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July 04, 2025
 

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LANGUAGE

LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
May 11, 2015
Polish up your honorific verbs and show some respect
Today, we will introduce the proper uses of honorific expression, one of the forms of keigo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 4, 2015
Dating in Japan never used to be this difficult — or creepy
It's spring and love should be in the air. But it's a bad, bad time to be out there in the dating scene.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
May 4, 2015
Introducing goto, the go-to suffix for each and every time
Today we will introduce the proper use of the suffix u3054u3068, meaning 'every' or 'each.'
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
May 4, 2015
Tour guide exam to be more relevant
The Japan Tourism Agency will revamp an exam for tour guides serving foreigners, following criticism that the test contains questions that are too difficult or simply irrelevant to the job.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Apr 27, 2015
USJ to open new theme park in Okinawa
The CEO of the operator of Universal Studios Japan says the firm plans to open a new theme park in Okinawa.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Apr 27, 2015
So many "you" and "I" words, but best used sparingly
Today we will introduce the proper use of 'you' and 'I' in Japanese.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 27, 2015
These tips for Japanese mastery go out to the muddlers
When it comes to learning Japanese, most of us muddle through. This article is for the muddlers.
LIFE / Language
Apr 20, 2015
'Vague' Japanese language can be maddeningly specific
For a supposedly vague language, Japanese can be incredibly specific when it comes to personal pronouns, the law and the family, for example.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Apr 20, 2015
Cheap cancer detection method developed
Japanese researchers have announced an economical cancer detection method using roundworms that can identify cancer patients by sensing odors in urine.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Apr 20, 2015
Whether or not to use ka-dō-ka
Today we will introduce the proper use of Xu304bu3069u3046u304bY and Xu304bY, which mean 'Y whether or not/if X (or not).'
EDITORIALS
Apr 11, 2015
University of Tokyo failing non-Japanese students
With enrollment of foreign students declining, the University of Tokyo needs to work on making its program for English-language coursework more attractive.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Mar 25, 2015
Frenemies, screenagers, kidults — kondo your English with these trending terms
How up-to-date is your English vocabulary? New words reflect a changing society and, as a result, new words are coined every day. Reading English newspapers and media from around the world can help you keep up with the changes. Here are some words I picked up recently on my travels.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 24, 2015
Indonesia to withdraw local language plan for foreign workers
Indonesia will withdraw a plan that would force foreign workers to take local language proficiency exams after protests from investors, two government officials said.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 14, 2015
Examples of linguistic gap between South, North Korea
AP — After 70 years of separation, people in North and South Korea speak in increasingly different ways. South Koreans have incorporated many English words and phrases into their language while isolated communist North Korea has eliminated words with foreign origins and created homegrown substitutes....
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Dec 17, 2014
Japan and others gain from Jamaican brain drain
In the last part of this series on Jamaicans in Japan, Baye McNeil speaks to a teacher, author and poet in Yokohama and an attorney in Tokyo.
WORLD
Dec 16, 2014
U.S. dictionary Merriam-Webster picks 'culture' as word of year
Whether popular, corporate or entitled, "culture" was named word of the year by U.S. dictionary Merriam-Webster on Monday as a flexible catch-all that can easily identify a subject, idea or issue.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Dec 5, 2014
Nagoya YWCA offers language classes with day care
The Nagoya YWCA School of Japanese Language in Aichi Prefecture has added a "Bambina" course to its curriculum.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 28, 2014
Flash cards help foreign children learn kanji
An elementary school teacher from Aichi Prefecture has developed a unique new way for foreign children to learn Japanese from flash cards.
WORLD
Nov 21, 2014
Oxford chooses 'vape' as word of the year for 2014
The Oxford English Dictionary named "vape" — the word used for drawing on an electronic cigarette instead of a burning stick of tobacco — as its 2014 word of the year.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Nov 19, 2014
Jamaican sisters come bearing victuals and vibes
Baye McNeil profiles two Jamaican women who have built thriving careers for themselves in the Land of the Rising Sun, half a planet away from the Land of Wood and Water.
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.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
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. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
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."
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

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