Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-08-30
神々 — Why “Gods” Is Not Quite the Right Translation The Japanese word 神々 (kamigami) can sound strange to Christians, Muslims, and people from other monotheistic traditions. 神々 literally means “many ...
2026-08-30
It All Comes Back to SoundYamaha began with sound. In 1887, Torakusu Yamaha repaired a broken organ and decided to build one himself. His first attempt failed because the tuning was poor. Instead o...
2026-08-30
Do You Know Why It Is the Right Way?We are often taught how to do things the right way. Follow this procedure. Use this method. Don’t do it that way. Someone teaches us what works, and we learn to ...
2026-08-30
There Is No Word for This in JapanHave you ever noticed what longtime couples call each other? In English-speaking countries, couples often use affectionate names such as “Honey,” “Sweetheart,” “Da...
2026-08-29
“Don’t Carry Money Into Tomorrow” — The Edo SpiritThere is an old saying associated with the people of Edo, today’s Tokyo: “An Edokko doesn’t carry money into tomorrow.” In Japanese, 宵越しの銭は持たない (...
2026-08-29
Konjo — The Japanese Idea of Grit The Japanese word 根性 (konjo) is often translated as “guts,” “grit,” or “determination,” but none of these captures its meaning completely. The characters are 根, me...
2026-08-29
A Little Early Birthday Celebration Today is not actually my birthday. Since my birthday falls on the weekend this year, everyone at the office celebrated it a little early. I am no longer at an ...
2026-08-28
Akirameru — More Than Giving UpThe Japanese word あきらめる (akirameru) is usually translated into English as “to give up.” But its origin tells a deeper story. Akirameru is related to 明らか (akiraka), ...
2026-08-28
Nothing Lasts Forever — 諸行無常 Some of you may know the Japanese manga and anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (葬送のフリーレン). One of the ideas behind the story is something deeply rooted in Japanese t...
2026-08-27
He Didn’t Start Companies. He Saved Them. When we talk about great business leaders, we often think of people who founded successful companies. Japan had a remarkable businessman who became famous ...