Japanese

After visiting Japan for the first time, I quickly learned there's much more to the culture than meets the eye. One phrase that really stuck with me was "社会に出る" (shakai ni deru), which means "entering society." It's a big milestone in Japan, symbolizing the start of adulthood and joining the

When I first decided to learn Japanese, I felt lost. Where should I start? What should I learn first? It was overwhelming. But then I stumbled upon a simple yet powerful starting point: the days of the week. I know it sounds basic, but mastering these seven words became my

I landed in Tokyo in late October 2023, jet-lagged but excited to start my new job as an English teacher at Honjo Metropolitan High School. Little did I know I'd stepped into Halloween mania, Japanese style! The streets of Shibuya were a sea of costumes, with everything from anime characters

Thinking about learning Japanese? When I got the news that I'd been chosen as a company ambassador for a three-month tour in Japan, excitement quickly gave way to panic. While my colleagues buried their noses in Japanese language books, I found myself drawn to a different teacher: Studio Ghibli. These

For a whole year, I lived right next to Asakusa station in Tokyo. Every day, I'd step out of my apartment and see the most amazing mix of clothing. One minute, I'd spot a group of friends in beautiful yukatas heading to the nearby Senso-ji Temple. The next, I'd see

Tired of drowning in a sea of kanji and keigo? You're not alone. When I first dipped my toes into the Japanese language, I quickly realized that clinging to textbooks was a one-way ticket to Boredom City. But then, one crazy idea crossed my mind – why not explore topics that

As someone who spent two unforgettable years teaching English in Japan through the JET Programme, I've had the joy of celebrating countless birthdays with my Japanese friends and students. One of my fondest memories? Well, that would be the first time I attempted to wish my colleague Yuki a happy

Do you love Pokémon? Do you know every Pokémon name?  What about their original Japanese names? Since the releases of the first two videogames titles for Nintendo Game Boy in 1995 and the anime series in 1997, Pokémon had a great cultural impact in Japan and worldwide and its legacy

Learning Japanese can be hard at times, both self-learning and taking lessons with a teacher. Spoken by 128 million people, Japanese is considered one of the most difficult languages for Native English speakers to learn. Many aspects might make this language a hard one to master: pronunciation, three different writing