Language | BILINGUAL May 21, 2018
To know Japan, its people and its story, know its grub
by Kaori Shoji
Food in Japan is hardwired to emotion, personal identity and memory in a way that is often baffling to Westerners.
Language | MORNING ENGLISH May 21, 2018
Let's discuss the scandal surrounding Tokio's Tatsuya Yamaguchi
Tatsuya Yamaguchi, a member of Japanese all-male pop group Tokio, intends to leave the band after coming under fire for kissing a high school student.
Language | WELL SAID May 21, 2018
Explaining what you see and hear with 'no da'
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Introducing のだ, a phrase that is frequently used in daily conversation but has no good translation in English.
Language | NEWS IN NIHONGO May 21, 2018
For the second consecutive year, the island of Koshima is connected to the mainland thanks to a lack of major typhoons, raising fears of trouble between visiting humans and resident monkeys
Language | BILINGUAL May 14, 2018
Whose line is it anyway? Tips for deciphering dialogue in Japanese fiction
by Daniel Morales
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 | WELL SAID May 14, 2018
Give your Japanese verbs wings using 'agaru' and 'ageru'
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Introduce the basic meanings and uses of compound verb structures V上(あ)がる and V上(あ)げる. ...
Language | NEWS IN NIHONGO May 14, 2018
Numbers of bicycle accidents in Tokyo involving children have risen
The number of people hospitalized in accidents involving children riding in bicycle child seats has been rising in the Tokyo metro area, new figures show.
Language May 7, 2018
A formal lesson on informal endings
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Introducing the proper use of the sentence-ending particles of な(あ) and ね(え).
Language May 7, 2018
The official notice of domestic production of microwavable rice in 2017 was released, coming in at nearly 190,000 tons, making this the second year in a row that production has reached a record high.
Language | MORNING ENGLISH May 7, 2018
Despite what appears to be good news that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is eager to hold a bilateral summit with Japan, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe remains cautious, saying there are many hurdles to be overcome.
Language | BILINGUAL Apr 30, 2018
Using the internet to dig up some basics in Japanese
by Mark Schreiber
Once, many, many years ago, I found a rail pass someone left behind next to a public pay phone in Hamamatsucho Station in Tokyo's Minato Ward. Before handing in the pass into the stationmaster's office for deposit in the お忘れ物承り所 (o-wasuremono uketamawari-jo, lost-and-found department), I ...
Language Apr 30, 2018
It's a relief knowing the difference between '安心' and '安全'
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Introducing two words that distinguish between feelings of relief and safety.