Japanese Blog

Explore Japanese learning resources, Japanese language and culture.

Winter (冬) Photo Contest 2016!

  Winter (冬) Photo Contest 2016! Coto Japanese Academy’s Winter Photo Contest is BACK! All you have to do to take part is to post a picture of your experience during Winter in Japan and you stand a chance to win up to 10,000yen worth of exciting prizes!   Contest details Theme: Winter in Japan 2016 Contest […]
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The Japanese little New Year: koshougatsu

Did you know that in Japan, not so long after the New Year’s celebrations, Japanese people celebrate the festival of the Little New Year? Historically, the “koshougatsu” took place around mid-February, celebrating the first full moon of the year, but nowadays the festival takes place on the 15th of January. The rites and customs are celebrated […]
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Japanese Slang: Bibiru (びびる)… Were you Surprised, Scared or Shocked?

Who doesn’t like to learn more about slangs? We believe that when you are learning a foreign language, studying slang is a nice and fun way to widen your vocabulary. Not only will you speak more fluently but you will sound more like a native speaker. Bibiru is a funny word to pronounce, and an interesting point […]
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The Japanese calendar and the day of nanakusa gayu

You can learn a lot about Japan just by looking at its calendar. Full of surprises and very interesting facts, the Japanese calendar is a door to the traditions and culture of Japan. For example, did you know that the 7th of January is called “nanakusa no sekku”? Written “七草の節句”, nanakusa no sekku means the […]
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Japanese New Year: The lasting traditions

Did you know that until the Meiji era, the Japanese New Year calendar was similar to the Chinese calendar? It was only until 1873 that the Japanese New Year changed for the Gregorian calendar, however, all the traditional customs were maintained.  January is a great time to discover Japan! The Japanese New Year culture is also great occasion […]
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Japanese New Year Traditional Dishes: Osechi Ryouri (おせち料理)

Learn more about Japanese tradition and culture and discover the wonders of the New Year traditional dishes called "osechi ryouri" (おせち料理).
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Coto’s events in January 2016

This is an older post – to see our upcoming monthly events – click here Monthly Events at Coto We are going to be holding some really fun events this January, take a look below! Go for Lunch! Kagurazaka area Thursday, January 7th 12:30-13:50 in Kagurazaka Let’s go for lunch together and explore the Iidabashi-Kagurazaka district! We […]
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Coto Japanese Academy Year-End party 2015 !

How has everyone’s 2015 been? Continuing the tradition from last year, our 2015 year-end party was held at Salt and Soil organic restaurant, only a two minute walk from the school. Over 60 students and teachers had a fun-filled night eating an interesting selection of food and enjoying the nomihodai (all you can drink). We […]
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2022 New Year in Japan: Japanese New Year Postcards (Nengajo) Tradition

December and January are the busiest times for the Japanese post offices and it all come to one reason: the tradition of New Year‘s postcards (nengajo). And yes, it’s probably the biggest item on the calendar of annual events! New Year wishes postcard: 年賀状 年賀状 is composed of year 年,  congratulations 賀 and 状, meaning circumstances. With the […]
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How to Wish Happy New Year in December?

When leaving the office for your well-deserved winter holidays, don’t forget to wish your Japanese colleagues a Happy New Year with the correct expression! You may have learned the phrase 明けましておめでとうございます which translates Happy New Year. However, you can only use this greetings from first of January! If you have the unfortunate idea to greet your […]
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The Bounenkai Season in Japan

Time passed quickly and here we are, already in December! It’s the perfect time to introduce a Japanese custom called “bounenkai”. Written “忘年会” in kanji, the phrase literally means “to forget the year party”. Composed of the kanji for “to forget (忘), the year (年) and gathering (会), a 忘年会 is a gathering of friends or coworkers, forgetting the unpleasant […]
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Coto’s events in December 2015

This is an older post – to see our upcoming monthly events – click here Monthly Events at Coto Go for Lunch! Kagurazaka area ランチツアー! 神楽坂 Thursday, December 3rd  12:30-13:50 in Kagurazaka Let’s go for lunch together and explore Iidabashi-Kagurazaka district! We will advise you some of the top restaurants of the area. Discover the delicious […]
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