Why is there a big difference between people from Tokyo (the Kanto area) and Osaka (the Kansai area) in Japan? If you spend any amount of time traveling in Japan, you might notice that people in different parts of Japan act in different, distinct ways. An example of this can clearly be seen when comparing … Read more
Valentine’s Day is celebrated all over the world. Customs vary from place to place, but it widely recognized and with similar traditions. While the Japanese way of celebrating Valentines is quite different to how we recognize it in the west, there is also the added complication of White Day. White day takes places on March … Read more
Konnichiwa! Hello! While the word “konnichiwa” is often translated as a basic “hello” in English, it doesn’t work in all situations. If you want to learn how to say hello in Japanese the right way, this guide will teach you everything you need to know. In Japanese, there is no one word that can be … Read more
Learning how to say I love you in Japanese can be a little confusing. This is because in Japan, it’s not common to tell your partner “I love you” in a direct way like we do in English. In addition to this, there are several ways to say I love you in Japanese. This is because in … Read more
Dining Out in Japan: How to Order Food in Japanese like a Pro Japan has some of the best food in the world. I’m talking about finger-licking, lip-smacking, and spine-shivering deliciousness. However, many restaurants in Japan don’t have an English speaking staff. Sure, you could use gestures and very simple English to your point across. … Read more
*Updated November 15th, 2020 Is it possible to pass the JLPT N2 on your first try? You bet it is. The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) has struck fear in the hearts of many, but it doesn’t have to. I passed it on my first try and actually enjoyed studying for it. If you have the … Read more
Normal Counting – Sino-Japanese Number Japanese – Romaji Kanji Hiragana Katakana 0 rei, zero 零 れい、ぜろ レイ、ゼロ 1 ichi 一 いち イチ 2 ni 二 に ニ 3 san 三 さん サン 4 yon, shi 四 よん、し ヨン、シ 5 go 五 ご ゴ 6 roku 六 ろく ロク 7 nana, shichi 七 なな、しち ナナ、シチ 8 … Read more