Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-09-23
A Scene from Showa 昭和 Japan If you did not grow up in Japan, the word Showa may mean little to you. Showa was the era of Emperor Hirohito, lasting from 1926 to 1989. It included war and hardship, fol...
2026-09-22
ZETT: The Japanese Baseball Company Nobody Knows—or Do They? Ask an American baseball fan to name an equipment company, and you will probably hear Rawlings or Wilson. Ask about ZETT, and you may ge...
2026-09-22
Kakusei: A Word That Sounds Different Outside Anime In anime, kakusei (覚醒) often marks the moment a character discovers a hidden power. Their eyes change, their energy surges, and everyone realizes...
2026-09-22
A Small Bow Can Brighten the DayIn Japan, children are often taught to bow to drivers who stop for them at a crosswalk. After safely crossing the street, a child may turn toward the waiting car and...
2026-09-22
Mezame — Awakening The Japanese word 目覚め (mezame) means “awakening.” Its most direct meaning is waking up from sleep, but it can also describe a much deeper realization. We often live according t...
2026-09-21
Amayadori — Taking Shelter from the RainThe Japanese word 雨宿り (amayadori) means taking temporary shelter from the rain. 雨 (ame) means “rain,” while 宿り (yadori) comes from a word meaning “to stay” o...
2026-09-21
The First Page of 88 Japanese Wisdom: 粋 (Iki) Here is the first page of my book, 88 Japanese Wisdom: For Business, Leadership, and Life. The first Japanese word in the book is 粋 (iki). Iki desc...
2026-09-21
What Is Chūshū no Meigetsu? Chūshū no Meigetsu (中秋の名月), meaning “the famous moon of mid-autumn,” is the traditional Japanese celebration of the moon seen on the fifteenth night of the eighth month of...
2026-09-21
Yotaka: “Night Hawk” Sounds Cool—but It Is Not The Japanese word 夜鷹 (yotaka) is written with two kanji: 夜 — night鷹 — hawk Therefore, it may be tempting to translate 夜鷹 literally as “night hawk....
2026-09-20
From 大君 to Tycoon The Japanese word 大君 has two notable readings with very different histories. When read as おおきみ (ōkimi), it is an ancient Japanese title meaning “great ruler.” It was once used f...