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 136
Japanese for Pregnancy and Childbirth in Japan
Pregnancy in Japan involves more paperwork and more clinic visits than many people expect, and the vocabulary arrives all at once.
6 min readSetting Up Home Internet in Japan: Contracts and Install Day
Home internet in Japan is fast once it is running, but getting there involves a contract full of terms and, often, a technician visiting your home.
5 min readScam Calls and Fraud in Japan: Phrases to Refuse and Report
Scam callers rely on pressure and politeness, and the best defence is a few calm phrases that end the call before the pressure builds.
6 min readJapanese at a 100-Yen Shop: Prices, Finding Things and Returns
A 100-yen shop is one of the first places newcomers furnish a home from, and one of the easiest places to practise real shopping Japanese.
6 min readJapanese at an Optician: Eye Tests, Frames and Contact Lenses
Buying glasses in Japan is quick and often done in a single visit, but the eye test is a conversation, and you have to answer in Japanese.
5 min readRomaji Systems Explained: Hepburn, Kunrei-shiki and Typed Romaji
Tōkyō, Tokyo, Toukyou and Tôkyô are the same word written four ways. Knowing why saves confusion on signs, forms and keyboards.
7 min readは, へ and を: Reading and Writing the Particles wa, e and o
Three particles are written with one kana and read as another. Once you can spot them in real sentences, they stop slowing you down.
6 min readHiragana Stroke Order: The Rules and the Kana People Get Wrong
Hiragana have few strokes, so the order seems unimportant. It is exactly what makes your kana look written rather than drawn.
7 min readChecking a Japanese Kanji Tattoo Before You Get It
A kanji tattoo is read by everyone who knows Japanese, often more literally than the wearer expects. Checking it first costs an hour; fixing it costs far more.
7 min readGenkō Yōshi: How to Write on Japanese Manuscript Paper
Genkō yōshi has a rule for nearly every square. Teachers notice those rules before they read a word of your essay.
6 min readJapanese Letter Format: Haikei, Keigu and the Seasonal Greeting
A formal Japanese letter has a fixed frame. Once you know the frame, the only part you really write yourself is the middle.
6 min readHow to Write an Email to a Japanese Teacher or Professor
A teacher receives dozens of student emails. The ones that are easy to answer say who, which class and what, in the first three lines.
6 min readPractical guides
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