Ryu 龍 (Dragons)
Hello. Do you know what the zodiac animal will be in 2024? 2024 is the year of Ryu 龍 (dragons). In Japan, the twelve Chinese zodiac signs are called Junishi, …
Knowledge
Unraveling the Unique Osaka-ben (Part 1)
Japan has many different dialects. One reason for this is that words originated in the capital or cultural centers and spread to the regions through transmission. This happened because the …
The Beauty of Miso’s Mix of Old and New ; Hatcho Miso (八丁味噌)
What’s miso? Miso is the traditional Japanese fermented condiment made of soybeans, water, and koji mold. The way of making it is not rocket science, so you can make it …
Japanese seasonal beautiful words ~Autumn~
Do you know what the shortest form of poetry in the world is? It is the haiku, a three-line poem of only 17 syllables (5-7-5) that describes a natural scene …
Sumimasen Culture in Japan
Have you often heard or been called “sumimasen すみません” in public places or stores? When you’ve heard the word “sumimasen” as an apology, did you wonder, “Why do Japanese people …
♪Japanese Phrase Having a Good Ring♪ 〜Ton〜
♪Ton, Ton, Ton♪ Welcome to the third edition of “Japanese language fun time!” Today’s sound is ”Ton(とん/トン)!“ First of all, it has nothing to do with a big amount of …
Japanese Traditions in November
Welcome to my new blog post about Japanese lifestyle and traditions in November. Speaking of November, shichi-go-san”七五三” is a famous event in Japan. It is the ceremony for 7-year-old girls, …
Japanese Lifestyle ― Sitting on the Floor
The Japanese lifestyle of taking off one’s shoes and sitting on the floor cannot be described without mentioning tatami. The widespread use of tatami plays an important role in the …
Do You Have the Disaster Risk Management Capacity?
As you know, in recent years, the frequency and intensity of disasters, heat waves, torrential rains, wildfires, etc., are on the rise worldwide due to climate change. In addition, there …
What is a Japanese university entrance exam like?
In Japan, the university enrollment rate exceeds 56.6%. This means that one out of every two individuals attends a university, so universities are familiar to Japanese. However, the process of …