Japanese learning blog
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
All articles · Page 135
Japanese for Railway Work: Track Safety, Pointing and Calling
Japanese railways are famous for pointing and saying things aloud. For a new worker that habit is also the fastest way into the language of the job.
5 min readJapanese for Forestry and Wood Work: Chainsaws, Slopes and Sawmills
When a tree starts to fall there is no time to translate. The calls have to be in your mouth before you need them.
5 min readJapanese for Shipbuilding Work: Welding, Cranes and Working at Height
A shipyard is cranes, heights and sparks at the same time. The Japanese you learn first is the Japanese that keeps you out from under a load.
5 min readJapanese for Electronics Manufacturing: Assembly and Inspection
On an electronics line, a part in the wrong orientation looks almost right. The Japanese that prevents it is short, precise and full of numbers.
5 min readJapanese for Bus Drivers: Announcements, Fares and Passenger Safety
A bus driver in Japan talks all day, mostly to people who never answer. The announcements are fixed, and they are the easiest place to start.
5 min readJapanese for Tour Guides: Groups, Meeting Points and Problems
A guide talks to the group in one language and runs the day in another. The Japanese side is less visible, and it is what keeps the tour on time.
6 min readJapanese for Pharmacy and Drugstore Staff: Shop Floor Phrases
The most important skill in a drugstore job is not knowing about medicine. It is knowing when a question belongs to the pharmacist.
5 min readJapanese at the Immigration Bureau: Renewing Your Residence Card
Most visits to an immigration bureau are long waits broken by two short conversations, and both go far better when you can say exactly what you came for.
8 min readSending Money Home From Japan: The Japanese You Need
Sending money abroad is a routine errand for many people in Japan, but the questions at the counter or in an app are more specific than learners expect.
6 min readJapanese at Hello Work: Finding a Job Through the Public Office
Hello Work is the public employment office, and for many foreign residents it is the most useful place in Japan they have never visited.
6 min readYear-End Tax Adjustment in Japan: Forms and Words to Know
Every autumn, many employees in Japan receive a bundle of forms titled nenmatsu chōsei, and a surprising number fill them in without knowing what they say.
6 min readConverting a Foreign Driving Licence in Japan: Japanese to Know
Converting a foreign licence is mostly paperwork and a short interview, but the questions come fast and the driving check is conducted entirely in Japanese.
6 min readPractical guides
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