Japanese proverbs There are many proverbs (or Kotowaza or Kanyoku) in the Japanese language. Some are based on 4 character Kanji, and some are idiomatic phrases. They are an interesting area of Japanese vocabulary and grammar learning. Many Japanese manga and literature make use of these phrases and there is a certain art to quoting pertinent proverbs to illustrate a point in a conversation. If ...

Roadside rest areas in Japan There are many rest areas or service stations along the highways in Japan. They are also known as Michi no Eki in Japanese. They provide places for drivers and passengers to take rest, and also promote local goods and tourism. There is a growing competition among the rest areas to provide more unique services and goods, on top of the souvenirs and local cuisine and c...

The Sengoku period Japanese history is generally separated into various periods or stages of history. These are usually named either by the current capital of the country at the time or by the ruling clan of the time. One of these periods is the period of Warring states, or Sengoku era in which there were numerous contests between clans to gain control of land and consequently unite the lands in...

Japanese new words In many languages including English, there is a growing number of words as modern vocabulary increases. Technology and trends change, and create an addition to the jargon used in every day speech. In Japanese too, there are always new words added to the vocabulary. Some are imported into the language and use the Katakana alphabet to write them. Some are new uses of old words t...

Japanese national TV station NHK apan, like almost every other nation, has a national broadcasting corporation which began as a radio broadcasting network in the 1930s and began TV broadcasts in 1950. There are now several NHK channels including satellite and digital channels. Users are required to purchase a license fee (although this is continually a point of contention among many citizens). T...