So you’ve decided to learn Japanese but rather than joining a language school or taking some classes you want to do it on your own! Can you learn Japanese by yourself? Of course you can, and there are many people who have already done it (including me!) If you have an internet connection and a … Read more
Ah, New Year! It’s the best time to gather and celebrate all around the world. Japan values the importance of New Year or shōgatsu (正月 / しょうがつ) as much as other countries do. In fact, Japanese new year celebrations are rich in tradition and festivities! Families and individuals begin their preparations as early as December, … Read more
They say time flies by when you’re having fun. One day, you’re exchanging gifts by the Christmas tree, then a few days later, everyone’s counting down to the New Year! We hope continuing your Japanese learning is part of your resolutions! 😉 Ganbatte! In fact, in this article, we will learn how to say Happy … Read more
Do you plan to spend the holidays in Japan? Maybe you have a Japanese pen pal who you want to wish an enjoyable winter holiday? Saying ‘Merry Christmas’ in Japanese is very easy: merii kurisumasu (メリークリスマス)! The English phrase has no direct translation in Japanese, because the holiday was only adapted from the West during … Read more
Can you hear the jingle bells coming this way? Like most places around the world, Japan also celebrates Christmas, although there may be huge differences in their beliefs and traditions during the holidays. Roughly 1% of Japan’s population associate themselves with Christianity, but even so, Japanese from all over the country celebrate Christmas as a … Read more
As the only language on Earth that combines 3 writing systems at once, it’s no wonder Japanese gets a reputation for being a difficult language! So how hard is it to learn Japanese anyway? Writing systems aside, the pronunciation is easy for most! Japanese has just half as many sounds as English. Compared to many … Read more
If you’ve watched some anime or Japanese drama, you might’ve noticed that the characters tend to apologize a lot. A few familiar words for sorry in Japanese might be gomen nasai (ごめんなさい) or sumimasen (すみません). While the words for ‘sorry’ in Japanese vary in degree, there are also physical ways to express your sincerest apologies, … Read more
There are tons of sources out there that can give you a number in hours, days, months or years for how long it takes to learn Japanese. If you’ve googled it, you’ve probably seen anything from 90 days to 5 years! While it’s definitely possible to learn some Japanese in 90 days, how do some … Read more