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.

Language | BILINGUAL Mar 7, 2020

Your Japanese vocabulary can expand as the new coronavirus spreads

When news of a virus began to surface we took the opportunity to review the Japanese for things like "symptoms" and "cough." Now we're learning terms like "pandemic" and "state of emergency."

Language | BILINGUAL Mar 3, 2020

'Emergency' Japanese can help build fluency

One trick to improving your fluency in Japanese is to keep a list of stock phrases that can be deployed in multiple situations.

Language | BILINGUAL Feb 11, 2020

Look for love to overcome Japanese-language study difficulties

As Valentine's Day approaches, love is in the air. However, love comes in various forms and sometimes it can help you learn a language.

Language | BILINGUAL Jan 14, 2020

Life begins at 60 (or at least it starts anew)

Japan Times writer Daniel Morales celebrates his 60th column with a lesson on turning 60, a special birthday in Japan.

Language Dec 31, 2019

Cleaning house (and head) at the end of the year

In the tradition of year-end cleaning, writer Daniel Morales takes a look at his Japanese study notes and tidies up some loose ends.

Language | BILINGUAL Dec 3, 2019

Being your best self in spoken Japanese with the cast of 'Queer Eye'

When Western ideas on self-improvement are expressed in Japanese, what kinds of words pop up most often?

Language | BILINGUAL Oct 7, 2019

A podcast that talks to bilingual people about studying Japanese and working in Japan

Some people hit the books and some people hire a personal teacher. In any case, there are many paths to becoming fluent in Japanese.

Language Sep 2, 2019

How to address the 'sisters' we've never met

When meeting new people in Japan, it's essential to address them in the correct way, so be sure not to confuse your obasans with your o-nēsans.

Language | BILINGUAL Aug 5, 2019

There's more than just page numbers in the index of a Japanese literary magazine

Folding out with a wealth of linguistic and cultural lessons, the index can act as a makeshift classroom for the imaginative.