Japanese Otaku Culture Some of the most famous and best-selling goods and fads in Japan, originally started from or are driven by what is commonly known as the Otaku Culture. The word Otaku which is loosely translated as geek, is typically used to refer to an avid fan of anime or manga or Japanese video games. Here in this Japanese learner's blog, Takane sensei goes out to learn more about the G...

Osaka Osaka city is the capital of the Kansai region of Japan and second largest city in Japan. This city is famous for its large port and merchant class of people that bring a lively character to the area. It is also a city well known for its Japanese cuisine. In 2016, the Japonin(JOI) teachers met up in Osaka and of course food was one of the top points on their agenda ! Read this fun blog ab...

Japanese Shinto culture The Japanese culture has a religion of Shinto embedded within it. This is followed at the many shrines around the country. One of their important jobs is the process of purification for health and good luck. In this blog about one of these cultures, Aizawa sensei gives a brief introduction to one of these Shinto beliefs and traditions. Read the Japanese to learn more voca...

Japanese roll sushi There are many types of sushi in Japan. But in the United States and around the world, the most common type you can find is the sushi roll. This is usually composed of colorful ingredients and wrapped in Nori seaweed. One type of sushi roll is popular in Japan during the month of February. Below Igarashi sensei gives us a brief introduction to this new custom that has been sw...

Seven Lucky Gods The seven lucky gods are images that you can find all over Japan. They have long histories and have been worshiped all over Asia as part of local folklore and Buddhist and Taoist cultures - all except the god Ebisu who seems to have origins in Japanese culture. Ueno sensei, a Japanese teacher at Japonin(JOI) introduces this interesting topic and explains more about these traditi...