What is Japanese Kanji? The word for Kanji in Japanese comes from two characters, Kan = the ancient name for China, and Ji = which means script of style of writing. The style of writing was brought to Japan in the 5th Century. Much later after the second World War,it was simplified into the Japanese style that is used today. Most Kanji characters have two ways to read them, and these are called...

Japanese education system The Japanese education system is often described as unique both culturally and in terms of educational goals. This has been a pro and in some cases a con for the population. The pros being the cultural emphasis on discipline and ethics while the cons being the system of memory focused education. But there have been some changes occurring in Japan, and Someya sensei, a J...

Japanese Anime Japanese Anime has become a genre of entertainment of its own. In most of the world, the word ‘Anime’ points to Japanese animation products, but did you know that in Japan, the word ‘Anime’means all types of animation, not only domestic products? In this blog by a Japanese language teacher, Noriko Yokozuka, she talks about one of her favorite Anime. And it is a very popular Anime ...

Japan’s Ekiben culture At Japanese train stations, you can find lunch boxes on sale which are meant to be eaten during your train journey. Some train stations have become famous for their ekiben lunch boxes which are made from local specialties. In this blog by a Japanese teacher at Japonin(JOI), Miki Oosawa, you can read about her memory of one special and nostalgic Ekiben lunchbox. You can a...

Heat packs or ‘warmers’ in Japan Heat packs or ‘warmers’ as they are known in Japan, are a great way to stay warm in winter. They are disposable and can keep you warm for over 8 hours. Some are sticky and you can stick them on your undergarments to keep your back or belly warm, and some can be put inside your shoes to keep your toes warm. But there is something that not many people know about th...