Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-08-11
From Used Clothing to a Japanese Retail Giant In 1831, Shinshichi Iida opened a small shop in Kyoto selling used clothing and cotton goods. He named it Takashimaya (髙島屋) after his father-in-law’s hom...
2026-08-11
Behave as If You Are Being Watched 壁に耳あり、障子に目あり — Kabe ni mimi ari, shōji ni me ari There is an old Japanese saying: 壁に耳あり、障子に目あり“Walls have ears, and shoji screens have eyes.” Traditionally,...
2026-08-11
How long do you stay in the hospital after having a baby? I always thought that after a normal, uncomplicated birth in the United States, mothers stayed one to three nights. So I decided to fact-ch...
2026-08-11
Kakushiaji — The Hidden Ingredient In Japanese cooking, there is a concept called kakushiaji (隠し味), literally meaning “hidden flavor.” A kakushiaji is a small amount of an ingredient added not so...
2026-08-10
The Imperial Hotel — Japan’s Guest House to the WorldIn the late 19th century, Japan faced an important challenge. After centuries of relative isolation, Japan had opened its doors to the world. Th...
2026-08-10
Kuchi wa Wazawai no Moto — Trouble Often Begins with WordsThere is a Japanese proverb: 口は災いの元 — Kuchi wa wazawai no moto. Literally, it means “The mouth is the source of trouble.” We often thin...
2026-08-09
Zero Lost Luggage — The Japanese Standard of Service Japan’s Kansai International Airport (KIX) opened in September 1994. Since then, it has reportedly maintained an extraordinary record: zero piec...
2026-08-09
Loyalty vs. Effort — 一所懸命 and 一生懸命 In modern Japanese, 一生懸命 (isshō kenmei) means to work very hard, give your best effort, or devote yourself completely to something. But the expression has an in...
2026-08-09
How Do You Multiply? In Japan, elementary school students are expected to memorize multiplication from 1×1 through 9×9. It is called kuku (九九). We repeat the tables rhythmically until answers such as...
2026-08-08
Namakeru — Use It or Lose It The Japanese word namakeru (怠ける) is usually translated as “to be lazy.” But there is another way to think about it. Anything left unused begins to deteriorate. Food l...