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July 05, 2025
 

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LANGUAGE

COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 23, 2016
Japan's image and culture
Japans' language, culture and democratic image are assets of vital importance. They should be carefully nurtured.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 19, 2016
Japanese buzzwords capture the zeitgeist of then, now and what's to come
Take a journey through the buzzwords of years past and present — and hazard a guess at what's coming in 2017.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Dec 19, 2016
Getting your thoughts together and settling things with 'matomeru' and 'matomaru'
Introducing the proper use of two verbs, u307eu3068u3081u308b and u307eu3068u307eu308b.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 12, 2016
To email in Japanese, take a layer cake of etiquette and stuff it with meaning
Having set up a bunch of standard remarks at the beginning and end of your email, your job is then to fill it with meaning.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Dec 12, 2016
Coming to a logical conclusion with 'wake da'
Introducing the sentence-ending expression Xu308fu3051u3060, which is used when the speaker wants to explain a reasonable conclusion based on what they have seen or heard.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 5, 2016
'Tis the season for 'tegami' — and for facing your Japanese letter-writing fears
There are elements of etiquette involved in letter-writing that can make students of Japanese stop before they even start.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 28, 2016
Some Japanese find frustration, others freedom in foreign tongues
The Japanese have never been skilled at communication, but they have been able to fall back on the belief that everyone understood each other without saying anything. Unfortunately, this has never applied to non-Japanese.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Nov 28, 2016
Be inspiring, break the news gently or just buy some time with versatile 'saa'
Introducing some uses of the interjection u3055u3042 (saa), which is often heard in spoken language.
LIFE / Language
Nov 28, 2016
Record 20 million foreign visitors to Japan estimated for year so far
Sample newspaper article
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 21, 2016
Painful bloopers in Japanese can be valuable learning experiences
While working on the island of Guam in the early 1970s, I had regular business dealings with the expat Japanese business community — basically a good-natured crowd who were used to hearing locals mangle their language on a daily basis.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Nov 21, 2016
Taking things to the wire with 'girigiri' and 'suresure'
Introducing the proper uses of two similar expressions — u304eu308au304eu308aand u3059u308cu3059u308c .
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Nov 14, 2016
With 'bun,' get your share in Japanese — or as much as you put in
Introducing some expressions using u5206 (u3076u3093), which means 'share,' 'part' or 'portion.'
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Nov 7, 2016
Articulating the unknown, unreliable or just plain dodgy with 'ayashii'
Introducing some uses of the adjective u3042u3084u3057u3044, which means 'dubious' or 'strange.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 31, 2016
Why you won't learn natural Japanese from dubbed foreign TV
It seems that in Japanese dubbing there is always something found rather than lost in translation — something that wasn't in the English original and is not part of regular Japanese either.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Oct 31, 2016
Using 'kiri' in Japanese to leave it at that
Introduce some uses of u304du308a, which is used to set limits on things.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Oct 31, 2016
Tokyo University ranked 4th best in Asia
The University of Tokyo ranked 39th in this year's Times Higher Education list, making it the fourth best institution of higher learning in Asia.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Oct 24, 2016
Getting quite a lot across with 'kanari' and 'daibu'
Introducing the use of two adverbs, u304bu306au308a and u3060u3044u3076, that show the degree of something.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 24, 2016
Whenever you meet katakana, expect the unexpected
A second dive into some of the many ways the katakana syllabary is put to use when writing Japanese.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 17, 2016
How do I struggle with katakana? Let me count the ways
The fuss over the use of the 'shin' katakana in the 'Shin Godzilla' film's title highlights the mystery that surrounds this often-frustrating syllabary.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 3, 2016
'Thursday Night Football' NFL draws Friday morning tweeters in Japan
Reading the tweets as they scroll below NFL games shown live on Twitter has become my new Japanese study obsession.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after
Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

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