SASUGA
JAPANESE ACADEMY

Toto is the Japanese bathroom products manufacturer especially known for its state-of- the-art toilet seat. If you have used it before, you know what I am talking about. Warm seat, bidet shower, dryer... One of my students has just visited Japan and told me that she didn't know what to do after her business at Haneda Airport restroom. There were too many buttons. She figured it out by pressing all of them. Well, that's one way to learn, but you can be well prepared by visiti

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is a 84 years old famous talk show host in Japan. Her show, "Testuko no heya" was the first talk show starting in 1976 and still running for more than 42 years. The drama based on her autobiographic best selling book "Totto-chan at the window" started recently and she invited the actresses from the drama to her talk show. As she ages, her talk slowed down a bit but you can tell she is a fast talker. She has been famous among foreign Japanese learning st

❝You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.❞ Geoffrey Willans

Speaking of Sushi, do you know that Wegman's at Fairfax hold a Sushi Fest several times a year? There will be one next weekend. They have not only fishes but also some authentic Japanese cuisine such as Yosenabe, Shabushabu, Okonomiyaki, and Ramen. The biggest event would be Maguro no Kaitai Show (Dissecting a Tuna Show). This Tuna is not a regular Tuna. It is a farm raised one. It was not possible until 2000s by Kindai University. Only last few years those tunas are starte

I recently found an interesting cartoon that my students will enjoy. This is based on the bestselling book "Sushi and Beyond." The author, Michael Booth traveled Japan with his family for exploring the Japanese foods. Although the show is mainly focused on Japanese cuisine and its culture, the food writer's curiosity went beyond just foods and ingredients. His experiences reached the expanded part of Japanese culture with shrewd observation. I enjoyed the show by getting kn