Matthew Coslett
After his 6 month stay got extended to 6 years, Matthew decided just to stay. As well as writing about his beloved Kansai, he spends hours in the middle of nowhere looking for wildlife and searching for the parts of the city most people ignore.
Articles
Politically Indirect: Using More Inclusive Japanese Words
Political correctness isn’t limited to the West so pay attention to these Japanese words.
Apartment Hunter: Words for Your Quest to Move in Japan
Arm yourself with this useful Japanese when battling for the perfect new digs this spring.
Words for Spring Cleaning in Japan
GaijinPot looks at Japanese words for the life changing — and enlightening — magic of tidying up.
Breaking Up: Japanese Words for an Anti-Valentine’s Day
What if the object of your affection chose not to be your Valentine? What to say when the relationship is over.
Going Steady: Committing to Japanese Dating Words
Understanding some old and new terms and ideas related to “going out” in Japan.
The Fine Art of Making a Fuss in Japanese
Whether it’s students, coworkers, children or the person serving you, it’s worth knowing how to call out misbehavior.
Taking Control of English Classes at Japanese Schools
Promoted English teachers will need to master some tricky Japanese phrases to lead the class.
5 Ways to Understand and Identify Japanese Dialects
Regional differences in spoken Japanese are vast but here are the five key places they vary.
Double Takes: 6 Pairs of Easily Confused Kanji
A look at different kanji characters with similar meanings and pronunciations and how to tell them apart.
Idioms: Let Me Hear Your Body Talk
Using human anatomy to illustrate fascinating similarities and differences between English and Japanese.
Tongue Tied: Easily Confused Japanese Words
A handy list of some similar sounding and oft-confused Japanese terms.
A GaijinPot Field Guide to the Halloween Costumes of Japan
A primer on the ghastly creatures you may encounter in the wild this Halloween season.
