mottainai n.— «Maathai, who is also an Assistant Environment Minister, urged the world to adopt “mottainai”, a Japanese term for reducing, reusing and recycling resources.» —“Campaign for debt relief, Maathai tells...
3-K job n.— «With Japanese youth shying from so-called 3-K jobs—referring to the Japanese words for labor that is dirty, dangerous or physically taxing—Alsok, the nation’s second-largest security guard company, has developed a line of...
dark fishing n.— «Omori—now a millionaire via bass fishing—came here against his parents’ wishes, the only student from his high school class not to attend college. Even so, a Japanese fisheries official said bass angling is not sport...
koban n.— «The community-based Koban program is celebrating its 10th year. Since starting in 1995, the program has provided a “safe haven” for hundreds of youths while offering educational assistance, mentoring, life and...
pimp v.— «Know this: whatever you may try to pimp, Japanese kids have already pimped bigger and badder than you. While we Americans smugly giggle at the idiocy of the urban Honda Civic owner and the ways of Xzibit on MTV’s Pimp My Ride...
hapa adj.— «Faced with a similar question, 5-year-old Gabriella Grosz says, “I’m black and white.” And Cindie Nakashima, a 22-year-old graduate student who once called herself “half-Japanese and half-white,” now...