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 86
Ishigaki Island Guide: Kabira Bay, Mantas and Japanese to Use
Ishigaki is the main island of the Yaeyama group, about 400 kilometres south-west of Okinawa's main island, with turquoise bays, manta rays, dark night skies and a lively little town. It is also the ferry hub for the outer islands, and a place where you will hear the Yaeyama welcome, ōri tōri.
11 min readTaketomi Island Guide: Ryukyu Village, Star Sand and Japanese to Use
Taketomi is a small, flat island ten minutes by boat from Ishigaki, with a beautifully kept village of red-tiled roofs, coral walls and white sand lanes. You see it by bicycle, on foot or from a water buffalo cart, and every rental counter and cart ride comes with easy Japanese.
11 min readSapporo Guide: Ōdōri Park, Susukino, Clock Tower and Japanese to Use
Sapporo is Hokkaido's capital, a young city laid out on a grid, with a long park through its centre and a nightlife district full of ramen alleys. It is easy to walk, easy to read once you understand its addresses, and a friendly place to try your first Japanese directions.
13 min readSapporo Snow Festival Guide: Sites, Sculptures and Japanese to Use
Every February, Sapporo fills Ōdōri Park with giant snow sculptures and Susukino with ice carvings. The Sapporo Snow Festival is free, lit up into the evening, and full of short, practical Japanese: site names, stall menus and polite questions to staff.
12 min readOtaru Guide: Canal, Glass, Music Boxes, Sushi and Japanese to Use
Otaru is a harbour town on the coast west of Sapporo, known for its stone-warehouse canal, its glass and music box shops and some of the best sushi in Hokkaido. It is an easy day trip by train and a relaxed place to read signs, shop and order in Japanese.
12 min readFurano and Biei Guide: Lavender, Blue Pond, Hills and Japanese to Use
Furano and Biei, in the middle of Hokkaido, are farm country: lavender fields in July, rolling hills striped with crops, and a pond of unreal blue. It is a region best explored slowly, by local train, bike or car, and a good place to use simple, polite Japanese with farmers, shopkeepers and rental staff.
12 min readHakodate Guide: Night View, Goryōkaku, Morning Market and Japanese to Use
Hakodate, at the southern tip of Hokkaido, is a port city of trams, harbour warehouses, hillside churches and one of Japan's most famous night views. It is compact, easy to explore in two days, and full of short conversations at ticket counters and market stalls.
12 min readAsahiyama Zoo Guide: Penguin Walk, Polar Bears and Japanese to Use
Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa is Japan's northernmost zoo and one of its most famous, thanks to enclosures that let you watch animals swim, climb and hunt up close. In winter, king penguins waddle through the snow on their daily walk. It is a joyful place to practise simple Japanese questions about times and places.
12 min readShiretoko Guide: Five Lakes, Bear Safety, Cruises and Japanese to Use
Shiretoko, at the north-eastern tip of Hokkaido, is a World Heritage peninsula of forest, cliffs and wildlife, and one of the densest brown bear habitats in Japan. Visiting well means following its rules, reading its warning signs and asking staff a few clear questions in Japanese.
13 min readNoboribetsu Onsen Guide: Hell Valley, Hot Springs and Japanese to Use
Noboribetsu Onsen is Hokkaido's best-known hot spring town, built beside a steaming volcanic valley called Jigokudani, Hell Valley. You can walk among the vents, soak your feet in a warm river and bathe in several kinds of spring water, all with a handful of polite Japanese phrases.
11 min readLake Tōya Guide: Volcanoes, Fireworks, Lake Cruise and Japanese to Use
Lake Tōya is a round caldera lake in south-west Hokkaido, with a wooded island in the middle, an active volcano on its shore and a hot spring town that sets off fireworks over the water every night from spring to autumn. It is a relaxed, scenic stop and an easy place to practise travel Japanese.
11 min readNiseko Guide: Mount Yōtei, Towns, Onsen, Seasons and Japanese to Use
Niseko is famous worldwide for powder snow, but it is also a place of farm towns, hot springs and one great volcano, Mount Yōtei, rising over everything. Look past the ski lifts and you find a region where a little Japanese opens doors in town, at the onsen and on the mountain.
12 min readPractical guides
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