Rebecca Shiraishi-Miles 
March in Japan is a month of transition. Winter is fading, plum blossoms are in full bloom, and cherry blossoms begin to appear in the warmer regions. Schools and companies prepare for graduation ceremonies, and the whole country feels fresh and full of new beginnings! Whether you’re planning a spring trip or exploring Japanese culture … Read more
If you’re starting Japanese from scratch, learning hiragana is your very first step. Japanese uses three writing systems, but beginners begin with the two phonetic alphabets – hiragana and katakana. Together, they’re known as the kana. They represent sounds, not meanings. And once you can read them, you can pronounce any Japanese word correctly. That’s … Read more
Most Studio Ghibli movies feel totally magical, and that’s why we love them! But many of the details they show are very real, and we can actually learn a lot about Japanese culture from watching Ghibli movies. Look closely, and you’ll spot everyday Japanese traditions and customs woven into the stories. Shrines, school routines, shared … Read more
Most Studio Ghibli films feel so complete and original that it’s easy to assume they were written purely for the screen! But several of them actually began as novels, manga, or even much older folktales. It’s not always obvious which is which. In some cases the film follows the original closely. In others, Studio Ghibli … Read more
For many learners, anime is their first real exposure to Japanese. And watching anime in the original version is many people’s motivation to start learning Japanese. It’s no wonder so many people ask if you can learn Japanese watching anime! Well, anime can be a useful tool for learning Japanese – but only if you … Read more
Studio Ghibli movies are often recommended to Japanese learners, but not all of them are equally helpful for language practice! Some feature dramatic speech, unusual vocabulary, or fantasy settings that don’t reflect how people talk in everyday life. If your goal is to improve listening skills and get used to natural Japanese, it helps to … Read more
The Studio Ghibli movies are some of Japan’s most beloved creative works. For many, it’s our first introduction to Japanese culture. Not all Studio Ghibli films are set in Japan. Many take place in imagined worlds or European-inspired settings. But a small group of Ghibli films are unmistakably set in Japan – from post-war countryside … Read more
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard about JapanesePod101, the online Japanese learning hub. JapanesePod101 heavily promote themselves as having a free lifetime account. But, is JapanesePod101 really free? The answer is YES!… but you don’t get everything for free. You really do get a free lifetime account, with access to regular new lessons, plus … Read more