“Untenmenkyosho goukaku omedetou gozaimasu (Congratulations on getting your driver’s license.) Go to Room 202, please,” said one of the staff,...
“Nag-iba ka na. (You’ve changed).” My friend Carlo said this to me over early dinner after I made a request...
“Mecha ii keshiki desu ne! (‘It’s a really nice view, isn’t it?’),” read the Line message from Yoshi, my...
For the first time, I dialed 119 and in my broken Japanese, I tried to explain to the operator why...
“Wasshoi! Wasshoi!” I stopped walking and strained my ears to hear where the faint shouting was coming from. A few...
The state of emergency in Tokyo was lifted in the last week of May. The city is slowly starting to...
Tokyo—“I knew I should’ve come earlier.” I was silently berating myself while standing in line with hundreds, maybe even thousands...
I’m sorry, did you say ‘washed my money’?” I wanted to make sure I heard my student correctly. As...
Before heading back to the city, I decided to buy Takahiro a thank-you omiyage, or souvenir from a trip. After all, it was on his suggestion that I went hiking, reaching the peak of Mt. Takao or Takaosan, where I stood in awe of breathtaking scenery.
