Soy beans and Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine has many condiments and seasoning. Many of these are made from Soy Beans including Miso paste and Soy Sauce. They are staples of Japanese dishes and there are many many types and flavors depending on the area of Japan and the families. In this blog by Japanese teacher, Oosawa Miki sensei, talks about one of these standard Japanese condiments. Read...

Sushi, the quintessential Japanese cuisine Sushi is the quintessential Japanese cuisine and is ubiquitous in Japanese supermarkets, convenience stores, and in restaurants around the country. There are many kinds of Sushi, but the typical dish referred to as 'Sushi' is in fact just one type, called Nigirizushi, which literally means hand-pressed Sushi. In this Japonin(JOI) teachers' blog, Sakude...

Blood types in East Asia Japan, Taiwan and South Korea seem to have an obsession with Blood types as a way to gauge personalities. In women's magazines, they are frequently quoted as a way to gauge whether a person is compatible. On morning TV shows, they are often Blood Type daily fortunes rather in the same way that we find Zodiac signs in Western media. The science behind the phenomenon is di...

Getting lost in Japan Getting lost in Japan is actually very easy to do. If you are in Tokyo, the subway system is a complicated maze that requires some level of experience to master. The road networks in cities often feature one way streets which make navigating your route a tricky endeavour. But luckily, there are numerous detailed maps, GPS systems and map applications for cars and smartphone...

Japanese schools The Japanese education system has a compulsory elementary and junior high school. There are numerous mandatory academic subjects similar to most school systems around the world, which include mathematics, social studies, and science as well as the Japanese language. There are also non-academic classes, like art, P.E and music classes as well as traditional Japanese teaching whic...