Japanese Blog

Explore Japanese learning resources, Japanese language and culture.

End Of The Year Party 2016

What a year! Time flies and here we are, preparing Coto Japanese Academy’s End Of The Year Party! What sort of year was 2016 for you? We’ve already introduced the custom of celebrating the past’s year events (忘年会).忘年会 is a word composed of ‘to forget’ (忘), ‘year’ (年) and ‘gathering’ (会). This yearly tradition is very important in Japanese […]
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Japanese Intensive Course Year End Christmas Special 2016

Is 2017 the year for Japanese? 2017 is just around the corner, what kind of year will it be for you? If you’re ready to step-up your Japanese skills, our intensive course Year End Christmas Special is the right choice for you! Our intensive courses range from basic conversation for everyday use, to business Japanese for making your next […]
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Coto Events in December 2016

This is an older post – to see our upcoming monthly events – click here Monthly Events at Coto We are planning the following events in December 2016. Please send your request for participation to [email protected]! Lunch Tour in Kagurazaka Thursday, December 1 Have you ever been to Kagurazaka? It is an enchanting neighborhood located […]
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Japanese National Holiday: Labor Thanksgiving Day

Did you know Japan also celebrates a Labor Thanksgiving Day? The Japanese government established this public national holiday in 1948 after the World War II. This holiday, taking place annually on November 23, commemorates people’s hard work. On that day, called 勤労感謝(きんろうかんしゃ)の日(ひ) in Japanese, people are encouraged to express their thanks to others. In particular, elementary children […]
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Reading the Atmosphere in Japan – 空気読める (Kuuki Yomeru) "to Read the Air"

Have you ever heard the expression “yuuki yomeru” (空気読める – “to read the air”) in Japanese? Ever stumbled across the expression “Kuuki Yomenai”? This Japanese slang is literally translated as “cannot read the air” and jokingly applies to people who struggle to read social situations. Reading The AtmosphereKuuki Yomenai and Social AwkwardnessHow NOT to be KY? Reading […]
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Quick Guide: Learning to express your Feelings and Emotions in Japanese

How do you express your emotions in Japanese? If you’re learning Japanese, it’s helpful to know how to let other know what you’re feeling. We’ve gathered a quick list of essential words that might come in handy. Nevertheless, don’t worry about memorizing too much! Japanese Verbs to Express Emotion Happiness 笑(わら)う – laugh 褒(ほ)める – encourage […]
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Three Japanese Scary Spirits You Should Know About

You cannot travel in Japan without hearing at least a story or two about Japanese scary spirits. Are you aware that indeed, Japan is surrounded by a mythology of ancient traditions and superstitions? Each culture in the world has its own folklore about ghosts and spirits, but Japan can certainly be very proud of all […]
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From Foreign to Home, Inaya's Working Experience in Japan

Inaya moved to Japan in March 2016 to pursue an exciting work opportunity in the Japanese headquarters of a global manufacturing company. “I have always been the kind of person who likes new experiences. When the company in which I did a summer internship offered me a position in their Japanese headquarters, I couldn’t say no!” She was […]
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Coto Japanese Academy Events in November 2016

This is an older post – to see our upcoming monthly events – click here Monthly Events at Coto We are planning the following events in November 2016. Please send your request for participation to [email protected]! Lunch Tour in Kagurazaka: Shozantei Thursday, November 2nd Have you ever been to Kagurazaka? It is an enchanting neighborhood located […]
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Challenge accepted: full-time work + intensive course

When Nicolas got the opportunity to work in Tokyo, he jumped at the chance right away since he had always been very fond of Japan.  “The offer was perfect. I was not required to be fluent in Japanese and the overall process was easy. I considered myself very lucky to have found a Japanese company sponsoring […]
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A Japanese Word for September: Typhoon

With September coming around, you were relieved to feel the weather cooling down. Or so you believed. As the typhoon season reaches its peak, your perfect kit to go out is an umbrella, a raincoat, and some good rain boots. A typhoon (台風(たいふう)) is a tropical cyclone with strong winds occurring in the west Pacific while in the […]
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The Japanese Silver Week, a Rare Five-Day Break

You might have heard of Silver Week (シルバーウィーク), an expression coined in 2009, referring to 3 consecutive Japanese national holidays in early autumn. But did you know that the Japanese Silver Week, in fact, does not occur annually?  The Respect for the Aged Day And… On that day, the Japanese pay their respect to the elderly and […]
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