Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-10-03
Yume Utsutsu: Between Dreams and Reality Have you ever heard a sound while half asleep and wondered whether it was real or part of your dream? In Japanese, we have a word for that feeling: yume u...
2026-10-02
What Is a Kobanashi?A kobanashi (小話) is a short, amusing story. The word combines ko (小), meaning “small,” and hanashi (話), meaning “story” or “talk.” A kobanashi usually takes only a minute or two t...
2026-10-02
Ongaeshi: Returning a Kindness Ongaeshi (恩返し) means returning a kindness or repaying a favor. When someone helps us, we may feel grateful and want to do something for them in return. But ongaeshi...
2026-10-02
The Next Chapter of 88 Japanese Wisdom Last month, I published 88 Japanese Wisdom on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. Bringing this book to life was quite a learning experience. From planni...
2026-10-02
十人十色 — Ten People, Ten ColorsJūnin Toiro The Japanese expression jūnin toiro literally means “ten people, ten colors.” Each person has different thoughts, tastes, experiences, and dreams. We unde...
2026-10-02
Momotaro: A Children’s Story with a Legendary Connection Momotaro, or “Peach Boy,” is one of Japan’s best-known children’s stories. An elderly woman finds a giant peach floating down a river. When ...
2026-10-01
Yubikiri (指切り) Yubikiri is a Japanese promise made by hooking the little fingers of two people together. Children often use it to show that they truly intend to keep their word. The word literall...
2026-10-01
PSPINC to Offer PassWizard Free to Hosting Customers Starting October 5, PSPINC will make PassWizard, its password management system, available at no cost to customers using Dreamersi Web & Email Hos...
2026-10-01
In Japanese, We “Listen” to the Taste Japanese has an interesting way to describe tasting food: 「味を聞く」. The verb 聞く usually means “to listen” or “to ask,” but in this expression, it means to taste ...
2026-10-01
Mabushii: When a Person Shines Like the Sun In Japanese, we use the word mabushii (眩しい) when sunlight is so bright that we have to narrow our eyes. But we also use the same word to describe people. ...