Making new friends? One of the first questions that comes up in conversation when meeting someone is ‘where are you from?’ – especially when we meet people in an international environment, such as travelling, at university or language school! And if you’re lucky enough to visit Japan, it’s a question you’re likely to hear from … Read more
There’s something special about the calm, thoughtful wisdom that runs through Japanese culture. No wonder so many people feel drawn to Japanese philosophy. And the wonderful thing is that so many Japanese concepts are easy to apply to everyday life, even in the west. You don’t have to become a monk or give away all … Read more
When we make a new friend, it’s natural to want to ask ‘how old are you?’ But age can be a bit of a touchy subject, so it is important that we approach this topic in the most appropriate way! ‘Age’ in Japanese is nen rei (年齢 / ねんれい). Although it is grammatically correct to … Read more
I can’t explain why, but for some reason there is a pretty big overlap between people who love Japan and people who love cats! Yes, I include myself in that number 😻 Luckily for us, there’s a huge amount of Japanese books about cats available in English translation right now. Cats have long been a … Read more
Japanese literature has a special way of pulling you right into the rhythms of everyday life. What people eat, how they spend their free time… all the little details that make the culture feel alive. I’ve always been a big reader, and I became fascinated with Japan long before moving there, thanks to books like … Read more
Just as in English, the question ‘how much’ can be posed with a few different meanings in Japanese! You may want to ask how much something costs, how much time someone has, or ask about a quantity of something. For example, if you want to ask how much something costs in Japanese, the word is … Read more
Halloween is getting more and more popular in Japan every year. From pumpkin-flavoured snacks to huge costume parties in Tokyo, the spooky season is becoming a big event! If you’re learning Japanese, it’s a great chance to pick up some fun seasonal words. In this post, we’ll go over how to say ‘Happy Halloween’ in … Read more
Do they celebrate Halloween in Japan? The answer is yes – but not in the way you might expect! Halloween is still a fairly new holiday in Japan. It’s generally seen as a party night for young adults. You won’t see children going door to door for sweets. But you will find huge street parties, … Read more