Rebecca Shiraishi-Miles 
Welcome to May in Japan! Spring is in full swing and the country enjoys Golden Week – one of its longest holiday periods. It’s a lively month for festivals, traditions and outdoor activities. Whether you’re visiting Japan or enjoying Japanese culture from home this month, here’s what May looks like in Japan: Festivals and events … Read more
If you’re interested in learning Japanese, you’ve probably heard of both JapanesePod101 and Duolingo. They are two of the most popular ways to learn Japanese by self-studying at home. Both are free to get started, and both are suitable for complete beginners, as well as more advanced learners. But they work in completely different ways … Read more
Guys, if you’ve read my site before you know I’m a big fan of JapanesePod101. I have used their Premium membership for a long time and definitely credit it with a LOT of my progress in Japanese! Recently I have been testing out the Premium Plus plan for the first time, so I wanted to … Read more
April in Japan is one of the most iconic months of the year! With the famous cherry blossom season in full swing, the scenery fully matches that fairytale image of Japan you might have in your head. As well as fun hanami (cherry blossom viewing) picnics and festivals, April brings the start of the school … Read more
JapanesePod101 is my personal favourite way to learn Japanese online, and I recommend it to everyone. But how much does JapanesePod101 cost? Unfortunately there’s no straight answer, because it depends on lots of factors like your membership level and length of subscription. But as a very rough guide, expect to pay between $4 and $10 … Read more
Looking for free Japanese printables to help you learn faster? You’re in the right place! Whether you’re just starting with hiragana and katakana or beginning to tackle kanji, having simple, printable resources can make a huge difference. They give you a clear structure and help you stay consistent, and make it easy to practise without … Read more
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