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LIFE

Language

The titular city in Haruki Murakami's most recent novel, "The City and Its Uncertain Walls," appears to exist in the protagonist's dream world.

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Apr 19, 2024

Before Murakami’s English release, try him in Japanese one more time

By Eric Margolis

An English version of "The City and Its Uncertain Walls" won't come out till fall, so practice reading it in Japanese before checking the translation.

The Oxford English Dictionary contains 552 Japanese loanwords in English, a small number compared to the near 25,000 borrowings from French.

LIFE / Language

Apr 18, 2024

The unexpected ways in which Japanese words 'make it' into English

By Thu-Huong Ha

Thanks to new entries in the Oxford English Dictionary, pretty soon even your grandparents will know what "onigiri" and "omotenashi" mean.

Get the rubber gloves and cleaning supplies out. This is the time of year when we should clean our homes and prepare them for the upcoming rainy season.

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Apr 11, 2024

Dust off your tidying vocabulary with a refreshing spring clean

By Cassandra Lord

While most Japanese households take part in a big clean at the end of the year, it doesn't hurt to tidy a little as the weather changes.

As they enter the workforce, the young employees who grew up texting one another have their own rules for communicating.

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Apr 2, 2024

Fear of a full stop? Young Japanese say drop the period in your texts.

By Yuko Tamura

In addition to "maruhara," or "period harassment," younger employees want to cut down on the unnecessary emails that are a part of work culture.

A shogi board game with human pieces is played out in Tendo, Yamagata Prefecture, last year.

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Mar 29, 2024

The vocabulary of shogi can help you make moves in your conversations

By Yuko Tamura

The world of shogi, a game that is often described as a form of Japanese chess, has given us much more than just checkmates.

Sayaka Murata uses inventive language to bring the character of Keiko to life in "Convenience Store Woman."

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Mar 22, 2024

'Convenience Store Woman' and the 'normal' in life and literature

By Eric Margolis

Author Sayaka Murata's use of marked and unmarked language provides new layers to a commentary on modern society.

The Japanese word "hanami," literally means “flower viewing.” But, a hanami gathering is more than that: It can be a picnic, a drinking party or an occasion to read poetry.

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Mar 15, 2024

We invite you to get ready for this year’s cherry blossom parties

By Cassandra Lord

Asking people to a party is made easy in Japanese with a few basic sentence structures. Taking your leave from a party is just as simple.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.

How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan

By Mai Yoshikawa

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Cultural properties:A Fujiya Hotel insider’s view

Cultural properties:A Fujiya Hotel insider’s view

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