As of 2026, Japan has more than 57,000 convenience stores, colloquially called the konbini. Don’t think of them as your regular gas station mini-mart back home. Konbini in Japan play in an entirely different league: you can print documents, get your tax records and proof of residence, pay your bills, and transfer money, all right […]

The next JLPT will be held on December 2022. Ready to apply? Here’s a guide on how to reguster for the JLPT online.

The phrases, ittekimasu, itterasshai, tadaima, okaerinasai symbolize so well Japanese spirit that once you grasp the nuance of their meaning you will have a deeper understanding of Japanese culture.

A foreigner’s guide to Japanese honorific, humble and polite forms.

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 […]

There are four basic Japanese greetings, or aisatsu (挨拶), that can be used at different times of the day. If you’re starting to learn Japanese, this will be the first thing you’re introduced to. After all, you don’t want to accidentally claim “Good morning” in the middle of the night or say “Have a good […]

Have you heard of yoji jukugo? Piece of cake, break the ice, and cut corners – these are all short idioms we use all the time, and in Japan, they have something similar called 四字熟語 (yojijukugo). A yojijukugo is a Japanese phrase consisting of four kanji. Just like in English, yojijukugo are very popular since […]

Learn about the word Senpai and its meaning in Japanese and English in this latest A-I-U-E-O Learning Blog.