Language | WELL SAID Mar 13, 2017
Old, past it, over the hill: expressing aging and old stuff in Japanese
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Introduce some Japanese words and phrases that translate to "old" in English.
Language | COMMUNICATION CUES Mar 13, 2017
A Polish woman has become the first foreign female professional shogi player after a victory last month boosted her ranking.
Language | BILINGUAL Mar 6, 2017
In defense of the older Japanese man (because someone's got to do it)
by Kaori Shoji
Men over 35 — better known as "ojisan" or the more derogatory "ossan" — are lumped together in a cold, lonely place where they have little choice but to huddle together for warmth.
Language Mar 6, 2017
Belly nice — and nasty: the many uses of 'hara' in Japanese
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Introduce a wide range of phrases using the noun 腹 (はら, belly).
Language | COMMUNICATION CUES Mar 6, 2017
A new museum showcasing the Manneken Pis statue's extensive wardrobe has opened in Brussels.
Language | BILINGUAL Feb 27, 2017
Folding and unfolding Japan's ubiquitous 'tatami words'
by Christoph Petermann and Peter Backhaus
Japanese has this amazingly amazing capacity to form words through the simple process of repetition, or what linguists call reduplication.
Language | WELL SAID Feb 27, 2017
Falling in line and expressing change with 'shitagatte'
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Introducing the phrase Xに従(したが)って (following/in line with X) and its related expressions. ...
Language | COMMUNICATION CUES Feb 27, 2017
Queen Elizabeth II has become the first British monarch to reach the milestone of 65 years on the throne.
Language | BILINGUAL Feb 20, 2017
Investing big but wisely in Japanese study aids can reap dividends
by Daniel Morales
An expensive dictionary, a big TV — and a wedding ring: just three of the big purchases that could give your Japanese a lift.
Language | COMMUNICATION CUES Feb 20, 2017
About 1 in 4 marriages in the nation involved a divorced person in 2015, the highest ratio since 1952, the earliest year for which data is available.
Language | WELL SAID Feb 20, 2017
Be careful not to mix up your 'hagemu' with your 'hageru'
by Akemi Tanahashi and Hitomi Tashiro
Introducing some verbs that sound similar but have very different meanings.
Language | BILINGUAL Feb 13, 2017
The Japanese and love — more complicated than you think
by Kaori Shoji
The Japanese suck at this thing called love, and no amount of Valentine's Day chocolate is going to fix that.