Tag - language

 
 

LANGUAGE

Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 6, 2016
Trilingual actress Yuho Yamashita proves that sheer drive can bring fluency
Yuho Yamashita, who has acted in Japanese, English and German during her career, talks about her approach to learning languages.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jun 6, 2016
Making suggestions without being pushy using 'demo' and 'ka nani ka'
Introduce some uses of Xu3067u3082 and Xu304bu306au306bu304b, expressions that identify one example among others.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jun 6, 2016
Let's discuss Okinawan anger over U.S. military crimes
This week's featured article
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 30, 2016
How breaking news bulletins in Japan evolved from lights to bytes
From news tickers to TV alerts, a look at the ways breaking news was disseminated in the days before the internet and social media.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
May 30, 2016
Compounding the good or the bad with 'ue ni' and, on top of that, 'sono ue'
Introduce the sentence pattern u3046u3048(u306b) and conjunction u305du306eu3046u3048.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
May 30, 2016
Cool Biz energy-saving campaign kicks off
The government has kicked off its annual Cool Biz campaign, during which workers are encouraged to dress more casually to help reduce energy use.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
May 29, 2016
Industry helps Chinese game their way into and through U.S. colleges
The advertisements were tailored for Chinese college students far from home struggling with the English language and an unfamiliar culture.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 23, 2016
The secret joy of being a Japanese woman (no, really)
This patriarchal society provides a lot more wriggle room for women, leaving men with precious little in terms of loopholes and options.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
May 23, 2016
Doing it your own sweet way with 'nari ni'
Introducing the proper use of u306au308au306b, which attaches to a noun or verb.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
May 23, 2016
Tokyo 2020 Olympics finally get new logo
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizing committee unveils a new logo to replace the original choice, which was scrapped over a plagiarism scandal.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 22, 2016
Teacher seeks advice on sick leave and contract nonrenewal
A reader writes to Lifelines about difficulties he is dealing with at work.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 16, 2016
In Japanese, the past tense is present where and when you least expect it
The Japanese past tense looks pretty easy to handle, but it can turn up in sentences about the here and now, as well as in adjectives and imperatives.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
May 16, 2016
Two of a kind: complementary compliments 'yasashii' and 'shinsetsu'
Introducing some uses of the adjectives u512a(u3084u3055)u3057u3044 and u89aau5207(u3057u3093u305bu3064)(u306a).
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
May 16, 2016
Government guesthouse in Tokyo opens year-round
Akasaka Palace, a state guesthouse in Tokyo, is now open to the public throughout the year.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
May 16, 2016
Let's discuss the burden of 'double care'
An estimated 253,000 people in Japan are shouldering the double burden of raising children while also caring for sick or elderly family members.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
May 11, 2016
'Predatory conferences' stalk Japan's groves of academia
“Predatory conference” organizers now stalk Japan’s groves of academe, preying on unsuspecting researchers. These conferences are inferior events that contribute little to the field of academic knowledge but generate plenty of revenue for organizers’ bank accounts. Academics, some simply naive...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 9, 2016
To be a more complete Japanese speaker, leave your sentences incomplete
Often, saying less can make you seem more of a complete natural Japanese speaker.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
May 9, 2016
Getting on the receiving end of the wide world of 'ukeru'
Ryōshin-no eikyō-o ukete, musuko-mo rokku-ga suki-ni natchatta-mitai. (My son was influenced by his parents and has come to like rock, I guess.)
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 2, 2016
Stalking the elusive subtleties of Japan's political humor
Certain Japanese publications are rife with political word play, and deciphering these puns and riddles can be a fun challenge for language learners.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami