Let’s dive in and make sure you’re fully prepared and equipped to ace the JLPT!

The Japanese phrases しょうがない (shou ga nai) and 仕方がない (shikata ga nai) express your graceful resilience in situations out of our control. They communicate something that doesn’t translate neatly into English, and yet they are used all the time in Japanese.  So, let’s learn these uniquely Japanese expressions, how they express a Japanese cultural sentiment, […]

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!

The 2026 World Cup is here! In a few days, you’ll get to see 48 soccer teams, including Japan, compete against each other in a bid to win the world title.  If you are in Japan, how can you watch the World Cup? While you might not be able to watch the event live in […]

As some Coto Academy students are adults who have been in a relationship with a Japanese partner, we might occasionally be asked, “How do I break up with my Japanese partner?”

Thanks to Japan’s Working Holiday Visa program, you can have a taste of what’s living and working in Japan like without needing to commit to a full-time job, join a university course, or have a visa sponsor.  

You’ve probably learned the Japanese word ちょっと (chotto), but did you know it can be used for almost any situation? While most people learn ちょっと as meaning “a little,” it actually has a much wider variety of uses for different contexts.  As we dive into how ちょっと is actually used in Japanese conversation, we will […]

In Japan, “rock paper scissors” is referred to as “じゃんけん”(Janken). Although it is called different names in different places, the rules of the game are generally the same in every country. The full countdown phrase is じゃんけんぽん (Janken pon!), equivalent to “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!”In Japan, janken is used to settle disagreements, select participants, and […]