Japanese Blog

Effective communication is at the heart of successful negotiations. This especially holds true when conducting Japanese negotiation, where both cultural and linguistic nuances play a vital role in building relationships and reaching mutually beneficial agreements.  Whether you are a professional or someone that is just starting your career,mastering the right phrases in Japanese negotiation can […]

Some of you might have been learning Japanese from textbooks for hours yet still have low self-esteem when actually speaking it. Let’s be real here: it is sometimes hard to have Japanese conversation practice when you don’t have anyone to speak to that is fluent enough or, not to mention, a native.  But fret not! […]

Introduction In an era where technology is reshaping economies, Japan’s IT industry presents a wealth of opportunities for software engineers around the world. But how do you navigate this competitive landscape as a foreign professional who’s interested in starting their IT career in Japan? Enter Coto Work, the recruitment arm of Coto Academy. With a […]

Gift-giving in Japanese Culture is an inseparable part of the long lived culture, as it have deeply rooted in traditions and societal norms. It represents gratitude and respect and serves as a means of nurturing positive relationships. Within the Japanese workplace, the concept of “お土産 (omiyage)” takes center stage, and understanding the nuances of gift-giving […]

New Location, New Courses. It’s not uncommon for students of the Japanese language to spend months with textbooks, only to realize the significant differences between what they’ve learned and real-life Japanese. It would be so much better if there was a short class focusing on practical Japanese Well, there wasn’t, but there is now! Official […]

Let’s face it: Learning Japanese isn’t always fun. You have to learn long conjugations, go through repetitive flashcards, and do tedious practice readings. At times, you might find yourself staring at your textbook with no will to study at all! We’ve all been there at one point or another during our Japanese language journey. But, […]

There’s just a few months left before the next JLPT test, are you prepared?!  You only get one chance to ace the JLPT. The test environment itself might have low quality speakers – or a distracting atmosphere with so many students. Preparing to take the test is much different than simply learning what we will […]

Unfortunately, nonte of us are omniscient like Saiki K. (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.), which means that we have to study hard to get better at Japanese. Or do we? Some people say they learned Japanese by watching anime, which seems like a dream come true! This tactic has become one of Japanese students’ […]

The Tokyo Toilet Project is all about innovative design, with each toilet in Shibuya being created by a different designer or architect.

Traveling in Japan can be an adventure, but language barriers can sometimes make things more difficult than they need to be.

For Japanese learners, a significant milestone to aim for is the JLPT N5 exam, which evaluates basic proficiency in the language. But whether you’re taking the test or not, you’ll come across JLPT N5 grammar points either way — especially during the first year of your study, as it covers the very basic foundation of […]

If you're interested in learning Japanese, you probably want to be able to have conversations about your hobbies and interests with native speakers to make friends.