Wondering aloud in Japanese about our Heisei Era memories
The words "deshō" and "darō" can help us put a little conjecture into the way we speak, but that's not the only thing they're used for.
Train etiquette posters prove to be a hit overseas
Use a Japanese news article on some fancy posters on Seibu trains to expand your artistic vocabulary.
The Japanese word "uchi" can have several meanings depending on the context it's being used in, but one common thread in all of them is an idea of closeness to the speaker.
Odd translations found on English website for tourists
Read an article in Japanese on translation errors and answer questions on what you've read.
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.
What does Reiwa really mean to Japanese?
It's not the government but the people of Japan who ultimately signify the era of Reiwa, not the other way around.
Use 'shin' to make a new start in the Reiwa Era
Spring is the time for new life, the new school year, new coworkers and, in 2019, a new Imperial era.
There's nothing more important than learning how to distinguish between 'taisetsu' and 'jūyō'
When trying to convey the idea of importance in Japanese use "taisetsu" for things that are sentimentally important and "jūyō" for things that are signifficant.
Japan assures world that Reiwa is all about 'beautiful harmony' and has nothing to do with 'command'
The move is intended to dispel what the ministry considers erroneous reports overseas that the new era name has connotations of “command” or “order.”
Banna, Banpo, Eiko, Koshi and Kyuka: The Japan eras that could have been, beaten out by Reiwa
Five of the potential names for Japan's next era that were unsuccessful at the final stage came to light Tuesday, a day after the government selected Reiwa from the six finalists. The five other candidates were Eiko, Kyuka, Koshi, Banna and Banpo, sources with knowledge ...
What's in a name? Reiwa reflects today's politics, Japan's cultural history and a social philosophy
Media hype over Reiwa, the newly announced name for the upcoming era, continued unabated Tuesday. At the same time, a majority of people appeared to happily welcome the name, which means "auspicious" (rei) and "peace" or "harmony" (wa). However, the choice of the era name ...
Some in China baffled by Japan's era name, with regret that it wasn't inspired by a Chinese classic
Some citizens in Beijing on Monday evaluated Japan's new era name, Reiwa, as "strange" and expressed disappointment, saying it doesn't make sense in their language and was not derived from Chinese classics. On Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, many young people had tried to guess ...
