Japanese punctuation marks, known as 役物 (yakumono), consist of commas, periods, and question & exclamation marks. They’re easy to overlook, but these small, seemingly insignificant marks make a sentence readable and easy to understand.  We use punctuation all the time in English ー you are seeing them being used in real time as you read […]

Are you homeschooling your child and looking for language learning resources? Japanese is a good fit for homeschoolers. Its writing systems are visual and pattern-based, so children can start recognizing characters quickly, and the reward comes fast: a few weeks in, they can read real words on a menu, a sign, or a favorite anime […]

Halloween in Japan is just around the corner, and when is a better time to learn some Japanese Halloween vocabulary, if not now? How else can you describe some of the ghosts, monsters, and creepy crawlers that will spring up across the nation? Japan is no stranger to celebrating various occasions, and Halloween is quickly […]

Want to learn Japanese hiragana? In this blog, we share our own PDF learning Hiragana practice sheets and links to some popular apps for learning Japanese. Just started learning Japanese? Head to our main article about the Japanese writing system for a more comprehensive guide! Apps for Learning Hiragana If you are just getting started […]

What ghosts or creatures chronicled in Japanese folklore are lurking among the shadows, or perhaps hidden in plain sight?

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, these apps are sure to help you achieve your language learning goals

When you’re in Japan, there are cases where you might need to make a phone call in Japanese, whether that’s for making a restaurant reservation, calling for an emergency, or checking on your friend. Here is where you can no longer rely on gestures or reading subtle body language to figure out what the other […]

Japanese proverbs, or ことわざ (kotowaza), are a great way to improve your language skills with more figurative speech. Exploring outside the typical methods of memorizing kanji and vocabulary, kotowaza can teach you how to use more nuanced phrases.  Plus, they can help you dive deeper into Japanese culture. Kotowaza paint a picture of different situations […]