Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-08-17
About Japan — How Laughter Became Grass Japanese internet slang has a funny way of evolving. Years ago, when Japanese people wanted to show laughter in writing, they often added: （笑） It means...
2026-08-16
When Standing Out Is Not a Compliment The Japanese verb 浮く (uku) literally means “to float.” A boat floats on water.A balloon floats in the air. But when 浮く is used to describe a person, it tak...
2026-08-16
About Japan — “Let’s Meet at 18:00” In Japan, you may sometimes hear someone say, “Let’s meet at 18:00,” instead of “6:00 p.m.” The 24-hour clock is quite common in Japan, especially for train sc...
2026-08-16
Mushi: The “Bug” Inside the Japanese Heart In Japanese, the word mushi (虫) usually means “insect,” “bug,” or “worm.” Yet its cultural meaning reaches far beyond small living creatures. In many trad...
2026-08-15
About Japan — What Is Obon (お盆)? If you visit Japan in the middle of August, you may notice something unusual. Offices become quiet, trains and highways become crowded, and many people travel back to...
2026-08-15
Jumon (呪文) — Magic Words in Everyday Japan In Japanese, jumon (呪文) usually means a spell or incantation—words believed to have the power to make something happen. But jumon is not limited to wizard...
2026-08-15
A Bridge Between Japan and the West During Japan’s Edo Period, when the country maintained strict limits on contact with the outside world, one European became an important bridge between Japan and...
2026-08-14
Oni (鬼) Is a State of Mind When you hear the Japanese word oni (鬼), you may imagine a demon with horns, sharp teeth, and a large iron club. But oni is more than a monster from Japanese folklore. It...
2026-08-14
About Japan — How Many Colors Are in a Rainbow (虹 Niji)? How many colors are in a rainbow? If you grew up in the United States, you probably learned seven: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indig...
2026-08-13
余白 (Yohaku) — The Value of What Is Not There The Japanese word 余白 (yohaku) means “blank space” or “margin.” In many Western traditions, attention is often drawn to what is there—what has been creat...