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 65
How to Remember JLPT Vocabulary: A Retrieval Plan That Goes Beyond Rereading
A JLPT learner whose vocabulary list keeps growing faster than recall often needs more than another list of phrases. This guide shows how to recognize high-value words in context and retrieve them after a delay, with a repeatable practice method and a concrete way to measure progress.
6 min readJLPT Reading Speed: How to Read Faster Without Losing the Main Point
A learner who understands Japanese texts but runs out of time on the reading section often needs more than another list of phrases. This guide shows how to find the passage's structure and relevant evidence while keeping a reliable pace, with a repeatable practice method and a concrete way to measure progress.
6 min readJLPT Listening Practice: Train for Main Idea, Detail and Response Questions
A test taker who can follow slow Japanese but struggles with exam audio and distractors often needs more than another list of phrases. This guide shows how to identify the information each question needs and recognize it at natural speed, with a repeatable practice method and a concrete way to measure progress.
6 min readHow to Review a JLPT Mock Test: Turn Every Mistake into a Study Decision
A test taker who completes mock exams but is unsure what to do with the score often needs more than another list of phrases. This guide shows how to convert missed questions into a prioritized, measurable practice plan, with a repeatable practice method and a concrete way to measure progress.
6 min readDattebayo Meaning: What Naruto's だってばよ Really Says
Dattebayo (だってばよ) is not a word with a meaning of its own: it is Naruto's personal sentence-ending tic, built from da, tteba and yo, and it adds a pushy, boyish "I'm telling you!" to whatever he has just said.
8 min readOmae wa Mou Shindeiru Meaning: Grammar of お前はもう死んでいる
Omae wa mō shinde iru (お前はもう死んでいる) means "You are already dead": omae is a rough "you", mō is "already", and shinde iru describes the state of being dead, not the act of dying.
8 min readYare Yare Meaning: What やれやれ Says and Who Really Uses It
Yare yare (やれやれ) is a spoken sigh: it means "good grief" when something is tiresome and "phew" when a worry is finally over.
7 min readLearn Japanese with Studio Ghibli: Which Film for Which Level
You can learn real Japanese from Studio Ghibli films if you choose by level: My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service for clear everyday speech, Spirited Away after that, and Princess Mononoke last, because its language is deliberately old-fashioned.
8 min readVTuber Japanese Vocabulary: Words You Need to Follow a Stream
To follow a Japanese VTuber stream you need about twenty words: haishin (配信) is the stream, shoken (初見) is a first-time viewer, kusa (草) is "lol", and kirinuki (切り抜き) is a clip cut from a longer stream.
8 min readOshikatsu Meaning: 推し活 and the Fan Vocabulary Around It
Oshikatsu (推し活) means "activities to support your oshi": oshi (推し) is the idol, character or person you cheer for, and katsu is short for katsudō, "activity".
8 min readLearn Japanese with J-Pop Songs: A Line-by-Line Study Routine
To learn Japanese with J-pop, take one song you love and work through it line by line: listen, read the lyrics with furigana, look up the words, then sing it until the line comes out without the page.
8 min readPokémon Names in Japanese: What Pikachu and Friends Really Mean
Most Japanese Pokémon names are small word puzzles: Pikachū (ピカチュウ) joins pikapika, "sparkle", with chū, a mouse's squeak, and many of the first Pokémon are built the same way from everyday Japanese words.
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