Emilio Olivieri

If you've been watching anime or studying Japanese, you’ve probably noticed people rarely call each other by their full names. Instead, they use all sorts of modified versions with special endings attached. For instance, Ai Scream’s latest song, called "愛♡スクリ～ム！”, consistently uses the

Did you know that Japan has 47 dialects? Pretty surprising for a country smaller than California! Each Japanese variety has its own special words, phrases, particles, and meanings. And it's not just the language—the way people think and act changes from region to region, and this shows

Ever stared at a Japanese kanji character and wondered why it has multiple pronunciations? You're not alone! The struggle between onyomi vs kunyomi is real for every Japanese learner. One minute you're confidently reading 山 as "yama," and the next, you're seeing

Learning a language is an adventure—it’s not just about mastering words and phrases but also diving into a new culture and perspective on the world. But did you know this journey can be even more enjoyable with vlogs (video blogs)? Vlogs offer a fantastic way to immerse yourself

Japanese Kanji/Katakana/Hiragana Translation Inu犬Dog Neko猫Cat Nezumiねずみ/鼠Rat, Mouse HamusutāハムスターHamster Usagiウサギ/兎Rabbit Hitsuji羊Sheep Ushi牛Cow, Bull Uma馬Horse Risuリス/栗鼠Squirrel Buta豚Pig Yagi山羊Goat Tanuki狸Raccoon Dog Ōkamiオオカミ/狼Wolf Shika鹿Deer KapibaraカピバラCapibara Kumaクマ/熊Bear PandaパンダPanda Bear RaionライオンLion Zō象Elephant Hyōヒョウ/豹Leopard Kitsuneキツネ/狐Fox Rakudaラクダ/駱駝Camel RyamaリャマLlama Inoshishiイノシシ/猪Wild Boar Ashikaアシカ/海驢Seal, Sea Lion Saruさる/猿Monkey Kabaカバ/

When a dumpling shop owner in Shanghai asked me "你属什么?" (Nǐ shǔ shénme? - What's your zodiac sign?), I quickly realized just how HUGE zodiac signs are in Chinese culture. I mean, I thought it only matters during the New Year celebrations... but apparently, I was

Are you  trying to learn Korean and, like me, have a hard time finding good free resouces? Deciding your learning goals and  finding authentic learning resources in Korean, such as TV shows, songs, podcasts,  are two important aspects to take into account when learning not only Korean, but any language.

What's your favorite season in the year? Mine's autumn, although I love winter too (I'm a Team Cold guy, sorry). However, each of the four seasons have their own beauty and meanings. What's more, people do different activities during each of the

Do you want to celebrate New Year in the Japanese way? Here are 9 traditions that Japanese people practice during Oshōgatsu or New Year. Each one of us have their own traiditons to celebrate New Year. I tend to think of my goals for the next year, and that'