Japanese honorifics can seem complicated, but they are a big part of everyday conversations. If you’ve ever wondered what -chan, -kun, -san, and -sama mean, you’re in the right place. These common name suffixes are used every day in Japan to show respect, closeness, or formality, depending on who you’re talking to and your relationship […]
IntroductionWhat exactly are the “Kira Kira” Names (キラキラネーム)?Why the “Kira Kira” Names?“Kira Kira” Names 2015 Ranking! What Are Japanese Kira Kira Names? Lately, trending Japanese baby names are shifting towards a new unknown level of weirdness. Ever heard of “Kira Kira” names? Literally meaning “sparkly” or “shiny”, those are bizarre names sounding completely different from […]
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Japan? For me, it’s definitely the Japanese hospitality! Oshibori! Imagine if you are really cold right now, what would be the thing you yearn for the most? Warmth! That’s right! Especially when you are cold and hungry, you will naturally head […]
How to Use: お先に失礼します! (Osaki ni Shitsureishimasu!) Ended Work…?Meaning of お先に失礼します(Osaki ni Shitsureishimasu)…Replying to Osaki ni Shitsureishimasu…Leaving for a Short Trip/Errand… Ended Work…? Finally you’re done with your tasks of the day. The clock is ticking the end of your shift. Among the lucky ones, you are working in a good company. You don’t have to […]
Otsukaresama desu is a key phrase that you will need to master if you plan to work in a Japanese office.
Preparing for your Japanese Job Interview? If you’ve been dreaming of working in Japan, and you’ve finally received a job interview proposition, then now is the time to learn how to prepare for a Japanese job interview.If you are not familiar with how you can work in Japan, check out our guide for working in […]
Did you know that Japan has about 100,000 family names, and probably just as many given names? Thanks to the wonders of Japanese characters, Japanese names are quite interesting to learn. They are a door to Japanese culture, history and traditions and studying them is a very good way to steady your knowledge of kanji through […]
In February, we visited beautiful 銭湯（せんとう） (public baths) with our students. Have you ever been to one? Do you know the manners to follow when taking a bath in a Japanese sento? If you don’t want to make a ‘gaijin mess’, we recommend you reading this article! Open between from 1 PM to 2 AM Japanese public baths […]
In the Japanese culture, one very important theme is the seasons and the flowers symbolizing the passage of time. Among them, one kind is particularly iconic, capturing the attention of visitors and locals: the cherry blossom, also very well known as sakura. All year round Japanese people long for the sakura season and wait with […]
Japanese Etiquette & MannersPlease go ahead…Going the extra mile to be even more Polite Japanese Etiquette & Manners Travelling abroad forces us to reconsider our manners and to think about the other culture’s rules. For many expatriates in Japan adapting to the local culture is not always an easy change! Behaviors, rules, manners can […]
