From Our Desk

Stories, insights, and culture from the world of Japanese language and Japan.

5 Japanese Phrases You'll Actually Use Every Day

Textbooks teach you "where is the station?" Real life teaches you everything else. Here are five expressions that come up constantly in Japanese — and what they actually mean beneath the translation.

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Reading Manga to Learn Japanese — Does It Actually Work?

The idea sounds too good to be true: read comics, learn a language. But learners have been doing exactly this for decades. The answer, like most things in language learning, is: it depends.

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Japan's Convenience Stores Are Unlike Anything Else in the World

Japan's Convenience Stores Are Unlike Anything Else in the World

In most countries, a convenience store is a last resort. In Japan, it is a destination. The konbini is one of the most quietly impressive things about daily life there — and it says a lot about Japan…

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Why Hanami Is About More Than Cherry Blossoms

Why Hanami Is About More Than Cherry Blossoms

Every spring, Japan pauses. Parks fill, blue tarps appear under trees, and strangers share food under a canopy of pink. But hanami is older and quieter than its Instagram version suggests.

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