Message printed on pay envelope in Japan leads to hilarious misunderstanding
The Japanese term 謝礼 sharei can simply mean thanks or gratitude, but it also can refer to a sum of money paid as a gratuity…
Japanese language
“Funny Cool” Japanese text tee makes impact at Milan runway show, amuses Japanese Twitter
With the global influence of Japanese pop culture and fashion, it’s no longer that unusual today to see Japanese text displayed on T-shirts, jackets, or…
Three “freaking awesome” Japanese words from skateboarding commentary!
Unusually informal skateboarding commentary goes viral Recently, the Olympics have been flooding the headlines, but on July 25th a different kind of story was trending…
Kotodama: the belief in the magic power of words
Kotodama (言霊) refers to the belief that words have mystical powers. It combines the word for ‘speech’ (言 koto) and the word for ‘soul’ (霊 tama). Kotodama presupposes that…
How I learned Japanese and study tips for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test
Everyone has a different reason for why they want to learn Japanese, be it because of anime, manga, games, traveling, or for work purposes. In…
Why Japanese People: how Westerners struggle with katakana borrowed words in Japanese
Japanese ain’t easy. Any Westerner who has studied for an extended period of time can tell you all about the trials and tribulations of becoming…
Fuji Television’s Int’l Dept. Launches a Japanese Language Course on YouTube for Global Viewers
Note: This text is reproduced verbatim and provided courtesy of © Fuji Television Network, Inc. © Fuji Television Network Fuji Television Network, Inc.’s international department…
Ask your Japanese friends this ONE question!
I’d like to start with a (hopefully) simple question. What is the closest star to Earth? Do you know the answer? I feel like I…
Sukumizuage: Okinawa fishing news wording leads to humorous misunderstanding online
A headline from the Ryūkyū Shimpō, Okinawa’s top newspaper, has gone viral on Twitter today due to a possible interpretation of the wording. The headline…
Wasei Eigo: Japan’s Pseudo-English
Japanese is certainly a very complicated language. What with Chinese characters whose readings change depending on the word, and two sets of phonetic characters, it’s…
Easy Kansaiben To Sound Like a Native
I visited Yokohama last month in November for an interview and caught up with some friends while I was in the area. Two are Japanese…
Japanese Voices: @17 no Gokitaku Shimasenka? #49: “Taking a Vacation From The Airwaves”
Japanese Voices 日本語のままクールジャパン is a regular series designed for learners of Japanese to enjoy real Japanese language programming from Nippon Broadcasting System, one of the…
Japanese Voices: @17 no Gokitaku Shimasenka? #48: “Assebu Theater”
Japanese Voices 日本語のままクールジャパン is a regular series designed for learners of Japanese to enjoy real Japanese language programming from Nippon Broadcasting System, one of the…
The Japanese Student Formerly Known as Prince Who Fought Back Against Kira Kira Names
We’re used to hearing about the eccentric names that celebrities in the Western world give their children. Apple or Pixie or Zowie to name a…
Japanese Voices: @17 no Gokitaku Shimasenka? #38
Japanese Voices 日本語のままクールジャパン is a regular series designed for learners of Japanese to enjoy real Japanese language programming from Nippon Broadcasting System, one of the…