In any language, knowing how to pass on information is crucial.  Thankfully in Japanese, it’s fairly simple to relay other people’s messages or words to another person.  The basic grammar point by which someone can relay messages in Japanese is: と言っていました (to itte imashita) meaning “Someone said that~”This is a JLPT N4 grammar point, which […]

Have you ever wanted to express that you want to try something in Japanese?  Or maybe you are having a conversation about a time when you tried something for the first time.  Of course you could use 初めて〜, but conversational Japanese uses the expression 〜てみる.In this blog we will review the above video and the […]

Are you planning on traveling Japan soon, but you don’t know any Japanese?  Or are you looking to learn some Japanese common words that can help you get around in Japan? Then this blog is right up your alley, with some simple Japanese travel words as well as some transportation related phrases to help you […]

First, watch Yuka-sensei’s video above about the JLPT N4 Grammar! If you have been studying Japanese for a while now – there’s a good chance you have come across the Japanese grammar point も (mo). As we stated in this article on basic Japanese grammar, the particle も is often used to signify similarity and […]

If you are living in Japan with kids – you might want to put your child into a nursery or a daycare. This blog will hopefully give you a brief overview of the different types of nurseries available and some vocabulary to look out for. 認可(にんか,Ninka) Authorized Daycare Facility Authorized daycare facilities in Japan are […]

Have you ever heard the word “oishii!” in Japanese?  It’s a common adjective found in Japanese media, like anime, comics, TV, as well as in everyday life in Japan.“Oishii” is an easy-to-use Japanese word. In other words, once you understand the meaning and how it’s used – you will be able to immediately add it […]

The rules for Japanese student visas are changing.   Before we continue we would like to share the following   Disclaimer:   We do NOT provide student visa support at our school. But we would like to cover this issue as it affects many of the spouses and partners of our students.   If you […]

School Policy in response to the State of Emergency Dear everyone, Thank you for your continued cooperation and support for Coto. On January 7, 2021, the Government of Japan issued a state of emergency (scheduled from January 8 to February 7) in areas including Tokyo and Kanagawa prefectures. This state of emergency does not demand […]