There’s only “me”, “myself” and “I” in English, but when it comes to Japanese first-person pronouns, the options are seemingly endless.

On this episode of Coto Radio, Mr. Nagai is joined by teacher Hidari to talk about traveling in Japan, anime pilgrimage, and overtourism.

When you start learning Japanese — or at least reading Japanese words — you’ll come across romaji first before hiragana or katakana.

Ganbare (頑張れ) or ganbatte (頑張って) is a Japanese phrase that means “Come on!” “Let’s go!” or “Go for it!” in English.

If you’ve ever lived in Japan and handled paperwork in the city hall, you might have stumbled across a date that made you pause. Instead of 2025, you see something like 令和7年 (Reiwa 7). This isn’t a typo. It’s Japan’s unique calendar system (和暦, wareki), where years are tied to the reign of each emperor. […]

Want to learn some of Japan’s no-no words? We’ll be going over some of Japan’s Swear Words that you probably should not be using. They can range from kind of insulting to you’ll get punched if you say this. Read on to learn more!

What is your name in Japanese? Use this Japanese name generator to find out how to say your name in Japanese.

Saying ‘no’ in Japan is a tricky subject. The Japanese will rarely give a direct no to an answer, preferring instead to give an indirect answer that conveys the message of no.

The bonodori is a spiritual dance to welcome the spirits. Every region has a local dance and a different music.

We’ll introduce each day of the week with its Japanese name, pronunciation, and useful tips to help you remember them quickly. Let’s get started!