Although we have borrowed many words from Portuguese, including カルタ (carta), テンプラ (tempera), and タバコ (tabaco), the etymology of ありがとう (arigato or thank you) is NOT the Portuguese “obrigado,” as... The post 15. Sorry About That【Column: Leap Before You Look】 appeared first on Japan Intercultural Consulting.| Japan Intercultural Consulting
If you ask people in Japan what their religion is, they’ll probably say they don’t have one. But those people may have a small 神棚 (altar) in their kitchen, visit...| Japan Intercultural Consulting
Despite the fact that 通勤電車 (commuter trains) are often すし詰め (packed like sardines), we Japanese actually value greater 物理的な距離 (personal space between people) compared to many other cultures. As much... The post 14. To Hug or Not to Hug 【Column: Leap Before You Look】 appeared first on Japan Intercultural Consulting.| Japan Intercultural Consulting
