Japanese raw cuisine Japan has a tradtion of eating raw food. Raw fish is a staple of Japanese cuisine or Washoku. There is of course sushi and sashimi but there is also a custom of eating raw eggs. The most popular way to do this is with rice. With the popular dish Sukiyaki being an example. Yet this blog for Japanese language learners introduces an even simpler speciality. The blog is written...

Imported words in Japanese Gairaigo are loan words or imported words into Japanese of foreign origin. Many of them come from English and Chinese but there are some words from other European languages too. In Japanese these words are usually written in the katakana phonetic script, but some have Kanji readings attached to them which are often known as 'ateji'. In this blog for language learners,...

Japanese sweet and snack makers Japan has a huge number of snack and sweet producers. From the traditional makers of Wagashi which are traditional Japanese confections that are often served with tea, to the modern snacks and potato chips that you can buy in supermarkets and convenience stores all over the country. Some snacks are considered local delicacies and domestic tourists often buy these ...

Cleanliness in Japan Japan as a country is quite well-known for its cleanliness. Many visitors to its cities are impressed by the lack of garbage in the streets. In schools, children have to clean their own classrooms starting from the first grade. And the most efficient methods are learned at an early age by many students. So the roots of this practice may be in the education system. There are a...

Christmas in Japan Japan has only really started celebrating Christmas on a wide scale during the last few decades. Being a largely Buddhist country, it is not celebrated as a religious holiday. But as with most nations and cultures in the world, the Japanese also have their own unique take on the holiday with something borrowed and something new. In this language learning blog from Japanese te...