Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-11-01
Izakaya — When a Liquor Store Became a Place to Stay The Japanese word izakaya (居酒屋) tells the story of how this uniquely Japanese drinking place began. In the Edo period, a sakaya (酒屋) was simpl...
2026-11-01
Omotenashi — When Ordinary Is Already High The Japanese word omotenashi (おもてなし) is often translated as “hospitality.” It comes from the verb motenasu (もてなす), meaning to receive, treat, or take ca...
2026-11-01
遊郭言葉 (Yūkaku Kotoba) In Japan’s Edo period, women working in licensed pleasure districts such as Yoshiwara came from many different parts of the country. Their accents and dialects could reveal whe...
2026-10-31
Japanese Wisdom: 当たり前 — Nothing Is Truly Ordinary 当たり前 (atarimae) means something we consider normal, natural, or simply expected. The lights turn on.Water comes from the faucet.The office is cle...
2026-10-31
和製英語 — English Made in Japan Japanese is full of words that look and sound English but were actually created in Japan. These expressions are called Wasei Eigo (和製英語), literally “Japanese-made Engli...
2026-10-31
浴 — Bathing Without a Bath The Japanese kanji 浴 (yoku) means “to bathe” or “to be immersed in something.” But in Japanese, you do not necessarily need water to bathe. 海水浴 (kaisuiyoku) means bat...
2026-10-30
予感 (Yokan) — Something Is Coming In Japanese, 予感 (yokan) means a feeling that something is about to happen. The kanji 予 means “beforehand” or “in advance,” while 感 means “feeling” or “sense.” Tog...
2026-10-30
PHP Vulnerabilities — Who Is Really Monitoring Your Server? When a PHP vulnerability is announced, applying a patch or updating PHP may sound simple. But is that enough? Do you know which patch...
2026-10-30
皮肉 — Saying It Without Saying It In Japanese, 皮肉 (hiniku) means irony or sarcasm. The kanji themselves tell an interesting story. 皮 means “skin” or “surface,” while 肉 means “flesh.” The expressio...
2026-10-29
異邦人 — Being Somewhere, but Not BelongingThe Japanese word 異邦人 (ihōjin) literally means “a person from another country.” 異 means different, 邦 means country or homeland, and 人 means person. But the w...