Japanese numbers Japanese numbers come from the Chinese language and follow the traditional Chinese counting. So large numbers follow a grouping of 10,000. There are Kanji characters for the numbers and these are often used in everyday life. Learning these Kanji is essential to gaining a good understanding of many aspects of life in Japan. Imoto sensei, one of the teachers here at Japonin(JOI)...

Japanese wine Wine making in Japan began to use western methods during the Meiji era of Japanese history. Domestic production and consumption lags behind the import market but there is a growing demand for locally produced wines in Japan. Momoki sensei lives in Yamanashi prefecture, the home of Japanese viticulture. She had an experience that she shares here in this Japanese learner's blog....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Japanese supermarkets The first supermarkets opened in Japan in 1953 and now almost 65 years later they are part of the nation's landscape. Many supermarkets have began 24 hour opening services which is convenient for the busy working man and for last minute shopping in the middle of the night ! But in this week teacher's blog, Takase sensei talks about an alternative to the supermarket... Read...

The practice of making New Year Resolutions is an ancient one, dating back to the Babylonian and Roman empires and religions. The most popular resolutions deal with health and money including mental health, social well-being and self-improvement. In the first teachers' blog for 2017, Someya sensei comes up with a simple yet profound quote. Read this blog to study Japanese...

Japanese card games Japan has a rich history of pastimes, board games and card games. There are competitive versions of many games and the game introduced by Yokozuka sensei below is one of these. The national competition for this game receives news coverage and there have been a number of comic books, movies and dramas featuring this game. Read the Japanese without or with Kanji furigana help,...