, 2010
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Japanese Hospitality

I’m from Atlanta, Georgia, a city that’s known for “Southern Hospitality;” at least it’s supposed to be anyway. But to make a pretty bold statement: I have never in my life experienced the kind of hospitality that I have here in Japan. Not to say that everyone in Japan is going to be hospitable…that’s simply not the case. But I have had some situations where people here have gone so far out of their way to make me, and my co-workers feel welcome, that I’ll never forget it. For example, a former co-worker, Hiroshi, used to have all of the foreign teachers over for barbecues, get-togethers, fireworks festivals, and even for the holidays. This...

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Have You Ever Heard of Better World Books?

November 12, 2010
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A Japan Guy Review Reading is an important part of living, studying, and working abroad. Books can provide you solace during those lonely times in Japan, they can help you to expand your thinking if you use them right, and (my personal favorite) you can even use books to learn a new language…if you’re diligent. I want to tell you about a company I heard of through a training friend. During my initial training week for my current teaching position, one of my fellow teachers saw me reading “The Count of Monte Cristo”(one of my favorites) and asked if I had ever heard of Better World Books. The name of the company didn’t ring...

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Celebrate the Differences: Japanese Sweets vs. American Sweets

November 11, 2010
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Celebrate the Differences: Japanese Sweets vs. American Sweets

If there’s one thing I love, it’s eating sweets. You name it and I probably have will have a craving for it at some point in the near future: chocolate…guilty, ice-cream…guilty, cookies…guilty, caramel…guilty, pudding…guilty, doughnuts…guilty…. Sometimes I wonder if there is a hell for people who eat too much junk food. If there is, I’m probably the first person on that guest list. It kind of sucks though, because I really love exercising too. The problem with sweets (especially the American ones) is there are enough crunchy, chewy, gooey calories in one sinful bite to ruin a day’s workout. Nevertheless, I eat them anyway. Being in Japan, though, I realize that my sweet tooth...

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Are You Cut Out For Life In Japan?

November 10, 2010
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Are You Cut Out For Life In Japan?

The most common question I get from friends, students, or family members back home “How’s life in Japan?” I often respond simply with a “It’s pretty good.” or “I can’t complain.” One friend, Derrick, sent me an email to check on me. It was great to hear from him. Derrick couldn’t understand how I’ve been able to stay here so long (and that was around the year-and-a-half-mark). He went on to say that it takes a special kind of person to be able to do what I’m doing. I don’t think I’m all that special, but in a way, he’s right. Not everyone is cut out for living in Japan. Visiting is one thing…living...

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