Culture & Tradition The Three Writing Systems of Japanese: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji
If you’ve just started to learn Japanese, you may quickly notice something unusual — there are three types of writing sy...
Culture & Tradition
Culture & Tradition 
Culture & Tradition Why Japanese People Say “Otsukaresama” So Often
Have you ever heard Japanese people say “Otsukaresama desu” (おつかれさまです)? It’s one of the most common phrases in Japan—use...
Culture & Tradition What does “san” mean in Japanese?
「さん」って、どういう意味いみ？ ていねいな言葉ことば 日本語にほんごでは、人ひとの名前なまえのあとに「さん」をつけます。In Japanese, we add “san” after a person’s name. たとえば、「たなかさ...
Culture & Tradition Kotatsu: Japan’s Cozy Winter Secret
こたつ：日本にほんの冬ふゆの心地ここちよい秘密ひみつ 日本にほんでは、こたつは冬ふゆのあいだとても人気にんきがあります。A kotatsu is very popular in Japan during the winter. テーブルの下...