You might have heard of Silver Week (シルバーウィーク), an expression coined in 2009, referring to 3 consecutive Japanese national holidays in early autumn. But did you know that the Japanese Silver Week, in fact, does not occur annually?  The Respect for the Aged Day And… On that day, the Japanese pay their respect to the elderly and […]

Master the heat and humidity of the Japanese summer with our cool kanji guide.

This is an older post – to see our upcoming monthly events – click here Monthly Events at Coto We are planning the following events in October. Please send your request for participation to info@cotoacademy.com! Lunch Tour in Kagurazaka Thursday, October 6th 12:30-13:50 Each month, there are lunch tours to places just a short walk […]

How often do you use your computer? If you’re learning Japanese, it’s helpful to know some Japanese words for computer. Of ourse, we have an extended list as well. These ones are pretty easy since a lot of them come from English and are written in katakana, so don’t worry about having to memorize too […]

This is an older post – to see our upcoming monthly events – click here Monthly Events at Coto We are planning the following events in September. Please send your request for participation to info@cotoacademy.com! Lunch Tour in Kagurazaka Thursday, September 1st, 12:30-13:50 at Kagurazaka                     […]

Have you been to the doctor in Japan? Are you afraid not to be able to explain your condition in Japanese? Being sick in Japan is one stressful experience if you are not comfortable communicating in Japanese. The good news is that if you have a simple cold, you can skip the hospital and go to a drug store to find […]

Are you wondering how to beat the Japanese summer heat? Indulge yourself with a refreshing kakigori a shaved or crushed ice dessert flavored with syrup and other delicious topping! Symbol of Japanese summer and love by Japanese people, the shaved ice is sold almost everywhere in cafe, restaurants, and is an essential of street festivals. Kakigori is […]

Since 2005, Yulia had been travelling back and forth between Russia and Japan for short-term modeling contracts. Back then, she did not imagine she would one day learn Japanese! In 2012, she moved to Japan, as a fashion model for Bravo models Agency. Working with a lot of clients, including Amazon, Yulia loves her agency environment. Being a […]

Summer (夏) Photo Contest 2016! Coto Japanese Academy’s Summer Photo Contest is here! Win up to  10,000 yen worth of exciting prizes by uploading the best photo you have taken in this Summer! How to Participate? Post your photo on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #cotoacademy Contest Duration: 3rd August 2016 – 22nd August 2016 Photo Requirements: Theme: […]

In this blog, we will tell you everything you need to know about taboos to avoid while using chopsticks! We know very well that using Japanese chopsticks is quite a challenge at first. However, with a bit of practice, you will soon be a natural! Did you know? The size of your hands matters when it comes to finding the […]