Explore how the Japanese word 勇気 (yuuki), meaning bravery, is used in daily life with real examples to help boost your Japanese vocabulary and fluency.

Hello, everyone! Just when I thought that I had gotten sick of the heat, the blanket season came in before I knew it. I already have a set of trusty Japanese UNIQLO Heat Tech, and am ready for the winter! Now, onto today’s theme! Speaking of “Ya”… that’s right! Yamanashi prefecture! (I can just picture […]

日本語はこちらMottainai in Japanese (勿体無い) is a phrase that is deeply ingrained into the culture. This is especially so when the Japanese take recycling and sorting their trash so seriously. In today’s blog, we will be introducing how the concept of 勿体無い  – how it has spread globally and its influencing some cultural practices.How Mottainai spread to […]

日本語はこちらToday’s theme is “eyes (目：me)”. Did you know that in Japanese Idioms, the most frequently used word is eye?   Frequently used ExpressionsIn a Conversation between FriendsBetween CoworkersBetween Lovers  Frequently used Expressions “I woke up (目が覚めて：me ga samete) at 6 today, and had a look at  (目を通して：me o toushite) the newspaper while having breakfast. I […]

This is an older post – to see our upcoming monthly events – click here Monthly Events at Coto   Every month we hold cultural and social events for our students and their friends to discover more about Japanese culture, meet new friends and practice Japanese. We are looking forward to seeing you there! Lunch […]

What is 無理 (Muri)?無 (Mu) as a PrefixOther uses of 無 (Mu)   What is the meaning of 無理 (Muri)? Muri, put simply, can be translated into English as “Impossible 無理 (mu-ri)”. The typical antonym for Muri would typically be “Infinite possibilities 無限大の可能性 (mu-gendai-no-kanousei)”Have you ever heard someone say “that’s impossible 無理です (mu-ri desu)?”For example,“Why […]

“にゃん～”、 “わんわん”、“げろげろ”。These are Japanese Onomatopoeia called 擬声語 (Giseigo) used to put into words the sounds animals make. But, do you know what the names of these animals are in Japanese are? Read on to find out! All illustrations from this post were drawn by a talented Coto Student – Gabriela Zumbado from Costa Rica. She […]

This week Yasuko Hidari will share with us about the culture behind the Mikan -(Mandarin Orange in Japanese) and how your style of eating it can show your personality.