Language | BILINGUAL Jul 8, 2019

Get in tune with the sound of Japanese vocabulary

Certain Japanese words sound like they should represent an action, can you guess what a word means by how it's pronounced?

Language | BILINGUAL May 13, 2019

When giving a public speech in Japanese, tears can be your trump card

There are certain occasions in Japan when showing emotion is expected. Deploying a few key phrases can also do the trick.

Language | BILINGUAL Apr 15, 2019

使用? 利用? Make use of a dictionary to use your Japanese properly

As your Japanese improves you'll begin to find there are subtle nuances in the language that can stump even native speakers. That's when you turn to a Japanese dictionary.

Language Feb 25, 2019

Japanese that's so beautiful it belongs in a museum

What if there was a Museum of Exceptional Japanese? Daniel Morales discusses the kinds of words he would like to see in such an institution, but what words would you donate?

Language Sep 17, 2018

When stumped in Japanese, go where stumped Japanese go

Reading Japanese explanations of Japanese grammar patterns is a surefire way to improve your reading ability and to make sure you're getting unadulterated content.

Language | BILINGUAL Jun 25, 2018

At 180,000 entries, Jim Breen's freeware Japanese dictionary is still growing

Even if they haven't visited Jim Breen's site directly, every Japanese learner will have come across his dictionary material in some form.

Language | BILINGUAL May 14, 2018

Whose line is it anyway? Tips for deciphering dialogue in Japanese fiction

Dialogue in Japanese fiction has its own set of rules, and if you're not paying close attention, you may have trouble understanding who is saying what to whom.

Language | BILINGUAL Apr 16, 2018

OK Google, auto-fill the gaps in my Japanese

If you are stuck for what to say in Japanese, Google search — and in particular, its auto-fill function — can be your friend.

Language | BILINGUAL Mar 12, 2018

Cheat your way to better Japanese with walkthrough video game guides

Learners of Japanese, why not try offsetting the guilt of cheating at video games by changing your device's settings to Nihongo and checking Japanese online walkthrough guides?

People | WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN? Feb 17, 2018

Yoshihisa Arai: Floating on air in Chicago

At rehearsal a week before the debut of the Joffrey Ballet's latest production in Chicago, dancer Yoshihisa Arai sat on the ground in the back of the rehearsal space with his legs in a split, stretching and checking his smartphone. He had been away from ...