Changes in Japanese society Japan as a nation is an ever-changing landscape of influences and shifts in fashions and tastes. The changes are often brought about by the younger population and from abroad, but some changes are just brought about by time. In this blog for Japanese readers, Japanese teacher Ayako Suzuki deals with the changing tastes of the Japanese people and one Japanese phrase th...

Japanese families The word for family in Japanese is Kazoku (家族) and the Kanji could be interpreted as ‘house clan’. In modern times, nuclear families have become the norm in Japan but in the past, multi-generational families were the most ordinary. In this blog about her family, Japanese teacher Yukiko Takane tells us a sweet story about her family life with her daughter. Read the blog and lea...

How to say thank you in Japanese Japanese is often said to be a difficult language to master. But many people actually find it quite easy to speak but difficult to read or write. But even in spoken Japanese, there are some areas where foreign speakers can make mistakes or be misunderstood. This is why it is best to learn Japanese from a professional teacher rather than merely a native speaker. A...

Popular Japanese idioms Learning Japanese vocabulary and grammar is a great way to start studying Japanese. But sometimes it is useful to know some Japanese idioms as well. Using the right idioms in your conversation will definitely impress your Japanese friends and co-workers and make your Japanese sound more natural too. In this blog for Japanese learners., Miyako Fujinawa, a Japanese teacher...

Japanese hair There are a very large number of hair salons in Japan. Which leads me to think that Japanese people often get their hair cut. Most men tend to keep their hair short, and it is not only schools but also companies that have rules for hairstyles. In this blog for Japanese learners, Japanese teacher Kumiko Yatabe explains the problems she has with her hair and clothes. Please read the...