In a previous article, I wrote about how, in Japan, it can be difficult to engage in small talk with those outside of your immediate social circles. However, if you’ve just moved to Japan, or to a new neighborhood in Japan, getting to know the people you see on a regular basis is a great way to develop a sense…

Quick! How do you say…? Translation can make your head spin, especially when pairing two languages like English and Japanese that are from completely separate linguistic families. However, just because it takes effort doesn’t mean the art of translation can’t be fun! Podcasts are a fantastic resource for language learning, accessible to anyone with a device connected to the internet,…

It’s no secret that Japanese pop culture, especially video games, influenced me from a young age. In fact, my initial college major was computer science, chosen with the goal of creating my own games. Unfortunately, by the time I entered college, the initial era of the self-made game creator was a thing of the past. Video games had become big…

Cyril Coppini is a French national who has been living in Japan for more than 20 years. His love for the Japanese language has led him to live in Japan, where he is working as a translator, now specializing in manga. However, his love for words has expanded into another form. Cyril is also a performer of rakugo, a genre…

Keisuke and Rui Izumi are brewers at Manaturu Brewery, a 270-year-old brewery located in Echizen Ono, the “Little Kyoto” of Fukui Prefecture. Its location is famous for its crystal-clear water and snowy winters, two elements that allow making excellent sake.  Manaturu Brewery takes pride in doing most of the sake-making process by hand. But do not think they reject modernity:…

Have you ever heard of yosakoi? It is a Japanese dance performed in festivals all around Japan and in many other countries too. How did this dance originating from Kochi Prefecture (Shikoku island) manage to spread so far? The answer lies in its welcoming spirit and easy principles.  On July 4, I was invited to a unique yosakoi event called…

In the first part of this series, I outlined what it takes to become literate in Japanese, and like a mid-trilogy Hollywood movie, I ended up on a down note laced with a glimpse of hope. Although there are endless permutations of 2,136 joyo kanji characters to memorize before you can achieve Japanese literacy, there are tools and methodologies that…

For upper-intermediate Japanese learners, successfully reading blog posts, newspapers, and magazine articles can feel like winning what I call the “kanji lottery.” Daily communications such as text messages and e-mails are second nature, as they contain commonly used kanji characters that have been drilled into our brains through years of practice and use. However, trying to read a legal contract…

The first time I traveled to another country without a basic understanding of the local language was when I went to Thailand in 2012. Growing up in California, I had some basic Spanish knowledge to use during trips to Mexico. Before my first trip to Japan, I had a year of language study under my belt. Thailand, however, was different….

These last two years, I have come across many articles about the generational gaps between the baby boomers, the millennials, and generation Z. This has made me wonder how the Japanese generation Z is perceived by older generations and what changes they are bringing to society. Here is what I have found. A Different Work-Life Balance A couple of months ago,…