Tag - nihongo

 
 

NIHONGO

Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 19, 2022
Ghost of Tsushima casting prompts the question: Who is — and isn’t — Japanese?
Director Chad Stahelski says he wants a Japanese cast speaking Japanese, but pulling it off would mean navigating the murky waters of identity.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 19, 2022
That's using your noodle: The linguistic joy of cooking
Looking to up your vocabulary in Japanese? Recipes are actually a great (and delicious) place to start.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 12, 2022
Read between the lines when it comes to party invitations
Japanese people tend to avoid giving a clear 'no' when asked a question. Learn the sentences that infer a negative outcome early on in your studies here.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 5, 2022
Trying to cool down without the air conditioning? Look to Kyoto and Brisbane for some ideas.
Temperatures are up and that means a lot of us are trying anything to beat the heat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 29, 2022
Cherry blossoms, cranes and the language of Japanese symbols
The bald eagle of the United States and the orchids of China have deeper meanings in their respective cultures. What items do the Japanese give symbolic weight to?
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 22, 2022
A shocking incident provides an unexpected language lesson
When former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and killed this month, the Western media called it an “assassination.” So why did the Japanese media avoid the term?
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 15, 2022
Retrieve your lost item in Japan with the right words
Connect verbs and adjectives using the te-form to describe your missing item and you're a step closer to getting back what you've misplaced.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Jul 1, 2022
Summer's here. It's time to find the perfect fit for your first yukata.
It's the season for festivals and fireworks displays, which is the perfect time to wear yukata, a lighter and more versatile version of kimono. Here's how to shop for your first yukata with confidence.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Jun 24, 2022
These senbei are making me thirsty! How ‘Seinfeld’ sounds in Japanese
Japanese students have been using “Seinfeld” on Netflix to bone up on their conversational English. Does the joke land when it's the other way around?
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 17, 2022
Getting ‘hai’ is more difficult than you think
It's a simple word but sometimes using a well-placed “hai” is all it takes to facilitate a good conversation in Japanese.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 10, 2022
Running your work ideas through a nemawashi cycle
Don't go into a meeting with your guns blazing. In Japan, you need to do a lot of preparation in advance so that things will go smoothly.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 3, 2022
Looking to make an escape in Japanese? You'll need to know your kanji.
As the war in Ukraine looks far from over, there is no shortage of discussions on how to “get out” of such a dangerous situation. Here's a closer look at some escape-related terms.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Jun 3, 2022
Returning a pencil, returning to work and the return of Okinawa
Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japanese control. But the word used for 'return' in this case wasn't the same as what you'd use to 'return' a pencil.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 27, 2022
Da trouble with da, the less formal cousin of desu
The simple 'da' in Japanese isn't so simple when you delve into the purposes it serves and the ways in you should be using it correctly.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 20, 2022
Use certain Japanese phrases to turn that 'mansplaining' monologue back into a constructive dialogue
Japanese dating sites tend to encourage women to listen to and praise their male partners, but the conversation doesn't have to go in one direction.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 19, 2022
Baby Pikachu? Japan panel weighs accepting unconventional readings of kanji for names
The proposal is part of the Justice Ministry's push to digitize the family register by adding phonetic readings to kanji names.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 13, 2022
Finding the right words for when you discover a lost item in Japan
Take a verb and turn it into a noun simply by adding 'mono' to the end of it and you're halfway to verbalizing that you've found something that was lost.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 6, 2022
The ‘nuclear’ terms you should know when discussing current affairs
Nuclear issues are always in the news. If you want to get into discussions on these topics, it's good to know your vocabulary.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 29, 2022
Yojijukugo: The four-kanji words that pack a whole lot of meaning
Some of the more common four-kanji idioms that we use in our daily lives include the word for daily life itself. Learn a few of them to impress your Japanese friends.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 22, 2022
Linguistic strategies for winning a Japanese quiz show
Want to test your knowledge of Japanese alongside native speakers and TV personalities? Try watching a quiz show on television.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals