My family isn't doing presents this year. Instead, each of us will cook a spectacular feast for the others during the upcoming holiday break. I want to cook a Japanese feast!! Difficulty: must be vegetarian. [more inside]
posted by Cygnet on Dec 17, 2009 - 21 answers

Japanese speakers: please help? I need to convey best wishes to a dying person. [more inside]
posted by Skyanth on Nov 16, 2009 - 6 answers

Where can I find Japanese podcasts? For Japanese people, not people who are learning Japanese. [more inside]
posted by mjg123 on Oct 8, 2009 - 5 answers

What's the best way to learn Japanese, if you don't care about being able to write it? [more inside]
posted by Mwongozi on Aug 30, 2009 - 18 answers

Help me identify these Japanese Gameboy Advance games. [more inside]
posted by mippy on Aug 12, 2009 - 7 answers

Specifically, I'm looking for the Japanese popsicles that come in tubes (as a liquid) that you stick in the freezer when you get home - like fla-vor-ice or otter pops. You break them in half to eat them. My local Japanese grocery store has gone out of business, and I need a fix! I'm looking for brand names and/or online suppliers. Thanks!
posted by tuffbunny on May 7, 2009 - 3 answers

What are some good gifts for Japanese families? Also, are there any cultural taboos that I should be particularly sure to avoid breaking while staying in Japan? [more inside]
posted by bassooner on May 3, 2009 - 23 answers

Please help me understand why Kanji radicals that "are not independent kanji" or katakana still have a basic definition... [more inside]
posted by Eicats on Apr 8, 2009 - 12 answers

Why does French suck? [more inside]
posted by malapropist on Feb 18, 2009 - 64 answers

Looking for academic lectures in Japanese freely available on the web [more inside]
posted by kinakomochi on Feb 17, 2009 - 3 answers

Drunken Japanese Filter: I just got home to find my JLPT test results. I took level two of the Japanese language test for the second time, two years after the first go-round, and got 41%. Should I just give up? If not, what the f can I do? [more inside]
posted by Ghidorah on Feb 14, 2009 - 21 answers

Help me do a convincing Japanese accent. [more inside]
posted by stray on Feb 7, 2009 - 15 answers

What are some of the typical things said on Japanese variety shows? Preferably cheesy and/or cavity-inducing sweet? [more inside]
posted by Xere on Feb 1, 2009 - 7 answers

In Japan, upon entering a shop or restaurant I was pelted with this greeting. This was over ten years ago. It remember it like "ashira - shy - ma - zay" My friend, and guide told me this was absolutely obligatory and a staff worker could be fired for not saying this. Where does this come from? There is a restaurant in my neighborhood (brooklyn) where the staff says this (or something, it happens quicly). It seems to be not just a greeting but an alert to other staff "there is a customer present!" What is the purpose? What does this mean most literally? Thank you!
posted by ezekieldas on Dec 30, 2008 - 10 answers

Where should I study Japanese in the Bay Area? I work at EA and one of my co-workers is visiting from Japan. I'm conversationally fluent but still feel my grammar and vocabulary is really rough (plus, I'm as illiterate as a peasant). [more inside]
posted by ebness86 on Nov 24, 2008 - 3 answers

Please suggest Japanese songs to use for a video-of-photos at a going away party. 送別会の写真ビデオで使うための日本語の曲を進めてください。 [more inside]
posted by Vorteks on Nov 15, 2008 - 8 answers

Where can I find a rōmaji script for My Neighbour Totoro? [more inside]
posted by snarfois on Nov 8, 2008 - 8 answers

What does this Japanese character on this Daruma doll mean? At least, I assume it's Japanese...
posted by killerinsideme on Sep 29, 2008 - 12 answers

Asking for a friend: Can you translate this (Japanese?) tea package? PDFs here and here. [more inside]
posted by fiercecupcake on Sep 8, 2008 - 5 answers

MusicFilter: In the long version of the Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" (available on the 12") there is a female voice saying something in what I believe is Japanese. Can anyone translate that for me? Thanks. [more inside]
posted by HE Amb. T. S. L. DuVal on Mar 20, 2008 - 27 answers

Roommate purchased a new Japanese tatami bed this weekend. He woke up with one of the worst allergic reactions in his life. He didn't think about it until afterwards, obviously, but he's highly allergic to the hay material the tatami is crafted out of. Help me brainstorm ideas to resolve the issue. [more inside]
posted by Nerro on Feb 19, 2008 - 9 answers

Japanese A/C Unit - Translate Buttons, Please! [more inside]
posted by SlyBevel on May 18, 2007 - 5 answers

Probably easy question about PHP and unicode (UTF-8) and RegEx. I'm trying to modify a php webcalendar (VTcalendar) to allow Japanese text in calendar postings. I've found all the variables to get the UTF-8 headers, and so japanese text manually inserted into pages appears fine. But, there's an input validation thingy I don't know how to modify. (short snippet inside) [more inside]
posted by planetkyoto on Mar 29, 2006 - 4 answers

Sushi in London - please, your hot tips! Yes I did Google but no luck. [more inside]
posted by Wilder on Feb 8, 2006 - 20 answers

I just watched The Chinese Connection for the first time in a long time. There is a scene where Bruce Lee sees the nipples of his kung fu school's cook. (Lee walks into the kitchen and the camera does a tight shot on the man's exposed nipples.) Somehow, the nipples are evidence to Lee that the cook is in fact Japanese, not Chinese (and therefore the likely murderer of the school's teacher.) Is there any rational reason for this?
posted by badstone on May 9, 2004 - 12 answers