Japanese Vocabulary and Phrases Related to Art

If you have Japanese artist friends, plan to study art, or pursue a career in art in Japan, then you might want to know some Japanese vocabulary related to arts — more specifically, visual art. Japan has a rich history in the arts, from the ukiyo-e works of Hokusai to more recent manga and anime. […]

japanese vocabulary for art

Guide to Japanese Writing System: Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana

Hiragana, katakana, and kanji make up the Japanese writing system. When you start learning Japanese, figuring out how to read and write can feel overwhelming; after all, Japanese is completely different from the Roman alphabet! You then learn that there are three different writing systems used all at once. How is that even possible? Not […]

Japanese Writing System Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana Explained

100+ Basic Japanese Words to Learn

Learning Japanese can feel overwhelming at first, but mastering basic greetings and essential vocabulary is a great way to ease into your studies. Whether you’re planning a trip to Japan, interacting with Japanese speakers, or just curious about the language, these words and phrases will help you build a solid foundation. But what are the […]

Miniature school desk and chair placed on scattered flashcards featuring basic Japanese hiragana characters.

Kotoba Asobi (言葉遊び): Japanese Play-on-Words

From double entendres, puns, paraprosdokians, spoonerisms, and more, adding wordplay, or kotoba asobi (言葉遊び), to your Japanese repertoire will spice up your language and express more of your sense of humor and personality. We naturally use play on words to tell jokes and have fun when speaking with our friends. And Japanese is no different.  […]

Feature image for wordplay