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July 05, 2025
 

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VOCABULARY

Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 6, 2023
Talk about your favorite shows in Japanese — but no spoilers, please!
It's always fun to talk about what's on TV, but recently it has been what's on streaming services that has taken up most of the conversation.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 30, 2023
Know the shady Japanese vocabulary that will help you avoid 'dark' part-time jobs
Even if the turnover for them is quick, knowing the code words people use to refer to possibly illegal activities will give you some insight into the Japanese language.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 22, 2023
Get off the beaten path with some basic Japanese to see the sakura
The key verb to know when traveling is 'iku' (to go). Combine it with other verbs for further specificity.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 17, 2023
For some in Japan, the first day of spring means a visit with the ancestors
While visits to the family grave are often done during the Bon holidays in August, the spring and autumn equinoxes are also a traditional time to reconnect with your ancestors.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 10, 2023
The Oscars are upon us. What films are you rooting for?
Discussing what makes a great movie is fun conversation fodder. What kind of movie do you think is worthy of an Academy Award?
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 3, 2023
Japanese mottos: Where there’s a will, there’s a zayū no mei
Japanese business culture in particular is partial to the idea of a person being able to sum themselves up with a catchy — and insightful — phrase to live by.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 23, 2023
Get your sports vocabulary into shape for the start of baseball season
Preseason baseball games have begun, catch up on your sports-related vocabulary so you don't strike out in any conversations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 16, 2023
Some simple words to power up your conversations in Japanese
Japanese conjunctions, what's their function? Well, they can make your conversations go a lot smoother for one thing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 10, 2023
Stressing out at work? Make sure you know how to ask for help
Worried about talking to your supervisor about alleviating stress? The key is to tell them you want to be proactive in dealing with any potential problems.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 2, 2023
The Buddhist terms that find their way into everyday conversation
Just as Christian terminology has had an effect on English turns of phrase, Buddhism is the source of a lot of Japanese terms and phrases.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 27, 2023
Are ‘white’ companies proving to be too much of a good thing for Japan's Gen Z?
'Black' companies are places of excess: excess overtime, excess chores — not excess pay! And the best way to express the idea of 'too much' in Japanese is with the verb-suffix 'sugiru.'
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 9, 2023
Make sure your nouns and verbs match when talking about what to wear
Did you notice more kimono than usual being worn on Jan. 9 this year? That's because it was Coming of Age Day, an occasion for which Japanese youth sport their 'Sunday best.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 3, 2023
Sticking to your Japanese New Year’s resolutions
When speaking about resolutions, it's better to use a more decisive grammatical structure in Japanese than the regular 'I want' pattern.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 30, 2022
There’s more going on in a haiku than just the 5-7-5 syllable rule
Dive into one of Japan's most fascinating art forms during the holidays and think up a couple of haiku poems to celebrate the season.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 23, 2022
A few phrases for when you head to dinner at your in-laws' house
Maybe you just want to compliment someone's cooking, or maybe you want to avoid a fight? Either way, brushing up on some Japanese before heading to your in-laws doesn't hurt.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 16, 2022
If you thought 2022 was a battle, this year's top kanji pick shows you weren’t alone
The kanji of the year for 2022 is used for wars and struggles, while this year's buzzwords referenced sports lingo and a Norwegian pop tune.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Dec 16, 2022
Merriam-Webster’s word of the year is ‘gaslighting,’ and don't try to tell us there isn't a Japanese equivalent
Merriam-Webster saw a huge spike in people looking up the word “gaslighting” in 2022, and Japan is also no stranger to the concept.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 9, 2022
The language of c-c-c-cold!: You can say more than just ‘samui desu’
The temperature may be dropping but that doesn't mean your vocabulary can't be on the rise. Start expanding on the ways you can express how you feel during the winter.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 2, 2022
The linguistic side-effects of yet another year with COVID-19
As we the end of our third year of life in the pandemic, it's time for a review of all the newly popular vocabulary that has sprung up as a result.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 25, 2022
How to put your best foot forward when stepping into a Japanese tatami room
You get an invite to your landlord's place, which is great. However, now you have to navigate the etiquette rules of the tatami room they will entertain you in.
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. 
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.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
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."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
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.

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