Hannah Stafford 
Being invited into someone’s home is a lovely way to experience Japanese culture firsthand, beyond the tourist attractions! Japan is a country of strong, long-standing traditions and customs. This is of course true not only out in public spaces, but also in one’s home. It is not that there are strict rules per se, but … Read more
‘Wait’ is one of the most useful verbs to know when starting to learn a language! It’s useful for a variety of situations: whether you want to make plans with friends and need to tell them where you will be waiting, instructing them where to wait for you, or even expressing that you can’t wait … Read more
How do you say ‘Japan’ in Japanese? If you thought this would be a simple, straightforward answer, think again! Of course I could just make this a short post and tell you that the answer is: Nihon or Nippon, but the truth is that there is a bit more to the story. I would be … Read more
Filler words are a phenomenon in every language. They are used to ‘fill in’ spaces in conversations, perhaps to give yourself time to think about what you want to say or as conversational padding. In Japanese they are known as tsunagi kotoba (つなぎ言葉 / つなぎことば), literally translating as ‘linking words’. What are filler words? English … Read more
In this post, we will be learning all about the vibrant Japanese bars known as izakaya. If you’re planning a trip to Japan, a trip to an izakaya should definitely make your list! What is an izakaya? Izakaya (居酒屋 / いざかや) literally translates to something along the lines of ‘a shop to reside and drink’. … Read more
It is no secret by now that Japan’s vending machine game is on another level! They are referred to in a few ways: the full way to say vending machine in Japanese is jidou hanbaiki (自動販売機 / じどうはんばいき), which is often shortened to jihanki (自販機 / じはんき), or hanbaiki (販売機 /はんばいき). The cult of vending … Read more
It’s not truly a Japanese summer without summer festivals, or natsu matsuri (夏祭り / なつまつり) as they’re known in Japanese! Matsuri take place year round, from the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido in winter to the Niihama Taiko (drum) Festival in autumn. But the peak time for Japanese festivals is summer! Summer festivals are generally … Read more
I know, I know, what do you mean ‘how to use the toilet’?! Of course I know how to use a toilet, I’m not a toddler, we have them in my home country too! Well, it’s not like you will have to potty-train all over again, but the toilets in Japan can be quite unique … Read more