Speaking and pronunciation
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Speaking and pronunciation · Page 4
Ozōni: Japan's New Year Mochi Soup and How It Changes by Region
Ozōni (お雑煮) is the soup with mochi that many Japanese families eat on the mornings of the New Year holiday. It changes from region to region and from family to family: in much of eastern Japan it is square grilled mochi in a clear soy-and-dashi broth, while in Kyoto it is round mochi in sweet white miso.
9 min readOsewa ni Natte Orimasu Meaning: The Business Japanese Opener
Osewa ni natte orimasu (お世話になっております) means roughly thank you for your continued support, and it is the standard first line of Japanese business emails and phone calls to clients and partners. Literally it says I am (we are) in your care, and it is used even with people you have never met, because it refers to the relationship between the two companies.
11 min readJapanese Year-End Business Email: Greetings and Closure Notices
A Japanese year-end business email (年末の挨拶メール) thanks the reader for their support this year, tells them when your office will be closed over the New Year, and wishes them a good new year. It is usually sent in the second half of December, before your last working day, and follows a fixed order that readers expect.
11 min readJapanese New Year Business Email and Greetings for Clients
A Japanese New Year business email (年始の挨拶メール) opens with a New Year greeting, thanks the reader for last year using kyūnenchū (旧年中), and asks for their support again this year with honnen mo yoroshiku onegai mōshiagemasu. The same lines are said in person at the first meeting of the year, often during a short visit to a client in the first week of January.
11 min readShinnenkai: The Japanese New Year Party at Work and What to Say
A shinnenkai (新年会) is a New Year party held in January, usually by a workplace, club or group, to celebrate the start of the year together. It looks a lot like the year-end bōnenkai, with food, drinks and a toast, but its mood looks forward: people greet each other for the new year and often share a goal for the year ahead.
10 min readTōji and the Yuzu Bath: Japan's Winter Solstice Customs
Tōji (冬至), the winter solstice, falls around 21 or 22 December, and in Japan it is the day for a yuzu bath, yuzuyu (ゆず湯): whole yuzu citrus fruits floating in a hot bath. Many families also eat kabocha squash, and some eat foods with the sound n in their names for luck.
10 min readYakiimo: Japan's Roasted Sweet Potato Truck and How to Buy One
Yakiimo (焼き芋) is a whole roasted Japanese sweet potato, and in winter it is sold from small trucks that drive slowly through neighbourhoods playing a long, sung call of ishi-yakiimo. To buy one, wave or call out to the vendor, then say hitotsu kudasai or ippon kudasai, one please.
10 min readMonozukuri Meaning: The Japanese Spirit of Making Things
Monozukuri (ものづくり) literally means making things, but in Japanese it carries much more: pride in craftsmanship, care for quality and the idea of improving a product step by step. It is used for everything from a pottery workshop to a car factory.
10 min readHansei Meaning: Reflection, Hanseikai and Owning Mistakes at Work
Hansei (反省) means looking back on what you did, recognising what went wrong and resolving to do better. It is not neutral reflection: hansei shite imasu means I have thought hard about my mistake, and at work a hanseikai is a review meeting focused on lessons learned.
11 min readWhy Do Japanese People Wear Masks? Reasons and Phrases
Japanese people wear masks for several everyday reasons: to keep pollen out during hay fever season, to avoid passing on a cold, to stay warm in dry winter air, and sometimes simply for privacy or comfort. Since spring 2023 masks have been a personal choice in Japan, but many people still wear them out of habit and consideration for others.
11 min readWhy Do Japanese People Slurp Noodles? Etiquette and Phrases
Japanese people slurp noodles because it cools hot noodles as they go in, draws air and aroma into the mouth, and lets you eat them quickly before they go soft. Slurping ramen, soba and udon is normal and not rude in Japan, but it is not compulsory, and it does not apply to most other food.
10 min readInemuri: Why People Sleep on Trains in Japan, and the Words
People sleep on trains in Japan because commutes are long, nights are often short, carriages are quiet, and most people feel safe enough to close their eyes. The word for it is inemuri (居眠り), dozing off while you are somewhere else, and on a train it is widely accepted.
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