Uchikura & Co Blog
2026-06-02
Japan: A World Leader in Military Seaplanes When it comes to military seaplanes still in active service, Japan is arguably the world leader. The aircraft behind this reputation is the ShinMaywa US-...
2026-06-01
Visit Japan Web When you are planning a trip to Japan, I recommend using Visit Japan Web before you arrive. This official Japanese government service lets travelers register immigration, customs,...
2026-06-01
"Tatsu Tori Ato wo Nigosazu" (立つ鳥跡を濁さず) A direct translation would be, "A bird does not muddy the water when it leaves." In practice, it means that when you leave a place, you should leave it in go...
2026-05-31
Finger-Pointing Safety Checks: An Everyday Japanese Practice That Improved New York's Subway Safety For Japanese people, it is a very familiar sight. Train operators and conductors point at signa...
2026-05-31
Japan’s Aesthetics of Subtraction "引き算の美学" : How It Differs from the West and the Rest of Asia Have you ever heard of the Japanese concept of “the aesthetics of subtraction”? It is a philosophy d...
2026-05-31
Owakon One word you often hear among younger Japanese people is "Owakon" (オワコン). It is a shortened form of "Owatta Content" (終わったコンテンツ), which literally means "finished content." The term is comm...
2026-05-31
The Right Tool for the Right Job In Japanese, there is a phrase: 適材適所 (Tekizai Tekisho) — "the right person in the right place" or, more broadly, "the right tool for the right job." A good exampl...
2026-05-30
Only in Japan: Anime-Painted Weapons Japan may be the only country where you can see a combat aircraft or military helicopter decorated with anime characters and have people line up to take picture...
2026-05-30
Kintsugi Is Not About Gold — It Is About Value Kintsugi is the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using lacquer mixed with gold, silver, or other precious materials. Today, many p...
2026-05-30
Did You Know Who Created the First Men-in-Pants / Woman-in-Skirt Toilet Sign?Most people assume the familiar restroom sign—a man in pants and a woman in a skirt—was invented in the United States. Sur...