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A young, Asian woman wearing a white shirt is facing the camera with a big smile. She has her left pointer finger touching her left cheek, while her right pointer finger is touching her right cheek. The background is light blue.

7 Ways to Say “Happy” in Japanese

A young Asian woman is crossing her arms in front of her to form an “X,” the gestures for “no” or “no good” in Japanese.

Useful Japanese Words: What Does 断る (Kotowaru) Mean?

An illustration of a woman wearing a blue hoodie sweater carry a glowing spear over her shoulders. Behind her is a huge, white wolf with glowing red eyes.

The 20 Best Reincarnation Manga That Will Make You Feel Reborn

A photo of five hands each holding a mug filled with beer that are converging in the middle of the image to toast. Under them on the table are plates of food like edamame, cucumber, and cabbage.

A Look Into Japanese Izakaya: A Quick Guide

Places to Visit

A Polar bear standing at the end of a ice cliff that is in the Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, Japan

Tennoji Zoo Review: All You Need to Know

July 6, 2020 • Louise • No Comments • Places to Visit
The Tennoji Zoo is Japan’s third oldest zoo. The 11 hectare (27 acres) zoo is home to 1,000 …
Red cloth hanging from a Japanese style door-front that says the title of this article, "Namba Oriental Hotel Review."

Namba Oriental Hotel Review

July 6, 2020 • Louise • No Comments • Places to Visit
Can’t get enough of Namba’s electric atmosphere? Stay there in comfort at the Namba Oriental Hotel, a mid-range …
Minoo Park Waterfall in Osaka, Japan. A couple is standing in front of the waterfall under a red, Japanese style umbrella.

Minoo Park: Osaka’s Own Quasi-National Park

July 6, 2020 • Louise • No Comments • Places to Visit
The word Osaka immediately conjures up an image of neon lights, skyscrapers, bustling shopping streets and the city’s …
A Group of People Dancing in a dark club and having fun.

The Best Nightclubs in Osaka: 7 Standout Clubs

October 23, 2019 • Louise • No Comments • Places to Visit
Osaka might not have a reputation for clubbing that Tokyo does, but as the major club center in …

Living in Japan

A photo of five hands each holding a mug filled with beer that are converging in the middle of the image to toast. Under them on the table are plates of food like edamame, cucumber, and cabbage.

A Look Into Japanese Izakaya: A Quick Guide

January 10, 2023 • Sam Barker • No Comments • Living in Japan
Having a drink after work is a universal pleasure. Somewhere to retreat to after a long week or …
A photo with a black microphone in focus in the middle on a table. In the background, a green and pink drink in glasses, a yellow tambourine, and a tablet for karaoke can be seen but are blurry.

A Short History of Karaoke & Its Culture In Japan

December 1, 2022 • Sam Barker • No Comments • Living in Japan
Karaoke, meaning “empty orchestra” in Japanese, is singing along to an instrumental backing track. A visual accompaniment usually …
An overhead shot of three people (only their hands are visible) at a desk with a laptop and papers on in. The men appear to be talking about business with each other.

What Is Kaizen in Japanese, and How Is It Useful?

August 2, 2021 • Satoko Kakihara • No Comments • Living in Japan
Back in January, I set a bunch of goals for the year 2021 to reclaim my life after …
A young, Asian businesswoman at her desk pinching the bridge of her nose while looking very tired.

Death By Overwork: All About Karoshi

July 16, 2021 • Risa • No Comments • Living in Japan
Simply put, 過労死 (karoshi) is a “Japanese term for sudden death caused by overwork,” according to the Oxford …

Useful Japanese Lessons

A young, Asian woman wearing a white shirt is facing the camera with a big smile. She has her left pointer finger touching her left cheek, while her right pointer finger is touching her right cheek. The background is light blue.

7 Ways to Say “Happy” in Japanese

March 9, 2023 • Sonya S • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Ah, happiness. As elusive as it can be in real life, grasping the nuances of different Japanese words …
A young Asian woman is crossing her arms in front of her to form an “X,” the gestures for “no” or “no good” in Japanese.

Useful Japanese Words: What Does 断る (Kotowaru) Mean?

February 22, 2023 • Yumi Nakata • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
私は田中さんの招待を断った。(Watashi wa Tanaka-san no shōtai o kotowatta.)I turned down Mr. Tanaka’s invitation. The most common meaning of 断る …
A man and woman are sitting on a bench. The man is only wearing shorts, slippers, sunglasses, and a hat. He appears to be hot and enjoying hot weather. He is also drinking a drink. There is a woman sitting next to him. She is wearing warm clothes and a thick coat, as if it is winter. The bench is on grass and there are clouds in the background of the image.

How to Say Hot and Cold in Japanese: Different Words for Different Situations

December 21, 2022 • Yumi Nakata • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
The words “hot” and “cold” are very easy to master in English, but they can be a little …
A young woman smiling towards the camera with her right hand up as if saying hi. There are light-green sticky notes stuck on to different parts of her body, with the name of that body part written on the note. One note is over her left eye (and reads “eye”), one note on her right cheek (that reads, “cheek”), one note on her right hand (that reads, “hand”) and one note on her left chest that reads, “body.”

A Comprehensive Guide to 40 Body Parts in Japanese

December 1, 2022 • Sonya S • No Comments • Useful Japanese Lessons
Imagine traveling in the beautiful green countryside of Japan when you suddenly feel a sharp pain in your …

Food Adventures

Japanese Candy Konpeito in a Nice black Box

The 21 Best Japanese Candy: A Guide to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

January 27, 2020 • Dallen Nakamura • No Comments • Food Adventures
  We already know that Japan has an amazing, innovative culture. The East Asian nation is known worldwide …
In the background, a metal teapot and candles are on a wooden mat that has a cloth with flower patterns on it drapped across part of it. In the foreground are two black cups; one filled with green tea (left) and the other filled with green tea powder (right).

The Complete Guide to Japanese Tea

March 31, 2018 • Kanna Livingston • No Comments • Food Adventures
From traditional tea ceremonies that artfully prepare matcha to the palate cleansing konacha served at sushi restaurants, tea …
A white ramen spoon is resting on a black tabletop filled with soy sauce. Grains of rice are scattered around it.

The 10 Best Japanese Seasonings

March 27, 2018 • Kanna Livingston • No Comments • Food Adventures
Despite my Japanese heritage, I’ve always shied away from cooking Japanese food. The subtle, complex flavors intimidated me. …
A clear bowl of soy sauce. Soy sauce from a spoon is being poured into this bowl from above. In the background, soy beans can be seen scattered all around.

The Complete Guide to Shoyu: Japanese Soy Sauce

March 27, 2018 • Kanna Livingston • No Comments • Food Adventures , Useful Japanese Lessons
Japanese soy sauce, or shoyu, is an essential part of Japanese cuisine. Without this sauce, many of your …
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Japanese Candy Konpeito in a Nice black Box

The 21 Best Japanese Candy: A Guide to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

In the background, a metal teapot and candles are on a wooden mat that has a cloth with flower patterns on it drapped across part of it. In the foreground are two black cups; one filled with green tea (left) and the other filled with green tea powder (right).

The Complete Guide to Japanese Tea

A white ramen spoon is resting on a black tabletop filled with soy sauce. Grains of rice are scattered around it.

The 10 Best Japanese Seasonings

A clear bowl of soy sauce. Soy sauce from a spoon is being poured into this bowl from above. In the background, soy beans can be seen scattered all around.

The Complete Guide to Shoyu: Japanese Soy Sauce

A black bowl filled with ramen noodles, sliced mushrooms, red peppers, and green onions. A pair of chopsticks is resting on the lip of the bowl. Red peppers, mushrooms, and a bottle of soy sauce can be seen blurred in the background.

The 10 Best Japanese Instant Ramen

A grayish rice bowl with white stripes is filled with steaming hot rice. A pair of brown chopsticks is holding a little bit of rice over this bowl.

How to Cook Japanese Rice

A plate of curry and rice, with vegetables (yellow bell pepper, eggplant, mushrooms, etc.).

How to Make Japanese Curry at Home

2 Japanese style of teishoku (set meal) boxes. In each section of the box (6 in total, 3 in each box) there is a different food item or sauce in it). A saucer of soy sauce and a cup of green tea is next to the boxes, and a pair of disposable chopsticks at the opposite corner.

21 Must-Try Foods in Japan – The Ultimate Food Guide

6 pieces of nigiri Sushi displayed in a line. (Fish, imitation crab, cucumber, salmon, shrimp, and unagi sushi).

The Best Sushi in Japan

3 pieces of Pitan, or Chinese Century Eggs. On is unshelled, one is in its shell, and the other is covered in some kind of brown material.

Chinese Century Eggs – Don’t Do It!

A display of various types of seafood in Styrofoam containers at a Japanese market.

10 Weird Japanese Foods You Should Try

Grilled Shirako, or Fish Sperm on a plate with a sudachi citrus fruit cut in half next to it on the plate. The shirako is on top of a piece of konbu, or seaweed.

Fish Sperm in Japan – Put It in Your Mouth, Swallow, and Gag

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