History | JAPAN TIMES GONE BY Apr 5, 2021
"Wednesday was a red-letter day for me. With a thrill and also a feeling of antipathy, I left home early to go to the polls."
Language | BILINGUAL Apr 2, 2021
Put your yen to work with the language of investing
by Daniel Morales
If you're looking at investing in your Japanese ability, check out some terms that center around the stock market.
Language | BILINGUAL Mar 26, 2021
Does Google Translate make foreign language learning unnecessary? Not quite
by Peter Backhaus and Ayana Yamanaka
Idioms and other turns of phrase are often taken literally when left to Google Translate to make sense of things. That means translator jobs are safe for now.
Language Mar 26, 2021
COVID-19 continues to infect the way we speak Japanese in 2021
by Haruka Murayama
Rebounds, dominoes and life after corona are some of the English terms that have been popping up in Japanese conversations recently.
Language | BILINGUAL Mar 19, 2021
What makes beautiful Japanese? It's as simple as a morning greeting
by Eric Margolis
A word that sounds good rolling off the tongue? Or an everyday greeting that lets people know you care? Japanese speakers sound off on what words they think are beautiful.
Language | BILINGUAL Mar 12, 2021
Achieving solidarity requires more than words
by Tadasu Takahashi
With the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we're reminded of the solidarity of the people of Tohoku. Now if only we could find that unity in our politics.
Language | BILINGUAL Mar 5, 2021
Emergency Japanese that, fingers crossed, you'll never need to use
by Tadasu Takahashi
As with most disasters, it's better if you do your preparations for some scenarios while things are safer. Of course, that includes knowing the language of emergencies.
Language | BILINGUAL Feb 25, 2021
Japanese vaccine vocabulary is just what the doctor ordered
by Haruka Murayama
With coronavirus vaccines slowly making their way through the country, it's as good a time as any to administer a shot of new Japanese words and terms.
Language | BILINGUAL Feb 18, 2021
Make your feelings about a situation crystal clear with ‘okage de’ and ‘sei de’
by Ryan Norrbom
The words “okage de” and “sei de” both mean “because of,” but they have opposite nuances, with the former expressing a sense of gratitude and the latter expressing blame.
National / Crime & Legal Feb 17, 2021
Ex-director sues Amnesty Japan for firing him over Japanese ability
Taro O’Sullivan said the organization hired him with the knowledge that he could speak Japanese at a conversational level but could barely read or write it.
Language / Bilingual Feb 12, 2021
Confess! Dating in Japan requires short set phrases to spark the fire
by Daniel Morales
Valentine's Day is coming up, and knowing what to say to make things official with your crush is half the battle. The good news is the steps to a kokuhaku (confession) are straightforward.
Language | BILINGUAL Feb 5, 2021
The art of the Japanese pun: From classic poetry to dad jokes
by Eric Margolis
Wordplay is used in a non-comical way even in traditional Japanese dishes at the holidays, with the names of ingredients recalling expressions of good tidings.