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 84
Dōgo Onsen Guide: The Restored Honkan, Baths and Japanese to Use
Dōgo Onsen in Matsuyama is one of Japan's oldest hot springs, and its wooden main bathhouse, the Honkan, fully reopened in July 2024 after five and a half years of careful restoration. Choosing a bathing course, reading the bath signs and following the rules is a small, satisfying test of your Japanese.
13 min readMatsuyama Castle Guide: Original Keep, Ropeway and Japanese to Use
Matsuyama Castle stands on a wooded hill right in the middle of Ehime's capital, and its keep is one of only twelve in Japan that survive from the age of the samurai. A ride up by ropeway or open chairlift, a climb through wooden gates and a look out from the top floor make it one of Shikoku's best half-days.
12 min readShikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Guide: Henro Basics and Japanese to Use
The Shikoku Henro is a circuit of 88 temples linked to the monk Kōbō Daishi, looping around the whole island through all four prefectures. Whether you walk it all, ride between temples by car or bus, or visit just the first few, the pilgrimage has its own clothes, rituals and words, and learning them makes every temple visit richer.
13 min readKōchi Guide: Kōchi Castle, Hirome Market and Japanese to Use
Kōchi, on Shikoku's Pacific coast, is a relaxed, food-loving city with one of Japan's twelve original castle keeps, a lively food hall where strangers share tables over straw-seared bonito, and a street market held every Sunday for more than three centuries. It is a wonderful place to order food in Japanese and hear a strong regional dialect.
12 min readIya Valley Guide: Vine Bridges, Ōboke Gorge and Japanese to Use
The Iya Valley is one of Japan's most remote and dramatic corners: steep forested gorges in the mountains of western Tokushima, crossed by bridges woven from mountain vines. Buses are few and the roads are narrow, so a little Japanese for bus drivers, boat staff and innkeepers goes a very long way here.
13 min readNaruto Whirlpools Guide: Boats, Uzu no Michi and Japanese to Use
The Naruto whirlpools are giant eddies that form in the narrow strait between Shikoku and Awaji Island as the tides rush in and out. Seeing them is all about timing, so the most useful Japanese here is about tide tables, boat times and the best viewing hour.
12 min readFukuoka Yatai Guide: Food Stalls, Hakata Ramen and Japanese to Use
Fukuoka's yatai are open-air food stalls that appear on the pavements every evening and fold away before morning. With seven to ten seats around one counter, they are the easiest place in Japan to order in Japanese and end up chatting with the person next to you.
12 min readDazaifu Tenmangū Guide: Plum Trees, Main Hall and Japanese to Use
Dazaifu Tenmangū is the head shrine of Tenjin, the deity of learning, and the easiest great shrine to reach from Fukuoka. Its main hall reopened for worship from the front in September 2026 after a three-year restoration, and it is a lovely place to read shrine signs and ask for a study charm in Japanese.
11 min readNagasaki Guide: Peace Park, Glover Garden, Dejima and Japanese to Use
Nagasaki packs centuries of history into a small harbour city: the Dutch trading island of Dejima, the Western merchant houses of Glover Garden and the Peace Park that remembers 9 August 1945. A cheap, friendly tram links them all, and riding it is a perfect place to use simple Japanese.
11 min readGunkanjima Guide: Landing on Battleship Island and Japanese to Use
Gunkanjima, officially Hashima, is an abandoned coal-mining island off Nagasaki whose concrete apartment blocks make it look like a warship at sea. You can only visit on a licensed boat tour, and whether you can land depends on the waves, which makes the boarding desk a good place to use a few careful questions in Japanese.
10 min readHuis Ten Bosch Guide: Dutch Town, Tickets and Japanese to Use
Huis Ten Bosch is a theme park near Sasebo that recreates a Dutch town, complete with canals, a cathedral tower and a copy of the royal palace in The Hague. It is also full of ticket counters, queues and information desks, which makes it an easy place to practise everyday Japanese.
10 min readKumamoto Castle Guide: Keep, Stone Walls, Restoration and Japanese
Kumamoto Castle is one of Japan's great castles, famous for its curving stone walls and a keep rebuilt after the 2016 earthquakes. Repairs are still going on, and a strong earthquake in July 2026 damaged walls again, but the keep and the elevated walkway reopened in August 2026.
10 min readPractical guides
Turn Japanese knowledge into speaking confidence
Practice with Unihongo's AI Sensei in an immersive 3D classroom, with roleplay missions, pronunciation coaching, useful feedback, and learning games that build your vocabulary while you play.