The Japanese language is structured quite differently from English. However, while it may take a little getting used to, basic Japanese sentence structure is simple to learn and eventually master—perhaps far more simple than English sentence structure! Subject + Object…
Kanji 漢字 is the third Japanese writing system you’ll need to study. Kanji became widely used in Japan during the 6th century CE, although it was originally imported from Chinasometime in the 1st century CE. Although most kanji remain virtually…
Katakana is the second of the two scripts exclusive to the Japanese language. Like hiragana, katakana consists of a total of 46 basic characters that each represent a basic Japanese syllable. Some of these characters can be modified and/or combined…
American Idol may have gotten North American audiences used to the idea of putting a person plucked from obscurity on a pedestal for his or her singing talent for a year or so before the idol (usually) fades back into…
Hiragana is one of two scripts exclusive to the Japanese language and is the more frequently used of the two. Japanese kanji, the common pictographic Japanese script in which many characters have more than one meaning and pronunciation, was imported…
Perhaps best known globally for its short-listed (failed) bid for the 1988 Summer Olympics, Nagoya is the 4th most populated city in Japan with about 2.17 million inhabitants. Located about 225 miles west of Tokyo in the Aichi prefecture along…
About 325 miles west of Tokyo in the Kansai south central region of the main island of Japan is Osaka, Japan’s second most populated city and third most popular city for entertainment after dark. Osaka, which is also the name…
In the U.S., the goal of virtually every television show is to get renewed for another season. The successful shows are renewed for a total of three, five, ten or even twenty years (The Simpsons, if you’re wondering) even if,…
With about 1.5 million people, Kobe is Japan’s 6th most populous city. Located in the Hyogo prefecture, Kobe is nestled along the coastline approximately 310 miles west of Tokyo and is reachable from Tokyo in about 3 ½ hours by…
Karaoke may not be an exclusive activity to Japan—nor was it necessarily originated in Japan—but the name itself demonstrates how widespread and influential the activity is in Japan. “Karaoke” is a Japanese loanword, a portmanteau of the words “kara” and…
After you’ve stated your name, you have the option of giving your occupation and nationality, but you don’t have to if you don’t think it’s appropriate. However, to exchange introductions politely, you must say one of two greeting phrases. Occupation…
While in the West, you might pack or grab a sandwich when you want to eat on-the-go, in Japan, you may grab a rice ball, or onigiri. When you think of white rice, you probably don’t imagine being able to…