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August 30, 2025
 

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VOCABULARY

Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 22, 2021
Radical recombinations: Capture the moment with created kanji
A yearly contest asks Japanese speakers to come up with new kanji to reflect modern times, providing a fun way to learn and understand the characters.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 19, 2021
A flurry of news means a ton of new Japanese vocabulary
The first few weeks of 2021 have been eventful to say the least. Make sure to take a note of the new vocabulary you're hearing in order to keep up with the talk of the town.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 8, 2021
Apologetic words abound amid a new wave of coronavirus cases
The vocabulary surrounding the state of emergency is back in the headlines as Tokyo gets set for new guidelines. When people go against those guidelines, well, the excuses start.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 29, 2020
Raise your glasses to 2020: Good riddance!
Drinking culture changed in a lot of ways in 2020. On one hand, we drink alone more. On the other hand, we don't have to worry about the last train as much.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Dec 29, 2020
Learning how to use 'ira-ira' without getting frustrated
The onomatopoeic terms 'ira-ira' and 'unzari' can help express feelings of frustration and being fed up in general. Therefore, they're helpful during a pandemic-related lockdown.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 15, 2020
Cook up a sweet Japanese lesson … and some good food at the same time
Following a recipe in Japanese can be a language lesson all on its own. Get some grammar, add some vocabulary and serve fresh.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 1, 2020
I'm sorry, but I think you can complain a little bit better than that
Japanese is well-known for being an indirect language, but that doesn't mean you can't make your dissatisfaction with a situation clear to others.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 24, 2020
A few tips on what to focus on in the final stretch leading to the JLPT
If you haven't started recapping for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test yet, consider this your warning.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 17, 2020
An abundance of grammatical gratitude
As we approach a time of giving thanks, whether it's Thanksgiving or the year-end holidays, brush up on your ability to show gratitude in Japanese.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 10, 2020
Put your back into these body-related terms
Working from home is resulting in shoulder and back pain for some, but it won't hurt to brush up on some idioms.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Nov 10, 2020
JR East to bring forward last train departures on 17 lines in Tokyo
A Kyodo story outlines the reasons behind a decision to move up the times of the last trains in Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Nov 3, 2020
Government to draw up manual for companies on customer harassment
People who work at shops are sick of rude customers and, according to Kyodo, the government is taking notice.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 27, 2020
Friendly or too familiar? The tricky parameters of using 'chan'
The 'chan' suffix is often used for women in Japan as a cute term of affection, but there are certain circumstances in which you should stick to 'san.'
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Oct 27, 2020
Historic ninja residence in Japan avoids demolition
A Kyodo story looks at the campaign to save a house supposedly used as a ninja base hundreds of years ago.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Oct 20, 2020
Japan Airlines abandons 'ladies and gentlemen' flight announcements
A Kyodo article looks at how English in Japan is changing with alterations to some airline announcements.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 13, 2020
No need to tiptoe around religion in Japanese
Talking about religion can be a great opportunity for a cultural exchange, especially since it isn't such a taboo topic among friends in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Oct 13, 2020
Japan national park facilities upgraded with 'workation' in mind
You're on vacation and u2026 what's that, work is calling? Parts of Japan think a wave of teleworking could allow for a rethink of your work day.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 29, 2020
Japan has finally come to its census
Japan undergoes a census every five years and 2020 happens to mark the questionnaire's 100th anniversary.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Sep 29, 2020
Onomatopoeic terms like 'niko-niko' get us smiling
'Kusu-kusu' and 'gera-gera' are two types of laughs that are used in entirely different situations.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Sep 29, 2020
Department stores ready to take 2021 new year’s osechi orders
You may think it's too early to start thinking about the new year holidays, but department stores are expecting more work than usual amid the pandemic.
Most Japanese teens struggling with school find end of summer ‘painful’
Some 93.1% of Japanese teenagers who struggle with school life said they felt like they “wanted to disappear from the world" at the end of summer vacation ahead of the start of a new term, according to a recent survey released by Yokohama-based nonprofit Daisan Kazoku.
Philippine bid to acquire used Japanese warships gains steam
Tokyo is looking to transfer Abukuma-class vessels to the Philippines as part of broader efforts to boost the defense capabilities of like-minded neighbors amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the region.
Mitsubishi’s wind-power retreat a blow to Japan's alternative-energy goals
Wind turbines in the town of Happo in Akita prefecture. Wind power is a key part of Japan's alternative energy drive.
Can anime carry the memories of World War II?
Many schools in Japan show "Grave of the Fireflies" as educational material to tell the emotionally grueling story of a boy who has no means to prevent his sister from starving to death.
Akazawa's trip to Washington for tariff talks abruptly canceled
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, had been set to fly to Washington on Thursday.
Mitsubishi’s wind-power retreat a blow to Japan's alternative-energy goals
Wind turbines in the town of Happo in Akita prefecture. Wind power is a key part of Japan's alternative energy drive.
Virtual singer Kaf's music becomes magic in 'Kamitsubaki City Under Construction'
Virtual singer Kaf got her start in 2018 by posting songs and covers to YouTube. Now, after having performed live shows at major venues including Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan, she is turning to voice acting and starring in the new anime series “Kamitsubaki City Under Construction.”
Can anime carry the memories of World War II?
Many schools in Japan show "Grave of the Fireflies" as educational material to tell the emotionally grueling story of a boy who has no means to prevent his sister from starving to death.
In pictures: Koenji Awa Odori 2025
Japan Times
Koshien’s dark summer forces reckoning for high school baseball
Koryo High School players greet their cheering section after beating Hokkaido’s Asahikawa Shiho in the first round of Summer Koshien on Aug. 7. The school withdrew three days later as a bullying scandal enveloped the team.

Podcast

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

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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