Japanese Learning Blog Japanese Blog

December 9, 2015

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 […]

December 2, 2015

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 […]

November 25, 2015

Coto’s events in December 2015

Japanese Culture

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 […]

November 25, 2015

Japanese Kotatsu: One of the wonders Japanese culture

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What so special about the Japanese kotatsu table? Foreigners traveling around Japan during the winter are often very surprised by how cold Japanese homes can be. They wonder why such an advanced country is incapable of heating houses. Indeed, whether traditional or western, most Japanese homes don’t provide any type of isolation from the cold. One […]

November 18, 2015

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test: JLPT

Are you currently studying Japanese? If so, then you might be interested in knowing more about the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, in short, the JLPT! Launched in 1984 as a biannual testing service by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges & Services, the JLPT is a tool to evaluate and certify the Japanese proficiency of […]

November 12, 2015

Japanese Autumn: The Wonders of the 紅葉 (もみじ/Momiji) Season in Japan

Momiji and KouyouWhen do I get to see these?What can I do in Autumn? If you’re planning on visiting Japan, you should make the trip twice! Once in the spring to experience the cherry blossoms, and again in autumn to witness the beautiful sight of the tree leaves turning red (Momiji)! Momiji and Kouyou […]

November 6, 2015

Japanese Slang: What'd you call a Mummy's Boy in Japanese? A Mazakon?

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 also sound more like a native speaker and surprise your Japanese friends! It also provides an insight into the Japanese culture. Let’s learn the expression “mazakon”. […]

November 4, 2015

Around thirty or arasaa

If you are interested in the Japanese marketing culture, you might have come across the expression “arasaa market”. As one can guess, arasaa is not originally a Japanese word, but a Japanese – English made expression, short for “araundo sati”, the Japanese pronunciation of “around thirty”. “Arasaa market” refers to the market of around 30 years old people. The […]

October 30, 2015

Shopping in Japanese: Common words and phrases to use

Finally, you are living the dream here in Tokyo! Do you enjoy discovering Japanese culture and traditional food? Any difficulty shopping in Japanese? If so, we are here to help you! But first, let us give you an overview on Japanese size. Firstly, Japanese body structure is quite different from foreigners. Even skinny foreigners have […]

October 28, 2015

Japanese Slang: Moto Kare (元カレ) and Moto Kano (元カノ)

Japanese Study

When you are learning a foreign language, studying slangs 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. Moreover, slang gives you an interesting point of view on society. Let’s learn more about the expression “moto kare“【元カレ】 and “moto […]

October 25, 2015

Coto's event in November 2015

Japanese Culture

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 Wednesday, November 4th 12:30-13:50 in Kagurazaka Kagurazaka is beloved for its lingering Edo period atmosphere. Each month, there are lunch tours to places in immediate walking distance from Coto. In November, […]

October 21, 2015

The Finesse that Sushi Chefs put into making Sushi: "Sushi nara, Dekiru!"

Sushi: A Food for the Soul What makes Sushi so Special? Taking a look at the Japanese word “なら (Nara)” Sushi: A Food for the Soul Sushi is known to be a soul food for any average Japanese out there. At the same time, you could also say that it is the most famous […]