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October 19, 2025
 

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VOCABULARY

Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 19, 2021
What makes beautiful Japanese? It's as simple as a morning greeting
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.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 12, 2021
Achieving solidarity requires more than words
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.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 5, 2021
Emergency Japanese that, fingers crossed, you'll never need to use
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.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 25, 2021
Japanese vaccine vocabulary is just what the doctor ordered
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.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 18, 2021
Make your feelings about a situation crystal clear with ‘okage de’ and ‘sei de’
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.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 5, 2021
The art of the Japanese pun: From classic poetry to dad jokes
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.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 29, 2021
Casting the demons out with some fiendish Japanese idioms
Setsubun comes before the arrival of spring and it's marked by efforts to cast demons out of your home. However, we can't get the demons out of the Japanese language.
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.'
Why I chose Japanese citizenship over permanent residency
Jon Heese (second left) takes part in a 2024 New Year's nihonshu barrel opening ceremony.
Tokyo ordered to pay damages to South Asian woman over police response
The Tokyo High Court held that, “even taking the woman’s consent into account” for sharing her personal information, the officers breached their duty of care and acted unlawfully.
Former PM Tomiichi Murayama dies at age 101
Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama speaks during an interview in Tokyo in March 2007.
Japan's fractured politics could ensnarl Takaichi's economic plans
Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, attends a news conference after the LDP presidential election in Tokyo on Oct. 4.
Tokyo homebuyers split on purchase plans as living costs soar, survey shows
A survey showed that some potential homebuyers in Tokyo are delaying purchases while others are wary of missing out on opportunities posed by rising home prices.
What does Jimbocho think of its unexpected ‘cool’ status?
Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood is a haven for book lovers, its rows of secondhand bookstores spilling over with printed materials.
What you need to see at this year's Tokyo film festival
Chloe Zhao’s "Hamnet"
New film explores how Japan and the U.S. found common ground through baseball
Masanori Murakami became the first MLB player from Japan when he made his debut with the Giants on Sept 1, 1964.
As they wrestle for power, Japan’s political parties must remember their base
Rengo's head Tomoko Yoshino speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Oct. 8.
Sumo is about to hit London and the West with a force previously unseen
Preparations advance on Monday for the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Podcast

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

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building
By Patrick St. Michel

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