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the japan files
What excited you most in 2025? It turns out there are two subtly different terms for non-Asian people who find themselves with an interest in Japan: one can be a japanophile …or one can be a weeaboo (or weeb). Both are similar terms, but like anything we do in this crazy culture of ours one
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an infinite well of curiosity
What do you want to learn in 2026? I mean, heck, if I put one more thing on my list of side gigs and hobbies I’m going to burst. Art, music, languages, code, swimming, running, cooking, creative writing, and… deep breath… jeeze, I can’t even remember all the little hobby projects and learning adventures I’ve
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japanese, part three
I am approaching fifty, but attending an introductory language class kinda makes me feel like I’m in kindergarten again. We count in unison, ask each other our names and ages, play games identifying colours, and get stickers for good work. I also have the least interesting origin story of the bunch, I’ve concluded. Everyone else
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japanese, part two
How’s it going? Hajimemashita はじめまして。 Yesterday was oddly milestone-ish for my language learning. Not only did I hit the two hundred consecutive days in Duolingo, but my second night at my in person language classes went a lot better than the first. Bank on that also in the last couple weeks we have secured tickets
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japanese, part one-ish
I have written here previously about a couple of my self-study efforts to start learning Japanese, in part for our upcoming trip to Tokyo, but also just as—well—something interesting to pursue. Skills, languages, all that stuff—it broadens the mind, right? I figured I would make my updates a bit more formal because as of last