What does 御国（みくに） mean in the Japanese Lord’s Prayer? Exploring the meaning behind 御名（みな） and 御国（みくに） reveals how Japanese uses honorific language to express reverence — and how words can preserve older ways of seeing the world.
Can YOU hunt in Japan? Ok, if I had to place a bet on how you landed on this page, my money would be on a lingering question you are trying to answer: ‘Can I hunt in Japan?’ You know there is hunting, trapping, and fishing of some sort here. But you want to know … Read more
内間木洞 Deep in the hundred-acre woods….Oh wait, different story. Let’s start again! Hidden beneath the mountains of northern Iwate lies Uchimaki Cave (内間木洞), Japan’s fifth-longest limestone cave system, stretching more than 6.3 kilometers underground. This is not an ordinary cave. For starters, it is not normally open to the public. It is primarily a research … Read more
The philosophy behind every Japanese study guide on Gaijin Steel. Before we dive into the Japanese itself, I want to explain the philosophy behind how I’ll be presenting it. You might have landed on this page by clicking on a link in my posts, but I am writing this before any other content is produced … Read more
Follow my journey preparing for the Japanese hunting exam while learning the language through real hunting laws, textbooks, and field experience in rural Japan.
Early June, the rice fields of Northern Tohoku were in and the Ojii-sans were taking a bit of rest. Plowing the fields, fertilizing, reconstructing the せぎ (rice field water ditches), planting the little rice starts – all that was done and the valley could pause. The pause came naturally, as the 長雨 settled over the … Read more
A necktie. A call home. Dinner. A beer. On the surface, we underplay Father’s Day. It’s muted. Japan’s celebration is even more so. There is something about our Fathers that doesn’t invite spectacle and gushes of overt emotion. Was thinking a lot about that this Father’s Day. Who is my Dad? Who was he? Will … Read more
ピリピ人への手紙 4:18 Japanese Living Bible 今のところ、必要な物は何でもそろっています。それどころか、必要以上に満たされています。エパフロデトにことづけてくれた贈り物をいただいて、十分すぎるほどです。その贈り物は、神が喜んで受け入れてくださる、香ばしいかおりの供え物です。 Philippians 4:18Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. Reading Philippians in Japanese One of the truly delightful opportunities of learning a new language, culture, and philosophy is revisiting … Read more
When we decided to move into rural, Northern Japan we knew we wanted to live a bit closer to ‘traditional’. An old 古民家 (kominka – traditional folk house) has a charm very similar to the old timber frame country houses of old Europe – just ‘Japanese’ in flavor! As Japan experiences both general population contraction … Read more
Northern Tohoku – the three prefectures just south of Hokkaido, Aomori/Iwate/Akita, on the northern tip of Honshu- has its own rhythm and life. They aren’t so far away from ‘modern’ as to be unaware of the ‘outside’ – they just have the freedom, and space, to not care. Here, the four very distinct seasons provide … Read more
