The values behind Respect-for-the-Aged Day are important reminders for all of us. But why?

Otsukaresama desu is a key phrase that you will need to master if you plan to work in a Japanese office.

You might have heard of Golden Week, Japan’s highly anticipated holiday period, when a series of often consecutive holidays occurs from the end of April to early May, allowing many Japanese people to take a week off. But have you heard of Silver Week (シルバーウィーク)? Coined in 2009, Silver Week refers to a cluster of […]

The bonodori is a spiritual dance to welcome the spirits. Every region has a local dance and a different music.

Learning the Japanese days of the week and months of the year is one of the easiest lessons that you will have. Let’s start with the days of the week.

You can’t visit Japan without trying sushi — and you shouldn’t leave without knowing how to say the different types of sushi in Japanese, either. Unlike the Western-style sushi rolls topped with avocado, mayonnaise, or cream cheese, traditional Japanese sushi is much simpler. If you ever go to an omakase restaurant in Japan, sushi is […]

Have you ever wondered how to describe a position in Japanese? Picture this: you’re wandering through the busy streets of Tokyo and want to ask a local which way leads to the nearest train station. Or maybe you’re sitting in a Japanese classroom, and the teacher is giving directions like “Look up,” “Turn right,” or […]

When meeting a new client in Japan, one of the first things you need to do is exchange business cards, known as 名刺 (meishi). In many other countries, business cards are often seen as a formality or just a way to pass along your name, title, and company info. But in Japan, meishi exchange is […]