Japan has over 200 castles, called shiro (城) in Japanese. Many of these ancient, well-preserved fortresses are Japanese National Treasures and World Heritage Sites. Here are some of the must-see castles in Japan and what they’re famous for!
How to Write Your Name in Japanese (Katakana)
If you’re learning Japanese, one of the first things you should learn is how to introduce yourself! And you can’t do that unless you know your name in Japanese, right? Here is how to write your name in Japanese!
Back to Basics: Self-Introduction & Useful Japanese Verbs
When learning a new language, no matter how long you’ve been studying, it’s important to review the basics every once in awhile. Let’s review how to introduce yourself in Japanese for the first time, as well as the ten most useful Japanese verbs!
Top 10 Things to Do in Japan in March 2019
March is one of the best months to visit Japan! Not only are the cherry blossoms starting to come into bloom, but there is also an incredible variety of events and festivals happening all across the nation. From the famous “Penis Festival” to ancient fire festivals, here are our top 10 events happening in Japan in March 2019.
15 Hilariously Literal Japanese Words
There are a surprising number of Japanese words that are incredibly literal. The Japanese word “tebukuro” (手袋) is made up of the characters “Te” (Hand) and “Bukuro” (bag) = “hand bag”. It’s the Japanese word for “glove”! That makes sense, considering gloves technically are bags for your hands… Here are 15 other hilariously literal Japanese words that are used quite … Read More
10 English Words That Don’t Exist in Japanese
English is one of the most expansive languages in the world, and compared to Japanese, English consists of quite long, grammar-heavy sentences. Japanese speakers tend to use short, simple sentences and often rely more on context than spoken words to communicate. In addition, Western English-speaking countries and Japan have many cultural differences, and those differences are reflected in the language … Read More
15 Japanese Words That Don’t Exist in English
Did you know there are quite a few Japanese words that don’t translate exactly into English? Some of them are quite similar to English concepts, or can be explained in English with only a few words. However, other Japanese words have concepts and meanings completly non-exisitant in the English language! Here’s our list of 15 words that do not exactly exist … Read More
10 Famous Japanese Proverbs
It’s quite likely that you have heard the phrase, “fall down 7 times, get up 8”. But did you know that it originated as a Japanese saying? Nana korobi yaoki (七転び八起き), which translates to “7 falls, 8 rises” is a very well-known kotowaza (ことわざ), or proverb. Here is our list of 10 more famous Japanese proverbs.
Osaka To Host 2025 World Expo!
We’ve got great news this morning! Osaka, Japan was selected to host the World Expo 2025, beating Ekaterinburg, Russia and Baku, Azerbaijan for the right to organize the exhibition at which countries showcase their achievements.
The Most Popular Japanese GESTURES!
Have you ever been to Japan? You may have noticed that several of the common gestures used by Japanese people are actually quite different from the ones used in your home country. Here is a picture guide of the most commonly used gestures in Japan, along with their meanings!