The new Designated Activities visa allows foreign students actively seeking employment after graduation to stay in Japan.

When Nicolas arrived in Japan two years ago, he made a long time dream come true, a dream his wife came to share. He had travelled to Japan before, but became so in love with the culture he desired to have a deeper meaningful experience. “As I was turning 30, it was our last chance to apply for a […]

Mathieu moved to Japan in December 2015 to settle down with his Japanese wife. In France, he ran his own IT company providing customer support services. He chose to leave it all behind and challenge himself by starting over in  Tokyo. I stumbled upon Coto Japanese Academy because of its excellent website. As an IT worker, I can’t commit […]

Inaya moved to Japan in March 2016 to pursue an exciting work opportunity in the Japanese headquarters of a global manufacturing company. “I have always been the kind of person who likes new experiences. When the company in which I did a summer internship offered me a position in their Japanese headquarters, I couldn’t say no!” She was […]

David Ishikawa restarted his career as a UI/UX designer in Japan exactly where he wanted after completing a six-month Japanese language course. David first came to Japan in 2004. He stayed in Tokyo and Osaka for business and sightseeing and immediately fell under the country’s spell. I’m not alone in this thought, but I’m interested in […]

Speaking in Japanese on the phone is a next level challenge for most students. Here’s our handy guide for some key phrases that you need to know.

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

Saying ‘no’ in Japan is a tricky subject. The Japanese will rarely give a direct no to an answer, preferring instead to give an indirect answer that conveys the message of no.

If you have heard san, sama, kun and chan before, then you know that in Japan, you just simply do not call people by their names! Or you would be very rude. Indeed, to address someone or speak about someone, you need to use the “Japanese honorific title”. To navigate Japanese society smoothly, you should […]

Half Spanish and Russian, Marina grew up in a creative and multicultural environment between Switzerland, Spain and Russia. She studied in an Haute Couture School in Paris, focused on Fashion Design. With foreign cultures as a strong inspiration, she particularly admired Japan and she decided to focus her new collection on Japanese culture. What inspires […]