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 31
Japanese at Don Quijote: Phrases for Finding Anything in the Aisles
At Don Quijote, the one phrase that does most of the work is ~ wa doko desu ka (Where is ~?). Add a few checkout lines, a polite way to squeeze past people, and a question about tax-free shopping, and you can handle the busiest store in Japan.
10 min readJapanese at a Michi no Eki: Roadside Station Phrases for Road Trips
A michi no eki (道の駅) is a roadside station: a rest stop on ordinary roads with toilets, parking and a shop selling local produce and food. The key question there is jimoto no tokusanhin wa nan desu ka, what are the local specialities?
9 min readJapanese at a Hostel or Guesthouse: Check-in, Dorm Rules and Chat
At a Japanese hostel or guesthouse you need three kinds of Japanese: check-in lines, questions about the house rules, and a few friendly openers for other guests. Start with chekkuin o onegai shimasu and you are already in.
9 min readJapanese for a Temple Stay (Shukubo): Etiquette and Polite Phrases
A shukubo (宿坊) is lodging inside a Buddhist temple, where guests eat vegetarian temple food, shōjin ryōri, and may join the monks' morning service, otsutome. The most useful phrase is a polite question: asa no otsutome ni sanka dekimasu ka.
9 min readJapanese at a Barber Shop: How to Ask for the Haircut You Want
At a Japanese barber, give your clipper length in millimetres (san miri de onegai shimasu, three millimetres, please) and describe the sides, back and top separately. If you want it short and neat, the magic word is sukkiri: sukkiri sasete kudasai.
9 min readJapanese as a Wedding Guest in Japan: Phrases, Goshūgi and Etiquette
As a guest at a Japanese wedding, the line you will use most is go-kekkon omedetō gozaimasu, congratulations on your marriage. You will also hand over goshūgi, gift money in new notes, and you should avoid words linked to parting, such as wakareru and kireru, in any speech.
9 min readJapanese at a Maid Café: Greetings, Ordering and House Rules
At a maid café, staff dressed as maids greet you with okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama (welcome home, master) or ojō-sama (miss), as if you were returning to your own mansion. You order in normal polite Japanese, join in the playful phrases if you like, and follow the house rules, especially on photos.
8 min readJapanese for Strawberry Picking (Ichigo-gari): Booking, Rules, Phrases
Ichigo-gari (いちご狩り) is strawberry picking, usually in greenhouses, where you eat as many strawberries as you like within a time limit. The season runs roughly from January to May, and many farms take reservations, so the first line to learn is ichigo-gari no yoyaku o shitai n desu ga.
9 min readJapanese for Moving Out of an Apartment: Notice, Inspection, Deposit
Moving out in Japan starts with a notice to your landlord or agent, kaiyaku (解約), usually a month or more ahead, and ends with a move-out inspection, tachiai (立ち会い), that decides how much of your deposit, shikikin (敷金), comes back. Along the way you book bulky garbage collection, stop the utilities and file a change of address.
10 min readJapanese for Onsen with Tattoos: How to Ask Politely Before You Go
Many onsen in Japan still refuse guests with visible tattoos, while others welcome them or allow you to cover small ones with a sticker. The respectful approach is to ask before you go: tatū ga aru n desu ga, nyūyoku dekimasu ka (I have a tattoo; can I bathe?), and to accept the answer.
10 min read
What Mocchi AI Remembers About Your Japanese Learning
Mocchi AI uses learning context such as your Japanese level, study goal, preferences, and weak points to make its help more relevant. The useful result is a better next exercise, not a claim that an AI remembers every conversation perfectly.
4 min readTeach Mocchi Your Preferred Language for Japanese Lessons
The best explanation language is one that lets you understand the Japanese decision you are practicing. Tell Mocchi which language you prefer, and distinguish that preference from how much translation you need in each exercise.
4 min readPractical guides
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